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Peace be with you…. (devo reflection)

John 20:19 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 

The disciples were afraid. The doors were locked. Fear was palpable. And then Jesus entered and said, “Peace be with you.” Jesus, who had been crucified, buried, and resurrected, says these words immediately. He doesn’t chastise them: “Foolish disciples. Even death has no power over me. Why are you still afraid?!?” He comforts them because He loves them and He knows they are afraid.

John 20:20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Even typing the words “Peace be with you” brings me a sense of peace. Knowing that Jesus’s first concern here was to banish the fear in the room and replace it with His peace is such a gift. Jesus doesn’t extort the emotion of fear. He doesn’t use it to get certain reactions. He loves His disciples. He wants to blanket them with His peace.

John 20:21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

Lord, There are so many things in this world that cause fear. So many things in my head that cause me to doubt and worry. Help me to root myself in Your peace, to breathe in Your peace, to know that you are with me always, whispering to my heart, “Peace be with you.” Amen.

John 20:22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Have a blessed day. I love you.

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From ignorance and fear to certainty and belief…. (devo reflection)

Luke 24:32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

For years, I read verse 32 as the disciples trying to pretend that they knew all along that it was Jesus walking with them on the road to Emmaus. But after reading and studying these passages this week, I think this was their attempt to make sense of the fact that they didn’t recognize Jesus until He broke bread with them, then disappeared. “We knew, deep down,” they seem to be saying. “Something in us recognized Him.”

Luke 24:33 They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together….

It is as though, when Jesus broke the bread, the scales fell from the disciples’ eyes and they could really see. Did Saul’s transformation in Acts come to mind for you? Because that’s exactly what happened for me. Just like Saul turned Paul, these disciples went from ignorance and fear to certainty and belief. Hallelujah! He is risen!

Luke 24:34 and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.”

Lord, Thank You for allowing us to see You if we but look, hear You if we but listen. Your presence is all around us. Help the scales to fall from our eyes so that we can see Your presence in a thousand little ways each and every day. You are with us always. Hallelujah! Amen.

Luke 24:35 Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

Have a blessed day. I love you.

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Our foundation of faith…. (devo reflection)

Luke 24:28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 

I have so many questions about verses 28-31. Jesus pretends that he is going further. Why? Commentary says it is a test to gauge the effect of His previous teaching on them. I guess they pass because verse 32 shows their hearts “burning within them” as He talked. They urge Him to stay. Why? Because they feel the pull of His ministry? He breaks bread with them, a meal, and suddenly they recognize Him. And He’s gone. Why?

Luke 24:29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

Even in this time of difficulty and doubt following the resurrection, the disciples know Him. They long to spend time with Him. They fellowship with Him, drawing comfort from Him. Perhaps life mirrors this scene? Even when we are struggling, when Christ feels so very far away, our hearts, steeped in His great love, know Him, recognize His presence. We can trust that He is with us even when nothing else makes sense.

Luke 24:30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 

Lord, Grief and loss and difficulty are hard. Thank You for this reminder that You are with us, that our foundation of faith allows us to know that You are near, even when we doubt and struggle. Stay with us, Lord. Fellowship with us. Help us to see You clearly, no matter our circumstances. Amen.

Luke 24:31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 

Have a blessed day. I love you.

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He’s not finished yet…. (devo reflection)

Luke 24:22-23a In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body.

These disciples, on their walk to Emmaus, are trying to wrap their heads around all they have seen and heard. The recent events and the things that others are saying about what they have seen and heard are unlike anything they have ever experienced. I imagine Jesus in verse 25 is frustrated, saying “How foolish are you?!?” He tried to prepare them for what was to come, but they still can’t make sense of it.

Luke 24:23b They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 

My pastor often says that with Jesus, the worst thing is never the last thing. That’s not how He works. The betrayal of Judas was not the end. The gruesome death on the cross was not the end. The fear and confusion in the aftermath of loss was not the end. With Jesus, the worst thing is never the last thing. Hold on. He’s not finished yet.

Luke 24:24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

Lord, Thank You for the knowledge that with You, the worst thing is never the last thing. Thank You for trying to help us understand and for loving us even when we don’t. No matter what we are struggling with today, Lord, help us never lose sight of the fact that You are sovereign, loving, compassionate, merciful, in control, and because of that, no matter what we face today, You’ve got us. You are making a way. The worst thing is not the end. Amen.

Luke 24:25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

Have a blessed day. I love you.

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We have hope…. (devo reflection)

Luke 24:17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 

Jesus is the only one who can take us from “we had hoped” (v21) to “We have hope.” Already, on the road to Emmaus, and even before that, on the road to the cross, Jesus defies expectations. He is making a way where there is no way, and He is doing it in a way that is totally unexpected.

Luke 24:18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 

But the Lord has been turning things on their heads for a very long time. Isaiah 55:8 says, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts…And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” When I see no way forward, God’s right there with His ways that are far beyond my imagination.

Luke 24:19 “What things?” he asked.“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 

Lord, There is so much grief and sadness in this world. There is so much pain and loss. Thank You for being the Light in the darkness, for making a way where there is no way, for seeing eternally, for taking us from “we had hoped” (v21) to “We have hope.” Help us to cling to You, to Your hope, even when we are struggling. Please, Jesus. Amen.

