So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. Matthew 21:21
Editors Note: This post has taken longer to write than any post I have written. I struggled through this, trying to make the words and thoughts work. I hope the finished product makes it all worthwhile waiting for. -Paul
So how much faith do you have? What do you believe? Where are you on your journey with God? I often ask myself these questions, and it makes me question whether I have the faith that I need to have. And that scares me.
When you hear of some of the terrible things happening in the world from weather events, to wars, to famines, to violent incidents and much more, it makes one question what is really going on. Has God abandoned His people or have His people abandoned Him? A short trip through social media will often answer that question for you. Bring God into a social media discussion and the attacks from non-believers is sometimes quite viscous! I have been on the receiving end of those attacks a number of times.
What has caused this caustic reaction to any mention of God? Is it doubt through lack of faith? Our God, or more accurately Jesus has promised that He will return, in John 14:3 Jesus says, “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” But we have waited almost 2000 years and He has not returned! Why? Well the reason He has not returned is because we are not ready yet! When we are ready He will come, to make sure He can save as many as possible.
But all this waiting causes people to doubt the truth! And when bad things happen, they doubt their faith. But that is not where my doubt comes in. I actually sometimes struggle with the doctrines and the “realities” that I am taught. I think of all the people and animals that have died from Adam and Eve to present day. A few billion at the very least. And the number of animals, because they will join us in heaven also, with the lion laying with the lamb, how many billions of animals have died since the beginning of time? Where do all these people, who fell asleep in Jesus, and all these animals fit in the grand equation of salvation?
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I struggle also with my worthiness, as to whether I am good enough and ready for His second coming! And sometimes, sadly, I even doubt the unfailing word of God The Bible! How can that be for one who trusts God so strongly? I really don’t know. Only the power of the enemy, Satan, could be putting those doubts into my mind. I walk each day in the Lord, but the enemy is always trying to distract us and make us follow him.
He tried to plant the seeds of doubt into Jesus as he tempted Him in the desert, but Jesus had the strength to fight him off. The enemy, however, is very strong and he continues relentlessly to bring you to him and in doing so condemn you and I to second death! And it takes strength and faith to overcome him.
Lately I have been struggling with the whole creation versus evolution argument and really have difficulties with both. I wonder about the universe and how big it is, where it starts in both time and location. How did it get there and what was there before? If God created everything, as I believe, then where was God before creation? And if you believe in the Big Bang and evolution, then what was there before the Big Bang?
The answers to these questions will not come while we are still here. We need to wait until Jesus returns to get those answers, or if you don’t believe in God, then I guess the answers will never come. Hopefully that isn’t the case though. I plan on having everlasting life as promised in the John 3:16 and hope to bring as many people as possible along with me.
God bless
Shiny Side Up 