“Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:27 NLT

Our experience of life is not the whole story. You and I are more than the sum of good times and bad times. In Christ, You and I find meaning and purpose in all of it. There is a future that goes on forever. God gives us the resources and capacity to work through and overcome the challenges we experience. Where we have failed there is forgiveness with the ability to live forward with new meaning. Where we have been wounded, there is a way of experiencing healing and wholeness in Christ.

In Christ, our life becomes so much more than we ever imagined. The great news is that this is the work of Christ in us! God has invited us into this expanded reality through Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is with us to keep us encouraged and supported along the way. Suffering and Joy are meant to be experienced with the confidence of God working beyond what we can fully take in.

Jesus was opening a truth for all of us in the passage above, while He was opening up the truth to the two people on the 7-mile walk. He is inviting us to revisit reality with Him for a deeper understanding and a shift of focus because of the fullness of what is going on.

Let me pause here and be very clear. Everything the two on the road to Emmaus shared was true. Their experiences with Jesus ranged from the best of times to the worst of times. His teachings, miracles, and authority were simply awesome. They had never experienced anyone like Him. The betrayals, false condemnation, judgment, and the sheer brutality of beatings and the crucifixion were heartbreaking, awful, and terrible. Those placing hope in Jesus as the Messiah were gutted.

What we see and experience isn’t meant to be minimized. Jesus shows up and invites us into a deeper place of understanding and experience that opens us up to a whole new dimension of reality found by believing and following Him.

Good times, yes! Suffering, to be sure. There is more to reality. Our experience of it is not complete without embracing and following Christ into a new way of living and viewing the world.

Invite God to revisit your reality with you. Ask Him to help you see what He sees. Follow Christ. Embrace the support and care of the Holy Spirit in Your life. Follow Jesus’s example and look to God’s word for a deeper understanding of all that God is doing.

Ed McDowell, C.E.O.
Warm Beach Camp Ministries