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.’
This is our God, who in our moments of weakness does not rebuke us, but helps us. When we falter or fall down, it is Satan’s job to accuse us, but the Lord will always lift us up. The Lord never condemns us, but He always builds us up. We come to church as children of God, but sadly instead of faith there are numerous doubts that cloud our hearts and minds. These doubts are about various situations that we encounter in matters pertaining to God’s leading, or to overcome hardships that seem insurmountable, or a sickness that has no relief in sight. That’s what Jesus is telling us too, not to keep doubting, but to replace all of our doubts with faith.
A transformed Thomas
Thomas who doubted the risen Lord Jesus came as a missionary to South India. The one to whom the Lord said, ‘do not doubt but believe’ was a totally changed man. We know that Thomas came to Chennai in India to serve as a missionary, and there is a mount called St. Thomas Mount which stands in memorial of this wonderful disciple of Jesus. People often refer to Thomas as Doubting Thomas, but such a person became a bold disciple of Jesus. Today we have many churches that have been named after Thomas too.
This kind of change can be brought about only by the Lord who strengthens our doubting hearts to become those who stand firm in the faith. God knows our every weakness and lament, and He comes to establish us.
Notice how though Thomas expressed his doubt to the other disciples, the Lord who was not there at that time heard it. The Lord knows our fears, and is aware of all of our doubts. He does not ignore them, but comes to support, strengthen and build us up. God made Thomas a great missionary, His witness, and he even ended up a martyr for the Lord.
I don’t think any of us have denied Jesus like Peter did, or doubted Jesus like Thomas did. We can therefore be sure that the Lord who changed and transformed such men can surely transform our lives to become a great blessing to others.
How should we handle doubts?
Sometimes when situations get complicated our hearts are filled with doubts as to whether we will be put to shame, or rejected or hated or if our family will break up.
The testimony of John the Baptist
We read in John 1:29, The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, "There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (GNB)
These was the testimony that John the Baptist gave about Jesus that He was ‘the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.’
Also we read in John 1:32, And John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and stay on him. (GNB)
John the Baptist also testified at the baptism of Jesus that he saw the Holy Spirit come down like a dove and stay on Jesus.
In John 1:34, we read, I have seen it," said John, "and I tell you that he is the Son of God."(GNB)
We know that John the Baptist was a man of courage, and had all of these astounding revelations as to who Jesus was. As John the Baptist preached in the wilderness, the multitudes came seeking after him, and through his preaching many people repented and entered the Kingdom of God. When John the Baptist saw that King Herod who in power was doing wrong, he boldly confronted him. Generally people are so fearful of those in authority that they would never stand up to them when they do wrong, but not John the Baptist. This act of John the Baptist angered King Herod who had him arrested, and thrown in prison. As John the Baptist who freely preached in the wilderness, languished in prison, he became doubtful. John the Baptist had probably hoped that Jesus would rescue him from prison, and when he found that was not forthcoming, he began to be in doubt.
Have you noticed how when situations get tough, doubts loom large? We want God to immediately act on our behalf, and give us speedy deliverance. Remember that God does not act according to our haste. You remember the time at the marriage at Cana where Jesus’ mother informed Him that they had run out of wine. Jesus’ words to her was, ‘My time has not yet come.’ So also when Lazarus got sick, they sent message, and hastened for Jesus to come. Jesus was in no hurry, and when He reached, Lazarus was buried for four days, and they hesitated to even open the tomb, because they feared a stench would emanate from it. It really didn’t matter to Jesus that four days had passed, for He was still able to raise Lazarus back to life. God has a time for everything, and whenever we feel that there is a delay, or we feel let down, let us boldly declare that the Lord is with us, and He will help us at the right time.
John the Baptists’ doubt
We read in Luke 7:19, He sent them to the Lord to ask, "Are you the one we heard was coming, or should we wait for someone else?" (ERV)
Suddenly, John the Baptist who made bold declarations about who Jesus was, was confused and in doubt as to whether Jesus was the Messiah who was to come. Isn’t is strange that it seemed that the very foundations of his faith had become shaky? John the Baptist began to wonder if Jesus was truly the Messiah, or if they had to wait for someone else.
