Benefit of the Doubt

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

– Matthew 14:31

It’s said that if you have enough faith to believe the first four words of the Bible (“In the beginning, God …”), the rest of Scripture is easy. Still, even the most seasoned Christ-followers can have their moments of doubt — particularly in times of crisis — when it comes to a job loss, a serious illness, or the death of a loved one. 

But trusting in God’s promises extends well beyond our employment, health, or relationships. His guarantees found throughout the Bible are eternal. And we can take them all to the bank because of our Creator’s proven record of reliability. For example, God promised through the Old Testament’s book of Amos that the city of Tyre would be destroyed because of its harsh treatment of Israel. And the armies of Alexander the Great would indeed level Tyre’s impregnable fortress walls. God also promised to reunite his scattered chosen people — the Jews — from around the globe. In 1948, he did just that through the birth of the State of Israel.

It doesn’t end there. J. Barton Payne’s Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy lists more than 1,800 promises from God. And no doubt the greatest was fulfilled — once again, as predicted centuries earlier — through the birth of the world’s Savior (Jesus) in an obscure outpost of the Roman Empire. It was then that God came to Earth to personally experience the human condition.

This realization of God’s promise was much more than a bookmark in history. Through Jesus, the devil was defeated and Christ-followers were given the power to live victorious, Spirit-filled lives. So, let’s consider these words of assurance that are still relevant 20 centuries after Christ’s death and Resurrection:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?” Jesus asked some of his earliest followers. “Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

That’s our Creator’s promise to you and me: That he cares deeply for us. And he also knows each of us intimately — even before we were born. In fact, the book of Isaiah tells us that our very names are written on the palms of his hands! 

As Christ-followers, uncertainties about our faith will come and go. But rest assured that we worship a God who loves us and has a wondrous eternal plan for our future. 

There’s no doubt about it!