Food For Thought

John ch20 v29

Asking for proof of something before you believe it, can stop us from receiving what God wants us to     accept, based on His Word.  Thomas had watched   Jesus die and that was hard evidence for him to     refute. As a result, he decided to believe only what he could see and verify.  When our faith has been shaken, we are inclined to cling to things that are practical, absolute and tangible.  Jesus graciously gave Thomas the proof that he needed and told him “You believe because you have seen……..Blessed are those who     believe without seeing”

The fact remains however, that if Thomas hadn’t been permitted to see and touch Jesus, it still would not have changed the reality of the resurrection one iota.  Thomas’s problem was not the lack of faith, it was faith misdirected.  He trusted only what he could   understand from a human standpoint — doesn’t this sound familiar?

In complete contrast Mary Magdalene, when she met Jesus at the tomb was told by the Lord not to touch Him.  John ch20v7.  Mary had washed Jesus' feet with her tears and dried them with her hair.  Touch was important to her and touching Jesus at that moment of meeting would have confirmed what she had seen and heard.  But this time, Jesus asked her to trust His words and not His flesh and to be willing to go and tell the other disciples that she had seen the Lord — even without touching Him.

Sometimes we feel the touch of God calming us, strengthening and re-assuring us — He is in control!  The truth is that His touch has often kept us from giving up and losing heart.

But sometimes, God asks us to trust Him without the dependence on sensory perception.  Surely this is faith at its highest level and what a privilege for a Christian.

        “We are more blessed because we believe

       without seeing”