If I were to ask you describe Abraham with one word, what would it be?
If I were to ask you describe Sarah with one word, what would it be?
If I were to ask you to describe Moses with one word, what would it be?
If I were to ask you to describe Gideon with one word, what would it be?
If I were to say to you that all these people had one single thing in common, what would it be?
The word I would use is to describe them is the word ‘doubters’, they were all doubters, they all doubted God. What we’re going to do is go through each of them and look at the very point in their lives when they doubted God, but also look at their strengths as well as their weaknesses.
At what point did Abraham doubt God? He doubted God when he laughed, but why did he laugh?
He laughed because God said that he would have a child, even though Abraham was 100 years old. He doubted God’s word. I would like to suggest to you that some of the most important words which was are written in the Bible about Abraham are found in Genesis 15.
Although Abraham had been demonstrating his faith through his actions, it was his belief in the Lord, not his actions, that made Abraham right with God.
We too can have a right relationship with God by trusting Him. Our outward actions, church attendance, prayer, good deeds, will not by themselves make us right with God.
So, what is the right relationship based on?
Faith is the heart felt inner confidence that God is, who He says He is. Abraham doubted God but his name appears in the great hall of faith.
At what point did Sarah doubt God? Sarah doubted God when she laughed, but why did she laugh?
She laughed because she was listening to what God had said, and because she was Ninety years old. She too doubted God’s Word. Sarah lied because she was afraid of being discovered.
I believe that fear is the most common motive for lying. We are afraid that our inner thoughts and emotions will be exposed or our wrong doings discovered. If God can’t be trusted with our inner most thoughts and fears, we are in greater trouble than we first imagined.
What is significant about this passage in relation to Sarah?
She too doubted God but also Sarah is the first woman listed in the hall of faith in Hebrews. This also tells us that she was a very faithful woman.
At what point did Moses doubt God? He doubted when God told him to return to Egypt to lead the people out. Moses made excuses because he felt inadequate for the job God asked him to do. It was natural for him to feel that way because he was inadequate all by himself. But God wasn’t asking Moses to work alone.
What excuses do people make today for not doing what God tells them to do in His Word?
What excuses do Christians use for not sharing the Gospel with others?
God often calls us to do tasks that seem too difficult, but He doesn’t ask us to do them alone. God offers us His resources, just as he did to Moses.
We should not hide behind our inadequacies, as Moses did. We should look beyond ourselves to the great resources available. Then we can allow God to use our unique contributions for His will.
What resources has God given us today to help us live right for Him?
What resources has God given us can we use to share the Gospel with others?
Moses too doubted God’s Word, but again we find that Moses’ name appears in the hall of faith.
At what point did Gideon doubt God?
Gideon doubted God when God told him he was going to be a judge and leader. ‘I will be with you’ God told Gideon and God promised to give him the strength he needed to overcome the opposition.
In spite of this clear promise for strength, Gideon made excuses seeing only His limitations and weaknesses, he failed to see how God could work through him.
Like Gideon we are all called to serve God in specific ways. Although God promises us the tools and strength we need we often make excuses.
What happens when we remind God of our limitations?
Reminding God of our limitations only implies that He does not know all about us or that He has made a mistake in evaluating our character. We need to stop spending time making excuses and we need to spend more time doing whatever God wants us to do. Because it is not ‘be all that you can be’, it’s be all that God wants you to be.
Gideon too doubted God’s Word, but he too is in mentioned by name in the hall of faith.
If doubt leads to questions, and questions lead to answers, and then answers are excepted, then doubt has done good work. It is when doubt becomes stubbornness and stubbornness becomes a lifestyle, this is when your doubt can harm your faith.
We need to realise that many of the people God used to accomplish great things started out as real doubters. With all of them, God showed great patience. Honest doubt was not a bad starting point for them, as long as they didn’t stay there. Let me finish by asking you this question.
How great a part does doubt have in your willingness to trust God?
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."