The power of looking back

This week we are going to discuss the power of looking back. So let’s start off with some verses, ‘That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread. ‘ Luke 24:13-35 In this passage, Jesus comes to Cleopas and a friend and they do not recognize Him until He breaks bread with them, even though they walked with Him a long way. It was not until they looked back that they realized what God was doing on the that walk with them.  He was ministering to them and showing them what they had missed when reading and interpreting the scriptures. He showed them starting with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Just imagine being able to hear Jesus telling all the things prophesied about Himself and all the pictures of Him as you walked with Him, that would have been incredible. But, they did not see that it was Jesus while they were walking through it. They did not see it until they looked back over their walk with Jesus and they realized the importance of what they had experienced. I think this means there are times in our lives when we do not realize how He is using something in our lives to minister to us, until we look back and see that it was Him right there with us the entire time, even though at the time we could not see it yet. But there is also a danger in looking back over our lives, if we do not have the right perspective. We could start to dwell on things we have done in the past that God has called us out of and that can make us less productive, if we dwell on those things instead of dwelling on things of Christ. So this week I want to encourage you to look back for the times when Jesus was there in your life and you did not see Him while you were walking through it to see what He was teaching you.  I also want to encourage you that if you do not feel like God is with you during this season of your life, then make sure your heart is right with God and wait because in those seasons when we do not feel Him, that is when He is teaching us for the next season even though we can’t see Him yet.

Leave a Reply