When In Doubt
“Doubt everything. Find your own light.” (Gautama Buddha)
“When in doubt, don’t.” (Mark Twain)
“When in doubt, doubt the doubt.” (Deepak Chopra)
“When in doubt, mumble; when in trouble, delegate; when in charge, ponder.” (James Boren)
The above referenced quotes bring little comfort to one who is in the throes of uncertainty. Doubt is a respecter of no person. No matter whether you are a person of great faith or of none; a person of enormous wealth or of little; a person in possession of multiple academic degrees or have only been schooled by life itself; we all experience moments of doubt.
Doubt is defined as “to call into question the truth of, to be uncertain, to lack confidence in.” How does it make entrance into the fortress of our life? We read the right verses, we listen to the proper podcasts, we vote for the correct candidate, we watch the acceptable newscasts, what could go wrong? Doubt comes storming through the gate of our life, without warning, when we experience something that is beyond our control or comprehension.
It is when doubt smacks us in the face that we discover how solid our foundation is upon which we stand. At those moments our life is shaken, and the tremors of disbelief hit us from all sides, what do we do? How do we respond?
2 Chronicles 20 contains an account of a king of Judah who faced such a time. Jehoshaphat, the king, was told that a very large army had amassed and was ready to come upon them in full force. As the weight of this announcement settled in, the Bible tells us two extraordinary things occurred: Jehoshaphat got scared (which is not very “kingly”) and then, “set his face to seek the LORD.” (2 Chronicles 20:3).
Jehoshaphat, though not perfect, was indeed a godly king who trusted God. But, when this vast army began to move against Judah, even he had misgivings as to what was going to happen. What is important is not that the king got frightened but that he sought God in the hour of need.
Christians many times live under the false assumption that to doubt or fear is to commit a grievous sin. This is just not true. It is a part of this life. We must understand, however, we do not have to live in doubt and fear. Jehoshaphat was fearful, but he knew he must look to his Creator and Deliverer for the answer. In his prayer in 2 Chronicles 20;12, the king appeals to God, “O our God, will you not execute judgement on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”
Did you catch that? Look closely at the last sentence in that verse. “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” They were in full-crisis mode and Jehoshaphat admits they have no clue as to the next step. But, he knew on WHOM to focus — God Almighty! The best thing to do in a crisis is to trust God for the outcome and stay focused on and trust in Him!
If you read the rest of the story, you will find that God sent a prophet to speak to the king and all of Judah. He encouraged them to stand firm and, “Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” The battle that was about to ensue was going to be won, not by the power and might of Judah’s army, but by God Himself! And how did it come about? A little further investigation in the chapter tells us.
Jehoshaphat decided to set the choir out in front of the army (if you don’t believe me, check out 2 Chronicles 20:21). No ammo, no weapons, no battle-hardened veterans. The CHOIR! A marvelous, wondrous, and miraculous thing occurred, however:
“And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush…so that they were routed.”
That must have been quite an incredible sight to behold! People singing praises to God as the enemy is scattered and annihilated. There was no doubt as to the outcome. The enemies of Judah had been routed because the people focused on God and poured forth praise to Him.
As long as we live in these bodies, we will have continuous battles we must fight. But in those battles, let us not forget in Whom we have placed our trust. We may face moments of doubt, but in those doubts, let us keep our eyes on God and lift our voices in praises to Him who is worthy! Praise is a prelude to victory!
