Happy Sunday! What a joy to be back at our home church, Southcliff Baptist this morning! Due to serving God in Hong Kong & Florida we have only been able to attend 3 weeks out of the last 10 and what a blessing to be welcomed back by a loving family with open arms. It really helps me to understand the importance of being an active part of a local body of believers.
We love our Sunday school group! What joy, blessings and immeasurable support we get from these loving brothers & sisters. After service we enjoyed some tasty Philly cheessteaks with 2 beautiful couples that are so special to us. God has us all at different phases of life and what encouragement to gather & share our challenges, struggles and triumphs with each other. I surely hope you are taking full advantage of the family of God at a local church...oh how we need each other to fight this good fight!
I'm having my 5MC after church, I dragged a beach chair into the back yard and even though I'm 10 hours from the nearest beach I'm just as happy sitting in God's glorious sunshine.
I finished up the book of Luke today covering the crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection & ascension of Jesus. Quite a bit to absorb in one sitting.
The thing that speaks to me today through these passages is something I struggle with daily....unbelief. When the group of women first discovered the tomb empty on the third day they were 'perplexed' struggling to believe. (24:4) They return & tell the disciples & what is the disciple's response? "The words seemed to them an idle tale and they did not believe them." (24:11) That same day 2 of them were on their way to Emmaus and the resurrected Jesus appeared & walked with them but they were kept from recognizing Him. They spoke to Him "looking sad" (24:17) for it had been 3 days & they did not believe the resurrection had taken place.
Back in Jerusalem Jesus appears to the rest of the disciples & "they were startled & frightened & thought they saw a spirit." They didn't believe He was real. He shows them the scars on His hands & feet & "they still disbelieved." (24:41) Really? They STILL disbelieved?
In the book of Matthew Jesus predicted His death & resurrection no less than 3 different times to the disciples, yet here we witness great unbelief by all. Jesus' responses to their widespread unbelief? "O foolish ones & slow of heart to believe" (24:25) "why do doubts arise in your hearts?" (24:38) Hard words to hear from Jesus.
It makes me wonder why we as humans struggle so with belief in God's promises. I know in my personal walk with Jesus that I am as guilty as the disciples...sometimes not believing that Jesus will do exactly what he has told me He will do.
It seems so simple yet is so hard. He told the disciples exactly what would happen, why were they so surprised when it happened? My prayer today is that I can hold God's Word tightly in my heart & keep Him close in prayer so that I may hear Him speak clearly on the path of my life and then simply do one thing.....believe.
God is truth, He doesn't lie and He doesn't break promises...you can believe and have faith in what He says.
Have a blessed day.
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