Responding to Christ: Doubt

When the storms of life rage and hopes for the future are dashed, a potent mixture of confusion and unmet expectations can lead to hard questions. Will my life really be better if I follow God? Does He even care about me? Many Christians struggle with doubt. Even John the Baptist had a brief struggle with doubts about Jesus. Certainly Jesus did the works of God, but why was He not delivering His people from the wicked and setting up His rule? John heard the voice of God and saw the Spirit descend upon Jesus at His baptism, yet his own unmet expectations about Messiah threatened to undermine his faith. He sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He was the expected one, but Jesus didn’t answer John’s question directly. Jesus pointed to His fulfillment of the Scriptures, and then called John to faith in the Word of God. But He also gave John a loving warning that likewise applies to us: take care that your expectations of God are founded on His Word, and not your own personal desires.