Day 10
Finding Peace: Knowing the Father Through the Son and Living with the Holy Spirit.
Thomas, From Doubt to Faith
Jesus, the Way to the Father John 14: 1-7 (NLT)
14 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
Jesus Appears to His Disciples, after he rose again on the third day (John 20:19-23)
That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Jesus Appears to Thomas (John 20:24-29)
One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side.”
Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!”
“My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed.
Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
The cross made the way for our forgiveness. The empty tomb revealed our risen Savior. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit—our Helper and Comforter—to dwell within us, so we never walk alone.
Jesus died for our sins, rose again, and sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in those who believe in Him (John 14:16–17; Acts 2:32–33).
What Does This Mean for Your Freedom?
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Through the Son, you receive forgiveness and access to the Father.
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With the Father, you find identity in belonging as His child.
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By the Holy Spirit (The Helper), you receive help to recognize truth, turn from sin, and walk in a new direction.
John 14:16 (NKJV):
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"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—"
John 14:26 (NKJV):
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"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."
Key Scripture
You New Identity in Christ:
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
Jesus speaks peace directly to a troubled heart:
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27 (KJV)
What this means for your life
The peace Jesus gives means you do not have to face life alone. You can bring Him your fears, unanswered questions, and wounded heart, trusting His love even when your circumstances remain difficult.
In your life, this peace can mean:
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When you feel uncertain: You can trust Him without knowing every answer.
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When your heart hurts: You can receive His comfort while healing takes time.
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When you feel afraid: You can acknowledge your fear and ask Him for strength to take the next step.
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When you fail: You can turn back to Him in repentance and receive forgiveness.
His peace does not require you to pretend everything is okay. It gives you somewhere to rest your heart while you walk through what is hard.
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What fear, hurt, or unanswered question do you need to bring to Jesus today?
Questions for Reflection
Like Thomas, where do you struggle to trust God without seeing or understanding everything?
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How does knowing you are welcomed by the Father through Jesus change the way you see yourself?
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What is one step you can take today, with the Holy Spirit’s help, to respond to a difficult situation with faith and peace?
Hebrews 4:1-3 (NLT )
God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said, “In my anger I took an oath: ‘They will never enter my place of rest,’” even though this rest has been ready since he made the world
This passage refers to the wilderness generation that refused to trust God. The passage calls it “rest,” rather than simply peace of mind.
Replace the Lie
Old Mindset
The Lie: “Until I have every answer and my problems are gone, I cannot have peace. I have to face this alone.”
God's Truth
God’s Truth: “Through Jesus, I can come to the Father, and the Holy Spirit is with me. I can receive Christ’s peace even while I have questions and face difficulties.”
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
—John 14:27 (KJV)
Speak this aloud
Declarations of God’s Truth
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I do not need every answer to trust Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. —John 14:6
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I can receive Christ’s peace even when life is difficult. —John 14:27
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Through Jesus, I have access to the Father by the Holy Spirit. I can come to God with confidence. —Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 4:16
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I am God’s child in Christ. Fear does not define my identity. —Romans 8:15–16
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I do not walk alone. The Holy Spirit dwells in me and helps me follow Jesus. —John 14:16–17, 26
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Like Thomas, I can bring my questions to Jesus and respond to His invitation to believe. —John 20:26–29
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When I confess my sins, God forgives and cleanses me. My past does not place me beyond His mercy. —1 John 1:9
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I can bring my worries to God in prayer. His peace guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 4:6–7
Word of the Day: Righteous
To be righteous means to be right with God and live according to His truth. Through faith in Jesus, we are made right with God, and with the Holy Spirit’s help, we grow in making choices that honor Him.
“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe.” —Romans 3:22 (KJV)