"...how He was made known to them" Luke 24:35
This morning I am certain of one thing, that it is God alone who knowest all things. If this day finds you discouraged? Then tell Him so. He knows. This day we have hope as we earnestly follow on to know the Lord because Jesus never sends us alone - He makes our way - and then He promises that He will go with us. He meets us, and sits with us and listens to us and opens the Scriptures with us. The moment we say to our God, 'Thy face, Lord, will I seek," He comes to the rescue and speaks hope into our hearts. Some days I open the scriptures simply out of obedience. More often however, I know how desperate my heart needs God's complete work in the opening of the eyes of my mind. I long for Him this morning as I watch and wait for Him because, Thou knowest all things.
Feelings that flood my mind cannot be trusted. Only He can be. God is always by my side traveling with me each day and comforting me even when I cannot fully sense Him. His peace and presence is always dependent upon what my eyes are focusing on. By His grace He is always faithful to show up as He did on the road to Emmaus when I too am downcast in heart and begin walking away from 'all that I witnessed in my Jerusalem' while pondering the question, "Lord, do you not know the things that I have happened in these days?" Luke 24:18. Ah, yes He knows "O foolish one and slow of heart to believe", Luke 24:25 ......Thou knowest all things, as this story so powerfully reminds me of that truth.
Luke 24 writes of two men who were walking on the dusty road to Emmaus, away from Jerusalem, just 3 days after the crucifixion and death hung over their hearts like fog blinding every ounce of understanding. These men were in despair talking together "of all the things that had happened" there in Jerusalem just days before. They spoke too of all that 'they had hoped for'. All that was in the past of which they witnessed concerning Jesus' death. But something kept them from seeing and understanding what was really happening. Their eyes were only on their understanding, and their eyes were not opened to His Truth....until an "Uninvited Stranger" appeared to them. How at that moment He drew near to them. They told this Stranger of the "things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, how He was delivered to death and crucified and how they were hoping that He would redeem Israel, that today is the third day since these things happened" Luke 24:19-21. If I remember anything, may I be reminded this morning that because of His death and resurrection on the third day, He is alive and He comes to me and to you desiring to bring all hope because He knows all...He knows whatever troubles us, unsettles us, or causes us to fear. Thou knowest all things.
Jesus joins them as they share what is on their hearts. Jesus listens. He listens to our hearts and appears to us when we need Him most. He meets us on the road to Emmaus exactly where we need Him to intervene as our hearts our perplexed perhaps at the events unfolding in our 'own Jerusalem'. He reminds us of His Soveregnity....that He does knowest all things. He is always there and how I can often misunderstand what He is allowing when my circumstances are blurred, when sorrow clouds my heart, my perception so very dim. When I can only say at times, "Do you know LORD"? These two men were telling Jesus what He already knew, what had taken place in Jerusalem. They said to Jesus, "Do you not know'?
Do I not question Jesus too? Thinking that He does not full understand all that has happened in my Jerusalem? Do I believe foolishly that He does not already know? Thou knowest all things.
How we too often think our plans are better. That God will lead us more directly. We think that doubts, conflicts, and confusion are not to be. We too maybe had hoped things would not be so messy and without so much understanding. Things different. We had hoped. These men genuinely desired answers to their own personal, why? They had a picture in their minds. They knew what they saw, what they experienced, and this they tried to understand with their own ideas regarding the coming Messiah but until the Word Himself walked with them, and the Scriptures were opened their exchange only amounted to more confusion and despair. Does this sound familiar? Is there a desperate search for "truth in your matter'? Truth Himself was walking beside them both. Thou knowest all things.
Jesus is walking with us, and oh what hope the 'third day' brought them and brings to us. He brought them hope, He brought them the Word. His resurrected power, His Spirit promised. He comes and He meets us. For me, there is something precious in this picture of Jesus walking with us too in our darkest hour. So often, our flesh desires an answer when His desire is that we have the answer—Himself.
