But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." John:20 24-25
Why do you believe what you believe? How muchdo you believe what you believe? Thomas was a man who had to always count the cost. He had to be sure. But once he was sure he was the man who went the ultimate limit of faith and of obedience. Thomas had just suffered a very deep loss. He did what many of us do in such times of sorrow. He retreated to a place where he could be alone. His deep grief required a strong proof and the Lord was to be willing for him to have it. Thomas was a believer and a doubter. What can we learn from him?
Thomas’ Doubt Kept Him out of Fellowship– Sometimes when we are struggling in doubt we tend to isolate ourselves. We can lose a lot of ground by doing this. Thomas missed the meeting where the doubts of others were settled. Fellowship is what we need when we feel this way. Fellowship is God’s gift to us to help us through these times. No matter how we feel, we need to stay involved.
Thomas’ Friends Cared Enough to Confront Him- Thomas friends wanted him to see the Lord, not their faith. They had found an answer and wanted their friends to find the same. The Lord uses our experiences to help others who struggle. These friends knew that Thomas was in a bad place and they wanted to be his friend by helping him to see the truth.
Jesus Gives Thomas a Hand with His Doubt- Jesus gives all men enough fact to believe. But man has to seek Him. Many men accept their weak doubt over against the strong proof of the reality of God and Christ. Once they accept it as truth, they have to make a decision. It requires action and change. Thomas took one look at the scars on Jesus’ hands and he knew the truth. Jesus’ response to him was “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." John 20:29 Thomas’ doubts were resolved and they became a testimony of fact for you and me today. We did not get the opportunity to see the wounds in the hands of Jesus but we can believe because of the testimony of those who did.
Sometimes doubts are a result of spiritual immaturity but when pursued they can lead to deeper faith. Simplistic faith without answered questions has no conviction and cannot defend itself against assault from the world. Every Christian has to wrestle with doubt, fear, failure, inconsistency, and hypocrisy. In a certain sense, this is the only reliable road to true and lasting faith, a faith that can weather the storms of life.
Scripture to Claim:And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. Hebrews 11:6
