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What to Do When You Doubt God

by | 65 comments

People who never doubt, never question scare me.

Why?

Doubt, second-guessing, and wrestling with God are part of my nature, part of me moving toward deeper understanding the nature of God.

Maybe you struggle in following Jesus, too. If so, we’re in good company.

In the Day 12 reading of the #LentChallenge of #Beloved, we find ourselves surrounded by people who are as baffled by Jesus.

They want Jesus to be something He’s not.
They want to find Jesus but can’t.
They want to follow Jesus but don’t know the way.

Can you relate?

John 6:15-25 opens with people who are confident they’ve dialed in the identity of Jesus.

They believe the divine baker (John 6:1-14) is their king.

They are 100% right and 100% wrong all at the same time. (A lot like us.)

Jesus disappears.

The disciples don’t know Jesus’ location either. They head toward Capernaum in hopes of finding Him.

Jesus finds them first. They wet their pants. Okay, maybe their pants are already wet from the storm, but a dozen grown men are t-e-r-r-i-f-i-e-d.

Jesus appears.

The people who stay on the shore wait for Jesus. But Jesus isn’t there.

Jesus keeps moving.

A group of boaters go all Sherlock Holmes to track Jesus. Confused, they ask, “When do you get here?”

Jesus baffles.

The people. The disciples. The shore dwellers. The boaters.

All remind us that following Jesus is mind-bending and soul-baffling at times.

Confession: Reading this passage made me feel like I was playing a game of “Where’s Waldo?” with the Son of God.

The call to follow Jesus rings simple and clear, but the journey of following Jesus is hard and confusing and strange and sometimes unexplainable.

Jesus refuses to be something He’s not.
Jesus sometimes tugs back to draw us close.
Jesus doesn’t always make the path clear or clear the path in the way we expect.

So if you find yourself…

struggling to follow Jesus.
holding onto a thread of faith.
wondering why God feels so far away.

Know that you’re in good company. The crowds, the disciples, those who sought Jesus all felt those things, too.

Sometimes you must let go of what you knew to know Jesus anew.

Day 12: John 6:15-35 Discussion Questions:

  1. Are drawn toward or repelled by people who doubt and question? Explain.
  2. How have you grown spiritually through your doubts and hard questions?
  3. Which type of people do you most relate to at this moment in your life—the crowds, the disciples, the shore dwellers or the boaters? Explain.
  4. Using the Color Method, what stood out to you most from today’s reading?
  5. What do you find most challenging about today’s reading? What do you find most comforting about today’s reading?

P.S. Don’t miss this awesome book giveaway we’re offering. You’ll especially like it if you have serious FOMO (fear of missing out), like me.

Resources:

 

Day 1 | John 1:1-18 | Ash Wednesday: Your Invitation to Discover the Beloved

Day 2 | John 1:19-34 | This One Question Will Leave You Undone

Day 3 | John 1: 35-51 | What to Tell Your Children Before It’s Too Late

Day 4 | John 2:1-12 | The Shocking Miracle of Water Becoming Wine

Day 7 | John 3:22-36 | There’s a Hidden Slip N’ Slide in the Bible — I Found It!

Day 9 | John 5:1-17 | How to Overcome Jealousy

Day 12 | John 6:15-35 | What to Do When You Doubt God

Day 14 | John 7:1-39 | What’s the Difference Between Dead and Living Water?

Day 16 | John 8:1-1 | You Stumped Me… Again

Day 17 | John 8:12-59 | 7 Surprises in the Gospel of John

Day 18 | John 9 | What does spiritual blindness really cost you?

Day 22 | John 12:1-11 | What’s Your Signature Spiritual Scent?

Day 23 | John 12:12-50 | Here is a Method That is Helping Me Relinquish Control

Day 25 | John 15:1-11 | What Does a Vinter See in John 15?

Day 29 | John 16:1-15 | Little Known Ways to Be of Good Cheer

Day 31 | John 17 | The Truth About Soul Talk

Day 33 | John 18:12-40 | Was it Judas or Satan Working through Judas?

