I was thinking this morning about Thomas, one of Jesus' twelve disciples. Many will recognise him as 'Doubting Thomas.' We can read about him in John capter 20. Jesus had been crucified and layed in a tomb and his disciples were hiding behind a locked door for fear of a similar fate. The risen Jesus had already been seen but the disciples had a hard time believing it. However the doubts ended when Jesus suddenly appeared in the midst of them. Apart from Thomas who was absent. On returning he famously said he would not believe the resurrection account unless he saw Jesus' pierced hands and side for himself. Jesus waited eight days and granted his request. Thomas then made one of the most important declarations ever recorded in the New Testament he acknowledged Jesus as God "My Lord and my God."
Think about it. Only God is omnipresent. Only God can be invisible and yet have known what Thomas had said eight days earlier. Only God can truly know a mans heart. Perhaps Thomas never doubted at all but rather felt he'd missed out on the big night, after all it would be hard to deny the testimony of ten other close friends. God has shown and continues to show that he is no repector of persons. Any request for a personal encounter with the living God will be granted if the heart is right. That is part of my testimony. God spoke to me ten years ago with that quite, still voice, and changed my life forever. My life was wrong but my heart was searching. Be a Thomas. Dont base your faith solely on the testimony of others, be bold and ask Jesus for your own personal encounter.
Monday, 3 October 2011
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