Have you ever felt the call of God and embarked on the same and down the line, felt stuck?

You are in very good company. The bible is replete with folk who felt the same way.

If you ever faced rejection, you would have secretly questioned your identity. It may have felt like you did not fit in the room. It could have come as an outright question or someone's action or inaction. People's words may have cut deep into your soul, making you feel less than others or driving you down the evil path of despair, self-doubt,  defeat, and depression. You may have traversed many dark valleys, pushed down great mountains, and been told there was no room for you in the inn. Maybe you had doors slammed in your face, and the scars remain to date. The perpetrators may be long gone; others may continue to sing eerie tunes and perpetuate their evil mission. Your heart may be nursing the hurt, pain, and questions, screaming louder and demanding attention. Many life experiences may have rattled you to the core, leaving your essence a mystery.

Know this, beloved; you are not alone; it is the way of man, and it is almost impossible to go through life without facing the issue of one's identity.

That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him.

17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” LUKE 24:13-17ff

But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.

5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.” LUKE 24:1-7

Pilate asked the question of the Jews. What do you want me to do with the one called the king of the Jews? They answered, “Crucify Him!”

The same question is thrown at us daily. Life is full of choices, and we have to make them at every turn. The issues of life have only one assignment, determine to which side of the divide we have chosen to subscribe. We are admonished to stay close to Jesus, imbibe His word and deploy them in our daily activities. Only then can we make our lives count for life and eternity.

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” John 20: 25

If there was ever a role play and we were to identify with one of Jesus’ disciples, my first option would be Thomas the Twin. I would readily admit my need to see for myself. I am forever in search of the divine in the mundane. So if the subject at hand referred to matters of the Spirit, I would insist on seeing Jesus.

Like Thomas, it is not that I do not want to believe. On the contrary, I do; I need to know what I believe in. I was that child who asked tons of questions in class, advocating for seeing things from other angles.

The memory of the righteous is blessed...

That Jesus did not remain in the grave is a testament that good would always prevail over evil. That He revealed Himself to many after He rose is proof that death has no power over the son of God and anyone who trusts Him. Biblical accounts and history confirm that Jesus rose from the grave three days after He was crucified. He remains the only religious leader whose grave is empty to date. His resurrection is the confidence with which the believer in Christ operates.

Have you ever had to endure the silence of heaven? Have you ever desperately needed a word, and none came? Do you have unanswered questions, that period when you would do anything to know what God thought of an issue? Or the time when all around you is dark, and all you asked was a ray of hope, a flicker of light, a word, a sign, anything but silence.

The central theme in the Christian faith.

It symbolizes love, sacrifice and redemption