Blessed Belief
Scripture Reading — John 20:24-31
Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Thomas literally couldn’t believe the good news. From this story in John we can take some comfort that we’re not the only ones who doubt Jesus at times.
Belief is a tricky thing. We like to pretend that we can control what we believe and what we don’t. But that’s not always true. Most of us have felt the pain of betrayal from a friend. Maybe you’ve responded to an apology saying, “I’d like to believe you, but I just can’t.”
It can be the same way with the world around us. After being disappointed so many times, it can be difficult not to grow cynical and say, “I’ve heard our leaders promise this before, and I just can’t believe it anymore.”
When we first hear about Jesus, we might have a similar reaction. How could this be true? How could a person rise from the dead? How could a person pay for all my sins?
Thomas was fortunate. Jesus came to visit him and showed Thomas his hands and side. Jesus tells us how blessed we are when we aren’t able to see him and yet we still believe.
If you’re a believer, please pray for the blessing of belief for others. If you’re not a believer, Jesus understands, just as he understood Thomas. Pray anyway, asking Jesus to remove your doubts.
Dear Jesus, we all experience some doubt about you sometimes. Please build our trust in you. And for all who are still wondering if you’re real, please help them believe you are. Amen.
About the author — Scott DeVries
Scott DeVries has served as a church pastor and as a ministry coordinator in the Holland, Michigan, area. He currently works at facilitating connections between the more than twenty ministries and 1,100 churches of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. He has a passion for prayer, church organization, and studying the Scriptures in their original languages.
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