Weekly Message
PORTRAIT OF A DOUBTING THOMAS!
...So he said to them, Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe. (John 20:25b)
I am told that one of my great-grandmothers did not start going to church on a regular basis until she was way up in age. When asked why she had started going to church, she stated, "I am still not so sure about it, but at my age I am not taking any chances." Although it was a good thing that she was finally going to church, but her answer still leaves doubt as to her belief in the Lord. She was somewhat of a "doubting Thomas."
In the Bible, Thomas is known for 4 main statements. 1. When Lazarus had died, Jesus determined to go to Jerusalem to wake him from his sleep. The other disciples had warned Jesus about going. But Thomas said, "Let us go, that we may die with Him." (John 11:16)
2. When Jesus informed the Disciples that He would be leaving them soon to go prepare a place for them, Thomas stated: "We don't know where you are going, how can we know the way?" (John 14:5)
3. The third statement is when he doubted that Jesus had resurrected from the dead and said unless he saw the print of the nails in Jesus' hands and put his finger into the print, and put his hand into His side, he would not believe. (John 20:25)
4. The fourth statement was when Thomas realized that Jesus had risen, and He said, "My Lord and my God." (John 20:28)
The dictionary defines a doubter as a person who refuses to believe anything until he has proof. Many people are like Thomas whether they know it or not. We fail to trust God completely when challenges come in our lives. We doubt that God will heal us from our sickness. We don't believe that He will bless us financially like He blessed someone else. We panic when we get bad news regarding our job situations. We just doubt that God will take care of us like He said He would. We are like the doubting Thomas.
Christianity is a supernatural relationship with almighty God through His Son, Jesus Christ. We can't always explain why things happen the way they do, but we know that God's Word is Truth and none of us should doubt what He says to us. He loves us and will take care of us. Stop worrying about tomorrow. Stop the pity parties. Stop doubting your future. God has a plan for your life, and He will see that you are taken care of. Thomas got over His doubts when He met the risen Christ and said, "My Lord and My God." Have you gotten over your doubts yet? If not, keep reaching out for Jesus, He knows how to put those doubts to rest and make you a True Believer!
