Don’t Limit God by Your Doubts and Unbelief
ICS Daily Devotions
James 1:6-8 (NKJV) But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Mark 6:5-6 NKJV Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marvelled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
God has consistently instructed us not to doubt in our hearts or live in unbelief because He is not pleased when we do. Our doubt and unbelief hinder God’s work in our lives. God would be unjust if we could not overcome doubt and unbelief. God expects us to know Him and have faith in Him. Faith pleases God.
Although God is sovereign and supreme, He cannot do mighty works among us if we have unbelief. In other words, unbelief limits or hinders His work. It may sound ridiculous, but we can actually limit God! Many of us think that God will do whatever He likes simply because He is God, and that He doesn’t consider our thoughts, faith, and opinions. Some people even think that God is someone who abuses His authority and enjoys making their lives miserable. Nothing can be further from the truth. God is just, righteous, and holy.
Some of us have already written off God’s supernatural work in the church. We have restricted what He can or cannot do in our midst because of our traditions and theological constraints. We have reduced God to the level of what human beings can or cannot do, and limited Him to what our minds can accept. We have reduced Him to mere intellectualism. Instead, we have elevated reason and logic above God’s power and abilities.
However, that is pride, and God rejects pride. All these things have contributed to our unbelief! We need to repent of our unbelief and have the same attitude and faith as the paralytic and his four friends. Despite the crowd, they lowered him through the roof to where Jesus was sitting and teaching. They had the dogged determination and faith that they would not return home unless their friend walked home with them! Their faith is comparable to the woman with the issue of blood, who believed she would be made whole if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’ garment! Their faith and focus were on Jesus!
Let us not be moved by what we see, feel, or experience if we want to remain in faith after receiving a word of promise from God.
Reflection: In what areas of your life are doubt and unbelief keeping you from fully trusting God and thus limiting Him?
Sermon Series: The Prayer of Faith
