There is something that you can have on earth that you cannot have
in heaven. Faith. When life ends so does faith. All those who have
gone on before us know the mystery of the universe. They are certain
of what the afterlife is like. The rest of us are left with questions.

Where there is no doubt there is no faith. “Now faith is the substance
of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen.” (Hebrews 11.1)
Doubt is usually seen as the enemy of faith but I believe, with all my
heart, that it is the very thing that deepens it.

A faith that cannot stand up to questions and doubts is no faith at all.
An unproven, unquestioned faith is like a bridge with a DO NOT CROSS
sign blocking both ends. I want to encourage you to question
everything you believe. Dig as deeply as you can. The deeper you dig
the greater the foundation you create for what you truly believe.

I believe questioning what you believe is encouraged and rewarded by
God. If you don’t believe that then what about Job? God didn’t reprove
Job for questioning, He just asked some questions of His own. How
about the most famous doubter of all, Thomas?

Thomas was also known as Didymus, which means twin. Thomas was
notoriously double minded. He was always doubting and questioning.
When Jesus appeared to him, after the resurrection, he simply asked
Thomas to feel his hands and his side. “Reach out your hand and put
it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” (John 20.27b) I think He
would say the same to all of us.

Dig into what you believe. Read all that you can. Study the scripture.
Evaluate the evidence. “Stop doubting and believe” by reaching out
your hand. But know this, there will always be a shadow of a doubt
because where there is no doubt there is no faith and “without faith
it is impossible to please God.”

So embrace your doubt. Become familiar with it and trust beyond it.
Trust Jesus even though you doubt Him. Follow Him even when you
cannot see Him for “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed.” (John 20.29b)