Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

April 14


WHEN
IN DOUBT

READ:
Matthew 11:1-6
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Are you the Coming
One, or do we look
for another?
__Matthew
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John the Baptist was languishing in prison and questioning his faith. He may well have wondered: Is Jesus the Messiah? Is His word true? Have I believed and labored in vain for my Master? Is this dark place my final reward for answering God's call?

Perhaps countless questions make their way though your mind as well: Is Jesus really the Savior? Have my sins been forgiven? Can I trust the Bible? Will I be raised from the dead? does heaven lie ahead? Is all that I believe a cruel illusion?

Most of us ask questions like these from time to time. I do--especially on those dark days when circumstances bring sorrow and bitter disappointment, when it seems there's no storybook ending to our lives.

These questionings are not failures of faith but tests of faith and can be answered in John the Baptist's way: We must take our doubts to Jesus. In His time and in His own wise way He will restore the confidence our hearts desire.

Jesus didn't abandon John to his doubt. He sent word of the miracles He performed and the hope He preached (Matt.11:4-6). As George MacDonald said of God's faithfulness: "You might as well say that a mother would go away from her little child lying moaning in the dark." __David Roper
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`````````````But in the dark my heart is strangely blest;````````````
`````````````Yea, in the gloom my soul obtains its rest;`````````````
`````````````For, spite of night, I find that God on high``````````````
``````````Is near the anguished soul, where'er it lie. __H. Frost```````
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Never doubt in the dark
what God has shown you in the light

***************Today's Bible Reading __ Matthew 11:1-6************

1 Now it came to pass,
when Jesus finished
commanding His twelve
disciples, that He departed
from there to teach and to
preach in their cities.

2 And when John had
heard in prison about the
works of Christ, he sent two
of his disciples 3 and said to
Him, "Are You the Coming
One, or do we look for
another?"

4 Jesus answered and said
to them, "Go and tell John
the things which you hear
and see: 5 The blind see and
the lame walk; the lepers
are cleansed and the deaf
hear; the dead are raised up
and the poor have the
gospel preached to them.

6 And blessed is he who is
not offended because of
Me."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The Old Testament record of Abraham's journey of faith revolves
around his desire to have a son who would inherit his property
and continue his name. But like John the Baptist during his
imprisonment (Matt. 11:1-6), Abraham suffered a lapse in his faith.
During the years of waiting for the promise, Abraham questioned
God and even tried to have an heir outside His divine plan (Gen.
16). Yet in the final analysis, when he was tested, Abraham showed a
persevering faith: "He did not waver at the promise of God through
unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and
being fully convinced that what [God] had promised He was also
able to perform" (Rom. 4:20-21). __Dennis Fisher