Morning by Morning, April 7 - "Where Was I?"
"But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, 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'" (John 20:24-25). Thomas wasn't there when You came. Thomas wasn't there when You spoke peace into their spirits and said to them You were sending them out in the same way the Father sent You (v. 21).
Thomas wasn't there when You "breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit'" (v. 22). And sometimes we're like Thomas. Sometimes we look around at what we missed and think "Were was I?" Sometimes we start to compare ourselves with others and think "Were was I when all the good gifts were given out, when all the good stuff happened? I'm always last, I always the least, I always left out."
But You're not a God who leaves us out or leaves us behind. You love us all and You are at work within us all. And You know just what each of us needs. Thomas needed to have a chance to put his finger in Your hands and put his hand on Your side. Before he could take hold of Your promises in faith he felt he needed to take hold of You in the flesh.
And sometimes, aren't we just like Thomas too? Don't we find it hard to believe what we haven't seen, hard to be encouraged by what we haven't yet experienced? But in Your mercy and love, You came to meet Thomas where he was. And in one encounter of Your presence, all his doubts turned to faith. When he heard Your voice speaking to his heart, he cried out in faith "My Lord and my God!" (v. 28) His words stand today as the most direct declaration of the Deity of Jesus Christ in all of Scripture.
Thank You that I can encounter You every day. Thank You that You that You know my needs and encourage my faith and You never leave me out or leave me behind. Thank You that You are forever "my Lord and my God!" In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
I pray you will hear Jesus speaking His peace to your heart and filling you with faith as you encounter His presence every day, in Jesus' name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!
Friends, I'm excited to preaching at The Vineyard Church of San Antonio the next three Sunday mornings at 10:30. Please keep us in your prayers! www.vineyardsa.org
Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257
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