Being Doubtful

Have you ever doubted something? Have you ever doubted another person or even yourself? Like when you were in high school, you doubted that the person you had a crush on actually had a crush on you back? Or you doubted that you would get that really great job? Being doubtful is a part of life. We question whether or not things will work out in our favor. But doubt can also be very hazardous as well. God gives you a promise, and time goes by, and the promise hasn't come to fruition. You feel like God just abandoned you and forgotten about the promise that He made to you.

In John 11, we have the story of Lazarus, who was risen from the grave. In this story, we have Lazarus’s two sisters Mary and Martha, who both have two separate reactions when seeing Christ. One of Lazarus’ sisters Martha, was full of faith, believing that Jesus will do something. “Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” John 11: 20-22. Mary, on the other hand, confronted Jesus, “Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:32. The crowd also doubted Jesus, “Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” John 11:37-37. The funny thing is that before this account, found in Luke 10:38-42, Martha and Mary were opposite in their faith. Mary was at Jesus’ feet, soaking in his presence, and the other was too busy to spend time with Jesus.

The Bible says that in both circumstances, Mary and the crowd both doubted Jesus; it says that he groaned. In verse 33, it states that “He groaned in the Spirit,” and in verse 38, “He groaned in Himself.” Now I can imagine Jesus slapping his forehead with his hand and ask why in disbelief. However, in the Bible, Jesus stated twice that Lazarus would rise from the dead in verses 4 and 11. So Jesus made a promise, and He intended on keeping it.

Even in our little world, when we doubt God’s promise, in my imagination, I can imagine God groaning to himself, “saying, why do you doubt me?” If you take a look at your life, all the past promises that He has given you, did they not all come to fulfillment? So God is asking, why doubt Him today?

God is in the business of promise-keeping. He will see that promise to fulfillment, but you need to believe that it will happen. Just like one day, we believe that Jesus will come back for us. God knows what He is doing; it’s just everything happens in His timing because His timing is beneficial for us and will be used for His glory.