Bible Verses About Doubt – When You Doubt God’s Goodness

I don’t know if you’ve ever doubted God or found yourself searching for Bible verses about doubt, but I have.

For Christians, doubt can be difficult to admit. We believe God is good, yet sometimes the circumstances in front of us leave us thinking: God, I trust you. I really do. But where were you when…?

If that’s where you are today, you’re not alone. The Bible is filled with people who wrestled with doubt, including those who walked with Jesus and witnessed God’s power firsthand.

The Bible verses about doubt we’ll look at here remind us of something important: doubt doesn’t have to drive us away from God. It can become an invitation to bring our questions to Him and rediscover who He is.

I’ve had my own struggles with believing God is a good God.

Like that time we lost my brother at sea. The search went on for days on end.

Every morning that I awoke to find the update was still the same, I wondered how a good God could allow us to endure such pain.

A good God would at least let us find answers. Even bad news would’ve been good news. But no news at all??? Yeah, that wasn’t nice, God.

And how about the following year when our lives were turned upside down by two-timing, double trouble hurricanes? Wasn’t one hurricane enough God? And two Category 5’s at that? How could you ever think this was a good idea? Destroyed homes, lives, economy? Bad, bad, bad!

Then there was the gripping fear that wouldn’t let us go months after the storm. Every time it rained (which was often!). Whenever the earth shook, and it did — literally. How could we ever recover if we couldn’t even catch our breath? Definitely not nice.

Like, I said, doubt and I, we go back a while.

If there’s any consolation for me or for you, I want you to know that this struggle with doubt is a familiar theme in the Bible. Even those who walked daily with Jesus doubted him at times. And some who had seen God’s miracles firsthand refused to believe.

There’s so much we can learn from the men and women of the Bible when it comes to doubting God. Goodness knows, there are ample examples, and we’ll look at a few today and the lessons we can learn from them.

Bible Verses About Doubt and What They Teach Us About God’s Goodness

1. John 20:27

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Poor Thomas earned a nickname that was no doubt (pun intended) hard to shake. Doubting Thomas’ reputation preceded him, to the point where you don’t even have to be a Bible reader to have heard about him.

Thomas refused to believe the story that Jesus came back from the dead. So, when Jesus shows up and addresses Thomas head-on, he gave him the opportunity to not just see for himself but to touch for himself too. (John 20:24-29)

But here’s the thing, because Thomas admitted His doubts, Jesus was able to address them.

Confess your fears and doubts, and allow Jesus to address them.

And to think, of all the encounters Jesus had after His resurrection, this was one of the few recorded in the Bible. God made it clear that this was written so that we “may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing {we} may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)

Lesson #1: When we confess our doubts we can address them and bless someone else

Sharing our doubts and fears can empower others and help them to find life that will last. As painful as it has been to write about the loss of my brother, I know that someone out there needs to know that they can survive devastating loss. That the world still spins in spite of the pain, and yes, the sun will come out tomorrow. Admitting my doubts has been healing me, and I pray helping others in the process.

2. Matthew 14:22-32

Thomas might have earned the nickname, but he certainly wasn’t the only disciple who doubted Jesus. In Matthew 14 we see Peter stepping out on faith to join Jesus on an evening stroll. On water. In a storm. Good combination for a doubtful situation.

Peter takes on the challenge like a boss but quickly begins to sink when He took His eyes off of Jesus and placed them on the storm.

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:30-31

As much as he probably wouldn’t admit it, we see that Peter’s doubt was a direct reflection of his faith.

Lesson #2: Want to deal with your doubts? Check your faith.

I don’t wish to go through hurricanes like we did before, but I see how they served to test my faith. Going through that experience exposed areas of my faith that needed strengthening and I’m grateful for that.

I know that if I take my eyes off of Jesus, I’ll go down, so I’m learning from Peter and keeping my eyes on Jesus, not on the storm.

3. James 1:5-6

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Lesson #3: Doubt can leave our faith feeling shaky.

