They had motion
without friction. But Thomas missed it because "he was not with them
when Jesus came."

The disciples who were there were re-commissioned that day. Jesus said
to them, "As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you." With His
death everything seemed at an end. The great program that He had given
them seemed to have lapsed forever. A man said a few years ago, "Life
doesn't seem worth living since I found that Christianity is not true."
It was so with these men. They were men without a goal. But Jesus
came and recommissioned them, laid upon them again the high task of
conquering the world. And Thomas missed that great blessing because he
was not there.

Last of all, Jesus breathed upon them and said, "Receive ye the Holy
Ghost." These men were not only recommissioned. They received the
Holy Ghost. "He breathed on them." How close they came to Him that
day! How their hearts were warmed! How their hopes were revived! "He
breathed on them and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." And poor Thomas
missed also this benediction because he was not with them when Jesus
came.

It may be that you were once active in the church. It may be that you
were once a live and enthusiastic Christian. But little by little you
have slipped back. You have moved to strange places. Your life has
been thrown in great cities. And you have missed the fellowships of
yesterday out of your life. It may be that to-day you are no longer
found regularly among the worshipers in God's House. You are missing
something. Don't deceive yourself. As the saints of God meet together
Jesus still manifests Himself. And seeing Him, there comes to us a new
joy and peace, a new sense of the purpose and worthfulness of life.
Seeing Him there comes to us a new power for battle and for conquest.

But if we have missed Him, whatever else we have won, we have missed
about all that is worth while. Oh, there is one thing of which I am
absolutely sure, and that is that if I have Jesus, if His presence is a
gladsome reality to my heart, nothing else matters much. But if I miss
Him everything goes wrong and everything is disappointing. Darius is
in the palace and Daniel in the den of lions, but there is restlessness
and wretchedness in the palace and peace and joy in the lions' den. It
is the presence of God that makes the difference.

Thomas, because he missed receiving, also missed the privilege of
giving. When the other discipl