“Now they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were perplexed [at what Jesus had said], and those who were following were alarmed and afraid.” Mark‬ ‭10:32‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Excerpts from Oswald Chambers

 My Utmost For His Highest

March 15: The Discipline of Dismay 

“He is ahead of me and He never turns around.  I have no idea where He is going, and the goal has become strangely far off…

…when the darkness of dismay comes, endure until it is over, because out of it will come that following of Jesus which is an unspeakable joy.”

Now Lori’s thoughts.

I love the line, “He is ahead of me and He never turns around”.  

I imagine myself on the road I need to stay on in order to follow Jesus.  Sometimes on this road we walk side by side.  But more often I see Him ahead of me, His strong back sometimes close, but often in the the distance…walking, walking, walking with sure, steady and determined steps.  
Beautiful strides.

And me as I follow along…so often tired and ready to stop.  In dismay I sometimes cup my hands around my mouth and yell out, asking if He even knows I am still behind Him.  Ready for Him to slow down.  To stop at some rest area for a day…or a month…or a year or two.  

But He stays the course.  

A course I am not privy to.  

            He is ahead of me and He never turns around.  

He has a destination fixed in His view, and though I am weary, I have a burgeoning sense deep inside that He is completely aware of me.  He knows I follow and knows how I follow.  Yet no matter how I feel, nothing deters Him.  No matter if I yell, “Stop! Stop! STOP!” He keeps moving.  Moving and moving closer to the very good destination He has in mind for us.  

The path we’re walking is sometimes smooth, sometimes rocky, sometimes muddy.   Sometimes we go through the mountains, sometimes valleys.

After walking with Him for so long now, I am completely aware that He leaves things in my path that I have to fight to climb over to continue the journey.  It often is dangerous, but never does He allow anything in my path that would destroy me.  

So I keep walking.  

And sometimes running to catch up.

And I always find Him.  

He makes sure of it because He has unspeakable joy for me ahead.

What can I say. He loves me.

You too.