Defeating My Doubt - Encouragement for Today - April 23, 2018
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April 23, 2018 |
“But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, ‘Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from.’” Joshua 2:4 (NIV)
There is this thing inside of me, that as soon as anything goes slightly wrong, or even looks like it could go wrong, I’ve got to fix it before my potential problem blows up.
This pressure inside, this force that will not let me go, usually begins small. A thought births a concern. The concern swirls into a worry, the worry morphs into doubt, and before I know it, my entire world has come to a halt until the problem is resolved.
Sometimes I believe this “fix it fast” desire is from God, but I know it’s not. The rush to revise has its roots deep in fear. Anxiety grows into panic if I don’t do something.
I have so wanted to be free from this drive springing from doubt. I long to be released from this perpetual rush to “come to the rescue.” Last year, I decided to discover what it would look like to stop allowing doubt to push me around so much. I looked in God’s Word for women who displayed this type of confidence.
I found one in Rahab, whose story we find in Joshua chapter 2. She’s a woman I want to emulate, because Rahab possessed what I desperately needed: the power to wait.
Isn’t power usually associated with doing and strength for creating change?
Absolutely — and that is exactly what Rahab’s waiting did; it produced change.
Decades after the Israelites left Egypt, yet before they entered the Promised Land, they sent spies to check it out. That’s where Rahab stepped in with an act of faith: “But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them …” (Joshua 2:4a).
Rahab’s biggest act of trust, though, came after the spies left Jericho, saying they would return. When? Would it be a few days? A few weeks? Day after day she waited. I can only imagine how wondering when they would come back must have gotten to her. They left only one clue to what would happen next: “… when the LORD gives us the land we will deal kindly and faithfully with you” (Joshua 2:14b, ESV).
When the Lord gives you the land? What would that look like? When would it happen? All the elements were there for the perfect storm of doubt.
I can tell you the whispers of doubt I would’ve had: Did I do the right thing? Should I have asked more questions? What should I do now?
But I don’t see doubt in Rahab. Instead, I see her faith working as each day she waited. The scarlet cord hung in the window, a symbol of her confidence in their God and the sign to the rescuers where she and her family would be found.
Hanging out with Rahab has been changing my life. As I pour God’s truth into my heart, doubt is losing its grip, and I am becoming more like her: A woman who isn’t driven to act and react, but instead can wait to see what God will do and direct her to do.
Rahab did the faith-thing right. She took a step and then, even as the walls of her entire city fell down, she waited for the promise to be fulfilled. Not passively, but with her faith activated, she expectantly waited for the spies’ return. When they did, God spared her, “with her family and all who belonged to her” (Joshua 6:25, NIV).
It hasn’t been easy or quick, but I am seeing progress in my life. And here, as I seek His words for the wisdom I need, He’s leading me to know when to move, when to wait and when to get out of His way.
Lord, I want to be a woman who doesn’t allow doubt to stay and make its home in me but instead fuels my heart with faith. Empower me to be brave and become a woman who trusts in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Psalm 130:5, “I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.” (NIV)
RELATED RESOURCES:
What would it look like to become a woman who overcomes doubt and becomes confident in Christ? In Make Your Move: Finding Unshakable Confidence Despite Your Fears and Failures, Lynn Cowell teaches us to glean practical steps from women in God’s Word who walk in Christ-confidence. Get your copy here.
Are you looking for a woman who knows how to teach the Bible? Someone dynamic — who can encourage, uplift and inspire audiences both big and small? We have the perfect speaker for your event! Click here to meet the Proverbs 31 Speaker Team.
CONNECT:
Stop by Lynn’s blog to download a lock screen of Psalm 130:5, today’s Truth for Today verse, for your phone and a printable for your home.
REFLECT AND RESPOND:
What situation causes you to wrestle with doubt? Share your thoughts with us, or stop by to pray for a fellow doubt-fighter by clicking here.
After downloading Psalm 130:5 to your phone and getting the free printable, refer to them throughout the day today. Make it your prayer as you converse with the Lord about this situation. Reassure your heart that waiting on the Lord, like Rahab did, will restore the hope you need today.
© 2018 by Lynn Cowell. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
630 Team Rd., Suite 100
Matthews, NC 28105
www.Proverbs31.org
