Thomas and Other Doubters

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

Thomas missed the disciples first meeting with the risen Christ (John 20:19); I wonder what held him up? Broken sandal? Tilted sundial? Camel trouble?? Maybe tucked in Thomas’s story is a side-bar about being on time for parties?! Regardless, God has some treasures in the story of Thomas missing that first meeting. Somewhere along the road of church history, he was bestowed the unfortunate nickname “doubting Thomas” and it stuck; now he’s the poster boy for doubting.

I have a feeling that “doubting Thomas” has made us subconsciously think that only one in twelve Christians suffer from doubt (and therefore if we doubt, we are in the minority). As if Thomas was the only one who had any doubts! If you rewind one week to the morning of the resurrection, all eleven were swimming in their doubts: Mary reported Jesus’ resurrection from the tomb, but the disciples did not believe until they met with Him later (check out Luke 24:9-11).

A glance back through the Bible will reveal more doubters to join Thomas: Eve, Lot’s wife, the spies of the Promised Land, Gideon, David and other Psalmists to name just a few!

Gideon struggled with belief somewhat famously - I’m sure I’m not the only one who remembers a wet-fleece themed Sunday school craft. Defeating the Midianites was huge undertaking, and Gideon needed extra reassurance that he was hearing God, and that God was who He said He was! (See Judges 6-8 for his story.) David, the famous King of Israel called in the New Testament a “man after God’s own heart,” reveals his wrestling with doubt in many of the Psalms: 

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent.” (Psalm 22:1-2) 

He takes his concern and doubt straight to God – he’s praying with those very words! But listen to how his heart shifts as the prayer continues in verse 19 and 23-24: 

“But you, O LORD, be not far off: O my Strength, come quickly to help me…You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.” 

God turns David’s doubt to hope even as he prays. As Pastor Corey said on Sunday, “Allow your doubt to drive you to seek Him.” Gideon did. David did. (Other Psalmists, Asaph and the Sons of Korah, did as well; see Psalms 10, 42, 43, 73, and 77 for their examples.)

The Bible also shares the stories of those who tried to lean on their own understanding to remedy their doubt. Eve doubted God’s goodness in His command not to eat from one tree, and that doubt led her to sin. Lot’s wife doubted God’s command not to turn back to see the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and she was turned into a pillar of salt. Ten out of the original twelve spies of the Promised Land doubted that God could conquer the land from the “giants” living there; they died in the desert with the rest of their unbelieving generation (Numbers 13-14, specifically Numbers 14:10-12, 20-23).

Gideon, David and even Thomas doubted just like us – especially in times of trial and struggle. But they turned to God with the doubt, and God is faithful! Eve, Lot’s wife and the spies doubted that God was who He says He is, and that He could do what He says He can do. Their doubt drove them to believe that He was far off, He would not help and that He was not good.

In Thomas’s story of doubt, we get to see Jesus’ immediate response. Jesus didn’t rebuke him, shame him, or call him out for not listening to the other disciples. We also should not feel shame or guilt about wrestling with doubt. Jesus provided what Thomas needed to strengthen his faith; He said touch, see, and have what you need to be sure of Me.  

Thomas was the last disciple to have his doubt turned to faith, not the only one. We all struggle with doubt, especially in times of trial and temptation. When we doubt on our own we ask, “Is He good? Is He here? Will He help?” but we are left with only our current measure of faith to try to answer. So, let’s have our doubt drive us to Him.

Instead, bring those questions to God and ask Him “Are You good, are You here, will You help?”* Pray for help with the unbelief. Let Him speak into the doubt, and increase your belief!

*These specific questions (and some of the background for these thoughts on doubt) come from a sermon by Matt Chandler called Trials/Temptations based on James 1:2-18 preached at the Village Church in Dallas on February 15, 2015. You can access that sermon on this page. 

How to Live Boldly for Christ

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

In Christianity, phrases like "Live boldly for Christ" are fairly commonplace. Yet I've never really seen a definition of what "bold" means when it's used that way. Does it mean selling all my stuff so I can give away all my money? Does it mean moving to Kenya to become a full-time missionary? Does it mean going to seminary and becoming a pastor?

If I don't do any of these things, am I a failure at living boldly?

Most of the time, we equate bold with BIG. What counts is the action, the big, dramatic things that make people take note.

Photo Credit: Flickr User Irwin Scott, Creative Commons

In 1 Samuel 13 and 14, we see the contrasting stories of Saul and Jonathan. Both act boldly, but in different ways and with different outcomes.

King Saul’s bold move was to offer a burnt offering. He was getting antsy waiting around for Samuel to show up to offer the burnt offering, so Saul went and did it himself—his rationale being that he wanted to seek the Lord’s favor before battle. Overall, it doesn’t seem like such a big deal, except he had been explicitly told not to. Instead of waiting patiently for Samuel to show up, Saul let his own misgivings drive his behavior. And, when we look closer at Saul’s motivation, we see fear and doubt that God could and would do what he said he would.

Jonathan’s bold move was to seek out what God would do. He took his armor bearer with him and headed to a Philistine outpost known to be dangerous, saying, “Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” (I Samuel 14:8) His goal wasn’t to make himself look good (because only he and his armor bearer even knew he was going), but to see what God would do—because Jonathan trusted that God would.

