We live in a world where skepticism is rampant. We doubt everything from the viability of the social security system to the credibility of our nation's leaders. Being human means having questions and doubts. How many times did the disciples ask Jesus questions because they didn't understand? (Luke 8:22-25) We are like the disciples. God has been pointing our lives in a certain direction, and we don't understand. Something bad happens and we doubt God's power and love. Certainty and doubt. Faith and questioning. Faith and doubt living side by side. Often when we search for answers to questions, our faith can grow. God never punishes us for our doubt, in fact, God welcomes our doubts and gives us what we need in order to believe.
Devotions for the week of [March 21-27 +belief & doubt] call us to think more deeply, reflect on our lives, and search more intently for answers. Because of our questioning, we are able to draw closer to God and can begin to see our questions as a sign of strength.
Ask your child...
- We continually take in new information, question old ideas, and develop new ways of understanding. Why would this happen (or not happen) with matters of faith?
- If God is truly all-powerful and all-loving, why is there so much suffering in the world? There are no simple answers to such a challenging question. Only by wrestling with our doubts can we take the fertile seeds of faith for ourselves and let God fertilize them.
- To continue to ask questions and seek a deeper knowledge of God.
- Who are your friends who ask the hard questions that help your faith grow? Thank them - and thank God for them.
- Read Psalm 103:1-5, listen to "10,000 Reasons" by Matt Redman, then write about the love of God in your life.
- Look up passages on doubt and belief in your Bible. You might start with the Book of Job. Notice that Job's faith in the beginning is not as strong as it is in the end. Suffering and struggling with questions of faith made him the man he became. Similarly, we have no shortcuts to becoming men and women of faith. We need to wrestle with deep questions.
"For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." Habakkuk 1:5 (NIV)