Livin Lively

By Peggy Lively                                                  

        One evening, our family went out to dinner and my husband struck up a spiritual conversation with a young man that worked at the restaurant. As he came by our table, he began to tell us about all the different religions he had studied. He shared with us the name of a website that compares all the similarities between Jesus and the sun god, Ra. He talked about the beliefs of Hinduism, and told us about the amazing experience he had getting to meditate with a Buddhist monk.

        We both immediately recognized that he was searching for something to believe in. My husband told him, “It’s great to search and to ask questions, and its okay to doubt sometimes. You know, Thomas doubted…”

        At this, the young man interrupted saying, “I’m named after a guy like that. My name is Thomas.”

        The next morning as I got up to read and study my Bible, the designated passage of scripture for that day was titled, “Jesus appears to Thomas.” Believing this was no coincidence, I thought of our new friend Thomas we had met at the restaurant.

        Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection, but Thomas was not with them to see Jesus. “So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord!’ But [Thomas] said to them, ‘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 it.’” (John 20:25)

        Thomas would not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead unless he saw Him for himself. So, “A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’” (John 20:26-27)

        I realized that Jesus re-enacted the same exact scenario just for Thomas. He came in the same manner to the same house and even said the same thing. This time so Thomas would believe. I prayed that Thomas would believe.

        I prayed using John 20:31 as my guide: “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” I prayed that Thomas would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that he might have life in His name.

        Is there a Thomas in your life that you need to be praying for? Don’t miss out on the opportunities around you. Or maybe you are the Thomas. If so, my challenge to you is, “Stop doubting and believe.” Believe that you might have life in His name!

 “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (I John 5:13)