Devotion: Connections
John 20:24-29
But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
How do you go from doubting to being blessed? What is the connection? Thomas will always be associated with doubting, but he went beyond that description once he felt the wounds. How do we believe without that concrete connection?
I have always been a “friendly” person. I love connecting with people I know and those I haven’t met before. I love finding out our connections. I’ll go through a series of questions to discover what or who we have in common. I find joy in linking our backgrounds. Our bond gets even deeper when we share our faith stories. Fortunately, there are many opportunities at Sheridan to tell those stories. Sojourners, Grace Groups, retreats, Bible studies, coffee in the Family Life Center, prayer groups and circles, or even the golf course can provide the perfect setting for sharing what God has done in your life. We can’t touch Jesus but we can share how Jesus has touched us. That refreshes our faith. It connects us and we are blessed.
My Lord and My God, thank you for all the blessings we have been given. Help us to believe in what we cannot see but what we have faith in. Restore our faith when we hear what You have done in our world. Amen.
Written by Cindy Swanson