When Faith Meets Doubt
Faith places everything into God’s hands, even when doubts whisper, trusting Him to carry it safely to completion.
Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More by Ray Stedman
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Ray Stedman points us to a moment in Jeremiah’s life that demonstrates both faith and doubt working side by side. In Jeremiah 32, the prophet is instructed by God to buy a field even while Jerusalem is under siege by the Babylonians. Outwardly, this act of purchase was bold and resolute, a visible testimony that God’s word of restoration would surely come to pass. Jeremiah did not treat this as speculation or gamble. He treated it as certainty because God had spoken.
Yet the chapter also shows us the inner wrestlings of Jeremiah. Later, in prayer, he admitted to the Lord that doubts lingered in his heart. While he obeyed publicly, he still wondered privately how it would all work out. Stedman notes that this mixture is not hypocrisy, but reality. Doubt, in fact, proves the presence of faith. It is the adversary’s attack against something real. If there were no faith, there would be no doubts to challenge it.
Faith, then, is not the absence of doubt. It is obedience in the midst of uncertainty, standing on God’s word even when the heart trembles. Stedman reminds us that even Jesus, fully living by faith, endured the assaults of doubt in temptation, proving that He was tested in every way yet without sin. Faith does not mean a serene calm with no inner struggles. It means choosing to act on God’s truth despite the questions that arise.
The beauty of this devotional is that it brings comfort to all who are troubled by doubts in their walk with the Lord. Instead of seeing doubt as disqualifying, we are invited to recognize it as part of faith’s journey. The key is not to let doubt overthrow us, but to lean more deeply into the sufficiency of God’s promise. In this way, faith matures and doubt loses its power to paralyze.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My child, do not think that your doubts mean you lack faith. The very presence of doubt shows that faith is alive, for the enemy only attacks what is real. When you trust My word, I honor that trust even when questions arise in your heart.
Look at Jeremiah. He bought the field while the city was falling, because he believed Me when I said restoration would come. Though his prayer revealed uncertainty, his obedience revealed faith. I see your faith in the same way, not by the tremors of doubt in your heart, but by the steps of trust you take in response to My promises.
I have given you My word, and My word is sure. Stand firm on what I have spoken, for I am faithful. Do not be surprised when doubts press in. They are arrows meant to shake you, but My shield of faith extinguishes them. What I began in you, I will complete. Let your confidence rest not in your feelings, but in My truth.
In Jesus you are secure. In Him you are joined to the One who conquered temptation without sin. Your faith is anchored in His victory, not your wavering. Yield to Me moment by moment, and I will turn your questions into deeper trust.
Scripture References: Jeremiah 32:6-25, Ephesians 6:16, Philippians 1:6, Hebrews 4:15, Romans 10:17, Hebrews 11:1, Romans 4:20-21, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 2:20.
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine placing a fragile package in the mail. You know the courier is reliable, yet as the package leaves your hands, a flicker of worry lingers. Will it get lost? Will it arrive safely? Despite the uncertainty, you entrusted it because you believe the system will deliver. Faith in God is similar. We may have lingering questions, but we hand over our lives into His keeping, trusting His promise that what He has said will come to pass.
Today, when I sense doubts rising in my heart, I can whisper, “Lord, I trust You to carry Your promise in me, even when I cannot see the outcome.” That quiet yielding turns doubt into an opportunity to rest in His sufficiency.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that faith is not measured by the absence of doubts, but by trusting Your word in the midst of them. I rejoice that You see my obedience as evidence of faith, even when questions stir within me. I rest in the certainty that Your promises are true and that You are faithful to complete what You began in me. I live today confident that in Jesus I am secure, and no doubt can overthrow what You have already secured.