TEXT: JOHN 20:28-29 NLT
[28] “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. [29] Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
Discussion
Today’s devotional is centred around a man called Thomas. Thomas was one of the disciples of Jesus. He was just like the other disciples. He was committed and never denied Jesus, but he was full of unbelief and doubt. The disciples told Thomas that Jesus had appeared to them, but he did not believe. He even went further to say, “Except I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe.”
I believe that man doesn’t just make any decision. There is always a spirit behind the decisions he makes. When a man’s decisions are guided by the Holy Spirit, he makes sound and godly decisions. But if his decisions are guided by another spirit, his thinking, thoughts, and decisions may not be sound. Thomas had allowed the spirit of doubt to enter into him and influence his conclusion that he would not believe until he touched Jesus. This spirit had taken over his decision-making and the steps he was taking.
Why was Thomas not with the disciples when Jesus first appeared to them (vs. 21–24)? The same spirit of doubt had separated him from the other disciples to such an extent that he missed the very first blessing Jesus gave to His disciples.
Jesus breathed on the disciples and told them, “Receive the Holy Ghost,” in the absence of Thomas. Jesus knew that Thomas was not there, yet He released the blessing on the rest without considering his absence. His absence meant nothing to Jesus because he had already allowed himself to be consumed by unbelief. There was no point in waiting for Thomas.
Jesus later appeared to Thomas and allowed him to touch Him to clear his doubt. He then said in verse 29, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
In other words, Jesus was saying, “I appeared to the other disciples who believed without seeing Me, and I blessed them. Though they had not seen Me, they believed, and I rewarded their faith by breathing on them.”
The spirit of doubt robbed Thomas of the very first blessing given to the disciples when Jesus appeared to them.
Doubt robs us of our blessings from God. The Lord is eager to bless us, but doubt can keep us from experiencing the fullness of His presence and blessings. Many people once believed in God but are now in doubt about whether Jesus is real because of a challenging situation they are facing or have faced.
I am sent to you today to let your faith be stirred up again. Let your faith arise again! Don’t give room to the spirit of doubt. Trust God with all your heart again. He shall come through for you. He is truly alive, and I shall hear your testimonies in Jesus’ name.
Declarations:
My Jesus is alive! Though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, the Lord is with me; I SHALL NOT BE MOVED. God shall help me, and that right early. — Psalm 46
Light Up Christian Fellowship
