THANKFUL

Chatting with Jesus
Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Lord, how many times have I heard, “I’ll believe it when I see it”? How many times have I said that? Some credit your disciple Thomas as the originator of this doubtful phrase when told you were risen from the dead. He rebuffed his fellow disciples’ report. “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side” (John 20:25). You soon obliged.

No, Thomas wasn’t the first. Scripture records some of your numerous encounters with doubters.

One such encounter involved a government official whose son was deathly ill in Capernaum, some distance away. He approached you, Lord, begging you to come heal his son. He believed unless you physically touched his son, he could not be healed.

Your response caused the official to rethink his beliefs. You simply told him, “Go back home. Your son will live.”

He faced two choices. He could maintain his belief that the only way his son could be healed was with your physical touch, or he could believe what you said, and go his way. He chose the latter.

“Then Jesus told him, ‘Go back home. Your son will live!’ And the man believed what Jesus said and started home’” — (John 20:50).

As he headed home, an employee met him to report his son
miraculously recovered, around 1:00 the previous day, the exact moment the official believed your word. Because of his faith, his entire household became Christ followers.

Lord, build our faith to be like the official’s. May we believe and never doubt what your Word states: You are who you say you are and will do what you say you will do.

Amen, Jesus.