Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see:The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Matthew 11:4-6 NKJV)
Shots fired. Another policeman falls dead. A business burns to the ground. Protests escalate. Angry people hurt others. Evil runs wild. Home invasions and pandemics never cease. Inflation races on. Uncontrolled unemployment continues. Short supplies stir up panic. This is our world, and nobody likes it.
I thought Jesus would have come before it got this bad, but here we are. We know the Bible prophesys that men will grow more evil. We shouldn’t be surprised. From the Bible to the headlines, the message comes to life. We are in the last days.
But for centuries, the question has been raised. Why does God allow evil? From cancer to car wrecks, our minds fail to grasp the idea that a good God permits bad things to happen.
We keep good company with our questions and our doubts. Concerning John, the Baptist, Jesus said, “… among those born of women, there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11 NKJV)
And yes, even the greatest prophet, John the Baptist doubted Jesus. As John sat in a prison cell, he had lots of time to think. Doubt had slithered in. John’s disciples brought him news about the miracles of Jesus Christ. That’s great, but did John wonder why miracles weren’t happening to him?
Someone else gets the healing, but you continue suffering. Someone else’s child has been freed from the bondage of special needs, but not your child. Someone else’s husband survives while you bury yours. That’s how John might have felt, so we can empathize with his doubts.
John grew weary of his doubts, and he sent two of his disciples to question Jesus.
“Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3 NKJV).
As John’s disciples left Jesus, He began declaring the greatness of John the Baptist. Not before John doubted, but after his doubts intensified to the point where he had to hear it from the lips of Jesus Himself.
Friend, you might be asking similar questions. I know I have. You might understand why evil seems to rule. You might question why bad things happen to the best of people. Your life might not look like you thought it would.
Friend, God is still on the throne. He hasn’t missed a beat, and He is still reigning with total control. It’s times like these when we must learn to trust God in the dark. Never allow circumstances to make you doubt God. Never allow your doubts to make you think Jesus is angry because you question Him. Take your concerns to God and remember He is still good and still God.
Lord, forgive us when we doubt. Thank You for encouraging us rather than condemning us for those times of weakness. Lord Jesus, come quickly! Amen!
DIG DEEPER
HIKING THE TRAIL
Pray honestly about your doubts and concerns. Do not beat yourself up about them, but when they arise replace them with a truth from God’s Word.
RELATED RESOURCE
Finding it difficult to deal with doubt, discouragement, fear and worry? We all do! While I haven’t discovered a secret formula for a permanent solution, I have found the Bible can help us win some of these battles. Imagine a life with less doubt, less discouragement and less worry and fear. Learn more!
Originally posted on July 23, 2021 @ 3:01 am
God allowed man to have freedom to choose and the first 2 humans God created chose to disobey God thus Sin entered and we have been living with that consequence of Adam and Eves choice to disobey God and choose sin instead. God is an all knowing God therefore God was not surprised by their choice. Just as God is not shocked or surprised by anything going on today. God is sovereign, All Knowing so He knows the past, present and future all at the exact same time as God does not operate on the time system we do. It is allowed because that was the choice made in the garden in the beginning.
Amen!