Trusting God during transition is a challenge everyone faces because life is full of transitions, some more difficult than others. At eighty years old, the Lord called Moses to transition from being a shepherd of sheep to leading the Israelites enslaved in Egypt. Forty years earlier, Moses believed he knew his identity; he was a …
We see Abram worshipping God in transition. God had called him, by grace, out of Ur and idolatry. God had promised to make him a great nation even though he and Sarai were childless. Moreover, God promised to make him a blessing to all families on earth. After Abram entered Canaan, God made another promise. …
Transitions require trusting God’s promises and looking to Him instead of relying on our own strength or understanding as we move through life’s journey. The life of Abram, whom the Lord renamed Abraham, is an ongoing journey of learning to trust in God’s promises. As the Lord told Abram to go to a new land, …
If you have watched space science fiction shows, you have seen spaceships cloaking to hide from their enemies. In this week’s story, we see Jesus’ version of cloaking. He is walking with two disciples, and they don’t realize it is Jesus. Why was Jesus’ Identity Hidden? Two disciples were returning home to Emmaus after the …
What if Jesus does the unexpected in your life? Will you be offended and walk away from Jesus? Or will you use this as an opportunity for a new adventure with the Lord? The Disciples Had Expectations of the Kingdom of Jesus The two disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus shared their expectations of Jesus …
Can we believe the resurrection? The two disciples walking from Jerusalem to the village of Emmaus had heard reports of Jesus’ resurrection. But were these reports true? Even today, we hear many things reported on, and some turn out to be false. We have learned to use discernment as we listen to the reported information. …
We like to shop at a large warehouse retailer, but we must have a membership to do so. Their defining membership is a card that you must show to enter the store. If you don’t have a membership, you can’t purchase anything from their store. Many clubs and even churches have ways to define their …
Our son had cut his finger on the playground, and it was sore and red. I went out and purchased a tube of antibiotic salve. A couple of days later, his finger looked worse, and I asked whether he had applied the salve. He had forgotten to use it. The salve was only effective when …
What happens when we don’t understand Jesus? How will He treat us? We can gain insight as we observe the disciples during Jesus’ farewell teachings. This happened after the Passover meal but before they went to Gethsemane the night before Jesus was crucified. Jesus wanted to prepare them for His death and resurrection. Jesus had …
The phrase “I am the way, the truth, and the life” is a well-known statement by Jesus in the Bible. John 14:6 Jesus told Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.[1] This verse describes part of a dialogue between Jesus and His disciples, …