Doubting God, Part 2: Doubt in the Face of Uncertainty

Though I have struggled with doubt in the face of uncertainty over the years, God’s anchor always holds. I hope these tips encourage you in your own “desert” of uncertainty today ~

My husband stood in my office doorway and stared at me. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I just lost my job.”

I stared back. “What? What do you mean?”

“I just got an email telling me they were ‘cutting back,’ effectively immediately. I’m supposed to send my phone and laptop back by tomorrow.”

In an instant, we were ripped from our moorings and tossed into a churning sea of uncertainty.

God’s people of the past knew something about uncertainty. As the Israelites waited at the foot of the mountain for their leader Moses to return, they faced an uncertain future. Where was God? What had happened to Moses? They had waited week after week for him to return with news from God, but he hadn’t and the mountain of God loomed above them, shrouded by heavy smoke. Despite God’s promises of provision, protection, and the hope of a new homeland, it appeared they had been forgotten.

So they panicked and abandoned their faith.

We, too, experience times when we can’t see evidence of God’s presence with us. When the future seems shrouded in heavy smoke and confusion chokes our faith. Despite God’s promises of provision, when we stand at the foot of an unknown future, don’t we, just like the Israelites, feel panic and fear? Aren’t we too, tempted to abandon hope and jump ship?

God’s people of the past struggled with the same types of pressure that we do today in our world of pandemics and civil unrest: fear, panic, confusion, and failure. Over the ages, some things never change. But then neither does God, which leads us to the first step in overcoming doubt.

4 Steps to Overcome Doubt During Uncertainty

1. Anchor in God’s character. We cannot find our way through storms without the support of God's character. Click To Tweet God is immutable. That means He never changes in any way. James 1:17 says, “…the Father…does not change like shifting shadows.” God’s heart, mind, and plans for you, me, and our world are undaunted by the storm raging around us. He reigns over all and His faithful promises are worth the wait. While God’s people stewed and fretted and the base of the mountain, God was communing with Moses and working on their behalf. Moses returned from the mountain top as promised, with God’s great guiding laws for His people inscribed on tablets by God’s very hand.  We too, angst over the uncertainty of our future, but take heart! God is working on our behalf this very moment. Set your feet on the bedrock of His steady heart. Rest on His unchanging nature as your source of strength and He will sustain and equip you to handle every uncertainty of our day.
2. Cling to God’s Word. We cannot find our way through storms without the lamp of God's Word. Click To Tweet Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” And Psalm 119:147, “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word.”

• Claim God’s promises. We cannot find our way through storms without the handrail of God's promises. Click To Tweet Psalm 119:140 says, “Your promises have been thoroughly tested and your servant loves them.” And Psalm 119:148, “My eyes stay open through the watch of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.” A few promises I have found especially helpful in this season of uncertainty are:

• Remember God’s faithfulness. [Tweet “We cannot find our way through storms without the manna of God’s past provision.”] Psalm 119:116 says, “Sustain me according to your promise and I will live…” And Nehemiah 9:15, “In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock…”

God knows our need and He will meet us with exactly what we need for the next step along His path today. Malachi 3:6 says, “I the LORD do not change.” God was faithful then and He’ll be faithful now. God was faithful then and He'll be faithful now. Click To Tweet His character depends on it.

Which step to overcoming doubt is most helpful for you today?

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Office Online