“Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?”
The Fog
John the Baptist names this honest question from prison, worth holding as remarkable, this same man who had once, confidently, publicly identified Jesus directly, now genuinely, honestly questioning, worth recognizing that even significant, prior confidence does not guarantee immunity from later, genuine doubt.
This is worth examining against however much you have assumed your own past seasons of confident faith should have permanently prevented this current, honest questioning, rather than John’s own example, genuine doubt genuinely possible even after prior, significant certainty and clear, previous conviction.
Notice Jesus’s own response, in the verses that follow, does not rebuke this honest question, but points John’s own messengers toward actual, visible evidence, worth holding as this movement’s own model, honest doubt met not with shame but with patient, genuine response.
Whatever prior confidence has made your own current doubt feel like genuine failure or regression, receive today John’s own example, even significant, past certainty can genuinely coexist with honest, later questioning, and this questioning, like his, can be met with patient, gracious response, not shame.
Walk Through the Fog
- Consider whether prior confidence has made your own current doubt feel like failure or regression.
- Receive John’s own example as permission for genuine questioning after significant, past certainty.
- Ask your own honest question today, trusting patient, gracious response, not shame.
Prayer
Lord, like John, I ask honestly, art thou he that should come? Let me trust your patient, gracious response, even after my own prior seasons of confident faith. Amen.
Carry this today
Genuine doubt can coexist with prior, significant confidence, met with patience, not shame.