Dealing with Doubt

Devotional

Day 1: God Welcomes Honest Doubt and Meets Us Where We Are

God is not threatened by our doubts; instead, He invites us to bring our honest questions and struggles to Him, meeting us with mercy and grace rather than condemnation. When we admit our doubts openly, we open the door for God to reveal Himself in new and deeper ways, just as Jesus did for Thomas. Rather than pushing us away, God draws us closer, using our questions as opportunities for revelation and growth in faith. You can be real with God—He already knows your heart and desires to help you believe. [01:15:23]

John 20:24-29 (ESV)
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are struggling with doubt? Take a moment to honestly tell God about it, asking Him to meet you there and reveal Himself to you.

Day 2: The Power of Being Present in God’s Community

There is a unique blessing and power in being present with God’s people; sometimes, life-changing encounters with God happen simply because we show up and gather together. When we miss moments of fellowship, worship, or prayer, we may miss out on the very answer or encouragement we’ve been seeking. God often moves in unexpected ways when His people are together, and being present positions us to receive what He has for us. Don’t underestimate the importance of showing up—sometimes the miracle is in the meeting. [01:16:23]

Hebrews 10:25 (ESV)
Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Reflection: Is there a gathering or meeting you’ve been avoiding or neglecting? What step can you take this week to be present with God’s people, trusting that God may have something special for you there?

Day 3: Jesus Pursues the One Who Struggles

Jesus does not abandon those who doubt or wander; He pursues the one who is struggling, offering peace, kindness, and a personal encounter. Just as He returned specifically for Thomas, Jesus seeks out each of us in our moments of confusion or fear, breaking through our walls and locked doors to bring us back into His presence. His kindness and mercy are meant to draw us closer, not push us away, and He rejoices over every heart that turns back to Him. [01:22:28]

Luke 15:4-7 (ESV)
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

Reflection: Think of a time when you felt far from God or struggled with doubt—how did God pursue you, or how might He be pursuing you now? How can you respond to His invitation today?

Day 4: Faith Grows Through Hearing and Trust, Not Just Seeing

While it is natural to want proof and visible answers, Jesus calls us to a deeper faith that trusts Him even when we cannot see. The blessing is for those who believe without seeing, relying on the testimony of God’s Word and the experiences of others. Faith is built as we hear God’s promises and choose to trust Him, even in uncertainty. This kind of faith pleases God and opens us to receive His peace and revelation. [01:30:19]

2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)
For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Romans 10:17 (ESV)
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Reflection: In what situation are you waiting to “see” before you believe? What would it look like for you to take a step of faith today, trusting God’s Word even when you don’t have all the answers?

Day 5: God Turns Honest Doubt Into Deeper Revelation

When we bring our honest doubts to God, He can transform them into powerful moments of revelation and deeper relationship. Thomas’s journey from doubt to declaring Jesus as “My Lord and my God” shows that our questions can lead to the greatest confessions of faith. God uses our struggles to draw us closer, reveal more of Himself, and even equip us to share His truth with others. Don’t let your doubts push you away—let them be the starting point for a new depth in your walk with God. [01:29:36]

John 20:28-29 (ESV)
Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Reflection: What is one doubt or question you can bring to God today, asking Him to use it as a doorway to deeper understanding and faith? How might God want to use your journey to encourage someone else?

Sermon Summary

Today’s focus is on the reality of doubt in the life of every believer and how God meets us in those moments—not with condemnation, but with grace, patience, and revelation. Doubt is not a sign of spiritual failure; rather, it is often a sign of honest wrestling with faith, especially when life’s circumstances seem overwhelming or when God’s ways are beyond our understanding. Even the closest followers of Jesus, including the apostles, struggled with doubt. The story of Thomas, often labeled “Doubting Thomas,” is not a tale of shame, but a testimony of how God responds to our honest questions and uncertainties.

Thomas was not present when Jesus first appeared to the disciples after the resurrection. Because he missed that moment, he struggled to believe the testimony of others. Yet, Jesus did not rebuke Thomas for his doubt. Instead, He returned specifically for Thomas, inviting him to touch His wounds and see for himself. This encounter reveals the heart of God: He pursues the one who is struggling, meets us in our questions, and provides what we need to move from doubt to faith.

There is a unique blessing in being present where God is moving. Sometimes, missing a moment of fellowship or worship means missing a divine encounter. Yet, even when we miss out, God’s grace is such that He seeks us out, just as He did with Thomas. Our doubts, when brought honestly before God, can become the very soil in which deeper revelation and intimacy with Him grow.

Thomas’s journey from doubt to declaration—“My Lord and my God”—became one of the highest confessions of faith in the Gospels. His honest questioning led to a personal revelation of Christ’s divinity, and history tells us that Thomas went on to become a bold missionary, taking the gospel to India and dying as a martyr. Our doubts, when surrendered to God, can become the foundation for a stronger, more authentic faith.

