Interesting question: Is God for us or against us?
I’m assuming you immediately answered that in your heart (or maybe even out loud) with a big YES, of course He’s for us! Isn’t this the core behind John 3:16? “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting life.”
So why am I asking this question?
Because I want to know why we don’t live like it.
If we really, truly, believe God is FOR us, why doesn’t our conversation and actions reveal our belief more than it does? The answer to this is, as a whole, we reserve the right to doubt. But what we forget is that doubt is a trap.
And Jesus knew this — which is why throughout the Gospels, you find Him drawing attention to it:
- Mark 2:8 And at once Jesus, becoming fully aware in His spirit that they thus debated within themselves, said to them, “Why do you argue (debate, reason) about all this in your hearts?”
- Luke 5:22 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts and questionings, answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts?”
- Matthew 9:4 But Jesus, knowing (seeing) their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil and harbor malice in your hearts?”
To doubt means to be uncertain about, consider questionable or unlikely, to hesitate to believe. And isn’t that interesting considering WE, as Christians, are called believers? We aren’t called “hesitaters of Christ” or “questioners of Christ” — no, we’re BELIEVERS.
Now, this should enlighten us to the motive behind the devil’s agenda to sow seeds of doubt in our heart. In fact, Jesus brought light to this truth in His parable concerning the wheat and the tares. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared” (Matthew 13:24-26).
The principle here is that the enemy sows the tare (the weed that tries to choke the good seed). And secondly, it’s revealed when the crop produces. Let me say it this way:
Doubt is sown in your heart by the enemy before you even realize it.
It shows up when FAITH is present.
We can’t stop the enemy from sowing doubt, but we can choose to override it. “Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: ‘For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ BUT WE ARE NOT OF THOSE WHO DRAW BACK to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:35-39).
Make a decision today to not be one of those who shrink back, doubt, turn away, or lose faith. Hold fast! God is faithful! You CAN believe Him and His Word.
