It was the philosopher, Kierkegarrd, who wrote, "Life is lived forward but understood backward." Such was certainly the case for the disciples following Jesus' resurrection.
It was a fearful and defeated group that met behind locked doors on that first Easter evening. They had heard the news of Jesus' resurrection from the women who followed Jesus and some of them had seen the empty tomb. Still, they did not believe the good news. It was only after the living Lord appeared that they believed. For the next 40 days, Jesus continued to be with the disciples. Slowly they began to understand all that had taken place days and weeks earlier. When Pentecost came, filled with the Spirit, they were ready to proclaim what Jesus' death and resurrection meant. Looking "backward" they understood that Jesus paid for the sins of the world on the cross and that all who believed would not perish but have everlasting life.
"Life is lived forward but understood backward." Isn't that true for us as well? We don't often understand what God's will is for our lives. Life doesn't make sense to us when we suffer illness or face uncertainty. It's only after we take a look in life's "rearview mirror" that we can see how God was at work - protecting, caring, helping - in our lives.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding," reads Proverbs 3:5. Life is lived best when moving forward in faith in God's promises to bless those who are His. That makes the looking backward all the sweeter - seeing God's hand upon your life!
