Do you ever doubt? If most of us are honest with ourselves, we do. Probably more than we care to admit. Today, we are going to look at the guy known for his doubting and discover, he is not too different from me and you.
If I am going to be totally transparent, I need to admit that I doubt a lot. I doubt I am ever going to obtain my ideal weight, that I will ever be totally out of debt and sometimes, I doubt God is ever going to answer that prayer I pray the most.
Maybe for you, you doubt God will ever heal you completely, or that you can have a stress-free life. Or maybe that you will ever find that one true love.
Doubts are normal and most of us have them. But Jesus teaches us to “Stop doubting and believe.” Although, this may seem impossible, God says, “all things are possible.” That’s hopeful and gives me much reassurance!
With God, all things are possible!
A couple of weeks ago, we discovered wonder which keeps us open to possibilities. Wonder and doubt are closely related and both deal with the unknown. Doubt is nothing more than a feeling of uncertainty. It is that logical part of our brain that says, “I’m not sure about this.” But it is our own personal experience that shows us the difference in the two.
Last week, we saw the disciples “locked up for fear.” They obviously had lots of doubts about what was going on. Jesus appeared, settling their fears and breathed the Holy Spirit upon them. What an incredible experience!
However, Thomas was not there. He missed it. How aggravated he must have felt to have missed out on this amazing occurrence. And, to make matters worse, he had to listen to his friends recant the story. In his frustration, he blurted out, “unless I see for myself, I will not believe!”
I am definitely a ‘see it to believe it’ kind of person. Lucky for Thomas, one week later, while they were all locked up in that same room, Jesus came and stood before him saying, “Peace be with you!” 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.”
What hope for all who doubt! Thomas gets such a bad wrap for his doubting. Yet, he asked for what he needed in order to believe.
Doubting is human nature, but the cure is our personal relationship with Jesus. Look at your life. Recount the times God has shown up for you. Remember all the miracles you have experienced. All these things, both in your life experiences and those stories written in the Bible, are so we might believe.
I cannot even count the number times I have doubted God. But, just like Thomas, when we find ourselves in situations where it is hard to believe, rest assured, if we ask, God will show up! When He does , we experience Christ, and just like Thomas, we will proclaim, “My Lord and my God!” In these moments, we have no choice but to stop doubting and believe! Praise be to God!
“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Let us pray;
Father God, we believe, heal our unbelief. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
P.S. Leave me a comment because I love hearing from you. Forward this message to a friend or share it on Facebook. Join me here next week, when we look at two stories where Jesus is teaching them and us to “stop doubting and believe.” -M
