Doubt

“Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” – Matthew 11: 2 & 3

Doubt is certainly a human characteristic.  We doubt ourselves, our abilities, those around us; and we doubt God.  As hard as it is to believe in things seen, it would seem we find even greater difficulty believing in the unseen.  God understands this about us, but he calls us to a higher plain.  He draws us to the way of faith and goes to great lengths to remove all doubt.  The same did Jesus for his faithful prophet John the Baptist.  Jesus sent by another a testimony of his own works.  He sent affirmation to a doubting man locked in prison; affirmation of the power of the Son of God.   

When John sent messengers to Christ asking if he was in fact the Christ or should they look for another.  He was not in a position the twelve disciples were in, nor was not in the wilderness preaching, or baptizing.  He was not “close to the fire” as you might say; he was in prison.  He was locked up for preaching the truth to a powerful man.  It was in this prison, when he was away from the fire and the happenings of this new ministry, that John began to doubt.  The same is true for us today.  We may never see the inside of a penitentiary, however sometimes the darkest cells can be found inside the recesses of our own minds.  We create an exile within ourselves even if we are surround by other people.  The catalyst for this can be so many things.  It can be a breakup, loss, uncertainly, complacency, the list goes on.  Your prison could be your own fault, i.e. you quit reading, praying, ministering, attending church; and by and by the devil weaves his way in sowing discord and your relationship with Christ became cold.  The exile you find yourself in is the exile you created.  Or not.  Your prison could be built on the catalyst of circumstances beyond your control.  The loss of a loved one, or your health; depending on which country you live in it could be the loss of you freedom (you may very well be in a literal prison).  When we are drawn away from Jesus and we cease to witness the works of his ministry, whether it be in our own life or the lives of others.  It does nothing to increase our faith.  The Word tells us that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  I marvel at Christians who have the freedom to go to church, but argue that they don’t need to go to church; stating that they can have their own “solo” church anywhere.  Are you so arrogant to believe that your definition of what church should be is more profitable than God’s?  Did not he himself tell us to forsake not the assembling of ourselves together?  This is no wonder, because when we unit as one to hear God’s Holy Word, by hearing, faith can come and combat doubt that would seek to occupy our every thought.  Whether you created your exile or not matters very little; in the end, if we feel exiled from God it is our fault we are remaining there.  For his Word says “draw nigh.”  John found himself in prison, and in doubt, so he reached out, he drew nigh to find assurance in a time of weakness.  There is no shame in asking God to affirm himself in your life.             

Thankfully, we live on the other side of the cross.  We have access to the Holy Spirit.  This Spirit does more for us than any man could write or describe given a hundred lifetimes.  It is the accomplishing agent in the Trinity and it comforters those that are in doubt.  In fact, I believe, it can remove all doubt (feel free to disagree).  If you doubt the existence of God, or the power of God, or the presence of God in your life.  This Comforter, when invited, can come into your heart and abide with you. It can give you the full assurance that you are a child of the King!  The works that were told to John were passed on second hand.  The Work of the spirit of God in your life can be experienced firsthand.  When you abide in the vine, the affirmation of the power of Christ can be found in your life on a daily basis; so you need never be in doubt.