Key Takeaways

1. Honest doubt is not a spiritual defect but an invitation to deeper relationship with God. When we bring our questions and uncertainties to Him, He meets us with understanding and grace, not condemnation. God already knows our hearts, so authenticity in our struggles is the first step toward revelation. [51:34]
2. Being present in moments of worship and fellowship positions us to experience God’s movement in unique ways. Sometimes, missing these moments means missing out on a divine encounter or answer we’ve been seeking. There is a special blessing in gathering with others, as God often moves in ways we cannot anticipate. [76:23]
3. Jesus pursues the one who is struggling with doubt. He returned specifically for Thomas, demonstrating that God does not abandon us in our uncertainty. Instead, He draws near, offering what we need to move from doubt to faith, showing that His love is personal and persistent. [82:28]
4. God uses our doubts as a pathway to revelation. Thomas’s need for tangible proof led to a deeper understanding of who Jesus is, resulting in the first explicit confession of Christ’s divinity in the Gospels. Our honest questions, when brought to God, can become the very means by which He reveals Himself more fully to us. [89:10]
5. Faith is not the absence of doubt, but the willingness to trust God in the midst of uncertainty. We are called to live by faith and not by sight, trusting that God’s ways are higher than ours and that He can use every circumstance—good or bad—for our ultimate good and His glory. [90:19]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:25] - Service Announcements & Prayer Requests
[02:32] - Upcoming Events & Bible Studies
[04:42] - Family Movie Night Details
[06:04] - Scripture Reading: God’s Provision
[07:18] - Offering Declaration
[08:17] - Call to Worship: Psalm 100
[09:15] - Opening Prayer & Worship
[34:23] - Worship & Ministry Time
[39:06] - Proclamation of Identity in Christ
[48:33] - Children’s Dismissal & Safety Reminder
[49:33] - Introduction: Dealing with Doubt
[53:19] - Prayer for Spiritual Understanding
[54:20] - The Struggle of Belief: Would We Have Believed?
[57:04] - The Challenge of Longstanding Struggles
[58:44] - Trusting God’s Sovereignty in Unanswered Prayers
[61:16] - Living by Faith, Not by Sight
[65:03] - Rethinking “Doubting Thomas”
[71:27] - Thomas’s Encounter with the Risen Christ
[76:23] - The Power of Being Present
[81:41] - Jesus Comes Back for the One
[87:06] - Jesus Helps Us Believe
[88:49] - From Doubt to Revelation
[91:09] - Thomas’s Legacy & Our Response
[92:12] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

John 20:24-29 (ESV) — > 24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.
> 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
> 26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”
> 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
> 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”
> 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Mark 9:23-24 (ESV) — > 23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If you can’! All things are possible for one who believes.”
> 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV) — > For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Observation Questions

What was Thomas’s response when the other disciples told him they had seen the risen Jesus? (John 20:25)
How did Jesus respond to Thomas’s doubts when He appeared to him? (John 20:27) [[01:15:23]]
In Mark 9, what did the father say to Jesus about his own faith and unbelief? (Mark 9:24) [[01:00:51]]
According to the sermon, what did Thomas miss by not being present with the other disciples the first time Jesus appeared? [[01:16:23]]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus chose to come back specifically for Thomas instead of rebuking him for his doubt? What does this reveal about God’s character? [[01:22:28]]
The sermon says that honest doubt can be the “soil” for deeper revelation and intimacy with God. How does Thomas’s story illustrate this idea? [[01:29:10]]
The father in Mark 9 says, “I believe; help my unbelief!” What does this statement teach us about the nature of faith and doubt coexisting? [[01:00:51]]
The sermon mentions that being present in moments of worship and fellowship can position us to experience God’s movement. Why might physical presence matter so much for spiritual encounters? [[01:16:23]]

Application Questions

The sermon says that God already knows our hearts and doubts, so authenticity is the first step toward revelation. Is there an area of your life where you are struggling with doubt right now? What would it look like to bring that honestly to God this week? [[51:34]]
Thomas missed a powerful encounter with Jesus because he wasn’t present with the other disciples. Are there ways you might be “missing out” on what God is doing because of absence from worship, fellowship, or community? What is one step you could take to be more present? [[01:16:23]]
Jesus didn’t shame Thomas for his questions—He invited him closer. How do you typically respond to your own doubts or the doubts of others? What would it look like to respond with grace and patience, like Jesus did? [[01:15:23]]
The sermon shared that God can use our doubts as a pathway to deeper faith. Can you think of a time when your own questions or struggles led to a greater understanding of God? How might your current doubts be an opportunity for growth? [[01:29:10]]
“Faith is not the absence of doubt, but the willingness to trust God in the midst of uncertainty.” What is one area where you need to trust God even though you don’t have all the answers? How can the group pray for you in this? [[01:30:19]]
The story of Thomas ends with him making a bold confession and later, according to history, becoming a missionary. How might God want to use your journey through doubt to encourage or help others? [[01:31:09]]
The sermon encourages us to be honest with God about our doubts. Is there a specific prayer you want to pray this week, asking God to meet you in your questions? Would you be willing to share it with the group? [[01:32:12]]

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