John 20:24-24
Although Thomas the Twin was one of the twelve disciples, he wasn’t with the others when Jesus appeared to them. So they told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But Thomas said, “First, I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger. I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. I won’t believe unless I do this!”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
In August, our nephew Timothy came to Arkansas for a visit. My husband and I returned him to his family in Texas after a couple of weeks. We told him we were going on an adventure. It never occurred to us that he would think we had tricked him, but when he saw his apartment in Texas and realized that his visit with us was over, he was very upset. So when we recently traveled to Texas to move him and his family back to Arkansas, Timothy was understandably skeptical. All the way home he kept saying, “But I don’t want to live in Texas!”
Despite our best efforts to reassure him that none of us would be living in Texas, Timothy was not convinced. He thought this was another trick. We told him about his new house and big yard. He didn’t believe us. I took him out in his new yard and let him run from one end to the other. Only then did he say, “This is my new yard. It’s BIG!” We showed him every room in the house and told him these were all for his family. He came to our house and saw that all of his toys were still here and everything was pretty much as he had left it. Only then did he start to settle in and relax. And he’s still working through it all. For a three-year-old, such a change is a process…and his trust is not easily earned!
What about you? Are there things about God’s promises that you don’t believe because you have not physically seen proof? Are there areas where you cannot seem to trust what you have read in scripture? Have these passages and the claims of others failed to convince you that God is in control of your worries and cares? Do you still feel that you need concrete evidence? Are you waiting on the “nail scars” and the “spear in the side” to convince you that God is real… or that He truly answers our prayers?
Too many of us are “Doubting Thomases.” We can’t seem to get to a point where we trust God completely… regardless of our circumstances, how well things are going in our lives, or a thousand people telling us that God will never leave us! We need proof! We need evidence! We need “nail scars” and “spears in the side!”
When we come to the place where we trust God implicitly - proof or not - we have arrived, to a large degree, as Christians. When we can honestly say, “I’m giving my life – warts, problems and all – to God,” we can finally begin to grow and serve as we should. This doesn’t happen overnight. For some of us, it’s a lifelong process. For those who are willing to surrender – to “let go and let God,” amazing things begin to happen. When God has full control and our complete trust, even our worst day is better.
Where are you in this picture? Do you say you trust God, then worry and fret and try to fix things yourself? Are you a full-fledged “Doubting Thomas?” Or have you committed to trust God and believe in Him, sight unseen? Your answer matters. Your choice is critical! Timothy may not live in Texas any more, but I’m not totally sure he is convinced yet. I look forward to the day he believes us when we tell him that he is home for good.
What about you? Do you believe in things you have not seen? Are you convinced that what God has said and done is real and true? Or is your faith level that of a three-year-old? Have you truly seen the LORD at work in your life? Isn’t it time you did?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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