​He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! (Luke 24:25)

I wonder how Cloepas and his traveling companion felt when the unknown stranger rebuked them along the road to Emmaus. They were simply reporting the startling events of the past few days, and seeing them as any normal person would. At the beginning of the week Jesus of Nazareth had been highly esteemed. By the end of the week he had died the humiliating death of a criminal. That morning the story started to circulate that Jesus was alive again. Alive but as yet unseen. What was anyone to make of this turn of events? 

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! (Luke 24:25)

The unknown stranger turned out to be the risen Jesus, walking with them and rebuking them for their lack of understanding and their lack of trust. Jesus then laid out the case for trusting God’s plan as it was laid out in Scripture: the Son of Man suffers, dies, rises.

It is as if Jesus was saying, "You could have seen it if you were looking for it. You could have seen it if you listened to me carefully.” I don’t believe he said this harshly. I do believe he said it firmly.

He said it firmly because of what’s at stake. If Jesus’ death was an accident or his resurrection was just a story, then God isn’t in control. If nobody could have predicted these events, then we’re all just making the best of a bad situation. A confusing situation at least.

But Jesus did rise on the third day according to the slow and sure plan of the Father. Jesus will return to make all things right — by the slow and sure plan of the Father. 

There will be situations today that tempt you to forget that God is still in charge, still willing and able to bring about his purposes for the world and for your life. 

Let’s not be slow of heart or mind in knowing that great good is coming. Jesus said so!

​It is not hard to imagine how the disciples felt the morning after Jesus’ death: afraid, stunned, confused, immeasurably sad. Maybe angry, too. 

Afraid because Jesus had been crucified by Rome, and Rome always dealt harshly with rebellions. Would the disciples and their families be sought out next? Stunned because the overwhelming acclaim Jesus received at the beginning of the week did him no apparent good by the end of the week. Confused because Jesus had no backup plan in case the Jewish leaders came to arrest him. Immeasurably sad because the best person anyone had ever known died a humiliating death before their eyes. Angry? Political intrigue and power-mongering among the Jewish leaders led to the death of an innocent man. Besides, being angry is easier than being sad. 

That is how I imagine they felt, but what did they do?

The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes. But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment. (Luke 23:55–56)

What they did was observe the Sabbath from Friday sunset until Saturday sunset. They observed it by praying together, eating a Sabbath meal (if they could eat at all), and refraining from work. 

Their habits of faith shaped their lives even in their worst moments. We need a faith like theirs based not only on emotion, not only on good or right ideas, but based on habits that reinforce our intention to honor God. Habits that can keep us on the  right track (or nearly so) even when chaos and sorrow overwhelm us.

What habits would you like to have in place to sustain you? Study, prayer, fellowship, worship, making music, walking while talking with God are some examples. 

What’s your next step toward one of those habits?

And hang on until tomorrow. He said he would rise on the third day….

What do you want? 

Rick Warren has said: "Power follows purity.” God will empower those who allow God to purify them. 

David said, 
    Take delight in the LORD,
        and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalms 37:4)

Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6)

What do your actions say about what you want? (Your mom always said actions speak louder than words, and she was right.) 

What do you desire?

​When we allow God to purify us, he loves to empower us, to give us the desires of our heart, to fill us with himself. 

    Take delight in the LORD,
        and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalms 37:4)

​One reason it is so easy to fall into complaining is the obvious fact that sometimes arrogant and self-absorbed people thrive. Self-centered people often find themselves rewarded for their actions and attitude. 

How can this be? It isn’t right!

King David counsels: 
Do not fret because of those who are evil 
        or be envious of those who do wrong;
    for like the grass they will soon wither,
        like green plants they will soon die away.
    Trust in the LORD and do good;
        dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. (Psalms 37:1–3)


David and his pastures! Doesn’t he see that evildoers thrive and God’s people suffer?

Doesn’t God see?!

    Trust in the LORD and do good;
        dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

The counsel we get from David is not a direct answer to our question. He does not directly address our pain or frustration. His answer is intentionally indirect. Indirect and psychologically astute.

Trust and enjoy God.

Trust is a decision to be confident in God, followed by a thousand little decisions to cooperate with God despite our circumstances. It is a refocusing from our negative circumstances to the positive that God brings about. We intentionally remember the good that God does and is. 

It is a way of paying attention to what we can control (our focus, our thoughts), and letting go of what we cannot control (evildoers, and the consequences of their actions).

We trust God because he is good. We trust God because that is something we can do — we can change our focus. It is a kind of spiritual discipline to notice and change what we think about. 

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can, 
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Amen.

We have been talking about what amounts to a paradigm shift. Reading Psalm 23 closely like this shows us the kind of life God offers us now. 

We tend to slip back into thinking that the Christian faith is about cleaning up our act, minding our tongue, or choosing to be loyal to the right side. While all of those are part of the process, none of them are the core of following Christ. The paradigm shift Psalm 23 invites us to make is to instead see God himself as the ongoing source of our life and refreshment.

Green pastures. Quiet waters. Right paths. No fear. Comfort. A banquet. Enemies at bay. 

None of the above are things we do or make. All are the result of walking with God, all are things we can receive from God as we are open to him.

Yesterday’s question: How can we experience the life God promises? 

Do you remember the thought experiment from a few days ago? “What next?” Turning our thoughts to Jesus as often as we can is one way to be open to what God offers. That openness allows the free flow of “quiet waters” to the deepest parts of us.

Over the next few days we will look at what kinds of things we can do to make ourselves open to what God wants to do in us. He wants to pour life into us so he can pour his love through us.

It’s a small shift that brings major benefits.

Lord, make us open to you today and always.
​

As we continue to luxuriate through Psalm 23, let’s pause at the “table”.

You prepare a table before me 
in the presence of my enemies.

The “you” of course is the same LORD who is David’s shepherd. The LORD prepares a banquet table and invites David to be the honored guest. The table is set, fit for king and queen, overflowing with food to delight the senses. The table is beautiful and bountiful not because David is impressive, but because the LORD is. 

The great host provides the grand banquet table. And we are invited to feast! What poor manners it would be if we were to fail to show up. The host is providing not just refreshment but his company! 

In Luke 14 Jesus tells a parable of a man who plans a great banquet, inviting many. When the time comes and the banquet is ready, those who at first agreed make excuses saying they cannot come. Business, family life, and ordinary transactions get in the way. 

The offer for a place at the table remains open for a time, both in that parable and in our days: God offers the pleasures and refreshment of his presence. But how hard it is to just sit! 

What is it you’re off to do today? 

The table is set. What would it take to get you to sit with our Host?
​

Yesterday we looked at what it could mean to look to the Shepherd frequently during our day. Every time we have a pause in our day we can turn to God and ask “What’s next?” Have you tried it yet? 

The Apostle Paul writes:
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

Paul is saying that world turns our mind away from God. We become familiar with what we concentrate on. We can learn what we study. We come to know those whom we spend time with. It makes sense then that turning our thoughts to God — allowing him to shape our thinking — makes God’s purposes for our lives ring true.  

Those seeking God find God. Those fleeing God know him less and less. 

“If we allow everything access to our mind, we are simply asking to be kept in a state of mental turmoil or bondage. For nothing enters the mind without having an effect for good or evil.” — Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart, p.111

Turning our minds to our Lord frequently helps us to see the goodness of God and his path for our days. 

What’s your focus for today? 
​