You won’t find that title in the Bible, in fact you’ll find the opposite. In Psalm 26:1 David declares,
I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
That’s quite bold, isn’t it?
I know some Christians, for whom that is true. They’ve not once doubted the existence of God, the truth of the resurrection, the presence of the Spirit and the goodness of the Gospel. From when they believed until now, they just know and plan on simply carrying on. In these truths they have not wavered.
Not everyone can say that, though. To waver implies hesitation, uncertainty, doubt.
Sometimes, when as a family we’re out for a hike, even on a marked trail there can be moments of hesitation. Have we missed a marker? Are we still going the right way? We’re wavering in our conviction that where we are and the direction we’re walking are right. We need to check our phones, to look at the trees, to consider the landmarks and get our bearings.
I think for many, especially those who have followed Jesus in cultures hostile to faith in general and the Christian faith in particular, that wavering is part of the journey. Doubt, and dealing with it, is the road we must walk.
So perhaps wavering here doesn’t mean ‘no doubts’ but ‘not stopped trusting’ and that means to carry on walking. To pursue the long, slow obedience in the same direction. That despite the presence of mockers, enemies, troubles, trials and temptations and how some or all of those can cause us to doubt our direction, we will carry on looking to the LORD. We may be questioned but in the end our answer is the same: I will trust the LORD.
Followers like this, and at times like me, check their landmarks, look around for guidance, pause to get their bearings and ask others for direction. Then, they lift their heads, look ahead and keep on walking. They too have not wavered.
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