Day 35 | John 19:16-30 | What’s a Woman’s Role?

Day 39 | John 21:1-14 | Why is the Weight of the Wait So Heavy on Good Friday?

Day 40 | John 21:15-25 | The Most Powerful Lesson I Learned During Lent

65 Comments

  1. Tara Lantieri
    Tara Lantieri on March 14, 2017 at 10:42 am

    Hello Margaret – from the midst of winter storm Stella! ❄️

    I have few thoughts I’m pondering between day 11 & 12:
    Was Jesus walking on water considered a miracle? Seems like it would be but there’s no mention of it transforming anyone who witnessed it. Or the boat “suddenly reaching the shore” – I don’t believe I ever noticed that portion of the story before…seems pretty jaw dropping to me.

    (Also pointed out in both days readings) I love that Jesus, the Son of God, takes time to pause and give thanks…for the bread (humble beginnings-see below)

    And in regards to Jesus’ signs/miracles the following is brewing into a blog post for me…maybe.
    rough thoughts below:

    Sign 1-water into wine. He transforms a situation/circumstance which in turn transforms the disciples (those who are already following Him) belief.
    Sign 2-healing the boy. He transforms the boy which in turn transforms the family’s belief
    Sign 3-healing the man. He transforms the man which in turn transformed preconceived ideas (working on the sabbath)
    Sign 4- multiplies the bread. He transforms a poor boy’s food/our humble begins (as long as we can hand it over/ let go) which transformed the crowd.

  2. Nancy
    Nancy on March 14, 2017 at 11:14 am

    My favorite part of this passage is when the disciples take Jesus into the boat John 6: 20-21. Unfortunately the translation in the CEV completely misses this point. The ESV and NIV say: But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they were glad to take him into the boat and IMMEDIATELY the boat was at the land to which they were going.
    The disciples were filled with fear, but when they were willing to take Jesus into the boat, IMMEDIATELY the boat reached shore. So often my fears and insecurities could be calmed immediately if I would just let Jesus into the boat!! Recognizing Him and knowing Him is not enough. I have to take him into the boat and trust Him!

  3. Nicole Walker
    Nicole Walker on March 14, 2017 at 1:27 pm

    I think I am drawn to people than repelled by them. This is a challenging one. When I have a hard question I tend to think and ponder upon or rather pray about it. Sometimes I need to take my time when answering questions. I try to be positive. I am most related to crowds. I like to have fun with the ladies go to concerts go to bible study pray for others. I am still a follower of Jesus and still attend church. However its more challenging for me to talk to people about Christ because they have their pros and cons and try to twist words. I just speak in true love. God died for us so we can have eternal with him. I have saved 1 person in my life and am so blessed and humbled. The part that stood out was when Jesus fed the people bread. The challenging part was when people stayed on the east while the disciples were on the boat traveling.

  4. Margaret
    Margaret on March 15, 2017 at 3:49 pm

    Love these thoughts, Tara! Also, stay warm! Hugs!

  5. Margaret
    Margaret on March 15, 2017 at 3:50 pm

    So so good, Nancy! Thanks for pointing that out! Hugs!

  6. Margaret
    Margaret on March 15, 2017 at 3:51 pm

    Thank you for joining the conversation, Nicole! Hugs!

  7. Gail
    Gail on March 21, 2017 at 6:32 am

    I find it strangely comforting that Jesus disciples, men who spent their days with Jesus didn’t recognize him on the water. You would think they would know him well enough (by visual sight alone, as well as by his miraculous signs) that they would recognize him. Not only do they not recognize him, they are terrified. This is comforting because, it shows me he cannot be fully known here on earth and by my limited mind.

    One thing that stood out to me was the line “The disciples wanted to take him in the boat…” Why did they not take him in the boat. Still afraid? Reached the shore suddenly?

  8. Margaret
    Margaret on March 21, 2017 at 1:21 pm

    Great question! It’s been added to our list for Dr. Blomberg. Stay tuned for another post with his answers to our many questions!

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