Some Doubted

The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. When they saw Him, they worshipped, but some doubted. Matthew 28:16, 17

Some doubted. These were the eleven remaining disciples Jesus spent His last hours with. He spent his final moments before dying, encouraging and comforting them. They asked questions, and He answered. He prepared them for what was ahead. His words to them are found in John chapters thirteen through seventeen. 

Yet after all of that, when He appears to them, resurrected, though they see Him, some doubted. Perhaps a momentary doubt because of the awesomeness of seeing Jesus.

Ezra Bible Study - Stirred: Cyrus' Proclamation

Ezra begins with a proclamation from King Cyrus, the king of the Persian Empire, considered the greatest ruling power in the world at that time. Cyrus was a great military leader, bent on universal conquest. Babylon fell before his army - B.C. 538 on the night of Belshazzar’s feast (Daniel. 5:30), and then the ancient dominion of Assyria was also added to his empire (Isaiah 21:2). In capturing Babylon, the Jews had new leadership under King Cyrus. The oft-quoted verse in Jeremiah 29 refers to the Jews who were in captivity. In Jeremiah 29:10, Jeremiah prophesies that after 70 years are passed in Babylon, I (God) will visit you because God knew the plans he had toward his people: thoughts of peace and not of evil to bring you an expected end (Jeremiah 29:11). God had plans for the Jews' freedom.

The Jews were no longer in captivity, but they were still in Babylon. If they knew of this prophecy, they probably could not conceive how their lives would turn around; how they would be the beneficiaries of peace

Notes From My Daughter - In Times of Doubt, God Cares

Occasional notes from my second daughter a college graduate, at the cusp of the next stage of her life. I never know what to expect when she writes, but I am always blown away. Did this child come from me? Read on!

Do you believe that God cares even when it seems He doesn't?

Why Do We Fluctuate in our Devotion To God?

Reading about the Israelites in the book of Judges, you may wonder how they could be so stubborn. You may even think that you're not like them - once you've committed to something or someone you never waver in your commitment, you're never tempted, and you never doubt.

In my last post, I mentioned how God sent judges to deliver the people of Israel; but why did they need deliverance?

Their leader died (Judges 2:6-9). Joshua died at 110 years old but he was influential in ensuring that the people followed the Lord's commandments. When Joshua and those of that generation died, the upcoming generation did not know the Lord and all of his works. Because of this lack of knowledge they chose to worship other gods. This worshipping of other gods instead of the one true God makes God seem petty, but He's not. When you make other things an idol - they become very important to you. Idols will now have a high priority in your life; the idol determines how you live and who you associate with. In Israel's time, false gods like Baal and Ashtoreth - couldn't save lives, couldn't deliver you from oppression, couldn't help you cross a Red sea, couldn't rain plagues from heaven. Instead, these idols created a false hope and filled lives with rituals that had no meaning. But God was and is different - everything He instituted had meaning and purpose and was not an empty ritual. God knew what He was talking about. Today we make idols out of different things - fame, athletic prowess, smarts, money. If we give these things more precedence than God who made us, they are an idol and they will have the same detrimental effect as worshipping false gods in Israel's time.

There was a gap in knowledge (Judges 2:10). As much as it is up to you, your legacy matters. Perhaps because they had not experienced God's goodness directly, the younger generation made a choice to test God. Perhaps they did not really understand what it meant to serve God. Sometimes in spite of passing down what God has done, the next generation chooses to go astray. Each individual has to make the choice to serve God.

God made all of us with free will (Judges 2:11-22). We get to choose. God said if you're always going to choose wrongly, you will suffer but I will still make a way out for you.

So why is it so hard to stay the course?

• Sin is enticing. The worship of false gods was enticing to the Israelites; it was all around them. Proximity to sin also made it tempting.
• Sin is influential - Bad company corrupts good character.
• Sin makes us weak - We don't really have willpower unless we choose to subject our minds. Our wills are entirely powerless.

Perhaps you now see a little bit of yourself in the Israelites; I know I do. Don't look with disdain at the Israelites instead, see yourself in them. Yield to the promises of God's word and be willful about serving Him. Like the Israelites, you'll begin to recognize that He is there in spite of your messes. Out of the mess will come a message.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Romans 5:8

Even though you fluctuate, He remains faithful. 

Go Back Again

Have you ever felt tired, like you couldn't go on? Have you ever felt like you've done enough and there's nothing more to do? Even if you don't wave the red flag, have you mentally checked out? As a Christian, are you holding on to God's promises but wondering when you will see it play out in your life?

Holding on to a God who makes promises and keeps promises increases our faith.

After Adam and Eve disobeyed God, God spoke to Adam, Eve and the serpent (i.e. the devil).

Then the Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all animals, domestic and wild. You will crawl on your belly, groveling in the dust as long as you live.And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3: 14, 15 [NLT]

While speaking to the serpent - God said Eve's offspring will strike Satan's head. In a literal sense, Eve may be wondering,  "What does this mean?" "How will it happen?" "And why did I listen to the serpent?" Because at this point, Eve is now beginning to understand the power of God.

Then He said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” Genesis 3:16 [NLT]

Subsequently, when she has Cain and Abel, she immediately understands what God is talking about because childbirth is not pain-free. But is she wondering how her offspring will rule over Satan's offspring? Perhaps. Raising children, and dealing with your husband can take up all of your time so this probably was not at the forefront of her mind. But then Cain kills Abel and he is cursed (Gen 4:15), and she may have wondered again. She only has one son left and his character is questionable; he is a murderer. Perhaps she remembers what God said of her as he spoke to the serpent.

Because... Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth, for she said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time, people first began to worship the Lord by name. Genesis 4:25,26 [NLT]

The promise of bruising the serpent's head would come through Seth. Eve could have lamented about her children's situation and stayed there, but she and Adam had Seth. Eve knew what God said about her offspring. Eve also knew that one of her sons was a murderer. Perhaps she held on to what she heard so long ago because when she had Seth she said God had granted her another son in place of Abel. The birth of Seth happened when Adam was 130 years old.(Genesis 5:3) One hundred and thirty years is a long time to wait for a promise to be fulfilled. The birth of Seth may have been unexpected - but God's words aren't idle. It doesn't matter how long it took, it matters that it was fulfilled.

God's timing runs the spectrum from immediacy to long term which was played out in Eve's life. Childbirth made Eve realize that what God said was true. Knowing this she may have wondered about the timing of everything else that was said. She would never doubt God again.

Don't doubt God. If He said it, He will do it. If He said it about you to someone else, it will happen. However you become aware of what God said about you, believe it. Look at Eve, she believed what God said about her offspring because in Luke we read as part of the genealogy of Jesus: Seth was the son of Adam. Adam was the son of God. Luke 3:38 [NLT]

Though Eve did not live to see it, it was through Seth that her offspring would bruise the serpent's head and would defeat Satan - Jesus came through the lineage of Seth. Don't doubt God and don't give up on God.


Are you holding on to a promise made by God? Keep holding on.


This post is inspired by a message I heard.