A chaplain spoke to a hospital patient. She was facing life-threatening surgery. The patient requested the chaplain to pray for her. He was glad to do so. Before he left her room, he asked, "Are you a believer in Jesus Christ?" She said, "I would like to be, but I must be honest, I have too many doubts to say I believe." Then, the chaplain said, "Let me put it another way. Are you willing to believe?" She said, "Oh yes. I just don't know what to do with all my doubts."
The chaplain suggested that she give her doubts to the Lord in prayer. He led her in a prayer to give her doubts to God and receive His faith. The lady came through her surgery. More than that, she left the hospital with a strong faith in God.
Understand the nature of genuine faith. It is a gift from God. Faith is one of the abiding gifts of the Holy Spirit. It does no good to pretend that we have faith. Genuine faith is a gift of God's grace. And, where do we receive such faith? It comes from the word of God through the Son of God, as a gift of the Spirit of God.
Do you wrestle with doubts? Is it hard for you to believe? Give up your struggle. Look to God's word. Admit your inability. Ask for God's grace to believe. When the faith of God enlightens your heart, the darkness of doubt and unbelief is dismissed. The gift of faith comes through the word of God. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17).
