When He’s Closer than You Think
Well, unlatch that gate and come on up, friend. There’s fresh coffee on the porch and enough room to set down whatever’s been weighin’ on you. Sometimes life gets so confusin’ we start lookin’ for Jesus like a lil’ bobwhite quail huntin’ for its babies in a blackberry thicket, never realizin’ He’s been right beside us the whole blessed time.
That’s exactly what happened on the road to Emmaus.
Two disciples walked seven miles with Jesus. He listened to their disappointment. He explained the Scriptures. He matched their footsteps mile after mile. Yet they didn’t recognize Him until Luke 24:31 says, “Their eyes were opened and they recognized him.”
Friend, absence of recognition isn’t absence of presence.
Sometimes we walk through grief, disappointment, waitin’, or confusion and wonder where God went. Our prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling like a moth bumpin’ against the porch light. Yet Deuteronomy 31:8 promises, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Here’s another beautiful promise. In Exodus 33:14, God says, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” We may not always recognize His hand while the story is unfoldin’, but He never quits walkin’.
One day you may look backward and suddenly understand. That closed door protected you. That waitin’ season strengthened you. That unexpected person encouraged you. What felt like silence may have been God workin’ quietly beyond what you could see.
Lord, when I cannot recognize Your hand, help me trust Your presence. Walk with me through the places I do not understand. Open my eyes to Your faithfulness and give me peace while I wait for clarity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Now then, mosey right on into your next doin’s, friend, and don’t you be frettin’ like an ol’ barn owl that lost its favorite fence post. Keep on walkin’ when the road gets real foggy. Keep on trustin’ when heaven seems quiet. And when your eyes finally open, you may discover Jesus wasn’t waitin’ at the end of the road. He was right there walkin’ beside you every step of the way.
With joy,
Gwen
