Dealing with the "D" word

Day 14

OT Reading: Genesis 33-35

NT Reading: Matthew 11

"When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?'"

Matthew 11:2-3 (NIV)

Let's give a recap of John the Baptists' involvement in the gospel of Matthew thus far:

• John gathered a significant following in the desert by preaching a baptism of repentance.
• He saw himself as the "voice in the wilderness" knowing that all he was doing was preparing the way for the Messiah.
• He baptized Jesus
• He witnessed heaven open, heard the voice from heaven and saw the Spirit descend like a dove on Jesus
• He was put into prison for his preaching

That's a pretty impressive resume' if you ask me. From the outset John was involved with the launching of Jesus' ministry. And yet after all he had accomplished and witnessed, this prophet of God begins to wonder, "Did I miss it? Did I get it wrong?" John had been there for so much and witnessed so many things. John was on a short-list of people who would have the most reason to believe. And yet...there is some uncertainty...and John begins to doubt.

When in your life have you had a similar form of doubt? I say "when" because I truly believe we all have, it is just a matter of whether you are willing to admit it or not. When have you wrestled with a story or concept in Scripture? When have you had some uncertainty about God? His existence? His character? His goodness? His Son?

And perhaps the most important question; when you did, how did you respond?

Did you ignore the uncertainty, thinking if you just stuck your head in the sand it would all go away? Did you give up on God or faith all together? Did you search the internet and pick up what some guy with ten spare minutes wrote on a random website*? Or did you do as John did, and go to the source to seek out the answer?

I know well enough that some churches' response to doubt has ranged between silencing the questions to ostracism. However as I look through Scripture, I see a God who is not threatened by our questions and our uncertainties. I see a God who invites us to question...if we are truly willing to seek Him for the answers.

So let me conclude with just a couple questions:

1. If given the opportunity to go face-to-face with Jesus and lay out everything you are uncertain or have doubts about, what would you ask? What would you bring up?
2. Where (if anywhere) have you been going to try and find the answers?

*If you're wondering, yes this is a bit of a tongue-in-cheek statement.