On yesterday we looked at Peter and how in spite of his doubt God reached down His hand into the water and pulled him up. In spite of his weaknesses God used him to spread the Gospel. Today we will look at Thomas, who some call “Doubting Thomas”. A Doubting Thomas is a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience. Doubt on an emotional level is wavering between belief and disbelief. Doubt involves uncertainty, distrust or lack of sureness of an alleged fact, an action, a motive, or a decision. Apostle Thomas refused to believe that the resurrected Jesus had appeared to the ten other apostles, until he could see and feel the wounds received by Jesus on the cross. I know I have and I am sure many of you have at one time been a doubting Thomas. No? Well what about that time when your back was against the wall, a bill needed paying and you didn’t have the money, your car broke down, you or someone you loved desperately needed healing? Your child was acting like an alien? You did not know where your next meal was coming from? You thought you would not survive the broken heart? Did you say God has this, I will not worry? Did you remember the times He made a way out of no way? Somehow the bill was paid, the car fixed and you made it through the sickness. And your broken heart was made whole again. If we are honest we all have been there. We know if it had not been for God the last time, but we still doubt, and we still worry. Then when God shows up again, we sing, dance and praise Him. Just like Thomas who had to actually see the wounds to believe, we sometimes have to see what God is doing before we relax, release, and let God. It should not have worked that way for Thomas, Jesus told them he would arise in three days, did he forget that? It should not work that way with us, Jesus tells us that he will never leave or forsake us, we have seen him at work in our lives, just as Thomas had seen Jesus perform miracle after miracle. Thomas loved Jesus. He showed courage and loyalty to Jesus. When the other disciples tried to keep Jesus from going to Bethany to raise Lazarus from the dead because of the danger, Thomas told them that they should all go and die with Jesus. Thomas was the disciple that asked Jesus, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” We all have gone through stages when we questioned God or his timing. In spite of Thomas’s disbelieve, Jesus loved him. So I’m not judging Thomas, I’m just saying, even though at times we too have doubted God, He loves us also. God will reach down His hand and pull us up again when we are sinking in doubt. Jesus have answered many prayers for me, I am literally a walking miracle. I know he is real. Because of this I have not been a “Doubting Thomas” in a long while. I try to stay close to God every day, study His Word, and be obedient. I don’t want to be a “Doubting Thomas” ever again. We must put our trust in God and praise Him in advance while trusting that His timing is perfect. There is a song that says something like; how can I doubt Him because I know too much about Him. So True. Please read today’s scriptures in FOOD for the SOUL. Much Love….
EMMANUEL 