As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. . . .” Luke 24:36–39 (ESV)
Have you ever faced something new in your life and been confused about what Jesus was doing, how much He was really involved in your circumstances?
These days I’m confused about some new things Jesus is doing with my family. My husband started a new business and we’ve relocated to a new neighborhood, and frankly, life feels foreign, as if I landed in the middle of someone else’s life and am supposed to take it from here. It’s unfamiliar territory, and at any given moment I feel more unsettled than peaceful.
But I’ve got enough history with Jesus that even when my feelings speak otherwise, I know who holds today and the future. He’s the same One Who has held me to this point. When I quiet myself, I can recognize Him. I have to look for Him, just as He invited His shell-shocked followers to do when they struggled with fears and shaken peace at the new way He was showing up in their day-to-day lives. They’d never seen Him appear suddenly like that. They were uncertain and scared about how to respond or even process what had just happened.
Jesus is Lord of the new, and I need to be ready for Him to do something new in my life.
Faith Step: Think of a time when your life changed. Name the emotions you felt. How did you sense Jesus’s presence in your circumstances? Ask Him for eyes to look for Him and a heart to see and respond to Him.
Excerpted from Mornings with Jesus 2017.
