Thursday Devotional - Jesus is Truth – Giving Timely Peace (4/25/24)

 After the devastation of Jesus’ death and the confusion over the empty tomb, the disciples were timely visited and comforted by Jesus.  

John 20:19-22         ¹⁹ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus came and provided peace and joy to His devastated disciples! He not only physically appeared, but did so miraculously! He also graciously showed them the proof of His death. Then, He re-commissioned and empowered them to continue the difficult work He had started.  

Jesus came and gave me peace after devastation and before facing additional difficulties, too. The evening I found out we were going to miscarry (after 13 weeks of pregnancy), I was devastated. When I woke up in the middle of the night with contractions 2 minutes apart, God had me eventually get out of bed and go to the bathroom. My water broke on the toilet and then everything happened. As devastated as I was, I felt like God was holding my hand during the whole thing, starting with the fact that He had my water break not only at home, but on the toilet! I had peace knowing He was there. I felt as if He said “I know this is really hard, but I’m here with you to carry you through.” His peace brought encouragement as I faced the physical and emotional pain in the coming hours, weeks, months and years that followed.

When have you witnessed God bringing peace and joy after devastation? What encouragement and strength did it give you to persevere through the next difficult challenge? 

Thursday Devotional - Timely Encouragement from Jesus

Have you been timely encouraged recently?

Last week we saw how Paul was ready and willing to die for Jesus as he traveled back to a hostile Jerusalem. Things went well for the first week in Jerusalem (Acts 21:17-26), but then he was wrongly accused, seized, and dragged out of the temple to be killed. God sovereignly had the Roman commander and troops intervene and spare him. The Jews were determined to kill him, though, and continued their wrongful accusations (Acts 21:27-23:10).

That’s when Jesus timely appeared:

Acts 23:11     The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

Jesus didn’t promise it would be smooth sailing, but provided renewed confidence, a new assignment, and evidence He was watching, caring for Him and in control.

I have found it so timely that everyone in the Bible study I’m in has been studying Paul’s difficult trials and hardships while we are going through our own new challenges. It has so encouraged me to keep everything in perspective! Jesus’ words to Paul can apply to us. We are to “take courage!” He’s aware of everything going on around us and everything going forward. He’s in control. He’s watching. He has new and different assignments for us during this time. I can trust Him!  

I know several of the devotional writers have shared timely encouragement from God and His Word during this time. Feel free to share any other Scriptures that have really encouraged you recently!

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Timely Encouragement

Once Israel crossed the Jordan River they were in the promised land, but still had a big job ahead of them to conquer all the people that lived there. Unless they swam back across the river, they were stuck! Maybe that’s another reason God miraculously stopped up the Jordan – it would force them to rely on Him and move forward in faith.

As added encouragement, the timing of when they crossed the Jordan was sovereignly planned by God. He had it that they crossed over just in time to celebrate the Passover! According to Exodus 12-13, it was to be celebrated once they were in the promised land on the 14^th day of the first month of the year (year after year) to remember God mightily bringing them out of Egypt.

   

Joshua 5:9-12           Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” So the place has been called Gilgal to this day.

¹⁰ On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.¹¹ The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. ¹² The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.

Not only did God bring the Israelites into the promised land exactly 40 years after bringing them out of Egypt, right in time to celebrate the Passover, but He had them experience the wonderful food of the land before removing His miraculous provision of manna. God continued to prepare, encourage and stretch the Israelites in order for them to accomplish His purposes and receive His blessings.

In the midst of overwhelming changes, we can also look for God’s timely encouragement. We can choose to recognize all His help, preparation and encouragement or wallow in the seemingly daunting tasks ahead. Which will you choose?   

Alice