Devotional for Tuesday, April 19, 2016
“Jesus-Our Blessed Assurance”
by Dona Hake
Yesterday I shared about Thomas’ reaction to hearing that Jesus had appeared to the disciples. Poor Thomas just happened to miss the whole surprising event. I am very sure that he had to be disappointed. I can only imagine the joy and emotions that had been stirred among the other disciples, and he missed it. Don’t you just hate when something super exciting happens, and you just happened to miss the whole thing cause you decided to be somewhere else. On top of it all Thomas doubted that they even saw Jesus.
He saw Jesus suffer and die on the cross and now his friends are saying that He was right there in the same room speaking with them. I am paraphrasing Thomas’ reaction…”Unless I can touch His nail scarred hands and see where the sword pierced His side, I am not believing this whole deal!” A week later Jesus walked through the same room with locked doors. Thomas was there this time and Jesus totally knew what Thomas needed to see. As Jesus showed His hands and side, Thomas’ reaction…”My Lord, My God!!!”
My heart is just stuck on this story because it just touches my heart and stirs me to realize how often we too struggle with doubt and unbelief. The scripture that immediately follows this story is:
John 20:30-31
“Then Jesus did many other miraculous signs in his disciples’ presence, signs that aren’t recorded in this scroll. But these things are written so that you will believe that Jesus is the Christ, God’s Son, and that believing, you will have life in his name.”
The Word of God should be held very precious in our hearts. It is God’s love letters to us that we might keep our hearts stirred and full of faith that we might believe and have life in His name. It is stories like this that should cause us to see ourselves in these same situations and cause our hearts to ponder our faith and challenge our hearts. I encourage you today to love the Lord your God with ALL of your heart and everything that is within you, therefore you will live in the abundance and joy and the overcoming faith that He intended for you! Oh what blessed assurance we have in Him!