Dear Friends,

READ: LUKE 23:1 THROUGH 24:53

Today’s Christians live in a high-stress society. Schedules are tight and tempers even tighter. Advertisers market stress-relief products, from supplements to all the gizmos and gadgets one could imagine, yet many people remain anxious and weary with no end in sight.

Jesus’ disciples were reeling from recent events. First, their Lord had been crucified, and now some of their own were reporting they had seen Him—alive! Exhausted and frightened, they gathered together to try to make sense of the mess.

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you” (Luke 24:36).

He simply appeared in their midst. Jesus, their friend and Lord, the Prince of Peace. They knew His voice; this same voice had calmed their fears many times before.

Jesus still speaks peace to His disciples today. He still walks into the midst of their confusion and says, “Peace be with you.” This morning I woke to see a rainbow over the mountains near my home. Just a gentle reminder that our God controls the events in our world and it is moving towards His ultimate plan.

But without ears to hear, His gentle whisper might be missed. Learning to quiet oneself in the midst of chaos takes discipline and practice but brings great reward.

Challenge for Today: Take time to sit in God’s presence and to listen for His voice.