Doubt

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.” – Matthew 28:16-17

I used to think that unbelief is the same as doubt; however, the two are completely different.

Unbelief refers to a lack of belief or faith; it suggests a complete refusal or inability to accept the truth.

On the other hand, doubt is a state of uncertainty or hesitation regarding the validity or reliability of something.

Doubt involves a questioning inner debate, reasoning or skepticism about a proposition, but it doesn’t necessarily entail a complete rejection of it as unreal or untrue.

In other words, doubt is not a permanent state but rather involves a willingness to engage with evidence or reasoning that might resolve the uncertainty.

Distazo‘, or ‘amphibolia‘ the Greek words for ‘doubt,’ mean to ‘stand in two ways’ – implying uncertainty in regard to which way to take. The English term ‘amphibian’ means an animal that can live both in water and on land.

To doubt is to be ‘double minded’ – to waver or be less than single minded – figuratively to be of two worlds.

James 1:6-7 says that “the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

Our meditation today makes reference to the time when our Lord Jesus appeared to His 11 disciples shortly before He ascended to heaven only days after His resurrection from the dead.

He had sent a message through two ladies to the 11 disciples   to meet Him on the mountain in Galilee.  They rushed from Jerusalem to Galilee and indeed, there He was before them as promised.

“..the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” 

JAMES 1:6

Immediately, they went down and worshipped Him. However, there is a big ‘but’; “but some doubted.”

Now, these were men who had walked with Christ for three solid years; they had witnessed His power first hand.

He had told them how He would be crucified but on the third day He would be raised from the dead.

Then He shows up on the mountain where He told them to meet Him for the last time before He ascended. They all worshipped Him, but some doubted!

This verse really scares me to bits. It implies that is indeed possible to be in His presence and to be part of the worshipping community, do all the things that worshippers do and still be full of doubt!  

However, it’s comforting that the Lord did not reprimand His disciples over their doubt.

Instead, He simply spoke to them the one truth they needed to hear: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”

So, to you whose heart the enemy has filled with doubt, Jesus tells you that all authority has been given to Him in heaven and earth. Hallelujah

He is not going to engage in a logical discussion to convince anyone so as to remove the doubt.

All you need is to internalize the report of the Lord that says that He is the almighty God and sovereign Lord to whom all things are possible. Period!