Lenten Word 24: Doubt

"I believe only what I can see or touch" is a statement that you or I may have said at one point of our life and it echoes the one said by one of the 12, Thomas, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." (John 20:25b) It also resembles the famous cry of a man whose demon-possessed son was about to destroy himself, "I believe, help my unbelief!"

Doubt is the first cousin of faith once removed. Doubt is a struggle to believe in my opinion, and the doubter is one who has not yet fully given up but is seeking to believe. If you've been exposed to the truth in Jesus Christ, you'll still have doubts, we can build on doubt rather than let it be something that destroys. The doubter seeks answers and may come to the realization that faith is something we can't quite touch but the vision to see the things of faith help overcome that need to touch.

Our Lenten Journey will take us here quickly to that day when we ask, Why? And if you've seen movies about that Friday that we call Good, you'll weep and get angry and wonder, Why? And that's good to ask that especially if you know the answer; you! Jesus suffered what He did because of you, and because of me. Yes, we suffer from doubt, but let it be temporary. Faith is a great path on which to walk.

PRAYER: God of truth, speak to our unbelieving hearts when we doubt, but build on them the stones of faith. This we pray in faith in the name of Jesus the Christ, amen.