Beyond Locked Doors

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!”   After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you!                                            As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”  John 20:19-21

Jesus had been crucified. A brutal murder. He had been laid to rest in a cold tomb. His disciples were locked up behind closed doors overcome with grief, fear and confusion. Paralyzed and traumatized, not knowing what to do next. The future they perceived was a shattered dream.  Hopes dashed. Death was lurking. Were they next?

All of a sudden Jesus Himself appears. He tells them "peace." Twice He tells them as He knows they are in a bad way. Now it was time for them to understand this was always the plan. Brutal as it was, it was what needed to be done. Jesus overcame death by dying on that cross. He did it for them, for all of mankind. He wanted them to know He had it all under control. He knew what He was doing. Always did and always will.  He want them to have peace knowing they could trust Him. There was no need for fear. No need for grief. Jesus was (is) alive. This changed everything. Joy filled the room.                                                             

We get ourselves behind those closed doors don't we? Paralyzed with fear, with grief we just don't know what to do next. Anxiety, grief, fear, all of those emotions that try to grab ahold of us and strangle the life out of us. They rob us of joy. They rob us of peace.

There are times when we struggle for good reason. Bad things happen in life. No one is immune. Yet Jesus breaks through. We don't have Him physically, yet He somehow makes Himself known to us. Maybe it is when we read a verse in the Bible that reassures us like, "I will never leave or forsake you" from Hebrews 13:5. Or "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." from John 14:27. 

He actually warned the disciples the night before he died, to prepare them for what was about to happen. But they just didn't understand. He knew they wouldn't get it. We are so slow to understand sometimes. Yet joy was just around the corner. It came when Jesus appeared in that locked room. 

Isn't that us too? We just don't understand. Why is this happening? What am I to do? Yet we too can trust Jesus. We can trust He will bring us through. We just need to let Him in, behind our locked doors. Will life be perfect? No, not in this lifetime. But He will be with us in it. There are no locked doors for Him. 

He has a way of letting Himself be known when we need Him, in ways that are deeply transformative. Ways that build our faith. Ways that assure us of His great love for us. Ways that shatter the lie that life is meaningless and we are alone. Ways that guide us to that next step. The step out of the locked room.

He had plans for those first disciples. He wanted them to share the joy! He wanted them to help bring about God's Kingdom of love and grace to others who were hiding behind closed doors. Men and women who were living in rooms of pain, addiction, disease, of loss and despair. 

These disciples had work to do. He was giving them His assurance, His peace so they could leave that room and go out and live lives infused hope, faith and love. He wanted them to share what Jesus offers everyone. His peace, with joy.

I thank You Lord that there is no door You can't penetrate. There is no corner You can't see around. I thank You that as I open the door of my heart, You bring healing and peace. You help me step out into the sunshine of knowing You love me and You are with me. Always.

Hidden Beside the Brook

Go from here and turn east and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan. 

You shall drink by the brook, 

and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there. 

So he did according to the Word of the Lord; 

he went and dwelt by the brook Cheirth, east of the Jordan.

1 Kings 17:3-5

The amazing Elijah enters the scene. This is our first look at him in the pages of scripture. And what we see is a man who hears from God and does what He says. I believe this is the secret of his "success," why God could use him in such mighty ways.

In these verses, God directs him to hide himself by the brook. This is where he is to find water to sustain him during a time of drought (which God told him was coming in verse 1). Drought, which always leads to famine, was coming but the man of God was directed where to go, in order to survive. He was in survival mode. He had a life line.

Elijah's story unfolds from here with incredible highs and devastating lows, but this is where we see the bedrock foundation of Elijah's life. He hid himself by the brook.  

We too can hide ourselves by the brook, the brook of God's Living Water.  Jesus says in Matthew 4 :4 "It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God." We have opportunity to greet each day, knowing that it is Him Who sustains us, Him who directs us with His tender care. We can go to the scriptures. We can listen and hear what God has to say to us day by day. 

We see the reality of God's provision lived out in the Elijah's life as he listened to God. His circumstances weren't always easy but he lived day to day, with his ear inclined towards the Lord, listening and then doing as God asks him to do. As we live by the brook, listening to God, we find He reveals Himself to us too. In His mysterious way, He speaks deeply to our hearts, guiding us through the challenges of life.

Thank you Lord, that you are here. Drawing me close to You, where I can be refreshed, guided and strengthened by You. I don't always do life perfectly, but You are there regardless. Endlessly, eternally flowing as a river, sustaining life along your banks.

How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!

People take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.

They feast on the abundance of Your house;

You give them drink from Your river of delights.

For with You is the fountain of life;

in Your light we see light.

Psalms 36:7-9