Doubt keeps you looking down because you are not seeking guidance from God. Doubt is an enemy tactic used throughout time to lure people away from God. It is such a powerful emotion that it was the primary way the serpent would deceive Eve in the Garden of Eden before the fall into sin. Genesis 3:1The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day, he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” [1]
In this verse, we discover that our enemy is cunning and will use any means to destroy the relationship between God and Adam and Eve. The serpent in the question to Eve is trying to make her question God’s goodness and motives. Is God holding something back from you? When we converse with the enemy, we will lose if we rely on our strength and wisdom. In the fall of Adam and Eve, the serpent easily outwitted them, even in their sinless condition. We can only thwart the enemies’ deceiving ways with God’s strength and the Holy Spirit working against us.
When I Doubt, I Can Go to God
Sometimes, we may doubt God, but we don’t have to stay there. Something happens when we seek God to help us overcome our doubts and look up to Him. To look up is to focus on what God says and not our circumstances. If you doubt the goodness of God, He may bring to your heart to meditate on a verse. John 3:16For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.[2]
God reassures us of His love as we meditate on this verse and let it soak into our hearts. When we place our faith in Him, we have eternal life. When Satan tempted, Jesus continually quoted God’s word to counter the temptation. We should do the same. As we take our doubts to Jesus, He becomes a bridge to safety, helping us walk over and above our misgivings.
Is Doubt Normal?
Is doubt normal? This is a question many believers contemplate. We are in a constant spiritual battle; doubt can creep in when we look down or our circumstances are overwhelming. Thomas, one of Jesus’s disciples, even doubted until he saw the resurrected Jesus. There is nothing wrong with telling God you have doubts and allowing Him to meet you where you are.
Spending time in God’s word is one of the most powerful tools to counter doubt. When we spend time in God’s word, something happens in the spiritual realm that helps us to look to the Lord again and overcome our doubts. The truth of God’s word lifts us up and gives us discernment. Proverbs 3:5Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. [3]
To learn how doubt keeps you looking down, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/the-fall
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.