Debbie W. Wilson

Refreshing Faith

Search Results for: doubt

Does God Care About My Doubts?

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“I’d like to taste your chicken salad. Do you give samples?” my friend asked our server.

“No ma’am. We don’t,” he said and left us to our menus.

“I guess I’ll order something else,” she said.

As we enjoyed our meal the manager dropped by our table to ask how our food was. We told her it was great. Then my friend repeated her question.

“We aren’t able to offer samples because we make each dish fresh when it’s ordered,” she said.

That answer was much more satisfying. There was a legitimate reason they wouldn’t offer a sample. But I still wasn’t convinced. I couldn’t imagine them making one serving of chicken salad at a time.Continue Reading

5 Tips for Dealing with Doubt

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Time was ticking and I had to give my decision. I knew what I wanted. But every time I thought about saying, “no,” doubt assailed me. You’re wimping out. If you had faith you’d say yes.

GRAPHIC-Jesus-infuses-us-w-courage-1

I thought my doubt was a nebulous feeling that sprang from uncertainty. But, I’ve learned some doubts have a diabolical side.

What feels like paralyzing indecision may be a taunt from the enemy. Just like the devil gave King David the idea to take a census of Israel (1 Chronicles 21:1-3) and Ananias and Sapphira the idea to lie about a gift they gave to the church (Acts 5:3-5), he also plants thoughts in our minds.

Jesus called the devil a liar (John 8:44) and the thief that comes only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). The Bible also says he’s a slanderer and accuser (Revelation 12:10). The better we know Jesus, the better we’re able to identify Satan’s influence.Continue Reading

Doubt or Dart?

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Is doubt a nebulous feeling that springs from lack of confidence? Sometimes. But, often what we call doubt is really spiritual warfare.

By: Ano Lobb

What feels like paralyzing indecision may be a taunt from the enemy. Jesus called the devil a liar (John 8:44). This thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He also is a slanderer, accuser of Christians (Revelation 12:10b), and blasphemer of God. The better we know Jesus, the better we’re able to identify Satan’s influence.

The devil tries to steer our thoughts. Wanting to provoke God’s anger, he planted the thought in King David’s mind to take a census of Israel (1 Chronicles 21:1-3). He also gave Ananias and Sapphira the idea to lie about a gift they gave to the church (Acts 5:3-5). Do you think these people would have cooperated if they’d recognized the maleficence behind their ideas?

I’ve received emails from friends asking me to send cash to help them because they lost their passports. Even though the emails came from my friends’ accounts, the messages didn’t sound like them. I recognized the hoax because I knew my friends. The better we know someone the less likely we are to be taken in by fraud.

Here are some ways to recognize our enemy’s darts.Continue Reading

3 Actions to Squash Paralyzing Doubt

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I bet you believe God is able to direct you. But do you ever doubt your ability to hear Him?

We Christ-followers know faith pleases God. Yet people of faith can be filled with doubt. At least I can. And doubt paralyzes. Here are three actions that revive my faith when doubts roll in.

1. Remember God’s promises.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight,” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NASB).

To trust in the Lord means to have confidence and to be secure in Him. [1] I get into trouble when I base my confidence on other things such as the following:

• My ability to hear God, instead of His ability to lead me.

• My ability to perceive clear direction, instead of His promise to direct my path.

• My understanding, instead of His wisdom.

On what is your confidence based?

2. Affirm your faith, not your fears.

Do you know the difference between “begging, doubting” prayers and prayers of faith? When I focus on God instead of my doubts, my prayers show it. Thank You Father for guiding my steps.Continue Reading

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