Let’s be honest:  Have we ever doubted our faith?

Maybe you raised your hand as I did, but it could also be true that your hand would be raised if another question were asked, the question:  Are you currently walking through a life-circumstance that causes you to question and doubt your faith in the LORD?

We are not so removed from those men and women who lived long ago, the individuals who lived in the century when Jesus dwelt as the Son of man.  We get cut and bleed; so did they.  We fall and cry; so did they.  We see the miracles within our lives, the ways the LORD moves, and yet we doubt our faith in Jesus, even our salvation.  So did those individuals who walked the same streets as Jesus.  Therefore, the better question becomes:  What must we do when the devil fills our minds with doubt?

The Only Answer is that we dig in to study God’s Word to be reminded of the evidence the Lord provides.

John the Baptist, the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth (who was Mary’s first cousin) was a man sent on mission by God to proclaim that the Messiah was coming, and John obeyed.  The Bible and historians tell us “Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, . . .” (The Gospel According to Luke 3: 1a NASB)

There are other men mentioned in that first verse, but these particular ones remain the men encased deep in our minds, for we know the hand these men played in the crucifixion of Jesus.

• John the Baptist had proclaimed the coming of the Messiah.
• John the Baptist had even baptized Jesus in the Jordan.

Now, for over one year, John remained in prison for his bold faith, for his preaching, locked up in jail because of the wicked things Herod had done and because of the lies of Herod’s wife.  During this year, Jesus had performed many miracles, but during his time in jail, John the Baptist began to doubt his faith.

Crazy right?

It’s crazy to consider that the same man who proclaimed the coming of the Messiah now found himself plagued with doubt, but he did.  So, John did what he could do; he sent men to ask Jesus—

Yet, John remained incarcerated, imprisoned for a crime he had not committed, and the devil had begun to put doubt in his mind.  When the devil sees one on fire for the Lord, the devil goes on attack.  In prison, John struggled with his faith, doubting who Jesus was, doubting if Jesus was the Messiah.  Like most Jews of that time, he thought the Messiah would be sent by God to overthrow the Roman government and set up His Kingdom on earth—immediately.  Now, John only heard of the miracles Jesus was performing.

Today, let us ask ourselves:

In what areas and what situation do I experience vulnerability and spiritual doubt?

Just as John the Baptist demonstrated so many centuries ago, when we doubt God’s purpose and plan, LOOK TO JESUS FOR THE ANSWER.

• Jesus provides evidence.
• Jesus gives us assurance and hope.

John’s men who were sent were gifted with the words of Jesus, words of assurance and truth.  We too, who believe and have been saved, can receive this same gift of truth.