Last night at choir practice, my choir director announced the planning process for the Easter program was well under way. My first thought was "I don't want to hear about Easter since I've finally recovered from the Christmas program." HOWEVER, after hearing his vision for the program, I am sooo excited to see it come about!! Part of the Easter story focuses on doubt and disappointment. I mean, these men who had left everything behind to follow Jesus were now left wondering "what now?" since the One who they had placed all their trust in was now laying in a tomb. Talk about a reality check. They had to have some serious doubts regarding Jesus and how He could really be who He claimed to be. Wouldn't you? And even when He appears to a handful of people, the others are obviously skeptical. Thomas very clearly voicing his doubts: "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).
I have to admit I've doubted God at times. Sometimes I struggle with the fact that He really cares about every single one of us. I struggle with if He's really there - how does that work? My mind has a hard time comprehending it at times. But then I experience Him in such a way that I KNOW He has to be real. All doubts vanish and I've had a taste of something I can't even begin to explain. It all circles back to faith and simply believing. I wonder how much easier this faith thing would be if we could physically see God; sit down and have a cup of coffee with Jesus and see the same scars Thomas needed to see? Yet Hebrews 11:1 gives us a clear definition of what faith is: "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see" (Message). So we believe because...that's part of having faith...believing in what you can't see or understand.
I have to admit I've doubted God at times. Sometimes I struggle with the fact that He really cares about every single one of us. I struggle with if He's really there - how does that work? My mind has a hard time comprehending it at times. But then I experience Him in such a way that I KNOW He has to be real. All doubts vanish and I've had a taste of something I can't even begin to explain. It all circles back to faith and simply believing. I wonder how much easier this faith thing would be if we could physically see God; sit down and have a cup of coffee with Jesus and see the same scars Thomas needed to see? Yet Hebrews 11:1 gives us a clear definition of what faith is: "The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It's our handle on what we can't see" (Message). So we believe because...that's part of having faith...believing in what you can't see or understand.
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