Silencing Doubt, Trusting God

We all have a calling from the Lord. At various stages of our lives, he has set before us a preordained plan we are to fulfill. Moreover, God promises that if we act in faith, trusting him, he will bring that plan to fruition.

Yet, this isn’t always easy. Those who have walked with Jesus for any length of time know that following his high calling means we’re going to encounter obstacles, the most common of which is the skeptic’s voice. As we seek to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, we’ll hear every kind of voice telling us not to go. They murmur to us in very reasonable tones, “It’s just not going to happen.”

There are three types of skeptical voices that appear in the life of every Christian:

• First, there is an outward skeptic. This is a friend, acquaintance, or family member who challenges what we believe when we try to obey God.
• Second, is a demonic skeptic. This is the voice of the evil one, who seeks to derail us from our trust in the Lord.
• Third, there is an inner skeptic. This is the voice inside our own minds that raises every kind of argument against obeying what God has asked of us.

Joshua heard all three of these voices as God stirred him to lead Israel across the Jordan River. The crossing held all the promise of God’s future glory for his people on earth. You can be sure there was no way they would make that crossing while hearing the shrill voices of skeptics trying to dissuade them.

Our God wants to obliterate every skeptical voice that would keep us from obeying his direction for his greater glory. Whenever he asks us to take a step of faith, he is leading us to “cross over” to a measure of trust in him we’ve never had before.

“No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you” (Joshua 1:5, ESV).