I don’t know if you’ve ever doubted God or felt the need to look for Bible verses about doubt, but I have.

Perhaps, you’ve never had to question God’s goodness.

Maybe you’ve never found yourself saying, “I trust you God, I really do. But where were you when…”

Those words seem almost too painful to say. Or even think.

For Christians, it’s often difficult to admit that we doubt God’s goodness, but the truth is, many of us do. These Bible verses about doubt will let you encourage you and remind you that you’re not alone.

I’ve had my own struggles with believing God is a good God.

Like that time we lost my brother at sea. The search went on for days on end. Every morning that I awoke to find the update was still the same, I wondered how a good God could allow us to endure such pain. A good God would at least let us find answers. Even bad news would’ve been good news. But no news at all??? Yeah, that wasn’t nice, God.

And how about the following year when our lives were turned upside down by two-timing, double trouble hurricanes? Wasn’t one hurricane enough God? And two Category 5’s at that? How could you ever think this was a good idea? Destroyed homes, lives, economy? Bad, bad, bad!

Then there was the gripping fear that wouldn’t let us go months after the storm. Every time it rained (which was often!). Whenever the earth shook, and it did — literally. How could we ever recover if we couldn’t even catch our breath? Definitely not nice.

Like, I said, doubt and I, we go back a while.

If there’s any consolation for me or for you, I want you to know that this struggle with doubt is a familiar theme in the Bible. Even those who walked daily with Jesus doubted him at times. And some who had seen God’s miracles firsthand refused to believe.

There’s so much we can learn from the men and women of the Bible when it comes to doubting God. Goodness knows, there are ample examples, and we’ll look at a few today and the lessons we can learn from them.

Bible Verses About Doubt and What They Teach Us About God’s Goodness

1. 1 John 20:27

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (1 John 20:27 NIV)

Poor Thomas earned a nickname that was no doubt (pun intended) hard to shake. Doubting Thomas’ reputation preceded him, to the point where you don’t even have to be a Bible reader to have heard about him.

Thomas refused to believe the story that Jesus came back from the dead. So, when Jesus showed up and addressed Thomas head-on, he gave him the opportunity to not just see for himself but to touch for himself too (John 20:24-29).

But here’s the thing, because Thomas admitted His doubts, Jesus was able to address them.

And to think of all the encounters Jesus had after His resurrection, this was one of the few recorded in the Bible. God made it clear that this was written so that we “may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing {we} may have life in his name” (John 20:31 NIV).

Lesson #1: When we confess our doubts we can address them and bless someone else

 

Sharing our doubts and fears can empower others and help them to find life that will last. As painful as it has been to write about the loss of my brother, I know that someone out there needs to know that they can survive devastating loss. That the world still spins in spite of the pain, and yes, the sun will come out tomorrow. Admitting my doubts has been healing me, and I pray, helping others in the process.

2. Matthew 14:22-32

Thomas might have earned the nickname, but he certainly wasn’t the only disciple who doubted Jesus. In Matthew 14 we see Peter stepping out on faith to join Jesus on an evening stroll. On water. In a storm. Good combination for a doubtful situation.

Peter takes on the challenge like a boss but quickly begins to sink when He took His eyes off of Jesus and placed them on the storm.

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:30-31 NIV).

As much as he probably wouldn’t admit it, we see that Peter’s doubt was a direct reflection of his faith.

Lesson #2: Want to deal with your doubts? Check your faith.

I don’t wish to go through hurricanes like we did before, but I see how they served to test my faith. Going through that experience exposed areas of my faith that needed strengthening and I’m grateful for that.

I know that if I take my eyes off of Jesus, I’ll go down, so I’m learning from Peter and keeping my eyes on Jesus, not on the storm.

3. James 1:5-6

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:5-6 NIV)

Lesson #3: Belief mixed with doubt is a sure recipe for shaky faith.  

No one wants shaky faith, at least I don’t, do you? When I say on the one hand ‘I believe God’ but then doubt His goodness, my faith sways in the ocean of life.

Every little storm (and certainly the big ones) will knock me over every time. Instead, I can base my faith on the firm foundation of Jesus. He’s the anchor in my storm and the hope that remains secure. No storm, no matter the size, can take His love away from me.  

How about you?

What do you do when you doubt God’s goodness?

 

Reprinted with permission from sunsparkleshine.com