Friday, June 18, 2021 A Step in the Wrong Direction LISTEN   “Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of all these things which had happened.” —Luke 24:13–14 The two disciples on the road to Emmaus still felt devastated by what they saw in Jerusalem.  They had witnessed Jesus hanging on that cross, and they wanted to get away.  They wanted to get away from the pain, away from the trauma. At the empty tomb, Jesus had given this message to the women:  “Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there” (Matthew 28:10 NLT). But these two weren’t waiting in Galilee or hanging out in Jerusalem.  They were just leaving town.  And what was true of these first-century disciples is also true of us today: every step away from the cross is a step in the wrong direction. When you’re feeling down, when you’re hurting, or when you’ve failed spiritually, that is not the time to walk away from the cross.  That is the time to run to it. Here’s the devil’s strategy.  He’ll whisper something in your ear along the lines of, “Hey, you’re doing great spiritually.  You’re awesome! Look at how much you read the Bible.  Look at how strong you are.  You don’t even need to go to church this week.  You don’t need to pray. You’re good. You’re solid.” But what he’s really saying to you is “stay away from the cross.  Don’t go to the cross and repent of your sin.” These are all lies.  The devil will tell you to stay away from the cross while the Holy Spirit tells you to run to it.  Go to the Father through Jesus Christ, and remember what He did for you.  Ask Him to forgive you of your sin because, whether you realize it or not, you sin every day. We always need to go to the cross. Share this today:     Billy Graham: The Man I Knew Receive a copy for your gift of support today » Pastor Greg Laurie's new book, Billy Graham the Man I Knew, takes an in-depth look at his relationship with the great man while revealing the human side of Graham and his impact in history. Receive a copy with your donation. Copyright © 2021 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. Harvest Ministries exists with your support to Know God and Make Him Known. If you would like, you can update your preferences. This email may be considered an advertising or promotional email. Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie P.O. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514-4000 Phone: 1-800-821-3300