Believe Again: Restoring Faith When Hope Feels Lostഉദാഹരണം

As I reflect on this Bible plan, one of my prayers is that you have an encounter with Jesus that restores your hope and faith. This prayer brings to mind the encounter some disciples had on the road to Emmaus, as described in Luke chapter 24. This happens after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, when He reveals Himself to the disciples.

Before that revelation, He walks alongside two disciples traveling to Emmaus. These disciples are visibly sad, and Jesus asks them about their sadness and conversation. One of them replies, "Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" They are sharing their sorrow with Jesus while not yet realizing they are speaking to Him.

I want to highlight verse 21, where one disciple says, "We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel."But here's what Jesus does next: He opens the Scriptures to them and explains everything concerning Himself. Later, at their request, He accompanies them to their home, where He sits down and eats with them. In that moment, their eyes are opened, and they recognize who He is. It was Jesus who had been conversing with them all along!

Perhaps you can relate to the sentiments expressed by the disciples in verse 21. You may have hoped that the Lord would intervene in your life and that your situation would have improved by now. I pray that the Lord grants you the same experience as those disciples on the road to Emmaus. May this devotional, or another encounter this week, serve as your own Emmaus Road experience, where God reveals Himself to you, and you invite Him in to show you more of who He is.

The disciples in this situation had lost hope. Still, Jesus came in, and their response went from "We were hoping" to "Did not our hearts burn," and they told the testimony of Jesus. He truly does leave the 99 just to find the one. I hope this example illustrates how Jesus will create an encounter for you, where He meets with you, shares a meal, and opens the Scriptures so you can see Him alive in your life. Just as He helped those disciples believe again, I pray for the same outcome in your life!

Prayer: Lord, I pray for an Emmaus road encounter with You. Thank You for caring enough to reveal Yourself to me daily so I may believe again. May my life go from having hoped to a heart burning for You like never before. In Jesus' name, Amen.