I was reading Psalm 10 this morning and was reminded how Satan will use doubt to attack our faith. There will be times where the wicked appear to prosper. Evil men appear to receive blessings in the form of wealth and prosperity in the world.
In times like these, Satan will seize these opportunities to cause us to doubt God. Satan will open our eyes to the fact that despite being openly against God, evil people still “succeed”, while attempting to close our hearts to the knowledge that our God is sovereign and just. Satan loves doubt.
When we pray to God to deliver us from evil or trials, we may not get an immediate response. Sometimes we feel frustrated and abandoned by God, and this plants a seed of doubt that He isn’t hearing us, or worse, doesn’t care for us or our situation.
The Apostle Paul prayed to God three times to remove the “thorn in my flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul literally pleaded with God to take that sin away from him, but God did not remove the thorn. Instead, God spoke to Paul and reminded him that “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Did Paul ever doubt God? No. Did he ever waiver in his faith? No.
We must never waiver in our faith in God. We must never doubt that God’s Will be done. Don’t mistake your doubt for perplexity. Just because we don’t understand God’s Will doesn’t make Him any less Sovereign or deserving of our doubt.
God hears our prayers and God answers our prayers. Sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes our prayers are answered in His timing, not ours.
Sometimes we need to examine our prayers and ask God for wisdom to discern what we are praying for. Paul prayed for God to remove the thorn, but instead God showed him that He was using that thorn for a purpose.
Frequently I use Cinnabuns as a metaphor for sin issues in my life. So bear with me as I use this metaphor to share a personal experience with you.
I love Cinnabuns, but I know that they are not healthy for my diet. If my life is filled with too many Cinnabuns, my health will suffer and will eventually lead to illness and perhaps even death.
I prayed to God and asked him to deliver me from these cravings. I knew that it wasn’t practical for God to remove Cinnabuns from existence, so instead I prayed that he take away my desire to eat them.
God did not take away my desire. No matter how much I prayed, every time I walked by the Cinnabun store my senses were enticed by the smell as I drew closer. My eyes were captured by the sight of those hot, gooey, sweet pastry delights sitting behind that protective glass and no matter how much I tried, I still wanted that Cinnabun.
So I continued to pray and I have to admit that I was beginning to doubt if God was hearing me. I was questioning why God would permit this craving for Cinnabuns to continue in my life. Finally the Holy Spirit dwelling within me finally got my attention and I came to realize that I was praying for the wrong thing. Cinnabuns are not evil, but my obsession with them was. What I needed to pray for was self control. I prayed that God would grant me the ability to choose not to indulge in Cinnabuns.
God answered my prayer. He didn’t take away my desire for Cinnabuns, but he helped me to see that I have the power to say no. To not allow the smell or sight of a Cinnabun to take control of me and lead me into over-indulgence. He gave me the wisdom and discernment to make better choices.
God patiently waited for me to realize what He already knew was best for me. Never doubt that God always has our best interests at heart and knows what is best for us before we do. Never allow Satan to cause our faith to waiver or to cause us to be double-minded. In our prayers and in our lives we must always be all-in, 100% committed to trusting in God to sanctify us and lead us to eventual glory. God is good. All the time. God is good.
"Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.
In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
His ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand;
forget not the afflicted.
Why does the wicked renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,
that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless commits himself;
you have been the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till you find none.
The LORD is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more."
(Psalm 10:1-16; Psalm 10:17-18 ESV)
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