“I cry aloud to God; I cry aloud, and he hears me. In times of trouble I pray to the Lord; all night long I lift my hands in prayer, but I cannot find comfort. When I think of God, I sigh; when I meditate, I feel discouraged. He keeps me awake all night; I am so worried that I cannot speak. I think of days gone by and remember years of long ago. I spend the night in deep thought; I meditate, and this is what I ask myself: ‘Will the Lord always reject us? Will he never again be pleased with us? Has he stopped loving us? Does his promise no longer stand? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has anger taken the place of his compassion?” Psalm 77:1-9 (TEV)
It is our nature to look for _____________; it is God’s nature to offer ____________.
“Then Jesus told him, ‘You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven’t seen me and believe anyway.’ ” John 20:29 (NLT)
The Upside of Doubts
¨ They drive me ___________
¨ They force me to wrestle with life’s ___________ ____________
¨ They can _____________ my faith.
Two Doubt Busters and Faith Builders
1. Remember God’s _____________ _____________
“I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about them.” Psalm 77:11-12 (NLT)
“I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.” Psalm 52:9 (NIV)
“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4 (NIV)
2. Trust God’s _______________________
“O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of miracles and wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations.” Psalm 77:13-14 (NLT)
“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!” Psalm 34:8 (NLT)
Even when His hand cannot be traced, His heart can still be _____________.
“God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed. We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us. This hope is like a firm and steady anchor for our souls. In fact, hope reaches behind the curtain and into the most holy place.” Hebrews 6:18-19 (CEV)
“Simon Peter replied, ‘Lord, to whom would we go? You alone have the words that give eternal life. We believe them, and we know you are the Holy One of God.’” John 6:68-69 (NLT)
“And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.” Hebrews 13:12-14 (NIV)
