Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are those who did not see, and yet believed.”     John 20:29 LSB

We are told in 2 Corinthians 5:7 that we walk by faith not by sight. This, however, is often hard for many to comprehend. I grew up in church. I grew up with a mother and a grandmother who were believers and they taught me about Jesus, and I never doubted that God existed.

I’ve come to realize, however, that there are those that have a hard time believing in God when they cannot see Him or touch Him. Our Scripture passage is referring to the disciple Thomas. This is where the term, “Doubting Thomas” comes from. The other disciples had seen Jesus after he was resurrected. When they told Thomas about it, he did not believe. He said that unless he could see the imprint of the nails on Jesus’ hands and put his finger in Jesus’s side, he would not believe.

Jesus appeared and invited Thomas to do just that. But Jesus told Thomas blessed are those who did not see and believed. We are expected to trust in God and His existence. This is called faith. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen. Simply put when we have faith in God, we can be assured that our hope is in Him and will be fulfilled. We can be sure that even though we don’t see Him in the flesh, we know He is there.

Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, both His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Just look at the universe around you. Look at how perfectly it is made. The beauty in a sunrise, sunset, and the moon and stars. God has revealed Himself to us through His creation.

If you struggle with accepting Christ as your Savior even though you can’t meet Him and sit down with Him and talk with Him, understand that He requires faith. Hebrews 11:6 says if we don’t have faith, it is impossible to please God.

I cannot see God, but I know He’s there. I can feel His presence in my life. It brings peace and joy. I have been through times in my life when I had no peace. This was because I was not living a life that pleased God. I know God answers my prayers. I have experienced His miraculous healing for a loved one. I have also been told no and watched him take a loved one home to heal them there.

When we are unsure if God exists, it gives us an excuse to live as we want to live, or so we think. Believing that death is the end of our lives and there is no eternity either in heaven or hell gives us no hope.

Perhaps you don’t believe because believing would convict you of your sin. Believing would cause you to want to change your ways.

My friend, if you don’t believe in Jesus Christ, you are setting yourself up for a future filled with torture in the pits of hell. God calls us to believe in Him. When we look at His creation, the sun rise, the moon and the stars, a newborn baby, how can we not believe that He exists?

If you have a hard time believing in a God you cannot see, know He’s there. Know He wants to be a part of your life. James 4:8 says if you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you. He wants you to believe in Him and trust in Him. He wants to be the most important part of your life.

When we draw near to Him, we will not physically see Him, but we will feel His presence. Nothing else can bring you the kind of peace and joy you will feel in His presence.

Believe in Him today and start living your life like you believe in Him. Your eternal destiny depends upon it.

Have a great day!