Seeing but Not Looking...

Luke 24:13-31 (Click on reference to read text)

My three year old loves riding her bike. One day as she was riding, she began to pick up speed and I could tell she was starting to panic a little. She did not know how to slow her self down and she cried out. I was not worried because I knew something she didn't know. First, that she has training wheels and it is SO hard to fall with training wheels, and secondly that I was jogging along right behind her with my hand ready to slow her down if she teetered. You see my daughter did not see my stabling hand, because she was not looking for it. She just saw how fast she was riding and she was scared.

In the same way, these followers of Christ did not see Jesus, because they were not even looking for Him. He was standing right in front of them, and all they could see were their fears and confusion. Max Lucado, writing on this account, says, "Rather than consult Scripture, they listened to their fears. Jesus corrects this by appearing to them and conducting a Bible Study" (vs. 21-27).

We so often do the same thing. We find ourselves in circumstances we never dreamed we would be in, life starts flying by really fast, and we get scared. Instead of looking to Jesus, the WORD (John 1:1-14), we begin to look at everything around us and miss out on the steadying hand of Christ in our life.

Are you lonely and afraid? The Bible says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid for the Lord your God is with you" (Joshua 1:9). Are you confused? The Bible says that "your ear will hear a word behind you, This is the way, walk in it, whether you turn to the right or to the left" (Is 30:21). Do you need wisdom? The Bible says, "if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5).

Jesus is right there with you, even when you aren't looking for Him. Don't miss out on His presence! Instead of looking at your fears and your circumstances, look for Him! He had promised, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matt 28:20).