Believe

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” — John 20:29

Doubt tends to creep in at unfortunate times. In pivotal moments, when we need mountain-moving faith, doubt whispers, Does God hear my prayers? Why hasn’t He fixed this situation? How long will this continue? Often, when we experience doubt, we put on our game face and pretend all is well — but there’s a better way.

After Jesus was resurrected, the apostle Thomas struggled to believe the reports about Jesus being alive. Thomas said,

Unless I see the nail marks in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe. — John 20:25

Sounds pretty cynical, right? Maybe so cynical that Jesus might write off Thomas? Hardly. Rather than dismissing Thomas because of his doubts, Jesus invited Thomas to take a closer look. A few days later, Jesus appeared to the apostle and said,

Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe. — John 20:27

When Thomas leaned in and took a closer look, he said,

My Lord and my God! — John 20:28

• The remedy for doubt is taking a closer look at Jesus.

No, you can’t reach out like Thomas did and touch Jesus’ flesh — but you can study His Word. You can study history. You can study science. You can wrestle with the Scriptures and voice your questions in prayer. Jesus invites you to lean in closer and express your doubts — it’s the process that strengthens faith.

Lord, like Your disciples, I pray, “I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). When I struggle with doubt, teach me to look for the answers in Your Word and fill me with Your faith.

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Humility

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! — Philippians 2:8

As the Son of God and Savior of the world, Jesus could have preached with pride and condemnation, but He never did. God could’ve chosen for Jesus to be born into a prominent and wealthy family; instead, He was born into humble circumstances. Jesus could’ve spent His thirty-three years on earth focusing on self-glorification, but instead, His goal was to bring glory to the Father. Although Jesus had the option to turn His back on His mission, He humbled Himself to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). At every fork in the road, Jesus chose the humble path.

The apostle Peter wrote,

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. — 1 Peter 5:6–7

What does it mean to live with humility? It means in order to love your neighbor, you should lay down your privilege and position and choose kindness and meekness instead. Humble living doesn’t mean you should shelve your ambition — some of the most productive people in the world are the most humble. Humility means approaching your work and goals with the objective of serving God and helping other people.

Humility may present differently in every culture and generation — it’s up to you to look for opportunities to make your life service-oriented. How can you encourage a peer at work and celebrate their talent? How can you surrender your time to volunteer at local nonprofits? How can you commit a portion of your income to help someone else? When done with a pure heart, these actions are all ways to participate in humble living. Identify one way you can actively humble yourself before your neighbor and contribute to Christ’s mission of love. As you do, watch how God changes you.

Lord, I pray You will teach me to humble myself before You and my neighbor. I pray my life will bring You glory and be of service in Your name.

Excerpted with permission from A Savior Is Risen, copyright Zondervan.

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Your Turn

Do you feel doubt about Jesus, especially during really hard times? Lean in to Jesus! See how He lived, what He did, how He led with humility, and how He loved and continues to love. Bring all of your thoughts to Him. He can handle all your questions! ~ Devotionals Daily