Battling Doubt: How Two Biblical Heroes Overcame Uncertainty 

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I closed my laptop with a click and paced around the room. Uncertainty filled me. I definitely was battling doubt about God’s plan for me.

I had spent the morning researching college writing classes. For months I had felt the leading of God to pursue my dream of writing, but I hesitated. How could I go back to school and sit next to students younger than my own grown children? How would I juggle classes with my other responsibilities?  

I wanted total certainty. In the wilderness of life, I wanted to know the rest stops, the U-turns, and detours along the way. I wanted to know it all. Ahead of time. 

Doubts filled my heart. Could I trust God with my future despite all the unknowns? 

Battling Doubt and Uncertainty 

Let’s face it, when we find ourselves confronting a new direction or a new purpose, it is normal to have questions.  

Two biblical heroes of faith also had their moments of uncertainty. Their faith wavered. They battled doubts about God’s ability to help them. What God wanted them to do sparked their skepticism. 

We can learn from Moses and Zacharias. 

Moses: From Doubter to Leader 

At the burning bush (Exodus 3-4), when God told Moses He had chosen him to be the one to tell Pharaoh to let His people go, how did Moses respond? Did Moses step forward to eagerly accept the new assignment?  

No. Moses stepped back. He offered all types of excuses about why he wasn’t the one for the job (Exodus 3:11, 13; 4:1, 10, 13).  

Moses’ unwillingness came down to one knee-jerk reaction, “I am not enough.” 

Moses wanted certainty. “Not enough” was his response to the invitation into the unknown. “Not enough” was his response when faced with his own insecurities.  

Despite Moses’ battling doubts, God invited him to a deeper trust. God offered His presence and His promise. 

With the staff of God in his hand, Moses left behind his doubts. God performed many signs and wonders through him. As a result, the Israelites found freedom from slavery. 

A reluctant doubter became a courageous leader. 

How about Zacharias? 

Zacharias: From Doubter to Speaker of God’s Goodness 

How did Zacharias respond when the angel Gabriel arrived with the message that his wife Elizabeth would have a son named John? Did he shout with whole-hearted approval and give high-fives to the gathered crowd (Luke 1:1-23)? 

No. Zacharias had questions. Doubts. Unbelief. 

His experience and circumstances taught him to believe only in visible realities. 

The reality was that his wife was barren. Now she was past childbearing years and Zacharias doubted the angel’s words that their prayers had been heard (Luke 1:13).  

Because of his doubt, God rendered Zacharias mute. But the story did not end there. The goodness of God exceeded the uncertainty in Zacharias’ secret heart. 

After the child’s birth, the neighbors gathered at the naming ceremony, convinced the child would be named after his father. Elizabeth said his name would be John. When questioned, Zacharias wrote on a tablet in agreement, “His name is John” (Luke 1:63). 

With that declaration, Zacharias could finally speak. His neighbors discovered what God had been birthing in nine months of silence. 

Faith. Belief. Courage (Luke 1:57-79). 

An unbelieving doubter had become a speaker of God’s goodness. 

How Will You Respond to Your Own Doubts and Uncertainty? 

More than two thousand years later, God continues to call His people to believe in the impossible. He continually asks us to step out into the wilderness of a deeper trust in Him. 

Like He did for Moses, God offers us His presence and His promises. We have the opportunity to leave what we know in the present and walk with God in what He knows about the future.  

Like with Zacharias, when God encounters our doubts, He patiently allows faith to grow in our hearts, until we too become speakers of His goodness.  

Listen now to a small segment of this Abide meditation based on Exodus 3:11-12. Let God speak to your heart about having courage in your own uncertainty and when you are battling doubts.

And as for me? 

My quandary about college classes took place several years ago. I silenced my doubts, my uncertainty, and signed up for the fall semester. I chose to take one step into the unknown. With God.  

I invite you to do the same.  

Let Abide be your daily faith companion. Our 1500+ guided biblical meditations all exist to help you experience the peace of Christ, even when you’re battling doubt. Use this link for 25% off a premium subscription, giving you access to entire library of content. 

Lynne Hartke is the author of Under a Desert Sky: Redefining Hope, Beauty, and Faith in the Hardest Places and a contributing author on multiple books for Guideposts. She and her husband love hiking in the desert near their home in Chandler, Arizona.