The Faith Crisis

IN MATTHEW 11:1-6 JOHN THE BAPTIST SEEMED TO BE DISCOURAGED. THIS SAME GREAT MAN OF GOD IS THE ONE WHO SAID: THIS IS THE LAMB OF GOD WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. YET WHEN HE WAS UNFAIRLY PUT IN JAIL HE SEEMS TO DOUBT THE LAMB'S IDENTITY. ALL OF US GO THROUGH MOMENTS OF DISCOURAGEMENT. WHEN WE PASS THROUGH THE TUNNEL OF DISCOURAGEMENT OUR VISION OF WHO GOD IS SEEMS DARK. WE DOUBT HIS ABILITY. WE FORGET WHO HE IS AND HIS INFINITE ABILITY. GOD SEEMS UNDIFFERENT AND UNCARING. BUT HE IS NOT, HE IS JUST TESTING OUR FAITH. IMAGINE HOW JOHN FELT IN THAT DUNGEON: RATS, BAD SMELL AND THE PROSPECT OF DYING. MAYBE JOHN GOT SCARED AND BEGIN TO DOUBT. SOMETIMES THAT HAPPENS TO US: WHERE IS GOD WHEN MY WIFE GETS CANCER? WHY GOD ALLOWED MY BABY GIRL TO DIE? HOW IS GOD GOING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM IN MY LIFE? WE BEGIN TO DOUBT GOD'S IDENTITY AND ABILITY. ALL BECAUSE OF FEAR AND DISCOURAGEMENT. ELIJAH WENT THROUGH A TERRIBLE DEPRESSION IN THE CAVE. PAUL SHED TEAR IN THE JAIL. WE ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED DISCOURAGEMENT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. DOES GOD KNOWS WHAT I AM GOING THROUGH? DOES HE CARES? WE FEEL LIKE IN A MAZE AND NOT AMAZE AT GOD! WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO OR WHAT TO SAY. JOHN HEARD OF THE ACTIVITIES OF JESUS (MATTHEW 11;2). HE SENT MESSENGERS TO ASK JESUS IF HE WAS THE CHRIST OF GOD. THE DARKNESS OF THE DUNGEON OF JOHN DID NOT ALLOWED HIM TO SEE WHO GOD IS. HE QUESTIONED GOD'S IDENTITY. BUT THAT'S OKAY. JOHN CRIED OUT TO CHRIST WHO IS GOD. WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, WHEN YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED BY PROBLEMS: CRY OUT TO GOD. HOW DID JESUS ANSWERED JOHN? JESUS GAVE JOHN HIS DIVINE CREDENTIAL: THE BLIND SEE, THE SICK ARE HEALED, THE DEAF CAN HEAR. WHEN GOD SEEMS DISTANT TO YOU, AND PROBLEMS ARE EATING YOU ALIVE, REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE IN THE PAST. IF HE DELIVERED YOU ONCE, HE'LL DO IT AGAIN. JOHN NEEDED COMFORT, AND JESUS UNDERSTOOD THAT JOHN WAS VERY DISCOURAGED. DON'T FEEL GUILTY IF YOU FEEL DISCOURAGED. IT IS NO SIN. WHY? BECAUSE JESUS DID NOT REPROACH JOHN. JESUS DID NOT SAID TO JOHN: OH JOHN YOU ARE SO WEAK! YOU HAVE NO FAITH! YOU DON'T TRUST ME. NO JESUS POINTED OUT TO JOHN THE IDENTITY OF JOHN: YOU ARE ONE OF THE GREATEST AND HUMBLEST PROPHETS, OH JOHN THE BAPTIST. NEVER FORGET YOUR SPIRITUAL IDENTITY IN CHRIST WHEN YOU ARE IN DEEP TROUBLE. NO MATTER THE DIFFICULTY, THE FACT THAT YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD, ALWAYS BELOVED OF HIM, NEVER CHANGES! YOUR VALUE IN CHRIST IN GOD'S EYES NEVER CHANGES. NEVER! HIS LOVE FOR YOU NEVER WAVERS, IT IS ETERNALLY THE SAME FOR YOU. NOW, OUR FAITH MUST ALWAYS REST IN GOD'S UNCHANGEABLE CHARACTER. GOD MAY SEEM INDIFFERENT AND DISTANT, BUT HIS CHARACTER NEVER CHANGES: HE IS PURE, HE IS HOLY, HE IS GOOD, HE IS LOVE. IN MATTHEW 11:6 JESUS SAID THAT HAPPY IS THE ONE WHO FINDS NO OFFENCE IN CHRIST. CAN YOU FIND ANY FAULT IN GOD? IS HE NOT INFALLIBLE AND PERFECT? IS HE NOT ULTRA PURE? THUS, HE CAN'T HAVE NO BAD INTENTION TOWARDS YOU, NO EVIL MOTIVE TOWARDS HIS CHILDREN. NEVER! YOU CAN TRUST SUCH PERSON! YOU CAN CERTAINLY RELY IN SUCH CHARACTER! WHAT A SECURITY! WHAT A RELIEF WHEN WE FEEL DISCOURAGED! WE SOMETIMES ACCUSE GOD FOR OUR DIFFICULTIES. BUT HOW CAN WE BLAME ONE WHO IS PERFECT? MANY TIMES WE DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS DOING, BUT HE DOES NOT ASK US TO UNDERSTAN PRIMARILY, BUT TO RELY ON HIM, TO TRUST HIS INFINITE INTELIGENCE AND ALWAYS BE AMAZE (NOT MAZED) AT HIS UNCHANGEABLENESS! THIS IS THE ROCK OF FAITH! YOU CAN ALWAYS TRUST THIS ULTRAPURE PERSON CALLED GOD. HE NEVER CHANGES. MAN VARIES, BUT THE ETERNAL ONE IS AN ETERNAL ROCK OF FAITHFULLNESS! WOW! THAT'S OUR GOOD GOD! OH THE DEPTHS OF THE INFINITE CHARACTER OF THE INFINITE ONE! HALLELUYAH!