John 20:29
Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Thomas wasn’t the only one who had to see to believe.  None of the other disciples believed the reports without seeing Christ in the flesh for themselves.  Mary mourned at the tomb until Jesus spoke with her.  The two disciples walked the road sadly reminiscing about the events of the previous few days until Jesus walked along with them and revealed Himself to them.  The other disciples sat locked in the upper room, afraid, uncertain and unbelieving, until Jesus came and cast out that unbelief.  Even Peter and John’s trip to the tomb wasn’t enough to convince them that Jesus was alive until they saw Him for themselves.

So we can’t blame Thomas, really, for doubting as he did, for needing to see it for himself to know for sure.  But are we willing to believe when we can’t see for ourselves?  We can’t see Jesus in person because He ascended up into heaven, but we can see Him and His life recorded in Scripture so that we can trust Him and believe on Him.  We have a record of those things that took place that can lead us down a path where we don’t have to see Jesus in person to know for sure that He had died but now He lives.  And we can trust in Him in the same way as those who actually did see Him alive after His resurrection.

But perhaps too often we try to live by sight, as well.  The reasoning of our own minds and hearts says something can’t possibly be so even though God says it is.  We look at circumstances and see only barriers where God sees possibility.  We can’t comprehend things beyond our field of vision that God is waiting to amaze us with if we’d only believe Him.  But when we’re willing to trust Him without having to see or know or understand what He is doing and how, He works in those unexpected ways that sharpen our faith even more.

Are we willing to step out in faith without having to see everything up close and personal, to simply take God at His Word?  We can trust Christ for salvation.  We can trust God to move in an impossible situation.  We can trust God to provide a desperate need.  We can count on His faithfulness and His promises in those times where nothing makes sense.  And we can look to Him to take us to those places of blessing where our faith is rewarded.