Surprised!

Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. —Luke 24:31

Read: Luke 24:13–35

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571–1610), an Italian artist, was known for his fiery temperament and unconventional technique. He used ordinary working people as models for his saints and was able to make viewers of his paintings feel they were a part of the scene. The Supper at Emmaus shows an innkeeper…

He Understands and Cares

It was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. —Isaiah 53:4

Read: Isaiah 53:1–8

When asked if he thought that ignorance and apathy were problems in modern society, a man joked, “I don’t know and I don’t care.”

I suppose many discouraged people feel that way about the world today and the people in it. But when it…

Forsaken for Our Sake

God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” —Hebrews 13:5

Read: Matthew 26:36–46

Does having a friend nearby make pain more bearable? Researchers at the University of Virginia conducted a fascinating study to answer that question. They wanted to see how the brain reacted to the prospect of pain, and whether it behaved differently if a person faced…

Two Portraits

You have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy. —John 16:22

Read: John 16:19–24

Clutching two framed photographs, the proud grandmother showed them to friends in the church foyer. The first picture was of her daughter back in her homeland of Burundi. The second was of her grandson, born…

Free Indeed

If the Son sets you free, you are truly free. —John 8:36

Read: John 8:31–37

Olaudah Equiano (c. 1745–1796) was only 11 years old when he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He made the harrowing journey from West Africa to the West Indies, then to the colony of Virginia, and then to England. By the age of 20 he purchased his own…

Flowing Peace

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. —John 14:27

Read: John 14:16–27

“I’m not surprised you lead retreats,” said an acquaintance in my exercise class. “You have a good aura.” I was jolted but pleased by her comment, because I realized that what she saw as an “aura” in me, I understood to be the peace of Christ. As…

Our Covering

What joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! —Psalm 32:1

Read: Romans 3:21–26

When talking about faith in Jesus, we sometimes use words without understanding or explaining them. One of those words is righteous. We say that God has righteousness and that He makes people righteous, but this can be a tough concept to grasp.

The way…

The Price of Love

He bore the sins of many. —Isaiah 53:12

Read: Isaiah 53:9–12

Our daughter burst into tears as we waved goodbye to my parents. After visiting us in England, they were starting their long journey back to their home in the US. “I don’t want them to go,” she said. As I comforted her, my husband remarked, “I’m afraid that’s the price of love.”…