Re:Verse reading- Luke 24:1-12, 33-49 (day three)
“They did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense.” Did people back in the (ancient) day more readily believe claims of supernatural occurrences than people now? Is the Bible full of the accounts of gullible people? Thank God for the doubters. Peter and his peers-and later the wider Greek culture-had to burrow their way through doubt and skepticism in order to arrive at a faith strong enough to face suffering death. If you’re using your energy running away from doubts rather than facing the questions that doubt raises, how will you grow strong enough to stand?
I agree, Bryan. God wants us to bring our doubts to Him. He will answer; He will help us muddle through. It may take a long time, but He wants us to know the Truth. But we must go to Him, and we need to be patient. I was like Thomas when I was young. God answered my doubts with His Truth.
I enjoyed reading Barbara’s comment. Thank you for sharing your personal experiences and your insights Barbara!
I must say from personal experience that curiosity makes learning more effective and enjoyable. Curious students not only ask questions, but also actively seek out the answers. Also, a healthy sense of skepticism or doubt is something to be thankful for.
Often the presence of a sincere skeptic can make a conversation more enticing. It can make us think harder and search deeper than we would otherwise have done.
I find myself enjoy engaging in conversations with those who are honest enough to share their doubt and their curiosity and appreciate a degree of their skepticism.
It is always exciting for me to engage in discussion with those who are caught up in the deep darkness of doubt and curiosity and ask lots of questions. A mindless, uncritical acceptance of information is the real enemy of learning, development and personal engagement.
We are not threatened by the skeptics but by mindless uncritical acceptance so doubt should be our friend and helper, not enemy. Doubt and curiosity should help us learn, ask questions, and help us explore more about God’s promises in eternity.
Have you ever been in deep darkness of doubt when God seemed silent or absent at the time you needed Him the most? Do you think doubt is the enemy of faith? Jesus was in doubt too so it is okay, in my view, to express our doubt and curiosity in our search for God’s answers and for deepening our faith and trust in God!