Rays of Hope

A Book of Encouragement

Doubting

  Doubting God and His Word is a habit imposed by the devil, and the longer it is indulged in, the stronger becomes its binding power. Doubting causes a path, or furrow, on the brain like a path across an orchard or a field where many feet have trod; and nothing but a stern resistance and the power of God can ever erase these furrows and break the habit of doubting. I repeat that doubting is a habit, imposed by the devil, for no reasonable person can willingly or maliciously doubt God.

  Possibly the worst phase of doubting is doubting what God has done for the soul. Those who are habitual doubters often do much praying, but do very little believing. If Satan can succeed in getting you to doubt your experience and cast away your confidence, he has gained an inroad to the soul, which, if not quickly closed, is likely to cause prolonged trouble. I have known persons to doubt their experience, go and ask God's forgiveness, and doubt Him again before rising from prayer. Doubting spirits and accusing spirits are very closely allied and often work together.

  To some people doubting becomes almost a second nature, and doubting becomes much easier than believing. If such people would treat the doubting spirits as some people treat peddlers they would not be troubled so much. Some people shut the door in the peddler's face, notwithstanding his pleas to show his goods. If people would always shut their hearts' doors to all doubts regardless of [23] their earnest pleas for entrance they would soon cease to come so often. Doubts, like some book agents, almost force an entrance, and the only way to get rid of them is to tell them to go.

  Doubts are like visitors—if they are entertained, they will stay; but if no attention is paid to them, and instead of entertainment they receive a rebuke, they will not stay long and will not return so often. The unrest and the tortures of the habit of doubting are too well known to the doubter to need comment. What is most interesting to the weakened and discouraged doubter is

THE WAY OF DELIVERANCE

  There is deliverance for every soul that will accept God's way, even from the severest case of doubts and fears. If you are a doubter, settle it that God is true and that He loves you with an everlasting love. Though you may have failed a thousand times, God loves you still. And though you have been unfaithful many times, yet He abideth true; "he cannot deny himself"; and "his mercy endureth forever. "

  Your doubting, unbelief, and failures will not make God unfaithful, or untrue to His Word. God is just as true to you as if you had never doubted. Peter once said to the Lord, "How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." Matt. 18 :21, 22. Seventy times seven equals four hundred and ninety. Again, Jesus said to His disciples: "Take heed to yourselves; If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him." Luke 17:3, 4. If God requires us to forgive each other until seventy times seven, and seven times in a day, is He less merciful than we? Should you forgive your brother seven times in a day until you had forgiven him for seventy times seven transgressions, you would forgive him seven times every day for two months and ten days. If God requires this much of you, how merciful must He be! This should not license you to doubt, [24] but, on the contrary, should inspire you to believe that God will forgive you once more, even though your doubts and failings have been many. Two things you must rely on, trust in, cling to. These are—(1) The written Word of God, (2) Your God given reason, or judgment. Without these two landmarks you could never find the way to deliverance. Feelings will deceive you, doubts assail you, and past experience fail you; but the unchanging Word of God and your better judgment are waymarks on the road to peace.

  Meet the conditions of the Word as the best you can, implore the help of God, and resisting Satan, set your face toward the land of victory, determined to conquer or die, and Satan, doubts, and fears will stand back and let you pass. Believe where you cannot see nor feel, and trust where you cannot trace. Your fight may be a feeble one for a while, but "each victory will help you some other to win," and you will soon be able to vanquish your every foe; and standing on the banks of sweet deliverance you may sing the victor's song and sway a scepter greater than that of which any earthly potentate has ever dreamed. Never be discouraged; all discouragements are of the devil and should be resisted as the devil himself. Use your reason and strengthen your conscience; look at the mercy of God and His loving kindness. Read the Bible, obey it, and believe it despite all your feelings to the contrary. Emotions are the doubter's worst enemies, except the devils themselves; but faith can conquer every foe. Tie the anchor of hope fast to the rock of eternal truth with the unbreakable cable of faith, and then emotions may rise and fall and the storms of doubts may rage, but your anchor is sure. And sooner or later you will learn to pay but little attention to superficial emotions, and to trust in the truth. After you have once gained a victory over Satan, you will be much stronger.

  Never give up when tired or feeling bad, for you are not so capable of judging at such times. Wait till you feel well, and then consider. Put off giving up your experience till tomorrow, as some people put off seeking God, and you will get along much better; and when tomorrow comes, put it off again. Or what is better still, abandon [25] the idea and go to helping someone else out of trouble, and God will bless both you and others.. [26 top]