Is this how God deals with people who love Him?

In my four decades of ministry, I’ve counseled many people who are struggling with their Christian faith. I’ve seen feelings of doubt creep in when someone experiences a loss, an ongoing struggle, a health issue, or more recently, the darkness of the world right now.

You may have noticed that I often write and speak on the topic of doubt because it’s something I’ve struggled with personally. This may surprise you, but I’ve had serious doubts about my Christian faith. When I was nineteen years old, I began to question whether the Bible was truly the Word of God. I came to a point that I was strongly considering letting go of my call to be a pastor … and Christianity altogether. 

Maybe you or a loved one are struggling with doubt today. Perhaps something in your life has caused you to doubt the goodness, the wisdom, or even the existence of God. Deep down, you may be wondering, Is this how God deals with people who love Him?

It might reassure you to know that some of God’s choicest servants also wrestled with doubt:

• Abraham doubted that he and Sarah could have the son God promised them.
• Moses doubted that he could deliver the Israelites from Pharaoh. 
• David doubted that he would escape from King Saul. 
• Jeremiah had doubts about his call as a prophet. 
• John the Baptist doubted whether Jesus was really the Messiah. 

And it doesn’t stop there. Many great men and women of faith—including Charles Spurgeon, Martin Luther, Amy Carmichael, and Joni Eareckson Tada—admitted to experiencing periods of doubt in their lives. 

One reason we doubt is that there’s such a difference between God and us. God said in Isaiah 55:9, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” When you and I have times of doubt, running to God and asking for His answers is an act of faith. 

Here’s the good news—it doesn’t take a lot of faith to move God’s hand. In Matthew 17:20, Jesus said, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed . . . nothing will be impossible to you.” Your itty-bitty faith, coupled with God’s great power, can accomplish anything. 

How can you move from doubt to faith? Let me share three practical principles:

1. Don’t deny your doubts—acknowledge them. Sometimes we hide or ignore our doubts because we fear our questions are too great for God’s answers. Don’t worry—God is big enough to handle your questions! Philosophies come and go, but “the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). 

2. Don’t dread your doubts—analyze them. Why are you doubting? Is it because of something you read, an unanswered prayer, or suffering you’re experiencing? Is it perhaps due to disobedience? Analyzing your doubts helps you overcome them.

3. Don’t disguise your doubts—articulate them. When you have doubts, talk to a mature Christian about it. They’ll likely say, “I’ve had the same question, and here’s how I resolved it.” Above all, go to God! When you turn your doubts into prayers, He says to you, as He did to Thomas, “Do not be unbelieving, but believing” (John 20:27). 

Jesus didn’t chastise Thomas for expressing doubt. Instead, He gave him what he was looking for. If you’re experiencing doubt today, God will do the same for you. That’s how He deals with believers who seek sincere answers. As Jesus said, “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed” (v. 29).

Sharing the Truth of God’s Word,

Dr. Robert Jeffress