Faith vs. Doubt
“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.” James 1:6,7
I was sharing something with a dear sis yesterday and thought I would do a post on it – in hopes that it will be a blessing to someone this morning.
Yesterday morning, while taking some things to the Lord, my heart’s desire was to better understand “faith”. During that time, the Lord seemed to impress my heart to do a little word study on “faith” and “doubt” and here is what I came up with:
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FAITH
Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another; resting on his authority and veracity, without other evidence; the judgment that what another states or testifies is the truth.
synonyms – acceptance; belief; confidence; conviction; hope; assurance; certainty; surety
DOUBT
To waver or fluctuate in opinion; to hesitate; to be in suspense; to be in uncertainty; to be undetermined; to fear; to be apprehensive; to suspect; to fill with fear.
synonyms – apprehension; confusion; disbelief; distrust; fear; hesitancy; misgiving; skepticism; suspicion; uncertainty, wavering
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I printed the above and posted it in a visible place where I have my devotions – to serve as a continual reminder and even a tool for self-examination:
“TODAY, do I have FAITH in God? Do I have complete confidence in His Word? Am I resting on His promises? Am I certain that He will do what He said?”
OR…
“TODAY, am I apprehensive? Am I wavering on God’s promises? Do I feel confused? Am I fearful of the future? Am I skeptical of God’s ability?”
I’m just going to be honest right here. Yesterday, as I typed those synonyms for “doubt”, my heart was convicted. Oh, may we be continually reminded that we serve a FAITHFUL God Who is in complete control of our circumstances! We can fully trust Him! Will we choose to do so?
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6