Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Doubts”
Our Bible verse for today: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “Doubts fade when faith grows.”
One of the surest and most effective ways to dispel doubt is to practice faith. Faith is the opposite of doubt. The more faith you have the fewer doubts there will be. But there is a reason we speak about the “practice” of our faith. Faith is something we have to work at in order for it to grow and become stronger. It’s like lifting weights in order to strengthen your muscles. The more you do it, the stronger you get.
This is why in Philippians 2:12 the Apostle Paul instructs us to “work out” our salvation. He doesn’t tell us to work “for” our salvation, you can’t do that. Instead he tells us that once we are saved we must then ‘work out” the proof of that salvation, the evidence of it in our lives. Doing so is an intentional effort that continues over a lifetime and as you do it, you grow and become stronger.
So what does all of this have to do with our theme of doubts? If you refer back to the first devotional message in this series, you will remember that having doubts about anything means that you don’t have enough information about something, or enough experience with it, to be convinced it is true. Therefore the more information you gather about something, and the more experience you have with it, the fewer doubts you will have about it.
Apply that understanding to your Christian faith and to your experience with God and you immediately see why it’s so important to have daily times of prayer and Bible study, as well as regular attendance at worship services, and active participation in acts of ministry. The more of those things you do, the more your faith will grow and the fewer doubts you will have.
In Hebrews 11:1 the writer defines faith for us. There he tells us that faith is being certain of what we believe in. When your faith is strong you gain a sense of certainty – certainty about God, about the spiritual realm, about the promises of God, and about the Bible in general. So even though you cannot see God, your knowledge and experience of Him grows to the point that you are certain of the reality of God. Doubts have faded and faith is strong. This happens as you “practice” your faith.
An important part of the practice of your faith is faithful participation in the regular gatherings of your church family. Strong faith expresses itself in group worship. I encourage you to practice your faith, and strengthen it, by attending church this Sunday.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 