I doubt that. A phrase that if you’ve lived long enough you’ve heard at some point. One time my son Josh was riding with someone who had hit something that had bent their bumper in towards their tire. Josh told them that I could bend it back out for them. He told them I’d do it by hand. They told him that I could not do this, but thought that I might have some tools to help.
So they drove up in my yard and asked if I had any tools that might be able to help them with this. I looked at it and said, “I’ll just bend it back by hand.” So I reached down grabbed ahold of it and bent it back out of the way. They were surprised, Josh was not. He had no doubt that I could do this.
I’d like to look at how doubt affected Abraham and Sarah. God promises Abraham and Sarah a child in their old age. These were their responses.
Genesis 17:17 KJV Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?
Genesis 18:12-14 KJV 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? 13 And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? 14 Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
If you read through this Abraham escaped rebuke, but Sarah didn’t. They both laughed because they doubted the outcome. So why the difference? The answer lies in the book of Romans.
Romans 4:20-21 ISV 20 nor did he doubt God’s promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, his faith became stronger and he gave glory to God, 21 being absolutely convinced that God would do what he had promised.
You see Abraham wasn’t doubting God when he laughed. He was doubting himself. Sarah on the other hand was doubting God. Since God followed Sarah’s rebuke with “is anything too hard for the Lord”
God can deal with us doubting ourselves, but not doubting Him. He may not even address our self doubt because it has no affect on His ability to perform nor does it affect our faith in God. Abraham’s faith actually grew stronger because of his personal inability.
Look at Gideon. He is told that God is with him and that he is a mighty man of valor. Gideon begins to question. He doubted himself, but God still used him. Moses doubted himself, but God still used him.
So understand that doubting ourselves is really kind of normal and maybe even expected. Jesus said in John 15:5 without me you can do nothing. If we could do it on our own then God wouldn’t get the glory. The problem arises if we doubt God. We must have faith that God is able to do anything in spite of us. So if you doubt your own ability you’re in good company as long as you believe God is able.
Ephesians 3:20-21 KJV 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
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