He Walks With Me

Disturbing events in my life often cause me to walk aimlessly along, maybe discussing my feelings with a friend as I go, but still very confused about what is going on.  I’ve come to realize that I (you, me, we…choose any pronoun) am at times very similar to the disciples walking along the road to Emmaus after Jesus’ resurrection (Luke 24:13-16). They were mourning and confused when  Jesus joined them on their walk, but they did not recognize Him.

I think there are many times that Jesus walks and even talks with us, yet we don’t notice His presence. There are many reasons we may not recognize Him.

• Emotions – Difficult circumstances have caused my emotions to be so overwhelming that I don’t always recognize that Jesus is walking with me.  The disciples were grieving the loss of their friend and the man they hoped would redeem Israel.  They were full of emotions.
• Distractions –  Many distractions during situations have prevented my focus from being on Him. At times I must admit that I’ve become so focused on the circumstances that I can not see God at work in my life.  (In those moments, I’ve been extremely thankful for intercessory prayers of family and friends.)
• Timing – Sometimes it is just not the right time for us to see Jesus, but instead it is a time for us to simply experience His presence as these disciples did.

Jesus opened their eyes to recognize Him in verse 31, and  when He was ready for them to know more, He opened their minds to understanding in verse 45. Then the exciting part happened.  He ascended into heaven! Their confusion was gone. They understood what He had been telling them and what the prophets had spoken for years. They worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy (Luke 24:52).  They were able to joyfully return to the place that had caused so much confusion.

Like the disciples, we sometimes miss Jesus walking and talking along side us because confusion clouds our vision. But I believe our eyes will one day be opened so that we understand why God allowed the difficult things in our lives. Maybe not in this lifetime, but when it’s the right time.

An old hymn, which my daddy loved to sing, comes to mind called In the Garden by Charles Austin Miles. Part of the lyrics say:

And He walks with me and He talks with me. And He tells me I am His own,  And the joy we share as we tarry there, None other has ever known.

I find comfort in knowing that even in my confusion Jesus cares and is willing to walk with us.  No matter what confusion you are experiencing, trust that He will walk with you every step and even carry you when necessary. One day, He will open our eyes to understanding and again fill our hearts with worship and joy.

photo credit: NoJuan <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/53978518@N00/35084498706″>Faint Pathway</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a&gt; <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a&gt;