“…Be not faithless, but believing.” John 20:27
Dear Ones:
Faith is the fundamental principle, even the foundation, of one’s relationship with God. It’s source, and example, is in the “faith-filled” nature of Christ. When Christ walked this earth, He was not only full of faith, but “faith-filled” at every moment. If we look at the Father, we see that the “faith-filled” experience and exercise of Christ was based, founded in and upon the “faithful” character of God. His faithful character and nature was, and is, unceasingly immovable in His commitment, and power, to DO and to BE all that He declares. His Word and His Nature are one. There is NO dissonance between the two. Consequently, that which He calls us to be is faith-filled, committed to believing Him with our whole hearts. It is the most logical of all reactions to God that, because of His immutable faithfulness, we should trust Him wholly.
After the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Christ, He revealed Himself to His disciples. The first time this occurred, Thomas was absent for some reason. The other disciples told him that they had seen the Lord. However, for some reason, Thomas will not believe them, even though he knew that they were committed to telling the truth. Perhaps the depth of Thomas’ personal sorrow and suffering because of Christ’s death, had brought him to the point that he needed that personal, individual meeting with Christ, as proof of Him being alive. The Lord knew the heart of Thomas, and eight days later, would come and singularly address him. His word to Thomas was: “…Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands: and reach higher thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and BE NOT FAITHLESS, BUT BELIEVING.” (v.27) What is the intent of Christ as seen in this example? It was to dispel all doubt, and to bring Thomas to faith, to the realization that indeed, the Lord Jesus was “Lord and God,” HIS Lord and God.
What is it that we must learn from this meeting between the Lord Jesus and Thomas? It is that God knows the heart, the seeking, and perhaps, suffering heart. And it is His desire and will to bring that heart to faith in Him as Lord and God. This He will do, if we are willing to trust Him for it. He knows how to reveal Himself to us through His word, and in circumstances. May we truly trust Him to do so, that we will not be faithless, but truly believing Him as OUR Lord and God.
Dear Father, Thou who does know our individual hearts, meet us. Reveal Thyself to us by Thy Spirit using Thy word, and bring us to the place in our hearts where we have believed fully that Thy Son is Lord and God, OUR Lord and God. We thank Thee for Thomas who was so very honest with Thee, so determined to see clearly. Give us also grace to truly seek Thee, to truly HAVE faith in God. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad