From: June 1, 2024
‘Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”’ (John 20:27-28 ESV).
Thomas didn’t see the risen Jesus when he first appeared. Even though Thomas had followed Jesus as one of the Twelve, he still doubted until he saw the risen Lord for himself. When the resurrected Jesus appeared to him, his confession of faith was to ascribe divinity to Jesus. He accepted Jesus as his Lord and God.
It was Jesus who addressed Thomas’ agnosticism. He invited Thomas to see and touch his scars and to believe. It is also Jesus who calls us to faith in him today. As he said to Thomas, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” That’s those who believe today that Jesus declares blessing over!
Why are you doubting the Lord? Wherever you are still worried and troubled, in that very area, you are doubting Christ’s Lordship, in that place you are in a state of unbelief. Confess your unbelief to Jesus. Declare him Lord over every arena of your life saying, “I trust in you Jesus, for you are my Lord and my God!”
PRAYER: Dear Father, we believe. Help us with our unbelief. For we confess that there are times when we still worry and fret. Help us to look upon the resurrected Jesus and to know and believe that nothing is impossible with You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: June 1, 2023
“I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.” (Psalm 119:162 NLT).
Some say that David wrote Psalm 119 to teach his son, Solomon, to love God’s Word, while at the same time, teaching him the Hebrew alphabet. For this beautiful ode to God’s Word is an acrostic poem, with each stanza beginning with one of the twenty-two Hebrew letters. Yet certainly, he was teaching Solomon more than his “ABCs.” For in this verse, he wanted his son to learn to rejoice in God’s Word.
Psalm 119 is like a thesaurus for God’s Word, calling out synonyms for God’s law like: statutes, precepts, judgments, commandments, instructions, and even “a great treasure.” For David had learned to find encouragement and strength from God’s Word. It gave him great joy to read and meditate on it and to write psalms about it.
Have you learned to rejoice in God’s Word?
PRAYER: Dear Father, we rejoice in Your Word today. For in it we have discovered the greatest treasure of all, Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: June 1, 2016
Thomas didn’t see the risen Jesus when he first appeared. Even though Thomas had followed Jesus as one of the Twelve, he still doubted until he saw the risen Lord for himself. When the resurrected Jesus appeared to him, his confession of faith was to ascribe divinity to Jesus. He accepted Jesus as his Lord and God. It was Jesus who addressed Thomas’ agnosticism. He invited Thomas to see and touch and believe. It was Jesus who helped Thomas with his unbelief. Where are you doubting the Lord today? Wherever you are still worried and troubled, in that very area, you are still doubting Christ’s Lordship, in that very area you are in a state of unbelief. Confess your unbelief to Jesus. Declare him Lord over the arena of your anxiety saying, “I trust in you Jesus, for you are my Lord and my God!”
From: June 1, 2015
As the apostle John came near the close of his gospel, he gave its purpose statement, namely, that his gospel was written that its readers might believe. John was an eyewitness to all that he wrote and his writings concerning Jesus call for a faith response. Some will read or hear the gospel and reject it outright or otherwise attempt to discredit it. Yet others will hear John’s good news concerning Jesus and trust His account. Those who believe will also receive, their hearts being renewed and their destinies forever changed.
From: June 1, 2014
Jesus encouraged his disciple Thomas to stop being “faithless” and to see and believe. Thomas saw the risen Lord and believed. Early church history indicates that Thomas carried the gospel to India and was martyred there. Thomas saw the words of Jesus come to pass as three thousand believed in Jerusalem at Pentecost and many more thousands across the Roman empire and even to the East in India believed without seeing the risen Savior. Today, those of us who believe are among those who are blessed, for we have believed without seeing. At least not yet. For Thomas, seeing preceded believing. For us, believing came first, but seeing will soon follow.