LIVING AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS (part-03)

AS A CHRISTIAN, WHY WOULD I HAVE DOUBTS AND HOW DO I HANDLE THEM?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs
through which He revealed his glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
(John 2:11)

MEDITATION:
If you have been a Christian for some time, do you ever have periods
of doubt, and need reassurance? Do your doubts create guilty feelings
in you? Where do these doubts come from? They wouldn’t come from
the Lord, would they? That leaves only one choice as the source, and
that is the one who is most opposed to Jesus – Satan.

The disciples of Jesus had given up everything to follow Him and yet it
appears they experienced some doubts at times (especially during the
early years). When the scriptures say,
    “His disciples believed in Him”,
it implies they were struggling with their beliefs until now.

Jesus had just performed His first miracle of turning water into wine
and apparently this event provided the disciples with the reassurance
they needed. And why wouldn’t it? Imagine witnessing a miracle such
as this.

As could be expected, there were probably some skeptics, but the
disciples were not included in that group. They knew now that their
commitment to the Lord had just been confirmed as a wise decision.

The disciples were reassured again whenever Jesus drove the people
out of the temple courts for desecrating God’s house.
    So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from
    the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered
    the coins of the money changers and overturned their
    tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out
    of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”
    (John 2:15-16)

How did that event encourage the disciples? They remembered what
the scriptures said about His passion for His Father’s house, and they
had seen it on full display as He stopped the desecration of the temple.
    His disciples remembered that it is written:
    “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
    (John 2:17)

ACTION:
We may experience periods of doubt, but it’s what we do with those
doubts that’s important. If we allow guilt to consume us, Satan can
seize the opportunity to discourage us as much as possible. He can’t
take away the salvation God has given us, but He can cause us to be
ineffective as obedient servants of the Lord.

If we aren’t careful, overwhelming guilt can cause us to fall back into
some sinful habits of the past, in our effort to numb our guilty feelings.
Satan will also fill our minds with thoughts like,
    “I’ve already failed, so what difference does
      it make if I commit the same sin again?”

When doubt arises in our minds ‘out of the blue’, we need
to remember how the disciples were reassured. They thought
about the miracles of Jesus, and they remembered how the
scriptures had been fulfilled through Him.

That is reason enough to read the Bible often, and with a purpose.
When we see how the scriptures of the Old Testament are fulfilled
in the New Testament, it provides assurance that Jesus is real and
the scriptures can be trusted.

As an example, read Isaiah 40:3 and compare it to John 1:23;
    A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare
    the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert
    a highway for our God.”
    (Isaiah 40:3)

    John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet,
    “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,
    ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’
    (John 1:23)

also compare Isaiah 11:2 to John 1:32-34.
    The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit
    of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.
    (Isaiah 11:2)

    Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the
    Spirit come down from heaven as a dove
    and remain on Him. And I myself did not
    know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize
    with water told me, ‘The man on whom you
    see the Spirit come down and remain is the
    One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
    I have seen and I testify that this is God’s
    Chosen One.”
    (John 1:32-33)

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for showing me that doubts
can arise, but Your Word teaches me how to respond when
they infiltrate my mind. Help me to dedicate more time for
reading the scriptures and to use them as my source for
battling doubts, and for encouraging me to stay true to my
commitment. Remind me that Satan will seize every chance
to discourage me from being a dedicated follower of Jesus,
and an effective contributor to Your earthly ministry. Show
me the spiritual gift You have given me and teach me how
to use it effectively for pointing others to Your Son, Jesus.
Remind me that as a follower of Jesus, I have become a
disciple of today. Prevent me from allowing laziness and
excuses to prevent me from serving You where You have
prepared and equipped me to serve. Rather than focusing
on my weaknesses, and lack of abilities, help me to embrace
Your calling and to be excited that You have chosen me to
be a part of Your ministry to encourage others to receive
Your gift of salvation that You have given me.”

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