Luke 24:36-39 – “Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.”  37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”  NKJV

After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples, and they were terrified when he appeared.  I am not sure we would not have been in the same boat.  We benefit from hindsight while they were living in the reality of the moment.  We can piously look back and say, “Well, I would never have doubted, but had we lived when and where they lived, we probably would have had the same reaction, if not worse.”

Jesus’ question applies to that and any situation in life, “Why are you troubled?  Why do doubts arise in your hearts?”  How many times do we find ourselves “troubled” and our hearts filled with “doubt” and “questions?” Probably much more than we would like to admit publicly! 

There was a time in my life when it would have been hard to admit that I had “doubt” because preachers were supposed to be perfect.  Nobody ever told me that, but that was the perception I developed from listening to my elders and church members in my early days as a Christian.  I cannot tell you how often I have been told, “But you are a preacher, so…”

So?  Because I am a preacher, I cannot have doubts.  Can’t I make mistakes?  Can’t I have wrong thoughts?  Can’t I succumb to the temptations of the flesh in some fashion?  I am not saying “can’t” because it is okay, but just because I am a preacher does not make me immune! 

While I do not doubt that God holds those of us who stand in the Sacred Desk of the Pulpit to a very high standard, I also believe He knows our frailty as human beings.  I wish that people inside and outside the church did.  If so, we would probably have a smaller drop-out rate of those who enter the ministry and then walk away at some point.  Some do so, so wounded and bitter that they lose their faith. 

Likewise, if preachers understood that the man or woman in the pew is human and approached life situations with a little more compassion, at times, we would also see fewer people walking away from the church bitter, disillusioned, and destitute in their faith.

What we need is a revival of SEEING JESUS!  We need to see His “nail-scarred hands” and remember how He got them and what they mean to us individually and collectively. 

• We need to see His “pierced side” where he was wounded as He hung on the Cross and realize that our words can be spears that do great harm in the lives of others. 
• We need to see his “tattered and torn flesh” from the lashes He received for us and realize that Without Him, we would not survive in this world. 
• We need a revival of Seeing Jesus!  We need to see His compassion for the lost, the hurting, the dying, the needy, the discouraged, the disappointed, and the disillusioned.
• We need to see Jesus in the occurrences of life and allow Him to shine through our lives in a much more real and powerful way. 

If we could see Jesus, we would find ourselves facing fewer times of “troubled hearts” and “doubt-filled minds.” We would know that no matter what we face in life – – HE IS THERE! 

So, as you go through this day, may you go in the strength of His Person! 

Blessings abundantly upon your life are my prayer and desire!