Luke 24:20-21 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.

Have a blessed day.

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But they were kept from recognizing him…. (devo reflection)

Luke 24:13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 

How many times has Jesus Himself walked with me in a difficult situation and I have failed to recognize Him (v16)? Jesus promises to be with me always, and He always keeps His promises, so every time I feel alone and abandoned in a situation or circumstance, I am kept from recognizing that Jesus Himself is walking with me.

Luke 24:14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 

But who is keeping me from recognizing Jesus and why? Jesus is the Lord of all the universe, so I can’t believe that anything or anyone (besides God, who is also a part of the Holy Trinity) could control Him. And I am absolutely certain that He does not want me to feel abandoned.

Luke 24:15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 

Lord, I have so many questions, and I don’t think questions are a bad thing. I think questions help me to draw closer to You as I understand You better. I do believe that You are with me always. I do believe that there are times when You walk along with me and I am kept from recognizing You. I do not believe that Your goal is to make me feel abandoned or alone. Somehow this, too, can draw me closer to You. Help me to trust and believe You always. Even when I don’t understand. Amen.

Luke 24:16 but they were kept from recognizing him.

Have a blessed day.

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The larger goal…. (devo reflection)

Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Today is the official end of my Spring Break. Tomorrow starts the final push to graduation. Teachers and students both are tired, and now we’ve had a taste of freedom, so these final weeks are hard. Ultimately, at this time of year, I have to remind myself that I do this job not to make it to summer vacation but because all those years ago, God called me to be a teacher.

Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

Finishing the race doesn’t mean finishing the school year, or my career, it is about the larger goal. And while, as a public school teacher, I can’t preach my faith, God shows me His presence with me in the classroom every single day in myriad ways. And so it is with you. He’s with you, guiding you, incorporating you into His ministry wherever He has you currently planted. Trust Him.

Ecclesiastes 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Lord, Thank you for time to rest and renew. Thank you for unexpected opportunities and beach sunrises and time with family. As we head into this last eight weeks of the school year, give us all the strength and the will to finish strong. And help all of us, no matter what we do in life, to remember the larger end game–eternity with You. Thank You for the hope of eternity. Amen.

Philippians 3:14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Have a blessed day.

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Honestly and authentically…. (devo reflection)

Matthew 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 

Sometimes I feel like I can either worship or doubt, but the disciples here show that I can do both. And I think that the reason they can is directly tied to Jesus’s promise that “…surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” During the walk to the cross, the disciples doubted. They ran. They denied. And here Jesus is AFTER these events, telling them “…surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 

The disciples *know* they can worship even if they doubt because Jesus has already seen them at their worst, and He still went ahead of them to Galilee, He still loved, accepted, and incorporated them in His ministry. He can do that with me, too. I can worship even when I am afraid, confused, angry, hurt, even when Jesus seems so very far away. I can still worship Him. I can offer my doubts and fears and anger up to Him. I can praise Him through the storm.

Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 

Lord, This passage speaks to me about worshiping You honestly and authentically. You don’t want me to hide my doubts and fears. You want me to bring them to You so that You can allay them, so that I can worship You with my whole heart. Thank You, Jesus, and help me to always be honest with You. Amen.

Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Have a blessed day.

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Hope and assurance…. (devo reflection)

Matthew 28:11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 

The guards were afraid that they would get in trouble. The chief priests were afraid that people would actually believe that Jesus, whom they had tried to discredit for His entire ministry, had risen from the dead just as He said. Once again, money is involved in the plot. But God…

Matthew 28:12-13  When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’

In the tale of this coverup, Hebrews 11:1 comes to mind–”Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Part of faith is belief. Part of belief is the fact that Jesus’s death and resurrection isn’t an accepted fact to all. As a Christian, as a believer of Christ, I choose to believe that He is who He says He is, that He does what He says He does, that He keeps His promises. That’s faith.

Matthew 28:14 If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 

Lord, Faith, hope, and love are central tenets of our faith, but love–You–are at the core. Thank you for my faith, which is so strong, for hope, which is so powerful, but most of all, thank You for Your great love, which gave all so that I can have eternity with You. Thank You. Amen.

Matthew 28:15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

Have a blessed day.

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Suddenly Jesus met them…. (devo reflection)

Matthew 28:9  Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 

The angel has just told the women to go and tell the disciples that Jesus will meet them in Galilee. The women are afraid yet filled with joy. And suddenly, there is Jesus. He is not disguised. They are not kept from recognizing Him. They have no doubt about who He is. They clasp His feet and worship Him.

Matthew 28:10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

I just find it fascinating that the women see Him, know Him, worship Him immediately when the disciples all doubt at first, though Thomas is the one whose doubt is most pronounced and remembered. There is no doubt for these women who love Jesus so, who are afraid yet filled with joy.

Matthew 28:11 While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. 

Lord, Thank You for those times when Your presence in a situation is so very clear to me. Help me to look for You, see You, glorify You always, no matter my circumstances. Amen.

Matthew 28:12-13 When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, 13 telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’

Have a blessed day. I love you.