Experiencing Jesus e~Devotional | 5/28
PASSAGE: John 20 [24] Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. [25] So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.” [26] A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
[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.” [28] Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” [29] Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” [30] Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. [31] But these are written that you may[a] believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
INSIGHT: In this passage in the Gospel of John, Thomas doubts the testimony of the other disciples about the veracity of the resurrection. Doubt is something that we all have struggled with at some point on our spiritual journey. Doubt has become a dirty word in many churches. It shouldn’t be. It’s healthy. If faith is the engine that propels our life, doubts are the brakes that stop us from going down the wrong street. It’s healthy to have doubts. For instance, doubts can lead us to investigate our faith and search for viable reasons to believe that build spiritual confidence. So, doubt, when recognized and addressed, can lead to a healthier, more realistic faith.
But doubt can also be problematic. For instance, it would be unhealthy is to have only doubts, and no faith. That’s like having a car with great brakes, but no engine. You can’t go anywhere.
In this passage, Thomas went too far with his doubt. It overshadowed his faith. It would have been reasonable for him to believe the testimony of the disciples about the resurrection because he had been in relationship with them and Jesus for quite a while.
How are you doing with you own doubts about spiritual things like God, faith or Christianity? Are you dealing with your doubt by seeking viable answers?
PRAYER FOCUS: If you’re struggling with doubt, let God know it. Ask God to help you deal with doubt in a healthy way.
SPIRITUAL PRACTICE TODAY: List out your spiritual doubts. Take one of them and begin some spiritual investigation about it. If it’s an intellectual issue or something that has to do with believing something in the Bible, start with some online investigation. A great starting place is this blog site. Read the blog series, Faith On Trial. Faith was never intended to be blind. There is a plethora of evidence that supports the basic tenets of Christianity.
