We All Stumble

On the way, Jesus told them, All of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd,    and the sheep will be scattered.’

Mark 14:27 (NLT)

Sometimes—like many Christians—we feel so spiritually strong and possess such solid faith that we believe we will never stumble or question God regarding the circumstances we face. Some of us even believe that a strong faith never wavers and never doubts God’s will or His promises. This mindset does not help us in our walk with God; on the contrary, it breeds spiritual arrogance and pride, leading us to believe that we have, in some way, earned merit in God’s eyes.

Although Abraham was God’s friend and was regarded by Him as a man of faith, there were times when he questioned God’s decisions—and even His promises. We see this in the plea he addressed to God when He revealed His intention to destroy Sodom. Abraham thought his relationship with God might allow him to change God’s mind; yet, without becoming defensive, God laid out the conditions the people had to meet for Abraham’s request to be granted. Peter, too, made the mistake of believing that his faith in Jesus—and his intimate relationship with Him—would guarantee his loyalty and faithfulness when difficult times arose.

Have you ever had a spiritual experience that led you to believe you had reached the pinnacle of faith and conviction—to the point of thinking you would never slip back to an earlier, less mature stage of faith? We have all experienced this at one time or another. Knowing that this trial was approaching, Jesus warned His disciples—and Peter in particular—that they would stumble and scatter upon His arrest. Confident in his own faith, Peter tried to defend himself. Do not believe you have failed spiritually when you question God’s silence or His decisions; questioning is simply part of our nature. The essential thing is to continue believing in God's promise, even if we do not understand what He is doing. That was Abraham's secret.

May the grace and peace of God be with you.