Morning by Morning, April 3 - "My Lord and My God!"
Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the One "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (Revelation 1:8). One day You will come in Your glory in the clouds, and this morning I ask You to come in Your glory in my heart (1 Thessalonians 5:16). ...
"But Thomas ... was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord.' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in His side, I will not believe.' A week later His disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you.' Then He said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here and see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it in My side. Do not doubt but believe.' Thomas answered Him, 'My Lord and my God!' Jesus said to him, 'Have you believed because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe'" (John 20:24-28).
Thomas was honest about his doubts. And You were not quick to immediately answer all his questions. You waited a week to let him wrestle with his doubts. You let him have his time to wait out the consequences of his choice and the vow he made in the pride of his heart - "I will not believe unless ..." (v. 25).
But then in Your timing and in Your way, You met him where he was. You came to him and allowed him to encounter You in the way he must have needed in heart. You called him by name and confronted his doubts. And in that moment in Your Presence, doubting Thomas had a change of heart and a change of theology, as he worshipped You with one of the highest Biblical affirmations of Your Divine Nature in all of Scripture as Lord and God (v. 28).
Yet even then, You affirmed Your highest blessings for those would never have the chance to see You with their natural eyes and never have the chance to put their fingers in the nail marks of Your hands, but would choose by faith in their hearts to believe in spite of their doubts.
Thank You for coming to me in the ways I've needed. Thank You for meeting me where I am. By the grace of God, I choose to believe. And by the grace of God, I declare with Thomas and all Your disciples throughout all generations, "My Lord and my God!" In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy HaysPlease come join us by live-streaming or in person for an Evening of Healing with Max Lucado Tonight, April 3 at 7 PM at the Crown Ridge campus of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio (www.oakhillschurch.com/live-stream) I'll be sharing a short message on healing of spirit, soul, and body and then our Rapha God Ministries prayer team with be joining the Oak Hills Church prayer team for all who want to come for personal prayer ministry. The Spanish-speaking Prayer Team will be available too.
Please keep us in prayer was we begin our six week Level 2 Rapha God Ministries School of Ministry for Sozo Inner Healing Prayer Ministryon Thursday Nights being hosted at Oak Hills Church.
I'm excited to be speaking this weekend at our Conference on Healing atKingwood United Methodist Church in Amarillo, Texas. Please come join us if you can and keep us in prayer if you can't. We're excited to see what God will do.
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