No one wants shaky faith, at least I don’t, do you? When I say on the one hand ‘I believe God’ but then doubt His goodness, my faith sways in the ocean of life.

Every little storm (and certainly the big ones) will knock me over every time. Instead, I can base my faith on the firm foundation of Jesus. He’s the anchor in my storm and the hope that remains secure. No storm, no matter the size, can take His love away from me.  

4. Mark 9:24

Sometimes faith and doubt show up at the same time.

In Mark 9, a desperate father brings his son to Jesus for healing. When Jesus tells him that everything is possible for one who believes, the father responds with words that many of us can probably relate to:

“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

There’s something refreshingly honest about his response. He doesn’t pretend that his faith is stronger than it is. He believes — and at the same time, he acknowledges the part of him that is struggling to believe.

Maybe that’s where you are too.

You believe God is good, but you’re struggling to see His goodness in your circumstances. You trust Him, but there are still questions you can’t answer.

The good news is that we don’t have to wait until every doubt disappears before we come to Jesus. We can bring Him the faith we have and ask Him to strengthen us where our faith is weak.

Lesson #4: Bring Jesus your doubts and ask Him to help your unbelief.

Faith doesn’t require us to pretend our doubts aren’t there. Like this father, we can honestly say, “I believe,” and in the very same breath ask Jesus to help us where we struggle to believe.

5. Jude 22

“Be merciful to those who doubt.”

Such a short verse, but what a powerful reminder.

If doubt is something many of us experience, then perhaps we should be just as thoughtful about how we respond when someone else is struggling with theirs.

Jude doesn’t tell us to shame those who doubt or make them feel like less of a Christian. Instead, we’re told to respond with mercy.

Sometimes a person wrestling with doubt doesn’t need us to rush in with all the answers. They might simply need a safe place to ask the hard questions, someone willing to listen, and a gentle reminder of what is true.

Lesson #5: Meet doubt with mercy, not judgment.

Whether the doubt belongs to us or to someone we love, we can make room for honest questions while pointing one another back to the goodness of God.

How about you?

Maybe you’ve been there too.

You believe God is good, but something you’ve experienced has caused you to wonder. You’re trying to trust Him, but doubt keeps creeping in.

If so, remember that doubt doesn’t have to drive you away from God. Thomas brought his doubts to Jesus. Peter cried out when he began to sink. The father in Mark 9 was honest enough to say, “I believe; help my unbelief.”

We can be honest too.

When doubt comes, acknowledge it. Pay attention to where you’re placing your focus. Bring your questions and unbelief to Jesus, and ask Him to strengthen your faith. And when someone else is struggling with doubt, offer the same mercy and grace you would want extended to you.

You don’t have to have every question answered before you trust God again. Sometimes faith looks like choosing to turn toward Him even while the questions remain.

What about you? Which of these lessons do you most need to hold onto today? Is there an area where you’re finding it difficult to trust God’s goodness?

Wishing you blessings,

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Continue the Journey

When doubt creeps in, sometimes we need to remind ourselves of what we already know to be true about God.

If you could use some encouragement to keep trusting Him, I’ve gathered 25 Bible verses about God’s faithfulness, with reminders of His love, protection, provision, purpose and peace.

→ Continue reading: 25 Bible Verses About God’s Faithfulness That Will Inspire Your Faith

Further Reading

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If you’d like to explore the questions of doubt, suffering, and trusting God more deeply, here are two books that speak to these themes.

Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts — Jerry Bridges

I read this book some years ago, and one of the ideas that stayed with me is that God is at work even in the circumstances we don’t understand — for our good and His glory. Bridges explores what it means to trust God’s sovereignty, wisdom, and love when life hurts and we can’t see what He is doing.

Find it on Amazon →

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering — Timothy Keller

If you want to explore the bigger question of why a good God allows suffering, this book goes deeper into that tension. Keller looks at suffering through a biblical and theological lens while also considering what it means to actually walk with God through painful seasons.

Find it on Amazon →