The Antidote for Doubt

³ and {John} said unto him {in a message}, Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another? ⁴ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and tell John the things which ye hear and see: ⁵ the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have [a]good tidings preached to them.
Matthew 11:3-5

Doubt invades the mind of every believer from time to time. Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines doubt as “a fluctuation of mind respecting truth or propriety, arising from a defect of knowledge or evidence”. Understanding that doubt arises in the mind is important to remember because the enemy will always want to convince you that the doubt you are experiencing means you aren’t believing in your heart – that you have stepped out of faith. To the contrary, having doubts proves you do believe because if you didn’t believe, you would have no reason to doubt.

Understanding doubt is one thing; how to deal with it is another. A well-known minister of the gospel shared what the Lord revealed to him about the antidote for doubt through the crisis of faith John the Baptist experienced when he was imprisoned and facing death; the account of which is revealed in Matthew 11:1-11. It says that when John heard of all Jesus was doing he sent two of his disciples to ask, “Are you the one or do we look for another?” That’s some serious doubt coming out of the man who once said, “…He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worth to carry.”

Jesus actually had two responses to John’s question. One was directed to John, the other to His own disciples. To John, Jesus said, (MSG), “…tell John what’s going on: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.” Jesus’ response to his own disciples was quite different. To them He said, “Assuredly, I say unto you, among those born of a woman there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist…” What a statement of affirmation Jesus made to His disciples! Why did He not mention that to John’s disciples when they questioned Him? That surely would have been boosted John’s spirits. Boost his spirits, yes; but destroy the doubt he was entertaining, no. Jesus knew that there is only one thing that destroys doubt; that being the Word of God. Everything Jesus spoke of in His response to John pointed him to what had been prophesied in the past about the coming Savior.

Doubt originates in the mind and, as the definition above states, comes about because of a defect of knowledge. The only thing that will correct that defect is the Word. The Word is Truth and, when spoken in faith, deals a death blow to the lies of the enemy. So, when the enemy drops a thought of doubt into your mind, immediately declare, “The Word of God is engrafted in my heart and it flows to every circumstance in my life!” Then confess a scripture that pertains to the specific challenge you are facing. As one minister of the gospel says, “The devil can’t stop the Word from working; he can only stop you from acting on it.” Speak the Word and watch doubt tuck its tail and run! 

11/17