The River of Doubt

Theodor Roosevelt needed a distraction after his failed third party run for president in 1912.  He decided to embark on a 1,000-mile journey to map an unexplored tributary of the Amazon River in Brazil.  The ill planned trip nearly cost him his life.  The harsh conditions, lack of food, poisonous snakes, hostile indigenous people, and dangerous waterfalls made this Roosevelt’s darkest journey.  The trip, though successful, took years off Roosevelt’s life as he battled infection and malaria.  The river was called: “The River of Doubt”.

Many of God’s most special people have traveled down a dangerous river of doubt.  We are told about a psalmist named Asaph who could not understand why God had prospered those who were wicked.  His painful thoughts plagued him until he finally proclaimed in Psalm 73:17: “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end”.  John the Baptist was arrested and in prison he sent word to ask Jesus if he really was the Messiah.  Jesus sent someone to go tell John that the prophecies of the Messiah’s actions are being fulfilled.  Thomas, one of the 12 disciples had missed the meeting when Jesus showed himself alive after His resurrection.  He said he would not believe unless he saw for himself the wounds of the Lord.  Jesus appeared and Thomas’s doubts melted away.

Have you found yourself on a dangerous river of doubt.  Perhaps you have doubts about the facts of scripture or doubts about your own salvation.  Maybe you have doubted God’s wisdom, His plans for your life, or even if he even still loves you.  God does not leave us alone on the river of doubt.  He gives us an infallible guidebook; the Bible that will help us navigate this deadly river.  We are armed with many infallible proofs from the Bible.  We have the witness of the Holy Spirit within us who assures us that we are God’s child (Romans 8:16).  And we have the words of Jesus Himself who promised to never leave us or forsake us (Heb.13:5).

On May 19, 1914, Roosevelt sailed into New York Harbor surviving The River of Doubt.  Stand fast child of God!  We too can conquer our river of doubt.