Immediately Jesus, aware in His spirit that they were thinking that way within themselves, said to them, “Why are you thinking about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’; or to say, ‘Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralyzed man, “I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet, and go home.”

Have you ever used the expression “I’ll believe it when I see it”? Searching for evidence to prove what we should believe is in our nature. When the evidence doesn’t feel compelling in the moment, it is easy to not believe something, no matter how true it may me. This dilemma goes all the way back to the garden of Eden. All the serpent had to do to create a barrier of unbelief between people and God was to start with a question “Has God really said…?” (Gen. 3:1).

Jesus sensed this same barrier of unbelief building in the scribes’ hearts. Instead of understanding His forgiveness of sins as evidence that He was the Messiah they had been waiting for, they started to dismiss Him. But Jesus was gracious even in their unbelief and showed His authority as the Son of God in an undeniable way.

We often struggle just like the scribes did. We want to see God at work, but when nothing seems to be going right, our circumstances create that barrier of unbelief, and we start to doubt God’s goodness. We doubt God’s ability to forgive our sins when all we feel is shame. We doubt God’s authority when the things we want to do sound better than the things God wants us to do. But Jesus knows our hearts. He sees where we struggle and doubt Him, no matter how much we try to hide it from others. In those moments, we can hold on to the hope that our God is not distant, waiting for us to be better; instead, in our doubt He has given us His Spirit to guide us, His Word to show us, and His people to encourage us that He is truly the way, the truth, and the life.

• Where are you struggling with doubt? How can remembering God’s goodness help you?
• Who in your life needs to be encouraged that God is not distant in their doubt and struggle? What are some ways you can encourage them this week?
• Pray for the people you know are having crisis of faith.