Do You Believe Him?
A Word for the Doubting Saint
You have prayed. You have waited. And God, it seems, has not answered. The promises you once held like solid ground now feel like words on a page — true for someone else, perhaps, but not for you. Not now. These are the moments of silence that burn your ears as you cry out for even the faintest response from heaven. “Lord? Do you hear me?”
Dear saint, know this: you are not alone in this struggle. Your temptations are the very same kind that your Savior experienced when He took on human flesh. But where you fail, your Savior was victorious. Where you stumble, He stands ready to lift up His saints as the Spirit conforms them into His image.
Often our difficulty runs deeper than the situation or struggle itself. Our deepest difficulty is believing God’s promises in the midst of those trials.
God works all things together for the good of those who love Him.
Do you believe Him?
You are currently seated in heavenly places in Christ.
Do you believe Him?
Our God established the end from the beginning. He holds His saints in His nail-pierced hands in such a way that nothing can snatch them away—not even you.
Do you believe Him?
And now the hard one: It has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer. Do you believe Him?
I urge you to believe Him.
Because it is our suffering that the Lord most often uses to wake us up to our profound need. It is our suffering that reminds us that we are wholly inadequate to face this world without Him. It took the suffering and death of the God-man to finally defeat the enemy. Do you believe that? If so, why do you think the Lord will not use the same methods to shape you into the image of His Son?
Most who name the name of Christ do not doubt the truth claims of God. The question is far more personal: “Even the demons believe. The fact that I know these things are true does not change my position before God. If anything, I am more culpable. I know these things are true. I just don’t know if they are true for me. Lord, am I Yours? Because it doesn’t feel like it.”
Our God is good. He is just. And He loved us while we were still sinners. Christian, He loved you while you were still a sinner. Do you believe that?
If so, why then in our moments of grief do we look away from our Savior and look at ourselves? Is that not the very thing that first drove you to the foot of the cross? Remember the gospel of your salvation. I implore you—remember Christ.
There is good news for you, my friend. Sweet and refreshing news: How you feel does not change anything about how God feels toward you. If you are looking to yourself, to your misery, or to your wavering circumstances and unsteady emotions to be the final arbiter of your salvation, you are looking in the entirely wrong place.
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Do you not remember those early days when you first experienced the grace of God? Do you not remember your complete helplessness and the simple prayers that flowed from your heart without effort? Do you not remember your Savior?
Your hope is in Him. Your assurance is in Him. Your peace, comfort, life, death, trials, victories, and defeats are all centered on Him. He alone is sufficient to bring your heart to peace. He alone is your comfort in life and in death.
If you are in the midst of doubt, you do not need secret knowledge or a deep dive into your problems. You need the simple message of salvation that brought you peace and forgiveness when you first called upon His name. Return to it. Cling to Christ.
The fact that you care about your salvation and your relationship with Christ is evidence that the Spirit is working in you. That you wish He were near is something only His child would desire. This is not the experience of an enemy of God. Christian—He has not gone anywhere. He has not left you nor forsaken you. And He bids you, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and you will find rest.” You are indeed a great sinner; of this there is little doubt. But Christ is a far greater Savior. Do you believe Him?
If this is you, dwell on the simple truths of this message. Believe them. And find peace for your soul.
Heidelberg Catechism Q1:
What is your only comfort in life and in death?
That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven;
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.