I was sitting in church this past Sunday and had just shared a communion thought for Advent that reflected on the hope found in Christ. I have to admit that I had been struggling through a few personal things that morning in my prayer & preparation. I had spent time committing it to God, but knew it was going to be a continual process. As I sat there I felt God speak directly to me and giving me a gentle rebuke. I wrote it down so that I wouldn't forget that moment & the truth of what He is saying:
"You preach this all the time, but do you really believe that there is hope in me? Do you believe that my love for you is unfailing and can't be outsinned? Why do you carry the weight of hopelessness when I have offered you my true hope?"
I confess that there are times when I wrestle with the veracity of God's hope for me and my family. I know in my heart that it is true, but that doesn't always translate into my spirit. I suppose my response to God would simply be:
"I know that my only true hope is found in You, but sometimes the weight of ministry, the journey of parenting, the burden of my sin, and the details of life overwhelm me. Forgive me, Father and thank You for restoring my confidence even when I can't see the end of these st
Thank you Craig for this post. I just got finished asking GOD to replace my doubts with faith. I pray all the time about the same things over and over again. The things that I consider to be problems in my life that need immediate attention, but they havent been changed or gone away. I can't say that when I am praying that I actually feel like in the back of my mind that there is doubt, but when I get ready to say the prayer again for the millionth time I do think to myself, am I doubting and why am i doubting that God won't answer my prayers. Is it because the things that I am praying about are'nt really the issues in my life and there are much more important areas that I need to be focused on praying about? Is God working on me through these prayers to humble me? Instead of me seeking freedom from anger and bitterness that I feel because of other people's faults, that I might need to be looking in the mirror and ask God to give me Grace and forgive me for my faults.
ReplyDeleteI think we all struggle with doubts in some way. It's our constant willingness to ask God, "Help me overcome my unbelief!" that shows our desire to change and opens the door to stronger faith. Keep praying the prayers for heart change and God will answer.
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