Daily Bread

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.’

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.’

I guess all of us are in the latter category of people who 'have not seen and yet have come to believe' and so that means we are blessed!

The thing we are believing is that Jesus, a first century itinerant rabbi, is our 'Lord and our God'. Do you ever think to yourself, "What an odd thing to believe?" I remember choosing to believe that Jesus was God, but it wasn't until I read the gospels — like, properly read them — that I fell in love with Jesus and my belief went from being a conscious decision to passionate conviction.

I can see why others would scoff or be incredulous that I could fall in love with someone who lived two-thousand years ago, but the thing is that reading the gospels is like opening a doorway to heaven. As the historical Jesus is revealed through the pages, the Holy Spirit of Jesus meets us in the present. We fall in love, not with a historical figure, but a very real and present person.

This is the power of the gospel, and it makes sense to those who have not experienced it, and for those of us who have, we are truly blessed.

Holy God
Thank you that you have been
revealed to me through scripture,
and that your Spirit has
met me and brought me home.
I am truly blessed to know you
and be known by you,
therefore may I always declare that
you are my Lord and my God.
Now and forever.