Faith or Doubt?

One time my sister sent me a sermon that had been preached at her church. It was about overcoming. This statement really stood out to me. Overcoming is the discipline of believing God. It comes from James 5:4 "...This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

This last week my Ladies Bible study group was studying the story of Eve. There were many lessons to learn from her, but there is one that I have been thinking about ever since because I can relate to her in this way! The lesson is that we shouldn't doubt God's Word. Satan asked Eve, "Has God said that you can't eat of every tree of the garden?" 

What God has said to Adam and Eve was simple and crystal clear. You can eat of every tree of the garden except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you do that, you'll die. Could it be any more clearer?

But Satan complicated things by putting doubt in her mind by asking her, 'Has God said?" He then went on to say, "It's not true!"

I don't generally doubt whether the Bible is true or not and whether God is real. But sometimes I find myself doubting specific things the Bible says, like the many promises. For example, I might doubt whether God is really hearing my prayers or whether He will eventually give an answer. I might question whether I should be doing something that He has already showed me clearly through His Word that I should. 

I think most of my discouragement comes simply from not believing God--from doubting God's Word. I need to take God at His Word and never doubt. When I do start to doubt, I need to go back to His Word again and again until the doubts leave, like Jesus did when Satan tempted Him. 

I love this quote "Never put a question mark where God has put a period."