Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. Psalm 62:5

Have you ever imagined yourself as one of the two men trudging down the road away from Jerusalem carrying the weight of the past three days, seeing Jesus tortured and killed, then laid to rest in a tomb and sealed away, presumably for eternity? It was seven miles back to Emmaus for these two, a good hike for us but typical in those days. When another joins them and asks why they seem so sad, they can’t believe He doesn’t know about all that has happened over the course of the past few days. They have no idea who this Man is. They only know that their hope has been destroyed, their faith is slipping away, Jesus has apparently abandoned them, and they just aren’t sure how they will go on from here.

Do you think you would have recognized His face or the sound of His voice? I wonder…

And when He finally makes Himself known and it becomes clear that He endured the pain for us, would you consider yourself redeemable? Looking back on my life I see countless reasons why I should be left standing outside the gates of heaven with no hope of getting past them, not the least of these would be the opportunities I’ve missed to help others recognize His face, His voice, His unending love and, especially His grace.

A while back Ken and I listened to a friend relate her unbelief in all that is recorded by witnesses as having happened in Jerusalem during that time. The logic of the human mind won’t let her accept that a man could die on a cross, beaten and tortured, and yet return to life here on earth and then re-enter heaven by ascension. Nor can she accept the concept that God could possibly be everywhere all the time. It’s hard for me to hear that because my life has been blessed by the promise of Easter redemption and even when I’ve stepped over the line, way over, I know first of all that He is always there even when I might rather He wasn’t watching my behavior and that, secondly, I can always find my way back. When I finally realize I must get off my trail of disobedience hurtling into nowhere, my path is always clear. Often it’s not so easy, but very clear. I can’t imagine living without that promise.

A recent study indicates that less than forty percent of our population now embraces faith in God or the resurrected Jesus by worshipping together regularly.

People, we have a mountain of work to do!

I had an opportunity to talk about serious faith issues with a friend and, though she knows I didn’t back away from my belief, I don’t feel I gave her enough reason to begin questioning hers. I should have been better prepared. I hope I will be when the next opportunity arises.

Help me to keep believing for those who don’t yet know you.

Ray Pritchard, Faces Around the Cross  

(And I should add all those who have known Him and turned away.)

Make no mistake. We all have our flaws, some that may seem unforgivable, but if the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well can be forgiven for her sin of prostitution and turn her life around, so can we. If Peter can be forgiven for three times denying any knowledge of the man he worked alongside for three years can be forgiven and become one of the most devoted messengers of the Gospel of all time, so can we. If a criminal, dying on the cross beside Jesus, can recognize his need for forgiveness and plead with Jesus to remember him in heaven and be saved for eternity, so can we. Please do not see yourself or any other person as unredeemable. Jesus interceded for us. He paid the price so we don’t have to. The choice is ours. And that, my friends, is unfathomable grace!

I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts, as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3:16-17