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What am I missing?

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What am I missing?

What is right in front of us, but we are not seeing?

Have you ever driven by a place that you regularly drive by, but suddenly see something you have never seen before? It isn’t something new, but something that must have been there for some time, it’s just that you never saw it before. Just the other day I had this experience when I saw a particular house that I have never seen before and I immediately began to wonder, “What else am I missing? What else is right in front of me but I am not seeing it?”

Are We Not Recognizing Jesus?

The same thing happened, though in a much more dramatic fashion and of far more importance, to the men on the road to Emmaus. Not only are they oblivious to the signs that should have prepared them for the Messiah, but in their troubled state of mind, they don’t even recognize the Savior in their presence! 

“How foolish you are and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” Luke 24:25-26

FOOLISH?? Slow of heart? How these words of Christ must have shocked the hearers! And yet they still don’t get it. It takes a long walk, a meal and then the breaking of bread for the reality to hit these men. When they finally understood all the Savior had been sharing with them and that He was the Risen Lord right in their midst, did they then question themselves and wonder why they didn’t see this before? In our current vernacular we would respond with something like, “duh!” 

Why Else Are We Missing?

The question remains, why didn’t they get it? What couldn’t they see? Why was no one ready for the death of the Messiah? Many asked if He could be the One they were waiting for, but they were waiting for an earthly king and not a spiritual one. When Jesus didn’t bring what they thought they had been promised they fell into despair. But the Old Testament Scriptures had never promised an earthly king; they just thought that because it was what they wanted. 

How Do You Respond When You Don’t Get What You Want?

The correlation to our personal lives is obvious: when Jesus doesn’t bring what you thought you were promised, how do you respond? If you thought a comfortable life was your promise, what do you do when you are facing illness, loneliness, depression, loss, even death? If earthly blessing and happiness are your goals in life, how do you respond when you are unhappy? What do you say to others who are sad and lonely and can’t quite figure out life? What is your attitude when you don’t get what you wanted?

Remember: Be A Student of Scripture

Several things are good to know at this point. First, you must STUDY the Word. Not just read it, but STUDY it. Ponder it, meditate on it, share it with others, try to put what you read in your own words, read in different translations, PRAY OVER IT. Make every effort to know what it really says and not what you think it says or want it to say. If you are in Christ, the Holy Spirit resides within you and is there to lead you in your study and guide you into all truth. Never assume you know all there is to know about any particular passage. There is always more to be gleaned and deeper understanding to be gained. 

Remember: Not My Will, But Your Will Be Done

Secondly, it is important to remember that we must come to the Father with an attitude of submission, accepting from His Hand whatever He deems best for us. That’s easy to do when things are going the way we want them to, but much more challenging when they are not. Frustration, loss, pain, and suffering are good tools for revealing the idols we have erected that take the place of the Lord Jesus Christ. If there is something you absolutely must have in order to be happy, then you have made that thing an idol. God loves you too much to allow it to rule you and so He must expose it so you can put Him back in His rightful place.

Remember: This Is Not Your Home

Finally, we believers must always keep in mind that we are citizens of a far greater kingdom, an eternal one that nothing can keep us from. It is a promised inheritance and we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit for that day! This life is so very temporary and so are our struggles. They can feel like they will never end, but they will. 

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal weight of glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

by Holly Carr

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