“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you,” (Hebrews 13:5 NLT).
A crisis of belief occurs for most of us during difficult situations. We know that God is all-powerful and could rescue, heal, or save us at any time. So we tend to feel abandoned or duped when He doesn’t.
And you can bet your bottom dollar, Satan is going to be waiting in the wings to whisper doubts in your ear. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for just the right moment to discourage the wounded believer (1 Peter 5:8). He looks for the opportune time to trip you up and bring you down (Luke 4:13).
But even if you don’t feel Jesus’ presence in your life, He is still there.
The same day that Peter and John discovered the empty tomb, two of the disciples were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. As the sacred city lay behind them, so did their hopes and dreams. While discussing the tragic events of the past weekend, another man appeared and began to walk alongside them.
“What are you talking about?” the man asked.
“Are you the only visitor in Jerusalem who doesn’t know about what happened over the past few days?”
“What things?” the man asked.
Then the two disciples gave the traveler a blow-by-blow account of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, burial, and disappearance from the tomb. Their eyes were blinded by despair and they didn’t realize that hope was walking right alongside them. All they saw was the tragedy, but they missed seeing Jesus walking on the dusty road with them.
Perhaps you’ve traveled down your own dusty road to Emmaus with circumstances leaving you confused, troubled, and depressed. Perhaps you been discouraged and wondered: Where in the world is Jesus anyway?
If so, remember this my friend, just because we cannot see Jesus or sense His presence, does not mean that He is absent. Just because we can’t see Him working does not mean that He isn’t.
He is walking the path with you (Matthew 28:20).
He is praying for you (Hebrews 7:25).
He is working on your behalf (John 5:17).
Jesus assures us with these words: “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20 NLT).
He gave His word. He gave His life.
