Believe Without A Doubt

Today’s meditation Mark 11:23-24, Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (ESV)

This is an important verse that reminds us that when there are those huge mountain like problems that seem immovable and insurmountable they still can be removed if we can only believe without a doubt in our hearts. Whenever, Jesus used the word ‘truly’ he implied that it was a possibility, but the key was that we should believe without a doubt. Whoever prays this way without a doubt in their hearts is sure to receive answers to their prayers.

A lot of us have faith that is mixed with doubt, and not one of us can say that we have faith that is one hundred percent without an iota of doubt in our hearts.

Thomas did not believe

We read in John 20:25, So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." (ESV)

These are the words of Thomas who was a disciple of Jesus. When the other disciples told Thomas that Jesus had risen, Thomas refused to believe them. Thomas was a disciple of Jesus who was with Jesus for three and a half years. He had seen the wonders and miracles that Jesus performed and heard all of His teachings. Remember, that Thomas had also witnessed Lazarus being raised from the dead after being in the tomb for four days. However, Thomas was unwilling to believe, and wanted to see the marks of the nails with his own eyes before he could believe. Not only did Thomas want to see, he also wanted to place his finger into the marks of the nail pierced hands of Jesus, and also place his hands on the side where Jesus was pierced. This surely was the heights of doubt anyone could have.

Many people today too want to believe only if they can see some evidence with their physical eyes. That is truly not faith at all.

If we were in the place where Jesus was in His relationship with Thomas, we would have thought it was a real waste of time to have spent three and half years on someone who was full of doubt. The fact is that the Lord had shared so many secrets about the Kingdom of God with Thomas, and had also prepared them that He was going to suffer, die and that He would rise again. In spite of it all Thomas was reluctant to believe in the risen Lord until he could see Him, and feel His wounds.

Jesus reached out to Thomas

This is what the Lord did for a man like Thomas who was so full of doubt and unbelief.

We read in John 20:26-27, A week later the disciples were together again indoors, and Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and look at my hands; then reach out your hand and put it in my side. Stop your doubting, and believe!" (GNB)

The disciples were all together again, this time with Thomas, and behind closed doors. Though the disciples knew that Jesus was risen, and had seen Him in person, they were still afraid, and stayed indoors with their doors tightly shut. Jesus came into that locked room, stood among them and He greeted them by saying, ‘Peace be with you’. Jesus knew that they needed to have their fears replaced with His peace.

There are some who when faced with any difficult situation will isolate themselves within their locked rooms. This is certainly no way to deal with the challenges that come our way. So many people are in a situation of turmoil with no peace in their personal lives, their families or their work place. We need to pray for peace because that’s what the risen Lord Jesus offers us.

Jesus then addressed Thomas graciously without any reprimand, but presented Himself to Thomas so he could feel His wounded hands, and His side. The Lord did not condemn Thomas for his lack of faith. Instead, the Lord Jesus wanted to clear Thomas’ doubts, and wished to replace them with faith. The Lord was willing for Thomas to examine His wounds in His hands and side so that his faith could be strengthened, and his doubts could be erased. Jesus told Thomas, ‘Stop your doubting and believe.’