LOYALTY WITH A LITTLE IMAGINATION
Kenute P. Curry
Thomas had a lack of imagination. It would only stretch so far. But he had a lot of loyalty. When you fuse loyalty and imagination together, you have a winner. We forget that one of God’s favorite words is “impossible.”
John 20:27
1. THE LORD SEARCHES EVERY HEART AND UNDERSTANDS THE INTENT OF EVERY THOUGHT (1 Chronicles 28:9). THAT WHICH THE LORD DOES IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES (Psalm 118:23). THE LORD’S WORKS ARE GREAT AND MARVELOUS, AND HIS WAYS ARE RIGHTEOUS AND TRUE (Revelation 15:3).
2. GOD INVITES US TO SEE A MARVELOUS WORK. THE WISDOM OF THE WISE WILL VANISH, AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE PERCEPTIVE WILL BE HIDDEN (Isaiah 29:14).
3. JESUS DRAWS THE LINE BETWEEN THE POSSIBLE AND THE IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD AND MEN. WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE (Matthew 19:26).
4. WITH GOD, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR HIM TO RAISE THE DEAD – AS IN THE RESURRECTION OF HIS SON, JESUS. GOD SPECIALIZES IN IMPOSSIBILITIES! (Acts 26:8).
5. ALL ALONG THE WAY JESUS SPOKE OF WHAT WAS COMING. HE TOLD HIS DISCIPLES THINGS THEY WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND UNTIL THEY HAD THE BENEFIT OF HINDSIGHT. JESUS DID THIS SO THAT THEY WOULD BELIEVE HE WAS TRULY THE MESSIAH (John 13:19; 14:29).
6. JESUS URGED THOMAS TO BE A BELIEVER, NOT AN UNBELIEVER (John 20:27).
Isaiah 64:4
7. JESUS PRAYED FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO WOULD BELIEVE IN HIM THROUGH THE MESSAGE OF THE DISCIPLES (John 17:20).
8. JESUS SAID “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN ME, AND YET HAVE BELIEVED” (John 20:29).
9. FAITH IS THE REALITY OF THINGS HOPED FOR; THE EVIDENCE OF WHAT IS NOT SEEN. BY IT, OUR ANCESTORS WON GOD’S APPROVAL (Hebrews 11:1-2).
Thomas was so surprised he did a double-take, fell flat on his face, and cried “My LORD and my God.” After this, Thomas could not stop witnessing about his home prepared in the world to come, and his friend who arose from the dead.
Jesus knew He had a winner in Thomas!
February 28th 2014
©2014 Kenute P. Curry. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible, © 1979, 1980, 1982, 1990, by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
JOHN MacARTHUR – The MacArthur Study Bible, New King James Version (Nashville, Tennessee: Word Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson Inc. 1997)
HCSB STUDY BIBLE – Holman Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, Tennessee: Holman Bible Publishers 2010)
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