Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw Him they worshiped him, but some doubted. –Matthew 28:16-17 (ESV)

Do you ever doubt God? If so, you’re in good company.

The disciples doubted, too. Even after Jesus rose from the dead.

At the end of the book of Matthew, we read about the commission Jesus gave His followers to make disciples in every corner of the world. But just before those great departing words, Matthew records a small tidbit of information—the disciples worshipped, but some doubted. 

These men had spent three years with Jesus, performing miracles of all kinds. Raising Lazarus from the dead. Casting out demons. Calming the sea. Multiplying fish and bread. And even after seeing the nail-scarred hands, the empty tomb, and the resurrected Savior Himself, they still doubted.

But thankfully, their stories don’t end there. If you read church history, you know that many of these same doubters would go on to die for their faith. Martyred for their belief in Jesus. They pushed passed their doubts and in the power of God, turned the world upside down. 

Even if you know in the depths of your heart that God is real, that He loves you, and that His plans for you are good, you may still doubt, too. You may wonder if you’ll have enough money to pay the bills. You may question whether you heard God correctly. You may ask Him why He continues to allow evil to go unchecked (seemingly).

Doubts are normal. Walking by faith means encountering uncertainty. When that happens, you have a choice: allow the doubt to step between God and you; or allow the doubt to propel you deeper into your relationship with Him. You can walk away or you can push through doubt to the other side where you can see in retrospect that the hand of God was guiding you, holding you, caring for you, even though the path was muddy, the night was dark, and the outcome fuzzy.

Name your doubts. Tell God about them. And then keep putting one foot in front of the other. You’ll never know what God will do around the corner.