John 20: 25 But he (Thomas) said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”.
The disciples nicknamed Thomas the Didymus “Doubting Thomas” as he refused to believe in the resurrection of Jesus unless he could touch and feel Him. Jesus did not leave Thomas doubting but paid a visit to wipe away the doubt that was destroying his faith.
Doubt is like fruit maggots. Fruit flies lay larvae in the maturing flowers that hatch and grow inside the fruit. The apple, mango or cherry would look juicy and yummy on the outside but would be infested with maggots on the inside. Like the maggots that plague the mangoes, doubt will contaminate our heart and damage our faith. Faith is the hidden treasure of the heart. Romans 10:10 For with your heart you believe. This is why it is important to guard our hearts. To protect fruits from maggots, gardeners would hang homemade vinegar traps or spray liquid protein traps during the flowering season. Similarly, hang maggot traps in the gates of the soul to guard your hearts. Proverbs 4:23 Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life. Your faith can move mountains but your doubts can create them!
Doubt, distrust and disbelief are ‘heart maggots’ that devour our faith. Guard the gates of your heart.
Faith vs Feelings:
- Sight: Most times doubt is the deception of our eyes. We are fooled by the predictions of the future and are tricked that our future is going to be worse than our present. When doubt dominates, faith dies-down. Spray the protein trap of God’s Word over doubt that threatens faith. Declare, proclaim and vocalize faith and drive out doubt – Let your faith roar so loud that you cannot hear your doubt. Guard what you see and believe.
- Might: Doubt is the result of over-thinking, over-analyzing and over-assessing our abilities. Doubt your own doubts, but don’t doubt God because with Him all things are possible – Lisa Osteen Comes. Doubting our capability will automatically lower our expectations of God’s power to work through us. Doubting our ability and aptitude will slow down our momentum, digress our focus and derail our destiny. See yourself defeating, overcoming and achieving through the mighty muscle of the Almighty God. Guard what you feel and believe.
- Weight: Doubt is heavy on the heart. Doubt is like unnecessary luggage that slows down our vehicle. Throw doubt overboard and lighten the weight of your heart. The heavier the doubt the lower will be our enthusiasm, self-esteem and energy. Doubt will drag us to the dump. Unnecessary information from friends or facebook, precedents of the past and google information become like excess baggage. Get rid of the excess baggage. Thomas the “doubting disciple” became the “missionary messenger” who travelled all the way to India to preach the Gospel as he threw doubt overboard. Guard your heart from the weight of doubt that suffocates your faith.
Disinfect your heart from the maggots that destroy faith. Overcome feelings, fallacy and evil foreboding by driving out doubt and declaring faith.
2 Corinthians 5:7 For we live by faith, not by sight.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, help me to be watchful and guard my heart from the fruit maggots that destroy my faith. I trust in your infallible Word more than my own sight, might or the weight of doubt. Amen.
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