The Benefit of Doubt

May 31, 2026

Earlier this week, I was reading today’s gospel reading, Matthew 28:16-20. It takes place after Jesus rose from the dead. It was Jesus’ last appearance to his disciples before he went to heaven. I was surprised because it says, “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” I was surprised to read that some of the disciples doubted. And I was surprised that Matthew said out loud, “Some doubted!” These 11 disciples are about to start the Christian church. But they have doubts? Well, I think a lot of us have doubted or still have some doubts.

My mother died in 2007, and a few weeks later, I was back in Ohio visiting my dad for the Christmas holiday. I was in church for worship thinking, it’s not good that my mom died! How do I go on? Why would God let this happen? Something just didn’t feel right about being in worship, praising God, and feeling horrible that I lost my mom. I had some doubts. So maybe some of you can relate. Maybe you had a moment of doubt, or a longer season of doubt. It might be you got a diagnosis. It could be you see a tragedy in the world and wonder why a good God would let it happen. You wonder, if God is so good and so powerful, why doesn’t he fix what’s broken in the world? Or why do I feel like God’s not there when I need him most?

Maybe you’ve never had questions like that, and you can thank God for that. But for most us, it’s not a matter of if we have a faith question or two. It’s what do you do when one moment you are full of faith, and then maybe something happens and all of a sudden, you have big faith questions? What do you do when your doubts become louder than your faith? What we’re talking about today is from a book called, the Benefit of Doubt, by Craig Groeschel, it’s a great book.

There’s no shame in having doubts! We can bring out doubts to God. We can talk about them out loud with other Christians, because asking real questions can actually help you grow in your faith. I want to give you permission to doubt, to ask sincere spiritual questions in a way that can actually draw you closer to God. If you find yourself doubting, you’re not a bad person, it just means you’re a human being. Doubt isn’t an enemy of faith, it’s often a pathway to a deeper, more meaningful faith in God. Doubt can help you sincerely seek God.

Habakkuk was a prophet in the Old Testament. He’s called a minor prophet. It’s not because he was from the minor leagues. He’s a minor prophet because his book is short! There are twelve minor prophets. The major prophets have long books! There’s four of them. Habakkuk was a prophet who didn’t understand what God was doing but still decided to trust God. The book of Habakkuk is just three chapters long but it’s powerful! He’s probably the best prophet to read when it comes to dealing with doubt.

Most of the prophets spoke for God, telling the people of Israel what God wanted them to do and not to do. Habakkuk is different. I think he’s a prophet that also speaks to the people for God. But in the book of Habakkuk, he doesn’t talk to the people, he only speaks to God. He is the only prophet who openly questions God. He kind of gets in God’s face!

In Habakkuk 1:2-3 he says, “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, Violence!’ but you do not save? ³ Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.” He’s telling God, you’re not doing your job! We need some help here! The judges in Israel are corrupt. They don’t care about what’s right and just, they just care about bribes!

Habakkuk doesn’t just take the mess that Israel is in in stride and say, “Well, God, you’re the boss, you do you.” When we look at the example of Habakkuk, he teaches us not to sit in silence with our doubts and unhappiness concerning God. He tells God what’s on his mind! If you didn’t know, prayer can be you contacting God’s customer service department and stating your complaint! Habakkuk brings his doubts and he asks God, “What’s going on God? You don’t seem to care, and that’s not who I thought you were. Help me out, here. I’m trying to trust you!” Some people think if you question God, you are demonstrating a lack of faith.

Habakkuk teaches us that real faith is not denying doubt. Instead, it starts with being honest with God about your doubt, asking questions, but never letting go of faith. Habakkuk teaches us you can not understand God; you can doubt God and still believe in God! Doubt isn’t an enemy of faith, it’s often a pathway to a deeper, more meaningful faith in God.

What do you do when you have doubts and questions you can’t answer? It often feels like you have two options: one option is you deny your faith. I could say God didn’t help, so God must not be real. I walk away. I’m mad at God. I’m hurt by God. I don’t like Christians or the church. I deny my faith.

The other option is you deny your questions. You pretend “I don’t really have questions.” You pray and say “God is good. (I think.)” And you try to smile and act like everything’s ok, but in the back of your mind you’re going, I don’t understand, God. You try to keep believing, but the doubts are still there.

Neither one of those options feels very good, and they don’t take you to where God wants you to be. Habakkuk shows us a person who sticks with God when his world seems to be collapsing around him. He has doubts, but he believes he can question God, and God will respond. He can say, I don’t understand it all, but I still believe that you’re good God! Even though there’s violence and no justice, I’m sticking with you!

Hold onto your hats, this story gets worse! God does respond. Habakkuk has been complaining about all the corruption. God says, this is what I’m going to do. I’ll send the Babylonians. You see, God loves the people, and he wants them to do justice and show love. So, he’s sending the enemy, the Babylonians, as his judgement. They will attack and punish Israel. This will teach the people to turn back to God, to do justice and show mercy.

Habakkuk hears this and is not liking this one bit! He says, “God, why do you let the wicked swallow up the righteous!” Habakkuk gives God an earful. This isn’t fair! I love you and I don’t know why you’ll let the enemy triumph over us!” Have you ever been there, where you want to ask God, “What are you doing?!” Habakkuk shows us, you can take your hurts to God.

I’m pretty sure that God would rather have you argue with him and complain to him, than have you walk away from him. God wants you to be honest!  

God tells Habakkuk that he will one day punish the Babylonians for their evil. Habakkuk says, in 3:16, “I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.” He will trust God.

The book of Habakkuk ends with trust. Habakkuk says, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 
¹⁸ yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

¹⁹ The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”

Even when everything a person needs: food, olives, sheep, figs aren’t there, Habakkuk is going to trust God.

After my mother died it took awhile for my doubts to go away. But I held onto God and the doubts eventually faded. God was good, and I had family that would show up from Florida and Ohio to go to my kids’ high school and college graduations, and it really seemed like they stepped in because my mom couldn’t be there. My brother from Florida came for Ian’s high school graduation, and he got the airport in Philadelphia mixed up with the airport in Pittsburgh. So, he had to miss the actual graduation because he had such a long drive back to the Pittsburgh airport. But Ed got to blow up balloons for the senior all night party. We had fun. And mixing up airports seemed just like something my mom would do!

My challenge for you this week is to talk to God about a doubt you have or a complaint. God would rather have you bring your doubts to Him, than to stay quiet and walk away.

Jesus’ disciples, Habakkuk, and many other believers have had doubts and struggled with faith. They were honest about their doubts, brought them to God and hung in with Him. Their faith was stronger because they did. Bring your doubts to God and you’ll likely experience a deeper and more meaningful faith! Amen.