Locked Up With No Peace

John 20:19
On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

Fantasia Barrino was found in her closet a couple of weeks ago with an overdose of pills. Her family was able to get her to the hospital in time to pump her stomach and save her life. Fantasia who at one time had so much going in her favor has recently found herself in debt, in danger of losing her home, and embarrassed by a sex tape scandal. No one knows why she overdosed and hid herself in a closet but we can only empathize with the pressure she must be under trying to climb out of debt, trying to support her family, trying to resurrect a career all while the whole world is entertained by her dilemma on reality television. Maybe she was searching for fabricated peace in her closet trying to go to sleep and never wake up.

Hiding behind locked doors with no peace or with fabricated peace is not the way Jesus wants his followers to live. Fantasia needs to know there is another way to deal with the troubles of this world.

Jesus' disciples were also trying to hide behind locked doors because their leader had been publicly executed. They felt they were next. When you feel the world closing in on you, sometimes the only option appears to be to run and hide out of fear of the unknown.

What I love about Jesus is that locked doors will not keep him out. It wasn't time for Fantasia to die and neither is it time for you to die or give up because here comes Jesus!

The bible says Jesus came through the locked doors and told the disciples, "Peace be with you!" He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit!" This mirrors the creation narrative when God breathed into Adam the breath of life and he became a living being. When we feel dead and helpless we should ask Jesus to breathe on us and into us the Holy Spirit and watch him breathe new life into our situation. Come out of that closet and let God do a new thing in you! It's not time to die! You shall live and not die and proclaim the works of the Lord's hand in your situation.

When you find yourself in a bind, instead of hiding in your closet you need to make sure you:

1. Don't lock yourself away from God. In the time of trouble he will hide you under the shadow of his wings. When we are in trouble we should run to God and not from God.

2. Don't take your life, give your life to Jesus.

3. Receive inspiration from the Word of God in the bible, preaching and gospel music. Let God inspire or breathe into you through His word.

Dear God, breathe into me the breath of life, so my heart may be Holy and my soul made right. I will not give up until I go up. Just as you healed Fantasia, the disciples and me; so also heal all of those who are hiding behind locked doors out of fear on today.

In Jesus Name,

Amen.