A Walk With Jesus

There are undeniable seasons in our life where we feel distant from the presence and heart of our Savior and God. Yet just as undeniable as those times, there are seasons in which we know we are walking closely to his side. The prophet Isiah urges us all to "Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near." Why is it that despite knowing that God is close to us at all times we feel so distant and alone? How can it be that there are seasons in our christian life that we cannot see God's mercy and companionship displayed before us?

Could it be that there are things present in our lives which prevent us from recognizing the moving of God in our lives? Not unlike the two disciples in our text, there is a certain undeniable force which prevents us from recognizing the savior when he is right before our very eyes. Let us journey together through this story and ponder how these men could not recognize Jesus, and also think upon the manner of life their lived when they could not find their master.

Notice first that the two disciples were saddened. Perhaps through sorrow over the unexpected departure of their master their eyes were filled with sorrow. It is a known fact that when people are experiencing heighten levels of grief that they are not able to think or see things as clearly. Their inability to recognize Jesus was certainly not solely the cause of sorrow, for we are told they are prevented from seeing. This would indicate that God in His sovereign wisdom did not wish for them to recognize Christ. Their grief certainly aided their inability to look upon the face of their savior.

This is true as well for so many of us. There are seasons in our life that are so painful they don't make sense. In that pain we often begin to ask why. We seek for a answer we wonder where is our savior in the midst of our pain. in the same way these disciples were grieving and asking where their savior had gone and He was there in their midst the whole time asking them the same question. In the midst of your pain see that your messiah is beside you even if you cannnot see Him

Also we cannot help but see that they were wrestling with unbelief. Unbelief blinds us to the work and presence of our savior. Much like us in our our of grief, these men were not looking for the savior. they had given up hope that they would be rescued. They did not ask might this be the messiah. They were not searching for Him. Rather they were making plans for their life now. They dismissed the stories of his Resurrection as idle talk and fables. They were moved by his teachings but blinded to his healing and presence. 

We often times can fall into the same pit. We go through a season where we walk with God daily, spend time extended time in prayer and fellowship with others. These seasons are much like climbing a mountain, exciting, challenging, and rewarding. However, once we reach the valley and we no longer see our guide we crash and no longer continue to grow in our walk with God we neglect our time with the savior and no longer search him out.

As a result the manner of our life is one of sadness. When we do not spend time in the presence of our savior we will be saddened. Jesus is the joy in our life. He has filled us with such great a hope. Through him we live and move and breath and have our being. It is though his name we have life and have it abundantly. Likewise, when believers live life absent from his presence they will be downcast and miserable! 

Spurgeons wrote: I can understand the child of God saying "i am out of fellowship with Christ," but I cannot understand his saying that calmly and deliberately, without tears and repentance. I can comprehend that the heir of heaven may walk in darkness and see no light; but I cannot understand how he can be at home in darkness." If you set a bird of the day flying at night it would flutter and be uneasy. If you take a candle to a place where birds are nesting they will be uneasy. The only bird comfortable and at home in the darkness is the owl. If any of us are at home in the darkness and content without the light of our master we are creatures of the night. I pray we are sad if we don't sense our savior near. If we are not grieved when we feel the absence of the Holy Spirit we were never children of the day.

In the same way those who are out of fellowship with each other will be downcast. So let us cast off ever ounce f unbelief and embrace Christ. If your in seasons of grief know that God is ever near. He is in your midst. Let us then live as children of the light and remove all darkness from our lives lest we be devoured by predators in the dark. You were made to live by the day therefore do not live as tho you were a creature of darkness.