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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. John 20:19 (NLT)
Imagine what it must have been like for the group huddling in the upper room. Their best friend, Jesus of Nazareth, died on Friday. The Sabbath of course was quiet. The Jewish leaders went about their normal Sabbath Day routine. Some were no doubt gloating a bit. Now that the number one thorn in their side had been removed, now they could get back to worshipping God the way he was supposed to be worshipped.
In the meantime Jesus’ disciples hid and wondered what would happen next. Would the Jewish leadership continue to pursue ‘the way’ or would they dust off their robes and go back to life as normal. Add to that was the startling information that Mary and some of the others brought. Jesus had been seen. Alive!
They huddled in the room afraid, confused and ashamed. Would the Jews be coming after them? Why did things fall apart so quickly? One week they were riding a wave of popularity, the next they were running for their lives…and run they did. How could they leave him at a time like that? Every one of them deserted him. The betrayal of Judas and the denial of Peter weren’t isolated incidents. Their rabbi died alone because of their fear.
Then, suddenly he was there. Right in their midst. No door knock. No request to enter. Just poof! And Jesus stood before them with the same look of love and the same posture of compassion He always had. In the midst of their reeling emotions and searching for words, he spoke first.
“Peace be with you.”
Wasn’t that just like Jesus? He didn’t question their actions or their motives. He didn’t sarcastically thank them for standing by them. He didn’t remind them of all the times he’d stood by them or put up with their silly arguments. He simply offered them his peace, a peace that passes all understanding (and may I add, wisdom?)
He did it with the woman caught in adultery- “Neither do I condemn thee.”
He did it with the woman with an issue of blood-no irritation, only love and understanding.
And remember the woman whose only son had died? He broke away from the crowd to speak directly to her and gave raised her son from the dead!
And so it is to this day. Jesus longs to offer you the one thing that evades us when bills mount, relationships falter, kids rebel, careers end and good health evades us. His peace is offered regardless of our sin, our rebellion or our doubt. His peace not only passes all understanding, it requires nothing on our part except to accept his forgiveness and ask.
Whatever troubles you today, Jesus is knocking at the door and longing to come in and offer you his peace. All you have to do is ask.
PRAYER: Jesus I have so many things that hound me right now. So many things desiring to steal my peace of mind and heart. Empower me with your spirit to find the peace you long to give me. Amen
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 (NLT)
We used to play a game when I was growing up. It was like ‘follow the leader’ but with a twist. One person would be blindfolded and spun around in a circle a few times. Then, another person would lead that person on a walk. The object was to guess where you were going or, once stopped, where you had been led.
While the game was a simple on in some respects, it taught us all a lesson in trust and wisdom. Trust came from the person being led. That person had to rely completely on the leadership of the person who held his/her hand, knowing they would never be led into an area of danger.
The game required wisdom on the part of the person leading. The leader would have to go slowly so that the one following wouldn’t smash into hidden obstacles or trip on obstructions or fall down (or up) stairs. If the follower was injured or hurt in any way, the trust the leader hoped to establish would be gone and hard to re-establish.
Jesus final command to those who would follow him was to make disciples. Matthew challenges us with it in his book, Luke reinforces it in Acts. Our purpose here on earth as Christ followers, is to share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Making converts is easy. Give them a shot of the gospel, get them to make a decision and move on. Don’t forget to add a star to your evangelist hat. But making converts is like delivering a baby and leaving it in the nursery to fend for itself. Not likely to have good results.
Making disciples, on the other hand is hard work. It takes time to pour your life into someone else. It requires strength on your part, and wisdom gained from your own growth experiences. Making disciples can also be discouraging because we may see little or no progress and sometimes time and circumstances work against us and the person being discipled leaves. Even so, making disciples is the focus of our ‘Great Commission’. We aren’t called to ‘go’. We aren’t called to baptize. We are called to teach and make disciples.
Many people shy away from ‘discipleship’ because they feel inadequate, unqualified or feel they need to ‘grow themselves’ before they can help others. But making disciples should be a much like the modified game of follow the leader we played.