How much was truly happening despite their understanding. How doubt and the sin of unbelief paralyzes us and causes us to 'walk away' from our Jerusalem causing us to be so slow in believing each promise He has ever made to us. When the risen Savior meets His followers on the road to Emmaus, their journey away from Jerusalem is a picture of their journey away from hope. The events they witnessed did scattered their thoughts. Doubt made them wondered if their trust in God was misplaced because they were hoping in Him whose body was now missing. What now? What has happened?
I love how Jesus first spoke of their faith instead of giving them answers to their questions as He rebuked their doubt and reminded them of His "foreordained plan". "How foolish you are, and slow of heart to believe..." (Luke 24:25-26) "Did not Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?" All things are foreordained by God, even our suffering. Should I too not have to suffer as well? Is the suffering He allows in our lives not for His glory too? Am I a follower of Christ willing to be willing to suffer sorrow too?
Jesus turns them around—literally. I am so thankful that when doubt creeps into my heart that Jesus and His unfailing Word turns me around and places my feet on the right direction, spiritually speaking, my heart. Their meeting with the risen Savior meant that they were met with hope and given direction. God is never done and darkness and suffering do not have the final word. The hope they were given enabled the disciples to reverse their direction, and walk back to Jerusalem to now share the good news of the risen Savior! The same is true with us. This is what I need daily. God Himself speaking Truth into my heart to open the eyes of my mind to His purposes in the things He allows...to put me in the right direction...to share and witness His glory with others.
In all things how I must remember what the path of doubt looks like and when I am resolved in this it returns me back to my Jerusalem where all hope is found and where God is at work. The Hebrew word for complaining is -- REMAINING. Like the children of Israel, they complained and remained in the desert, wandering. But instead of 'remaining' in hopelessness because of doubt we want to return to Jerusalem and enter the Promised Land which means to 'continue on' in His purposes at all costs and with Jesus and His Word we can.
God's foreordained plans are plans that man cannot change. It was the Father's will for His Son to suffer and die for the sins of mankind. Jesus knew this and He went to the cross and it would cost Him - His life. He knew His life and journey was to follow on the path marked out for Him. His path did lead Him to His journey to Jerusalem in the final days of His ministry on earth. Luke 9:51 tells us of His resolve and determination to do the Fathers will at all costs....."As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem". But let us remember where these Words came from first as Isaiah prophesized of His suffering and what a beautiful example this is to us, "I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting. Because the Sovereign LORD helps Me I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like flint and I know I will not be put to shame" Isaiah 50:6-7
This is the direction and resolve we have in Jesus when He is our example, 'to set our face like flint' towards my Jerusalem; in all that He is asking. To stand strong in the face of adversity regarding great difficulties as being worthwhile for Him as we remember and consider what this resolve and direction will lead us to.
As God gives me the grace, I will share Randys story. Our story. Gods story. My continued story. With all who are willing to hear of the hope Christ provides; regardless of the pain He calls me to endure as I set my face like a flint and walk to my Jerusalem.
The Lord brought us to Richmond 22 years ago this month. For His purposes. A new job for Randy meant leaving a very familiar and comfortable place in South Florida and a great church and a wonderful Christian school for our girls in an area close to the beach...everything so perfect in our eyes. This transfer meant the sadness in leaving our wonderful family and friends. To move to a very unfamiliar place, a 'wilderness place', and not know anyone or anything that was common to our world. We knew that it was God and therefore it did not matter the state we were living in, only the "state of our heart" in trusting Him. Randy and I had the Lord and our dependency on Him and one another grew tremendously through this time.
Shortly after, God led us to our church which we knew we needed a place to worship and that place would become our new church family. Our church was just newly started, CCRichmond, and Randy was resolved that this was Gods will for him and our family. A small church compared to the large Calvary Chapel that we attended in Ft Lauderdale but God was going to do something new in us both and it was exciting to see this new work begin too in the church. One thing we were certain of, God placed us where the truth of the Word was being taught and we were growing and we knew this is where God planted us. It was no accident, this was the bigger work, the job was just a part of the bigger purpose bringing us here. Randy had a steadfast resolve for the LORD and set his face like flint.... toward what God was asking.
