Thought for Tuesday, January 15th

January 15, 2013

Don’t Stop Believing

Are you a ‘seeing is believing’ kind of person?

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.  And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

John 20:24-29

“Faith is to believe what you do not yet see: the reward for this faith is to see what you believe.”

-       Saint Augustine

As Christians, we are challenged to walk by faith and not by sight.

This spiritual journey often calls on us to accept what seems impossible and to believe for things that are improbable. 

God is never limited by probabilities or even possibilities: after all He spoke and the world became what it is.

Yet, how many times do we struggle with the truth that He is always with us and that He will never leave us or forsake us?  How often do we find it difficult to accept that all things work together for good if we love God and allow ourselves to be called to His purposes?  How hard is it for us to step outside of our comfort zones and allow God to move even if what He is doing seems strange and foreign in us or around us?

We tend to be more like Thomas than we sometimes like to admit.  Often we want to see the evidence that is concrete before we are willing to embrace the abstractness of what is true and Holy Ghost inspired.

We need to remember Jesus’ remark to Thomas and decide if we want to be blessed beyond belief by believing without proof or must we wait, miss out on some of God’s best blessings and require proof before we will believe.

Today’s Prayer

Father, it is easy to be skeptical: but I would rather not take the easy way out: so I will say with many who have gone before me: help thou my unbelief.