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 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, 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 the idea and go to helping someone else out of
trouble, and God will bless both you and others.