Every time we go through trials and tribulations, we doubt if we are on the right track. The Lord never condemns us or accuses us on the basis of our doubts, but rather comes to clarify our doubts, and replaces them with faith instead.
Jesus’ reply to John the Baptist
This was what Jesus replied to the ones who brought the message from John the Baptist. We read in Luke 7:22, He answered John's messengers, "Go back and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind can see, the lame can walk, those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases are made clean, the deaf can hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is preached to the poor. (GNB)
The simple answer one would have expected from Jesus was ‘Yes’ if He was the Messiah or ‘No’ if He wasn’t. However, interestingly Jesus replied back with a prophecy made by the Prophet Isaiah from Isaiah 35:5-6. We realize then that the Lord clarifies our doubts with His Word.
God always settles all of our doubts with His Word alone. Sadly, the reason why our doubts are growing is because we have reduced our reading and meditating upon the word of God. The more we read the word of God our faith increases, and this faith is what helps us to overcome the world with all its challenges. Doubts grow very strong when we don’t spend enough time reading and hearing the word of God.
When we have doubts let us not run to prophets, or astrologers, instead we have to run to the Lord. Let us make a resolve to hold on to God’s word, and cast aside all doubts from our hearts.
The encounter two disciples had
We read in Luke 24:13-16, On the same day, two of Jesus' followers were walking to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about all these things that had taken place. While they were discussing and analyzing what had happened, Jesus himself approached and began to walk with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. (ISV)
Two disciples of Jesus were journeying away from Jerusalem towards a village called Emmaus. Jerusalem was the place where Jesus was tried, crucified and buried. They were sad and dejected about all that happened to Jesus. Just imagine if two people were returning from an interview in which they had failed as to the kind of emotional state they would be in for that’s exactly how these two disciples felt.
As the two men walked on disheartened and discouraged, in conversation about all that went wrong when Jesus was condemned and crucified, Jesus came alongside them. However, they were unable to recognize Jesus because their eyes were blinded. Notice how the Lord did not introduce Himself to the men, but continued to walk along, and joined in with their conversation.
Every time you are down and discouraged, keep in mind that the Lord is with you. Only Jesus has promised us that He will be with us even until the end of the age. The Lord will never leave us nor forsake us. When our emotions are in turmoil, and dictate to us that God has abandoned us, the word of God comes to encourage us that this is not true. The risen Lord Jesus cannot be perceived with our physical eyes, but only through His word. As children of God we must be cautious that there are lots of signs, and wonders that people promote and attest to which appeals to our physical eyes and our senses.
They failed to recognize Jesus
We read in Luke 24:17-18, “Jesus said to them, “What are you talking about to each other, as you walk along?” They stood still, with sad faces. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn't know the things that have been happening there these last few days?” (GNB)
Jesus had a sense of humor when He joined in the conversation with these men, and pretended that He did not know who or what they were talking about. These men assumed that Jesus was a visitor to Jerusalem who was unaware of all that had happened.
Even today Jesus is with us, and He wants us to see Him not with our physical eyes, but through His word. Therefore, as believers in the Lord Jesus we should never go running after all kinds of prophecies and teachings that are contrary to the word. The bible clearly cautions us that in the last days many false teachers will appear, and they will lead many away from the faith. It is therefore important that before we go anywhere or to anyone, we must first prayerfully ask God if it is from Him or not.
Their hopes were shattered
We read in Luke 24:19-21, What things?” he asked. “The things that happened to Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered. “This man was a prophet and was considered by God and by all the people to be powerful in everything he said and did. Our chief priests and rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and he was crucified. And we had hoped that he would be the one who was going to set Israel free! Besides all that, this is now the third day since it happened. (GNB)
This was such a strange conversation as he disciples explained in detail to Jesus all that happened to Him in Jerusalem. They also grumbled to Jesus that they had hoped that He was the Promised Messiah who would set Israel free, but that their hopes had all been dashed to the ground. They had waited for three days, and now they were on their way back to their village in Emmaus.