Jesus promised to lead us. He promised to take us into uncharted areas, to endure pain and rejection, to stumble at times or even fall occasionally. In his wisdom he’ll take us slowly, but will offer little information on where we are going or what will happen next. The only thing he offers us is a promise. A promise that wherever we go, whatever happens in our lives, whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, he will have our hand. His intent isn’t to injure or make a fool out of us. His intent is to help us grow stronger.
Making a disciple doesn’t follow a program or require a college degree. It is simply holding on to Jesus with one hand and holding on to someone else with the other. It’s sharing your life lessons of the heart with those who need to be comforted with the comfort you have received from the Lord.
Pour yourself into someone else. Both of you will be blessed. Don’t be afraid of where that may lead you. By holding Jesus’ hand you have nothing to fear. He’s a compassionate, trusted leader.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you called us to make disciples and I must admit the idea of me being a ‘discipler’ is scary. I feel inadequate for the task. Yet this is your calling for me. Give me the courage to hold your hand and take someone else with me on the journey. Amen.
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3
Adam tried it, so did Eve. They borrowed a couple fig leaves from a neighboring tree. But God came looking for them in the cool of the evening, right about the time they took their normal walk.
Moses tried it too. He ran off into the wilderness and just about the time he thought he’s succeeded, God ignited a bush with an eternal flame.
Elijah used an obscure cave for his game of deified hide-and-seek. But God sought him out with a fire and windstorm before he quietly whispered his name.
Jonah used extra-ordinary measures as well, using the sea as his method of escape, but God intervened and used a fish to bring Jonah to his senses.
Before you are too hard on these men of God, think of how you try to hide from God. It’s easy to try to hide from God through religious activities, work, and family duties. Usually we hide from God because we are afraid of what he will think of us. We may think that unless we do certain things he won’t approve of us or consider us ‘holy’. After all, doesn’t the Bible tell us to be ‘holy’? Aren’t we instructed to obey him?
When I was young and I’d misbehave I’d run to the closet to hide from my parents. My young mind had me convinced that I could hide from my parents long enough for them to forget my wrong or miss me so much they’d overlook my faults. Maybe you did that too. That tactic never worked for me. (Maybe I should have tried a different closet occasionally!) That tactic won’t work with God either. Some pretty important people have tried it.
So when you have failed for the 100th time; when you are ready to cash in all this religion stuff because you can’t make it work; when you find yourself not only doubting your own ability to succeed but doubting God as well, remember Colossians 3:3.
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3
That verse reminds us that when God sees you it’s like he’s looking through a lens named Jesus. He doesn’t see your sin, he sees Jesus’ sacrifice. He doesn’t see your failings, He see’s Jesus’ perfection. He doesn’t see your rebellion, he sees Jesus’ humility. When God looks at you, he smiles because you are hidden in Jesus. That’s grace!
PRAYER: Lord, I seem to try to fill my days with all sorts of good things to make you love me. I’d never admit that, of course, but in reality, it’s the truth. Forgive me for trying to earn your favor. Empower me to live in the favor I already have because of Jesus. Amen.
My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all! Psalm 25:17 (NLT)
The great preacher, Charles Spurgeon, writes, “When the darkest hour of the night arrives we may expect the dawn; when the sea is at its lowest ebb the tide must surely turn; and when our troubles are enlarged to the greatest degree, then we may hopefully pray, O bring thou me out of my distresses.”
There are times in our lives when it seems our trouble goes from bad to worse with no relief in sight. It might be something relatively simple like a day in which everything seems to go wrong or something major that will change your life forever and threatens your faith and your ability to go on.
The struggles we endure can come from the hands of others, those intent on getting what they want at any cost without regard to the needs and emotional state of others. Their attacks seem relentless. The wounds they inflict may be unseen by men, but cause you to die internally one blow at a time.
Hard as it is to take the abuse of others the abuse of our own heart is the most destructive. The self-inflicted wounds of an unforgiving spirit entangle us. We won’t forgive them. Not after what they did. They won’t control us anymore. While our abuser may not control us physically anymore, our refusal to forgive keeps us in chains.
