Stop Doubting and Believe

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Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe. Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:26-28)

After Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples were gathered together in a house. Jesus had already appeared to Mary Magdalene and eleven of the disciples, but Thomas had not been with them at the time. He refused to believe that his Lord had come back to life and demanded physical proof of His resurrection. When Thomas least expected it, Jesus appeared to the disciples once again in the same house, even though the doors were locked shut. He offered Thomas His wounds to examine, and gave him every reason to believe. Thomas, overcome by faith, praised Jesus and knew He had accomplished what He had set out to do.

The world is full of pressures and trials that test our commitment to the Lord, and the enemy knows our weaknesses and human pride very well. Often when we fail to live up to the expectations of the Christian life, we are tempted to give into our emotions and find a place to wallow in our shame. We try to hide our faces from God, out of fear and guilt, and lock the door to His perfect love and mercy. We put up all of our defenses instead of surrendering to our God, our Heavenly Father.

God knows our weaknesses and our temptations better than we do. He knows what we are able to handle, and what strengthens us. He knows how frail we are. While none of these are an excuse to sugar-coat our sins and mistakes, they are a reason to run to Him when we commit sins and make mistakes, and admit our faults to the One who has already forgiven us.

Jesus paid our debt on the cross in full. He bought us with His very own blood, the same blood which did not deserve to be shed in the first place. He has saved us, made us clean, and justified us in the eyes of God. We were never able to, and never will be able to, do any of that on our own. Our salvation does not change our human nature, but it does make us more aware of it. We are weak and we cannot function without Jesus’ mercy and grace. We must go to Him in His perfection and in humility, accept His forgiveness which He is faithful to give every time, and thank Him for it. We must also go to Him when we are doing perfectly well and thank Him for that too.

Don’t be afraid to unlock the door of love to Jesus. When He enters, He brings peace. He showed us that when He first knocked on the door and called our names. He has promised to do so throughout our time on His Earth, and He will do so again when He returns in complete glory and triumph. He wants to carry you, because you are part of His precious flock.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. “(James 4:10)

Heavenly Lord, we thank You for Your faithfulness in forgiving us, and ask that You help us not to forget that we are secure in Your salvation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Question: What unnecessary doubts continue to hurt your relationship with God? Is there someone you could talk with about these things?

About the Author: Megan Demelo

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