Sometimes in prayer we try to tell God stories not realizing that He is aware of all that happens to us. Also, every time we murmur or complain we must remember that the Lord is close at hand, and is listening to us. We have a living God who sees, hears and feels all that we go through. How often we wait for that miracle to happen or that change to take place for a short while, and then when it does not happen, we begin to run hither and thither to all sorts of people.
Jesus must be the one we run to, and He should be the one who is all we ever need. Remember a time when many people who followed Jesus withdrew from Him because they found it hard to accept His teachings. At that point Jesus asked His twelve, if they too wished to go away and Peter’s reply was, ‘Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’ As children of God we must have that same clarity, and never turn back on following our Lord Jesus. If there are doubts about some situations in our hearts, let us decide to set them aside knowing that in His time the Lord will answer, and give relief because He is faithful.
They wanted to see to believe
We read in Luke 24:22-23, Some of the women of our group surprised us; they went at dawn to the tomb, but could not find his body. They came back saying they had seen a vision of angels who told them that he is alive. Some of our group went to the tomb and found it exactly as the women had said, but they did not see him.” (GNB)
Though the women gave testimony about the empty tomb, and the vision of the angels who declared that Jesus was alive, the conclusion that the disciples had come to was the fact that Jesus was not there, as He could not be seen by them.
If we have the assurance that the risen Lord is with us, our lives will be completely different. Sadly, Jesus is missing in the lives of many people.
The revelation from the word
We read in Luke 24:25-27, Then Jesus told them, "O, how foolish you are! How slow you are to believe everything the prophets said! The Messiah had to suffer these things and then enter his glory, didn't he?" Then, beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them all the passages of Scripture about himself. (GNB)
Jesus emphasized to the disciples that though they were unable to believe the testimony of the women, and accept what they had seen and witnessed, it was important that they believe the scriptures and what the Word of God declared through the prophets. Jesus explained to them in detail that all of scripture was pointing to His suffering, death and resurrection.
Only God’s word is our sure foundation. So many are confused, in doubt and running here and there without faith because we have neglected the word of God in our lives. Let us read the word, and love the word. The more we give importance to the word of God all of our doubts will vanish. Let us seek to see God through His word. Since many people are not firm in the word or seek after the word, they seek after emotional experiences. God always wishes to engage with us through His word. For every situation that you are perplexed about, know that God’s word is more than enough to clear all your doubts, and to bring clarity to every situation.
Their eyes were opened
We read in Luke 24: 28-32, As they came near the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther; but they held him back, saying, “Stay with us; the day is almost over and it is getting dark.” So he went in to stay with them. He sat down to eat with them, took the bread, and said the blessing; then he broke the bread and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, “Wasn't it like a fire burning in us when he talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”(GNB)
As Jesus broke the bread, and gave it to the men, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Jesus. After this Jesus disappeared from them. However, the disciples recollected that as Jesus explained the scriptures to them that there was a fire burning inside of them.
Every time we break bread we too testify to the fact that the risen Lord is with us. The Lord Jesus has given us His word. We honor God’s word only when we read it, and ask God to open our eyes so all of our doubts will flee from us. Reading the word of God, meditating on it, or listening to the word as it is expounded has become a huge challenge for many, and is slowly on the decline. Let us decide to spend more time with the word of God, and honor His word in our lives.
We read in John 20:29, Jesus said to Thomas, "You believe because you've seen me. Blessed are those who haven't seen me but believe." (GW)
All of us who believe in the Lord Jesus are a blessed people. Even a great prophet like John the Baptist, and the close disciples of Jesus had doubts. God does not reject us because of our doubts, but rather He comes with His word to strengthen our faith, and dispel our doubts so we can be His witnesses. Let us therefore lay aside all our doubt, and grow strong in our faith by standing firm in the word of God.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
Transcribed by: Sis. Esther Collins
