Tag Archives: scripture

i don’t blame Thomas for doubting

Posted on by
8

seriously.

i don’t blame him… his faith wasn’t any LESS than the rest of the guys; its just that the REST of the guys actually got to SEE Jesus:

John 20:24-29  Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”  A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”  Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”  Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”  Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

THEY were sure, but their assurance came from actual experience…

Thomas wanted that same assurance. but, he wasn’t granted it until later. Jesus didn’t wait for him to be in the room before He showed up the first time…

Jesus used Thomas’ absence and response to teach US something:

“blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”

WE are those who have not seen.

lectio divina

Posted on by
10

i know – what? its an impressive phrase, but its a VERY simple devotional method, something i started hearing about when we moved to seminary. but its SO easy to follow. Lectio divina is an old-school method of interacting with the scriptures, and started way back in the day before Oz gave us “My Utmost for His Highest.” It literally means “spiritual reading.” its all about reading the scripture in an intense and meaningful way.

How do you “do” lectio divina?

  • READ: Read deeply – read fully – let your imagination wrap around the words. read for insight and discovery. pay attention to what grabs you.
  • THINK: Seriously – give it time to soak into your head… meditate on what you’ve read. think through it. let your mind consider the ins and outs of the passage. again, pay attention to what sticks out to you.
  • PRAY: talk to God about what He’s saying to you through this reading. tell Him what grabbed your attention. ask Him how you should apply it to your life.
  • LIVE: don’t just be a hearer, be a DOER. apply the truths and revelations of the passage to your life.

so, what do you do when you study the scriptures? do you follow a pattern? do you use a bible study? what are the tools you use?

for more: Tony Morgan’s “Read, Think, Pray, Live”