This path God was calling us on meant a path no longer led by our own wants, purposes or desires. It wasn't governed any more by job promotions or a will to climb up a corporate ladder. This path was a less glamorous path traveled according to the worlds ways. But it was the most freeing and it is a path always beautiful and blessed with the most rewards. Randy put all those things that the world dangles infront of our eyes to attain, all aside, to personally invest in the kingdom of God, in the lives of his family and in the lives of many others in His resolve to first serve God.
To serve our families, our spouses, children and others is the most serious of all work. To know our priorities and keep them in order in the serious work. God led Moses to lead the people in the desert and establish a nation and this parallels the church today and begins in our homes. This calling is serious but impossible without God but with God our purposes become attainable when He is along with us. When we set our face like flint to fulfill the purpose that He has started. He is fully able.
Last year in January God called us to begin a series of MRIs and doctor appointments each month at Duke. Our grandchildren came and packed their bags each month and on this trip they surprised him with words of encouragement as they wrote on his car and how they always found ways to bless him. I remember the joy this gave to him as the hope he had seen lived out through them each day in the God in whom they knew and believed in. I remember us all praying with Randy as we headed out the driveway and Randy's prayer was so simple and so from the heart of God, "Lord, You are faithful. Your will be done in all You allow this day. We are so thankful to You for all that we have. Amen" Tears flooded my heart as I continued to witness his faith and surrender each day knowing this trip would determine the progress and size of his tumor as we would drive, have another MRI and wait for the doctors report. All very daunting and always so very unknown...but Randys confidence stood on the fact that Thou knowest all things.....and we set our face like a flint as we journeyed on to our Jerusalem.
In "setting our face like flint" , this is a statement of courage and with a firm resolve....even if it means great suffering. Flint is a hard rock and it is sturdy. It means that we carry on to complete our purpose in life with a resolve that is determined and a faith that is enduring, walking forward in courage. Jesus did. He could see the cross in the distance, but He still set His face like a flint knowing the agony that awaited Him, but for the joy that was set before Him, He endured. How often it has been so hard for me to move forward in my faith throughout lifes trials and uncertainties, and through the last six months, but each time I have learned that in obeying what God was asking I first had to resolve in my heart to determine to set my face like a flint...knowing what was awaiting me may be hard and unknown but in our obedience God blesses us despite our feelings and uncertainties and we learn to remember that through it all. we have the blessed assurance that.. Thou knowest all things.
Spurgeon writes these points of "Jesus' face set like a flint" . The resolve that He had is a great example to us all...….
1. How the steadfast resolve of Jesus was tested:
* By offers from the world
* By the persuasions of friends
* By the unworthiness of His clients
* By the bitterness of suffering in Gethsemane
* By the ease He could of had if He backed out
* By the taunts of those who mocked Him
* By the full stress and agony of the cross
2. How the steadfast resolve of Jesus was sustained:
* By His Divine schooling.
* By His conscious innocence.
* By His unshakable confidence in the help of God.
* By the joy that was set before Him.
3. How to imitate the steadfast resolve of Jesus:
* When you have a right purpose, that glorifies God, may we carry it out.
Jesus is our beautiful example as He so resolved in carrying out His divine purpose until He said, "It is finished". He endured and was resolved in the purpose He had upon His life. Are we resolved in our purposes, to carry on the will of our Father despite all? May we remember the Words of the prophet Isaiah "For the Lord God will help Me". That in the midst of Jesus' suffering, pain and humiliation He had an undeniable confidence in the help of the Lord God.
May we resolve in our hearts as we live out our purposes in the LORD and Trust in Him. In doing so may we proclaim, "for the LORD God will help me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame" Isaiah 50:7...….because......Thou knowest all things.
Michelle A. Guerra
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