Another enemy of the heart may be more dastardly than the refusal to forgive others is the refusal to forgive ourselves. Isn’t it true that many of the things that keep us awake at night are those things that we’ve done to ourselves? The financial choices we knew were a risk but took them anyway and now the house is in foreclosure? The affair that you want so desperately to hold on to but know you need to end? The secret sin you harbor, but live in fear of being found out?
You may not have any control over the attacks of others. You can free yourselves of the shackles of guilt and shame. You can forgive your attacker and be released from that bondage. That forgiveness is for your sake, not theirs. It frees you from the shackles; it doesn’t free them from the responsibility for their actions.
You can be free of the problems that are keeping you down. You can’t do it alone. It will take time and hard work. But the rewards are worth the battle. The Psalmist knew where his help came from. He knew that with the help of his Heavenly Father he would once again see the light of dawn on the horizon.
We have that same hope. Your struggle may be emotional or physical. It may be self-inflicted or the cruel actions of others. Whatever is keeping you in bondage can be destroyed through Jesus Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit. Your troubles may seem to be going from bad to worse with no hope on the horizon, but there is hope through faith in a loving Father.
PRAYER: Father God, I feel like my problems are too overwhelming for me to go on. I struggle to forgive others and myself for things that I now suffer the consequences for. I ask that you free me from these chains. Empower me with your Spirit to live free. Help me to see the dawn in the midst of my present darkness. Amen.
My God, I trust you. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies laugh at me. Psalm 25:2
People let us down.
That’s not by any means an earth-shattering statement. Sometimes they let us down unintentionally. They have every intention of fulfilling their promise but are unable to do so because of some unexpected circumstance.
Other times they are unable to fulfill their promise because they underestimated their ability to carry out the work they said they would do.
Sometimes, they just forget the obligation they made to you.
And, there are those who, much as we hate to admit it, make a promise that they had no intention of keeping. They quite simply intended on deceiving you.
When promises are broken they cause wounds. The wounds broken promises cause are directly proportional to the importance of the thing promised to us. As an adult, the broken promise of a friend to meet us for coffee is relatively small and easily handled. The broken promise of a parent to be at a child’s ball game may seem small to the parent, but is very painful to the child.
The worst part about a broken promise is the destruction of trust. You trusted your spouse to stay true to the vows they spoke. Now you find out they’ve been cheating on you and you can never trust them again. Your boss promised you the promotion but filled the position from outside, and now your confidence in your job (and yourself) has been dashed. Your parents promised you a family heirloom when they died and you discover they’ve given it to someone else.
Broken trust wounds the soul. Broken trust makes you feel like a fool. Broken trust makes you feel like you are the object of ridicule to all those around you.
“You should have known better.” they say.
“Don’t know why you didn’t see that coming.”
“What did you expect?”
The arrows hit home. They lodge deep in the soul. As a child you may think, I can never trust my mom and dad. God promised me things too. If my parents don’t keep their promises, God won’t keep his either.
As an adult you resolve that you will never be hurt again. You will never take the chance on love. You will never let anyone control you to that extent again. You will never allow yourself to feel this pain.
It’s with this in mind that David pens the words of Psalm 25. David knew about broken promises. David knew the hearts of men could not be trusted. His prayer to his God is that he would not be let down, not embarrassed, not disgraced or laughed at or ridiculed for his faith in a God who was unseen and at times unpredictable.
We serve a God we can trust. Unlike humans, there is never a promise he was unable to keep. Sometimes we need to look back to see how he fulfilled his promises. Sometimes he fulfills them in ways we don’t expect. But you can trust him. He is willing and able to do just as he said he’d do…in his way…in his time. You can count on it. He promised.
PRAYER: Father there have been many times I’ve broken promises to others. I confess sometimes those promises were broken intentionally. Other times I was unable to fulfill my obligation. I thank you for never, ever letting us down. Thank you that I can trust you to do just as you say. Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 