Strengthened by God’s Good Gifts – April 22, 2026
When [Jesus] was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Luke 24:30-32
Strengthened by God’s Good Gifts
The two disciples with whom Jesus spoke on Easter evening on the road to Emmaus had had their faith shaken to the core. Jesus had been tried as a felon and crucified as a criminal, looking like a failure.
They heard the reports that the tomb was empty and Jesus was alive, but it didn’t revive their faith. They didn’t even stick around in Jerusalem to see if it might be true. They hit the road for Emmaus, leaving the other disciples.
Jesus chose these two doubting disciples to be among the first he appeared to after his resurrection. He didn’t show up at Pilate’s palace. He didn’t walk into the temple in triumph. He didn’t gloat to the religious leaders who orchestrated his death. He chose two disciples in a crisis of faith.
Jesus gave them exactly what they needed. He shared God’s Word. He broke bread with them as he had during the Passover meal the previous Thursday. Those good gifts were all they needed to recognize that Jesus was alive and so was their faith.
We know what it’s like to struggle. A temptation that won’t loosen its grip. An illness that lingers. A loved one is drifting further from God. All of these can cause a crisis of faith.
That’s when we go where Jesus has told us to look. We open his Word where we hear that our sins are forgiven. We see that the cross is for us. And in the Lord’s Supper, Jesus gives us something tangible. We don’t just hear we are forgiven; we receive it.
When faith feels fragile, God doesn’t demand that we get stronger. He points us to his promises. The same Savior who walked with those disciples still comes to his people today. He still brings those good gifts with him.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, when doubt clouds my heart, draw me back to your Word and your promises. Strengthen my faith with your good gifts. Amen.
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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
