Doubt and unbelief are often used synonymously. They are not. They aren’t really in the same ballpark, maybe even galaxy.
In the old testament, the jews were wandering in the wilderness, because of their unbelief, not because they had doubt.
They did not believe God would give them the land. They didn’t doubt that God would give them the land, they straight up didn’t believe it.
Doubt says, “I know You are able, I’m just having are hard time believing You will.”
Unbelief says, “You won’t do it.”
This is a relief to me. There are times I believe that God can do something, anything, but I’m just not sure He will do it. But, I don’t have to be sure. This is where faith comes in to play. Faith says, “I don’t know that he will do anything I need Him to do, but I’m choosing to believe anyway.” Faith says, “His word says that if I confess my sins, He is faithful and just to forgive me of those and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. So even though I doubt that He even likes me after what I did, I choose to have faith that He will do what He said in His Word.”
Faith isn’t the absence of doubt, it is believing in spite of having doubt. My faith doesn’t have to be big and strong, and free of all doubt. It can be tiny and weak, and still get the job done. It can be tiny and weak and still, at a word, cast a mountain into the sea.
Our faith doesn’t have to be flawless, it just needs to be in Jesus.
jareddoran 