25 He said to them, “How foolish and slow you are to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.
Luke 24:25-27
It seems like every believer has had a moment where he or she thinks, “I wish God would just tell me.” Whether we are seeking direction with a difficult decision, focusing on ways we can love our neighbors through their difficulties, or trying to understand what we just read from the Word, sometimes it feels like we are stuck in a way that we just want God to walk up beside us and tell us exactly what we need to hear to overcome the difficulties we are facing. This story of the Emmaus disciples may be the source of our desires.
As these two disciples were walking down the road—trying to figure out what to believe about what had just happened with Jesus being crucified and who He really was—God walks up next to them and tells them. Luke tells us that Jesus interpreted the things concerning Himself in all of the Old Testament. The discouragement the disciples felt before they met Jesus on the walk is quickly turned into hearts that are ablaze within them. They eventually turn back to Jerusalem so they can share with the Eleven what had just happened. Jesus met these disciples right where they needed to be met and left them with a burning passion to share what He had put into their hearts.
It is easy to be jealous of these disciples for the amazing experience they had with Jesus. But the beauty of serving the Lord is that these experiences still happen today, and their impact can be just as profound as it was for the disciples back then.
We may not be able to physically walk next to Jesus on our journey, explaining our issues and receiving immediate answers, but I can tell many stories about my life in which I have sought the Lord concerning my problems and He has met me right where I needed to be met. Stories of walking with my friends or my children through difficulties where He has consistently provided peace and direction. Stories of financial worry and struggle where He has consistently reassured me that He would sustain me. And even when reading a passage in Scripture that I may have read a hundred times; He consistently opens my eyes to new truths that meet me exactly where I need to be met.
When this happens, those moments of “I wish God would just tell me” turn into “Thank you Lord for meeting me on my journey!” And the next step is to share with anyone who will listen what the Lord has done for us, reminding ourselves that the Lord is still alive today and moving among His people.
Questions to Ask Yourself
- What do you wish God would “just tell you” today?
- How are you making yourself open to His response?
- What need has God met for you in the past, where He met you right where you needed to be met?
- Who have you shared that with?
Missions Prayer
Check out this map of regions of the world, and the unreached people who live there. A people group is a people distinct in language, culture, and geography. Some people groups contain a few thousand people, and others contain millions. Choose a region to pray for today. https://joshuaproject.net/global/regions