On the outside, King Saul’s action doesn’t seem so bad, and Jonathan’s seems perhaps a little foolish. King Saul was seeking God’s favor, and Jonathan was putting his life and someone else’s in danger.

Except these were merely outward actions. While Saul’s inside motives were not so great, Jonathan’s were—making his actions the ones that were bold in a good, God-honoring way. There are lots of bold actions that are great things to do, but if we’re doing them with the wrong heart attitude, they’re not good things at all. Being bold for Christ isn't so much about the outside as it is the inside.

For some of us, being bold might mean giving away all our money, moving to another country, or becoming a pastor—but for many of us, being bold won’t look like any of those. And if those actions aren’t accompanied by a trusting heart ready to be used by God, they’re empty, not bold at all. On the other hand, actions we consider commonplace or even “small”—showing up to work diligently, being a good neighbor, serving at the church—can be our way of living boldly.

In the end, it’s our hearts that determine whether we’re acting boldly for ourselves or boldly for Christ.

[Brianna DeWitt believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]

Light in the Dark

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

Photo Credit: Flickr user Jeff Babbitt, Creative Commons

I am often astounded by my husband’s ability to see in the dark. He claims he’s normal, and that there’s enough light from streetlights, the moon, clocks and other electronics to see the outlines of most rooms and furniture. When my contacts are out and my coke-bottle glasses are off, the dimness of night is equivalent to closing my eyes – my darkness is complete. It is inconceivable to me that he can actually see (and yet, he doesn’t run into nearly as many doors, walls and pieces of furniture as I do!).

I am regularly astounded by God’s ability to see in the dark. When we blindly stand in the complete dark of life, God stands in the light and knows just where we’re going. 

Pastor Dirk brought us Paul’s testimony this week out of Galatians 1:11-24. He had been zealous for God and His law as a Jew, until God interrupted with His glorious grace. Paul was in the dark, blind to God’s grace, when his eyes were opened (literally – see Acts 9); once he saw the light, he could do nothing but praise God and share the message of His amazing grace! In the letter to the Galatians, he testifies to God’s grace – grace that redeemed him to everlasting life, and the gracious act that was his personal story. Paul had persecuted Christians – he was wildly undeserving of God’s favor. But that’s grace: he was undeserving, but Jesus called him, loved him and saved him. He was graciously saved by grace.

Paul’s story is only one of many; Naomi was another undeserving person on whom God lavished abundant grace. Famine drove Naomi’s family from their home in Bethlehem to the foreign country of Moab. Her sons married, but then they and her husband died; Naomi was plunged into a different, difficult life. With no one to care for her and no hope of heirs, she left for home, filled with bitterness. Naomi was in the darkness. 

In darkness she returned to Bethlehem, but the rays of light began to break through. Ruth, her daughter-in-law (the only family she had left!) met Boaz. He married Ruth to redeem them, to provide heirs and restore their lives. Boaz and Ruth had a son and those rays of light burst into glorious, grace filled joy. The book ends with a family tree: Naomi’s grandson became the grandfather of King David! In 2 Samuel 7:16, God promises David a kingdom and a throne forever, which He ultimately fulfills through Jesus, the “Son of David” (Matthew 21:9). What a life redeemed by grace! 

In the middle of it all, Naomi’s darkness was quite complete; in Ruth 1:21 she says, “I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty…” Naomi could see nothing in her darkness. But God could. Without the difficult season, the King would not have come through her line. God was preparing for a greater glory. He was laying the groundwork for the Savior, and revealing His own role as Redeemer!

I’m tempted to look at Naomi’s story the way that we look at our own stories; ready to point out and proclaim God’s grace and salvation at the end, but forgetting that He was there all through the dark. He didn’t show up when Naomi and Ruth met Boaz; but perhaps that’s when He was revealed. God was there the whole time, seeing in the dark where Naomi was blind, knowing His plan for her good and His glory. Psalm 139:12 says “Even the darkness is not dark to you, and the night as bright as day…” Even when my darkness is complete, God is enough light to see everything!

In our own testimonies of God’s grace, aren’t we tempted to lean the same way – to know His grace and glory when we are headed toward those rays of light, but to forget His grace and sovereignty when we are on the way down or wallowing in a dark night of the soul? We talk about the times when God rescued, the times when Light broke in and swallowed the dark. We skip the confusing part where we stumbled or fell or were cast unaware into the pit – it seems too difficult to explain how or why God would put us or let us go there. All we see is the dark, but He sees the plan. And by His grace, He brings us out on the other side, transformed evermore into the likeness of His Son. (2 Corinthians 3:18) By His grace He invites those circumstances into our lives to shape and mold us, to prepare us for the good works He has had ready for us since He formed us! (Ephesians 2:10)

”He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with him.” Daniel 2:22 NIV

[Robin Bupp is married to Caleb, and they are from many places east of the Mississippi (but are calling Michigan home for the foreseeable future). A former high school science teacher, Robin is slowly turning the two Bupp kiddos into tiny nerds while they teach her lots of things, including humility and patience.]