Brave Enough to Believe: Trade Your Doubts for Brave FaithSample

Day 1—An Ache for More

We all crave the courage to stand firm in a culture rocked by upheaval. What do we do when doubt entices us to wonder if God is good when life is not? Perhaps you know Thomas for his bouts with doubt, but Jesus knew Thomas for the courage to question and the bravery to believe. Brave resilience isn’t relegated only to a select group of spiritual giants or biblical heroes—it’s offered to us as well.

We first meet Thomas as one of the crowd in the early stages of Jesus’s ministry. In the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus shared The Beatitudes, blessings for our lives. As Thomas heard Jesus teach, he began to gain the confidence to trust Jesus for more. Jesus called Thomas out of the crowd to answer his deep soul ache and use him greatly in the kingdom. It all started because Thomas chose to show up. Thomas became one of Jesus’s disciples, ready to be taught by Him.

Your ache for more can either drive you to Jesus or away from Him. When you allow it to lead you closer to Jesus, faith can overcome your fear. Or perhaps you’re wondering where God is in your circumstances or if He cares about what concerns you. Your life matters to God. Your hard questions are opportunities for Him to reveal Himself to you.

In our ache for meaning and purpose in life, we can exhaust ourselves trying to find freedom. It’s not enough to simply be a seeker of truth; we must go to the Source of Truth just as Thomas did—Jesus. Although life may be uncertain, His character is unchanging. We can trade our doubts for confidence in His authority.

It is possible to feel steady in the face of uncertainty and recover your peace when you feel overwhelmed. Disappointment can be the catalyst—not for spiritual apostasy—but for spiritual awakening. God transforms the ache of uncertainty into the ache for more of Him.

Question:

What is one way you want to grow in brave faith as you study the life of Thomas?

Personal Prayer:

Jesus, I ask You to transform my ache of uncertainty into an ache for more of You. Fill me with Your presence, Your power, and Your promises, for every situation.