I made a mistake last Sunday…I neglected to make a Father’s Day post! I would now like to take the opportunity to wish all of the fathers and father figures reading this blog post a happy belated Father’s Day. 🙂
Now, I’m going to officially start out today’s blog post with a poem I wrote:
The Land of Doubt
In the vast land of doubt, there is no way called “out.” There are bends and turns, hills and valleys, wide, pleasant streets, and dark, narrow alleys. There are books without end, knowledge galore, and lots of wadded-up research lying on the floor.
To each assertion are added many more doubts: we are longing for answers, but living in drought. Progress is made, and is just as soon lost. Must the search for stability come at such a high cost?
Each season of hope is followed by despair. We hope for answers…and then, dejected, we don’t care. Again, we look for the grand exit. It exits…but where?
In the vast land of doubt, there is no way called “out.” There are bends and turns, hills and valleys, wide, pleasant streets, and dark, narrow alleys. There are books without end, knowledge galore, and lots of wadded-up research lying on the floor.
The point of this poem is that doubt gets us nowhere. Yes, questions are good, and we should never settle into a state where we stop learning, but doubt can make us incredibly stuck.
Consider this:
“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts.
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 2 Timothy 3:1-7 (KJV)
The last verse is what especially catches my attention: “Ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:7 KJV)
In John 7:17, Jesus said:
“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” John 7:17 (KJV)
“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” 2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 (KJV)
In order to know the truth, we have to be willing to follow it when God reveals it to us. If we don’t allow God to put the “love of the truth” as stated in 2 Thessalonians 2:10 in our hearts, we are set up for big trouble. Furthermore, whenever we only listen to God’s word but don’t seek to follow it in our day-to-day lives, we are setting ourselves up for self-deception.
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22 (KJV)
And then there is the discouragement factor…a big one that keeps a lot of sincere, struggling, eager-to-please God, imperfect, trembling children of God in slavery to doubt.
Lies are overcome by the truth. We have an accuser of the brethren, Satan, who loves to throw our confessed sins in our faces. God is not spending all day dwelling on our sins, but Satan has no problem doing so, and this is what he (Satan) wants us to do.
The good news is that God has provided us with heavenly weapons which we can use to fight: to fight against the darkness and despair of false guilt; to fight against the easy to fall into habit of rumination over our unworthiness and over our insecurities and uncertainties in our relationships with God; to fight against our doubts regarding His forgiveness towards us!
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (KJV)
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (KJV)
“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” Micah 7:8-9 (KJV)
“Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” Isaiah 66:1-2 (KJV)
“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15 (KJV)
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5 (KJV)
“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” John 7:17 (KJV)
So…I’m having an honest talk with both myself and my readers. When/if we find ourselves living in the land of doubt, why is this? Is it because of a cherished love of sin and a stubborn unwillingness to obey the truths that God is trying to show us, or is it because of a pitiable, and oh-so-real, struggle with grief and guilt: a struggle with the mighty temptation to succumb to despair and discouragement?
I know without a shadow of a doubt that no one can safely spend his or her life in the land of doubt. With God’s help, we can all thrive in the land of faith.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)
May we all accept what God has for us as spelled out for us in these verses which I am sharing in closing: so much knowledge! True knowledge!
“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21 (KJV)
Courage! Let’s keep looking up!
Learn and Grow 4ever 