Happy Easter weekend! This weekend, we celebrate the victorious resurrection of Jesus, and his defeat of death on the cross. It is because of Easter that we get to live today as children of God with the favour of God. We are blessed!
One of the greatest stories from the Easter season is the story of the disciples on Emmaus road. It takes place in Luke 24:13-32. Right before this story, the disciples had witnessed Jesus crucified, and had seen him buried in a tomb. That day, a group of women who had gone to visit the tomb found it empty, and were told by angels that Jesus had been raised from the dead.
In Luke 24:13-32, two disciples were talking about what had happened while they walked on the road to Emmaus. They were confused, downcast, and in mourning. They had hoped that Jesus was the one who would redeem Israel, but now he was gone (verse 21).
As they walk along the road talking about what had happened, they encounter a stranger who asks them what they were talking about. They tell him about the events of the past few days. Then the stranger starts to explain everything to them about Jesus in the Old Testament, and why Jesus had to suffer and die. As they arrive in Emmaus, they invite the stranger to stay with them. They sit down for a meal together, and as the stranger takes the bread, blesses it and breaks it, they recognize that it was Jesus all along.
I find it interesting how Jesus engages these disciples. There are many stories of God speaking to people through dreams, or through a voice from heaven, or through angels. But for these disciples, Jesus shows up as a person on the road. He walks with the disciples, engages them in conversation, teaches them, and spends time with them. The disciples actually recognize Jesus from sitting down for a meal together, which is one of the most natural, everyday events in their lives.
One thing this story brings to mind is how like the disciples, Jesus is journeying with us on the road as well. Jesus walks with us through every season of life, teaching us and showing us new things all the time. I had a chance to do an exercise about change a few days ago, and I’d encourage you to try it. Try writing down at least 10-12 significant changes you’ve experienced in your life. When you’re done, ask God to show you what he was doing and what he accomplished in your life through these changes.
When I did this exercise for the first time, I had a realization about God’s work in my life. So much of God’s hand in my life was through small, incremental changes. God was in all the little changes and turns in my life that seemed so normal. God had walked with me through every season of life, always working out his purposes through these changes.
God wants to be a part of our lives, not just on Sundays, but in our everyday. God wants to speak to us, use us, and encounter us in the little moments of our lives: in the car, commuting to work, during our lunch hour, when we’re sitting at home, and so much more. What it takes from us is some attentiveness to God in our everyday.
Never give up an opportunity to hear God’s voice in your everyday life. Tune in to God, and allow God to speak to you in the regular course of your day. Like the disciples in the Emmaus story, God is right there in the unfolding of our life. As we learn to encounter God in our everyday, we begin to see how God wants to be a part of these seemingly small moments of our lives. As we learn to walk with Jesus through every stage of our lives, may hearing God’s voice become so natural for us, as God teaches and guides us on every step of our journey big and small.