You Are Not A Doubter!

Fresh Manna
By Pastor Tim Burt

In John 20:29 we read the words of Jesus spoken to doubting Thomas. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who haven’t seen me and believe anyway.”

Thomas learned that when it comes to believing the scriptures and Jesus, faith takes precedence over what we can physically see. Thomas, to his own embarrassment, confessed that unless he saw Jesus with his own eyes, he would not believe. Many of the Jewish leaders of Jesus day actually DID see with their own eyes the miracles that Jesus did but still chose not to believe them. They saw His miracles of healing but did not believe. As a matter of fact, they even said that the miracles He did were demonically influenced. For them seeing was not believing. They were blinded by their jealousies and insecurities of Jesus taking His rightful place of leadership. The gospels reveal that many people saw Jesus heal others yet failed for numerous wrong reasons to believe for themselves. Hebrews 4:2 “For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.”

You do not have the benefit of seeing Jesus physically healing others with your own eyes. If it was a struggle for some of them then, how much more might it be for you to believe? We are all surrounded by sick people. We are all surrounded by those who would mock you for believing something that sounds so crazy as believing that Jesus heals today! Our belief must be empowered by us knowing the nature of God and His will as revealed in His Word. It is belief in the Word alone that will give you the faith and strength to stand against the attacks of unbelief that attack your heart’s faith.

When it comes to spiritual truths, God’s Word says that there is a higher form of seeing and that is with our hearts through faith in the Word of God. In Rev. 19 one of the names given Jesus is “The Word of God.” We can trust the Word of God to be true because the Word of God is the Spirit of Jesus. There is an application of scripture that God gives us that is a safeguard so that we don’t take one verse and make a doctrine of it. 2 Corinthians 13:1 says, “…In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” When it comes to healing, the Word of God is firmly established that it’s God’s will to heal and for us to be healed. We have the witness of scripture from Isaiah, Matthew, First Peter and many more.

Isaiah 54 paints a picture of the Messiah that He would come and be punished for us. He would pay the price for our sicknesses and diseases. Isaiah 53:4-5 says of Him, “Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and by His stripes we are healed.”

The Hebrew words for griefs means sickness and disease. Jesus was beaten and punished for our sins to deliver us not just from sin, but from the curse of sin that has permeated the earth. This is why “by His stripes we were healed.”

No matter what you need help with from God, His promises of love speak loudly. They alone what has the power to bring peace, comfort, and faith when you are facing your impossible situations. Isaiah is repeated quoted saying, Isaiah 53:1 “Who has believed our message or report? To whom will the Lord reveal his saving power?”

If you are convinced of God’s love and desire to help you on any level, your faith will remain strong despite what you see. Let the Word and promises of God encourage your heart today!

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

In His love,
Pastor Tim