Brave Enough to Believe: Trade Your Doubts for Brave FaithSample

Day 5—A Step-Up

Thomas leveraged an unexpected setup to take an unanticipated step-up. He bravely spoke up to align with the purposes of Jesus—to return to Judea. In the face of challenging circumstances, Thomas’s uncommon courage silenced and steered the others. His actions were framed by desire, decision, and determination.

Desires are formed through our will and triggered by our emotions. It is our responsibility to assess our desires to determine whether they are informed by the will of God and congruent with the Word of God. When we love and honor the Lord more than anything, we submit our desires to His. Once we know our thoughts are consistent with His thoughts, we gain the confidence to move from desire to decision.

Gripped by the realization that he could suddenly be without Jesus, he became desperate to make a decision: “Do I stay or do I go?” He weighed the options, assessed the risk, and decided the reward would be worth the cost. His answer would shape his destiny: “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” Thomas chose to follow Jesus out of obedience, not from a place of full understanding of the future. We cannot allow fear or lack of devotion to keep us from speaking up when needed. Some situations call for silence while others call for our voice. Courageous choices must be bathed in wisdom.

Once we’ve made a decision, determination is the grit we need to follow through. Thomas had faith to believe Jesus in that moment even though he didn’t fully grasp the mission. He would soon experience more than he could imagine: he watched Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead.

If Thomas hadn’t spoken up to go with Jesus to Judea, Jesus would have gone without him. But because Thomas was brave enough to believe, the other apostles also witnessed this miracle for themselves. All along, Jesus had told them this sickness would not end in death. He proved He is the God of the impossible. He knew the end from the beginning for Lazarus, and He knows it for us.

Question:

What is one way God may be asking you to step up in the face of challenging circumstances?

Personal Prayer:

God, give me the courage to speak up when my voice is needed. I surrender my desires to You.