Problems can make us doubt God. When everything goes well for you, you will continue to pray to God since you have nothing to worry about. However, we are challenged to believe in God at a time when we are facing difficult situations that we do not know how to solve. There are a number of characters in the Bible who doubt God. The stories of these biblical characters who used to doubt God were compiled in the bible as God’s will for us to read because God wants us to know how to trust and not doubt him (2 Timothy 3:16).
Worked
Job doubted God’s goodness when God gave Satan permission to destroy his cattle, servants, children, and ultimately his health. Job did not know that it was Satan who caused him all these problems. Satan challenged God when he asked him what he thought about his servant Job. Satan’s excuse is that God had put a shield of protection around him. The second time Satan came before God, God asked him what he thought about his servant Job again and Satan replied that Job stands tall because he still has his health. Therefore, God allowed Satan to destroy Job’s health, but he was not allowed to kill him.
Job felt as if God purposely hit him with these calamities so that he would be a failure. Job disagreed with his friends’ statement that God punished him with these calamities because he sinned. Job wanted a fair trial in court with God. He wanted God to tell him where he did wrong. In the end, God spoke to Job and rebuked him for questioning him. Job repented for questioning the goodness of God. God gave Job back twice the cattle he used to have and wounded him with 10 other sons (The Book of Job).
Gideon
Gideon doubted God’s ability to help him win the war against the Midianites, so he prayed for God to give him proof. He prayed that God would moisten the wool on the threshing floor, but the land would dry up. The next morning Gideon found the wool wet but the ground dry. He squeezed a bowlful of water out of the wool. He went back to praying to God. This time, he asked God to dry the wool on the threshing floor, but make the ground wet. The next morning Gideon found the wool dry but the ground moist.
God sent most of Gideon’s men home. Only 300 of Gideon’s 22,000 men stayed to go to war against the Midianites. The 300 were the men who lapped up the water while the rest knelt down to take a drink from the streams. God did this so that Gideon would not think that he would win the victory over the Midianites with his own efforts.
When God called Gideon to fight the Midianites, Gideon was afraid and God told him to go down to the Midianite camp with his servant Purah to hear what the soldier had to say. When Gideon and Purah arrived, it is just the moment that the Midianite soldier changed shifts. A Midianite soldier told another soldier that he dreamed of a loaf of barley bread falling into the Midianite camp and hitting the tent with such force that it collapses. The other soldier replied that his dream must mean that God has delivered the Midianites into the hands of Gideon. This gives Gideon more courage and leads his men to attack the Midianites. In the end, God gave Gideon a victory against the Midianites (Judges 6-8).
barak
Barak doubted God and would not go to war unless Deborah accompanied him. Deborah warned him that the honor of killing Sisera would fall to a woman if she accompanied him, but he didn’t care. Barak fought and defeated Sisera and her army. However, it was Jael, the wife of Eber, who killed Sisera. It happened that Sisera came to Jael’s tent while she was escaping from Barak. Sisera lay down in the tent and asked for something to drink. Jael gave him a skin of milk. Sisera drank and fell asleep. Barak then drove a tent peg into Sisera’s skull (Judges 4-5).
Thomas
Thomas was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ. He doubted that Jesus had risen. He would not believe unless he saw the nail prints in Jesus’ hands and put his finger where his nails were and put his hand into his side. After 8 days, Jesus appeared again with his disciples. This time Thomas was with his disciples. Jesus let Thomas put his finger on him, see his hands, and put his hands at his sides. So, Thomas believed that Jesus Christ had really risen from the dead. However, Jesus said blessed are those who believe even though they have never seen it before (John 20:24-29).
Everyone will face problems in life (John 16:33). You should pray and seek God’s help when you have problems (Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7; Ephesians 6:18). You should not doubt God’s ability to help you solve your problem (Romans 14:23; James 1:6-8; Genesis 3). After praying, you should not declare with a negative attitude that your problem will not be solved. You should keep thanking God in all circumstances until his problem is solved (1 Thessalonians 5:18; Ephesians 5:20).