God has prepared a way and a grace for your doubts. - Pastor Albert Tate

Exodus‬ ‭32‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.” So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’”

There are things we don’t talk about as Christians. We don’t talk about our doubts or times when God didn’t meet our expectations.

What do you do when God refuses to change his will for yours? What do you do with a God who constantly does his own thing? What do you do with a disobedient God?

Our natural response isn’t to worship God during these times. It causes tension in our relationship with him.

But we don’t give ourselves permission to acknowledge and deal with any doubt or frustration that arises.

Following Jesus with Unbelief

Two examples of following Jesus with doubts:

• In Mark 9:24, a father asks Jesus to heal his son who has a demon in him. Jesus says He can heal the father if he believes. And the father says, “I believe, but help my unbelief.” Jesus heals the son which shows that you can follow Jesus with unbelief.

• Thomas the disciple doubted too (John 20:24-29). Jesus comes back in His glorified body, but He leaves the holes in His body to show Thomas.

Struggling with unbelief is evidence that you have faith. Atheists don’t struggle with unbelief or doubts. To have some doubts, you actually have to have some belief to doubt what you believe.

Learning the Lesson

God may be way less interested in providing the answers to your prayers than you could ever imagine.

What if God is more interested in the process than in the answers to your prayers? The process is about:

• His presence

• What he’s trying to do in you

We don’t want to get the answer without learning the lesson.

Replacing God

The children of Israel replaced God when he didn’t move on their schedule. And Aaron made them a god that would bend to their will by asking for their gold. They are longing for God, but reaching for gold. Similar to how some of us:

• Long for intimacy, but reach for pornography

• Long for comfort, but reach for alcohol

• Long for security, but reach for more money

• Long for wholeness, but reach for a relationship

They went back to their Egypt ways. They came out of Egypt, but Egypt didn’t come all the way out of them. Egypt has a way of coming up in us

They went back to what was familiar rather than trusting the one who has been faithful.

So what can we do?

Psalm 27 can help. David says there’s one thing he desires.

You can have many requests but one desire. Make your requests known to God. But each request should include nevertheless God’s will be done.

David longed for God and reached for him.

In Matthew 14:22-33, Paul walks on water, but after doubting and becoming afraid, he began to sink. Jesus took Peter’s hand and they walked back to the boat.

Jesus will pick you up in your doubt and walk you back to the promise. He’ll walk you right back to where you’re supposed to be.

Reflection Questions

• What do you do when God takes too long?

• What are you longing for and what are you reaching for?