Our Own Worst Enemy

That we are, in our unbelief. The foothold we allow the enemy when we doubt our Lord in the least. A brief excerpt from yesterday's The Daily Spurgeon highlights this:

"Faith is the Christian’s strength; he who doubts not staggers not. Unbelief is the source of our chief weakness. As soon as we begin to distrust our feet begin to slide."

Here Spurgeon is talking of the attack of Satan on Jesus, but it has such implications for us. If the enemy chose to attack our Lord first by trying to get Him to doubt His relationship with the Father, why would we expect differently? It didn't work with Jesus but often does with us because of the doubt and guilt our sin brings into our minds.

Doubt, I see the need to fight it off each and every day. Doubt, because I know in my heart I am not worthy of the Father's love, our Lord's sacrifice. Doubt, because it seems unbeleivable at times what He was willing to do, how He was willing to live, and die, for me, for us.

To give Him glory by erasing the doubt about His love for me is the goal I need to strive for. Doubt, which makes me my own worst enemy needs to be overcome each day.

But oh, that I have His love and help to see me through each and every battle.

Faith and Doubt

...Surely, while we teach that faith ought to be certain and assured, we cannot imagine any certainty that is not tinged with doubt, or any assurance that is not assailed by some anxiety...Scripture sets forth no more illustrious or memorable example of faith than in David, especially if you look at the whole course of his life. Yet with innumerable complaints he declares how unquiet his mind always was...
John Calvin - The Institutes of The Christian Religion 3.2.17

Do you ever struggle with doubt, and wonder about your faith?

You are not alone. King David, described by Scripture as a man after God's own heart, struggled with doubt. He struggled with sin, which had a lot to do with his doubt. Knowing his own imperfections, his own sinfulness, how could he not doubt his faith. And maybe, in his darkest thoughts, how could he not doubt God?

We are born to struggle with our sin nature and I have to look at that as a blessing. We can only be saved by Jesus, by our faith and trust which we place in him. If we did not struggle with sin, would we place that faith, or just give in to the nature we are born with. To me, the struggle places us on the roadside on the way to salvation, and it is Jesus who gives us the ride home.

Is it OK to doubt? Not really, we are called to faith and trust in Jesus.

Is it human to doubt? Absolutely, it is in our nature to do so.

Thank you Lord for the grace, mercy and love you show this natural doubter.