I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.

As Christians, we can go through times when we have difficulty with doubt and unbelief. We can have times when we have doubts about the sincerity of our salvation; doubts about the truth of the Bible and its promises for us; doubts about whether God has truly called us to do what we are doing; doubts about whether God truly cares for us and remembers us; and so on. Instead of lifting the shield of faith to defend ourselves, we allow the burning arrows of the Evil One to strike blows of doubt and unbelief into our hearts (Ephesians 6:16).

While doubt and unbelief can sometimes creep up on us unawares, there are signs of their presence. Whenever we feel things like distress, frustration, sorrow, and unhappiness, there is a good chance that we have allowed the burning arrows of doubt and unbelief to pass by our shields of faith. It is difficult, if not impossible, to have joy and peace when our hearts are full of doubt.

When we become aware of our emotional state and what it is doing, it is time to act. It is time to lift our shields of faith and stop the burning arrows of the Evil One. One of the best ways to do this is to read the Bible, especially those passages that address our doubts. The Bible tells us that faith comes by being exposed to the Word of God (Romans 10:17). When we read the Bible, we allow the Holy Spirit to renew and strengthen our ability to believe and have faith.

As our verse for today tells us, good things happen as we put our trust in God. We are filled with joy, peace, and hope. It is difficult, if not impossible, to feel distressed, frustrated, sorrowful, and unhappy when our hearts are full of faith and belief.

Today, take stock of your emotional state—and then take the appropriate action to fortify your trust in God.

By John Huisman, Friend of Bible League International