Mar 18 2022

Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

In the New Testament we read about Thomas, one of Jesus' disciples. Over time, he has become known as Doubting Thomas for his reaction to Jesus' resurrection.

Thomas wasn't with the other disciples when they saw Jesus after He had come back to life. He heard secondhand when the other disciples shared with him that they had seen the Lord.

Thomas reacted with doubt, asserting that he would believe it when he saw Jesus himself. Eight days later, Jesus appeared to them and showed Thomas His hands and side that had previously been wounded at the time of His death.

Jesus lovingly told a repentant Thomas not to remain faithless, but to believe. (John 20:27)

We read a similar encouragement in this afternoon's verse when Jesus encountered a man who was struggling to have faith. The man replied by asking Jesus to help His unbelief.

God knows how badly we need His help to have strong faith in Him. Doubt is something that all of us struggle with at some stage in life. The first step in combating doubt is asking God to help our unbelief. It can be challenging to trust God when everything seems to be crumbling around us.

But we can be assured that God knows everything that is happening, and we can put all our faith in Him.

Jesus, I choose to believe in you. Often, I struggle to have faith because I can't see what you're doing. But I trust in you, and I know you can give me the confidence and ability to believe. Please take away the doubt and worry in my mind, Jesus, and help me trust you to do the impossible. In your name, amen.

Mar 17 2022

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. :

Most of us would feel uncomfortable if every moment of our lives were on display for everyone to see. The world wouldn't just see the best of us, but also all the times we compromised and showed our personal weaknesses.

There is Someone who sees even the parts of our lives that we hide from the world: our Heavenly Father. He sees everything we say and do, including the bad as well as the good, and He continues to love us unconditionally.

In the Book of Romans, the Apostle Paul explains the gift of salvation we have received when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This gift isn't dependent on anything we have done because we could never do enough. It is given to us because of God's great love for us.

When we accept Christ, our past is in our past. Even if we still suffer consequences for our actions, our Savior no longer condemns us for our sin. As Psalm 103:12 states: "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."

God has freed us from the eternal ramifications of our sins. This freedom doesn't mean that we continue to sin, knowing that God will forgive us. Instead, we should live in gratefulness and grace that we receive and then give to others as we become more like Christ.

Dear God, when my mind reminds me of every sin I've ever committed, I pray that you will give me peace. Your forgiveness and grace now have a home in my heart, so I no longer live in condemnation. Please help me extend your grace to others and remind me not to hold what they have done against them. In Jesus's name, amen.


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