Words of Hope Daily Devotional
Repent and Believe
Read: Mark 1:14-20
The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news! (v. 15 NIV)
With volitional doubt—doubt based on a stubborn refusal to give in to God’s will for life—the means by which Jesus overcomes our unbelief is a strong call to repent and believe. More facts don’t help this kind of doubt, because information isn’t the issue. The issue is choice.
I have an old friend who revels in his doubt. He is a seasoned believer, a lifelong member of the church, but he has chosen to doubt because he likes the feeling of liberation, of walking on the wild side, of being different. He doesn’t need more information. He needs to decide that simple, childlike faith in Jesus is better than his cherished doubt. He needs to repent of his chosen doubt.
My friend wouldn’t agree, but the issue for him is a refusal to believe the message Jesus always preached. “The kingdom of God has come near.” Jesus meant that it was near in himself. “I am the king of all things, including your life.” If my friend would cry, “Jesus, I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” I suspect that Jesus would reply, “I’d love to. Now, repent and make me Lord of your mind and your will. Bend your knee to me.”
Do it now. “The time has come!” Repent and believe the good news that Jesus is King.
As you pray, use the words of the hymn, “Have thine own way, Lord! Have thine own way! Thou art the potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.” (Have Thine Own Way)
Feeding Your Faith
Read: Romans 10:9-17 Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (v. 17 NIV) Although Jesus might drive out doubt immediately, he almost always uses other means, and different means for different
What to Do With Your Doubt
Read: Mark 9:14-27 I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief! (v. 24 NIV) I’ve been trying to give you a clear look at doubt. Now I want to help you to do something about it. What will you do
The Body Is Weak
Read: Mark 14:32-42 The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (v. 38 NIV) Some doubt rises in our minds because of our human nature. I mean that in two senses—because we are sinners and because we are finite.
The Devil Made Me Do It?
Read: Genesis 3:1-6 Did God really say, “You must not eat from any tree in the garden”? (v. 1 NIV) Does doubt come from the devil? Does he take our experiences of God’s mystery and turn them into doubt? Some
Encountering the Mystery
Read: Job 23:1-10 If I go to the east, he is not there . . . I do not find him. . . . I do not see him. (vv. 8-9 NIV) Some doubt rises from our encounter with the
The Causes of Doubt
Read: Luke 24:36-45 Why do doubts rise in your minds? (v. 38 NIV) We are revisiting this story because it contains a question that must be answered if we are to deal honestly and helpfully with doubt: “Why do doubts