A beautiful day with sunshine all around, Father – a much-needed gift. Central Ohio in winter does not get many of those, so when we get them, I will surely give credit where credit is due!
Luke 24:13-34 (<<click here to read the passage)
At some time, we’ve all probably used the phrase “no doubt”.
Macmillandictionary.com defines it as follows:

1) used for emphasizing that something seems certain or very likely

No doubt she’ll tell me everything when she’s ready.

2) used for showing that you accept something is probably true, but this does not change your opinion

No doubt she’s very nice, but I just don’t like her.

I find it interesting that the second definition contains both certainty and doubt – how is that even possible? But we do it all the time! Truth can be staring us right in the face, yet many times we will have nothing of it! “I believe what I believe, and no one is going to change my mind!”
Everything the two Emmaus bound followers of Jesus shared with the risen Lord Jesus Himself was full of that conflicting mindset set, no doubt! There was an abundance of certainty – He was a prophet, powerful miracles, a mighty teacher.
But there was ample doubt, as well. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. (emphasis mine) Even when the women who went to the tomb, flat out were told that Jesus had risen – there was doubt. When they passed the info along to those in hiding, it was labeled as amazing, yet some ran to the tomb to find out for themselves and all they really determined was, “Yep, his body was gone…”
Jesus’ words to them (though they were kept from recognizing Who it was that spoke to them) are a clear message to us, too.

“O foolish men, and slow of heart to trust and believe in everything that the prophets have spoken!” v25 AMP

We know with certainty who Jesus is but living it out is something else altogether.
We know with certainty that Jesus himself said he was coming back but living our lives in such a way that we truly believe He could return at any moment is something else altogether.
We are most assuredly fools…but just as Jesus didn’t give up on the disheartened travelers, He doesn’t give up on us either. His patience goes farther than we can begin to comprehend much less emulate. That’s why it’s often referred to as longsuffering. Love fills it all from the beginning and it never ends.
Lord Jesus, help us to cast aside our personal doubt and embrace the certainty of it all. Amen.

Jan 21st, 2021, Thurs, 1:07 pm