Tuesday - 3/25/08 - "Locked Away"

Greetings Internet Campus,

The miracle had happened. The stone had rolled away...Jesus had resurrected from the dead...where were all of his followers?

Locked away.

John 20:19 (NLT): “That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” He said.”

Why did the disciples lock themselves away instead of enjoying the miracle of Christ's resurrection? Why were they so afraid?

Self-preservation is a natural response to not seeing a miracle. We don't see it happen...so we decide to just protect ourselves. We make excuses..."I don't think miracles happen anymore anyway..." or "well, God must not care about me" or any other excuse to make us feel better. The disciples hid themselves from the authorities so that they would feel better and more secure. We hide ourselves behind lies from the enemy.

Satan wants you to believe that God is out of the miracle business. He wants you to see God's power to take care of you as "limited" or "with condition". The devil wants you to huddle up and hide yourself from seeing any evidence of God working in your life.

It's time to unlock the door. It's time to step out and start seeing the miracles. God is working to take care of you. He provides, protects, and prepares each of us so that we can handle what we have been so fervently praying about. Want to see your miracle? Quit living in disbelief and fear and start looking expectantly for God to act. Unlock the door to faith...good things...the BEST things...are just on the other side.

Write it Down: Are you locked up in your faith? Have you found yourself believing the devil when he whispers "You aren't getting help from God!" Pray today that God will give you the strength to stand up, unlock the door, and face life with the promises of God's mercy and grace firmly in mind.

See you tomorrow,
Pastor Brian