As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?” Luke 24:36-38 ESV
In this passage, when Jesus appeared to the disciples they did not recognize Him. We can understand how they felt. After all, it seems to be a pretty startling thing for someone to just materialize out of thin air! Jesus spoke to them with a voice that they should have been very familiar with. Yet, they probably just stood there staring when He said “Peace to you!”, because verse 37 says that the disciples were frightened and thought that they had seen a spirit. Jesus goes on to ask them “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?” There have been many times in my life that he has asked me this same question in love, never condemning me, but with a gentle loving voice. This is a voice that has become familiar to me. This usually happens when I am so busy and focused on myself that I fail to realize that He is there, in front of me, loving me, and saying “Peace to you.” In a world where peace is rare and hard to find, Jesus is right there, giving me His peace over and over again. Wonderful Peace.
Our Father is so faithful to us! We would love to hear some of your testimonies about how God has been faithful to you. Share with us the story of how God answered your prayer, or provided for you, or healed you, or how He guided you, etc. It is always encouraging to hear how God comes through for us. This is a good opportunity for us to build up each other’s faith as we share in celebrating the faithfulness of our Abba. 
