Apologetics. While it can feel scary to harbor doubt, we can rest assured that all of our difficult questions have true answers- we just have to be brave enough to ask them and persistent enough to see them through. Whatever questions we may have- whether about the existence of God, the reliability of Scripture, or the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus- there is a host of amazing evidence to explore.
For some, doubt is present because their hard (and good!) questions have not been given answers. In response to these questions it’s not uncommon to hear statements like, “Just believe!” Or, “That’s what faith is- just choosing to believe!” While of course we have faith in what we cannot see, it’s important to know that our faith is not built on blind faith, but on evidence and reason. The study of apologetics greatly affirms this! Though Scripture and the Holy Spirit are more than sufficient for faith in Christ, knowing there are true answers to our important questions only increases our confidence in the truth.
Even if you’ve been a believer for a long time, or have not been one to question your faith, studying apologetics is such a great investment of time! Not only will we find ourselves giving glory to God for knowing truth, but we will be prepared to answer the hard questions from both unbelievers and those who struggle with doubt. So trust me when I say that it is a gift to know why we believe what we believe! If you’re interested in getting started with apologetics, I recommend reading The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel and The Reason for God by Tim Keller.
Pray! Sometimes when we’re in a season of doubt we neglect to pray. Whether it’s because we’re doubting God’s existence or feeling ashamed of our doubt, it’s not uncommon to take a step back from time in prayer. But let me encourage you: prayer is exactly what we need- just ask the most famous psalmist.
I praise God for the inclusion of David’s honest and vulnerable prayers in the canon of Scripture. Certainly, he had questions for God, times when he didn’t understand God’s timing and plans. And yet, David brought these to the Lord. He openly and honestly told God how he felt. He prayed things like, “How long O Lord?” and “Will you forget me forever?” Such prayers show us that whatever aspect of our faith we’re struggling with, we can bring it to our Heavenly Father. We can ask Him to increase our trust in Him, to reveal to us who He really is. We can also ask Him to supply, in His providence, the answers to our questions. And we can certainly pray as the demonicac’s father did in Mark chapter 9…
After coming down the mountain from the transfiguration, Jesus saw a great crowd filled with arguing scribes. It was quickly made known that a man had brought his son with “a spirit who made him mute” to be healed. The father told Jesus how the spirit would cast him into fire and water to destroy him. Then he said, “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Jesus replied, “‘If you can!’ All things are possible for one who believes.” Then here it is, the father’s pointed response, which becomes the model prayer of all who doubt: “I believe; help my unbelief!” Jesus responded to this genuine plea by healing the man’s son, demonstrating that he responds to even a small amount of faith. Like this desperate father, we too can plead with our Lord to help our unbelief- and we can be certain he will hear and answer.
Raise an ebenezer. I love how thoroughly our God knows His people. Of course, He knows our likes, dislikes, and even the number of hairs on our heads. But He also knows our tendency to forget His faithfulness, even after demonstrating His power and trustworthiness in the most mighty ways possible. This is why He commanded the Israelites to commemorate certain events with yearly celebrations and to raise, at times, ebenezers.
The word ebenezer means “stone of help” in Hebrew and is a symbolic reminder of God’s provision and deliverance. When the Israelites crossed the Jordan River to the Promised Land, The Lord instructed Joshua to take twelve stones from the river and to bring them to their lodging place. These were to stand as an everlasting testimony throughout all generations. When their children asked them what these rocks meant, the people were to tell them of God’s covenant faithfulness. Later in Israel’s history, Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenzer, for the Lord had delivered them from the hand of the Philistines. Another permanent reminder of God’s provision and help.
As there is nothing new under the sun, we too need reminders of God’s past provision; to look upon a tangible reminder that our God is faithful. His word is certainly an ebenezer of sorts, a recorded history of promises made and promises kept. It serves us well to read account after account of God staying true to His word! But we can also raise our own ebenezers to commemorate the ways He has been personally faithful to us. Perhaps this looks like a pile of rocks (inside or outside our homes)- each rock representing a specific incident when God provided for us and/or our family. Maybe it looks like a wall of sticky notes with dates and a short description of what we want to remember. Certainly, there’s no wrong way to go about this! Just think what encouragement these would be to our hearts in times of hardship and doubt; how it would incline our hearts to trust and praise. All of which is just what God had in mind for His children 🙂
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