“Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ So he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe…’” —John 20:24-25 (NKJV)
When the Lord rose from the dead, the Bible records that He appeared to His disciples. However, because Thomas was not present during that appearance, he found it impossible to believe when he was later told that Jesus was alive. He insisted that unless he could see the print of the nails and touch the wound in the Master’s side, he would remain in doubt.
Thomas responded this way because he had experienced the death of Jesus firsthand. He had witnessed the Savior being beaten, wounded, and pierced. Having watched the Master hang on the cross and give up His ghost, the reality of that trauma was more vivid to him than the promise of a resurrection.
He was so well-acquainted with the physical reality of the crucifixion that he lost sight of the words the Lord had spoken beforehand. The Savior had already told the disciples that He would suffer many things, be killed, and rise again. Unfortunately, Thomas was more conscious of what he had witnessed with his eyes than what the Master had already promised with His mouth.
When the moment came to prove his faith in the words of the Master, he failed to stand his ground. Today, many Christians are like Thomas because they place more faith in what they can see than in what Jesus has said. The realities they magnify in their lives are not the eternal words of God, but rather the difficult events currently unfolding around them.
This focus leads many into the same trap of unbelief that Thomas fell into. I am writing this to encourage you to look beyond the immediate realities on ground, because they are not always the final truth. No matter what you see, experience, or encounter in your life, if it is not in line with the Word of God, you must refuse to accept it as the final deal.
There is always more to your situation than meets the eye. Do not be like Thomas, but rather be the faith-filled believer that God wants you to be. As Christians, we do not see in order to believe; we believe even when we have not yet seen.
“…Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed…” —John 20:29 (NKJV)
The next time you are faced with a situation where your faith is tested, will you be like Thomas? Or will you be the person of faith that God wants you to be? Hallelujah!
Today’s Rhema
No matter what you see, experience, or encounter in your life, if it is not in line with the Word of God, refuse to accept it as the final deal!
Confession for the day
I refuse to walk by sight. I choose to be a person of faith who believes without seeing. Therefore, every trace of unbelief is uprooted from my heart and banished for life in the Name of Jesus. Amen!
