Real Doubt and Impossibilities

This Christmas season our church is doing a sermon series that has challenged me deeply. Last Sunday, the morning was based on Zachariah, who faced real doubt in the midst of the angel's message announcing that Elizabeth was going to have a baby in her old age. Zachariah's doubt in God's plan led him to become mute, and likely deaf, until his son John was born and circumcised.

Even with this sermon fresh on my mind, my week, unfortunately, was filled with much doubt, fear, and questioning God's plan.

First, my youngest son was scheduled to leave for a week-long trip to visit family on Wednesday. On Monday he started running a fever and Tuesday he woke up looking like this:


Second, I was scheduled to lead a snow globe craft at Wednesday's Kindle meeting. By Tuesday, my snow globes had not yet arrived and I was sent scrambling to buy mason jars and desperately roping in my husband to rig a contraption that would work!


On Friday, my son and I came down with the stomach bug, while knowing that on Saturday my daughter was to be celebrating her 10th birthday with a big party.

I can't even begin to describe the stress and tension that this snowballing mess caused. Fear follows doubt and I was full of both. Fear that none of my "plans" would work out. Doubt that God cared enough about my plans. I had several people praying and believing for me when I just didn't have the strength or faith to believe. I was most certainly a modern-day Zachariah, questioning God with, "How can I be sure of You?"

But, even in our unbelief, we have a God who delights in impossibilities and our prayers are heard. Even though the timing seems all wrong in the moment, it is all right in God's eyes. God is not confined to our hows, whens, and whys when we pray! When God is the author of our stories, an authentic encounter with Him will dissolve our doubt.

My son did end up going on his trip.


The snow globe craft turned out just fine.


And the stomach bug was only an 8 hour ordeal that allowed all of us to be present at the birthday party!

Are you facing real doubt in your life right now? Doubts of God's goodness or His plan in your life? Are you faced with anger or questions like Elizabeth battled for so many years? Or perhaps you feel like Mary, and God seems to only stir up chaos and and trouble with His plan for you. Have faith that God still meets and uses us where we are! Trust that every turn in our lives can be a meeting place with God. My prayer for you this Christmas season is that His peace will permeate your questions, doubts, and fears because...

"You've never failed me yet....I'm still in Your hands...You move the mountains....You made a way where there was no way...I believe I'll see You do it again...Great is Your faithfulness."

~~"Do It Again" Elevation Worship




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