One Step Ahead
Written by Melissa Sharpe
Recently, I made a few changes in my life that required me to rely heavily upon the Holy Spirit in order to let go and let God.
I was pressing into Jesus to gain clarity and wisdom, following a leading that ultimately hurt me but made a clearing, revealing another turn in the path. I had to listen to the small voice inside asking me to step out in faith, one tedious stride at a time.
And I am still walking this path, daily. Some days are akin to a sprint, others a rest. And I have only been able to see mere feet ahead of me, not the extension of the road or the winding that may be ahead. In fact, it is only when I reflect upon the previous days journey that I am able to witness the bends in the route.
There have been many travellers on this roadway as well. Some I know, some I do not. Some who pass by give me a slight nod acknowledging our shared journey. One walked alongside me for a short while, but when the path proved a little rocky, they questioned their place within it taking the nearest exit. The Lord soothed my sorrows, reminding me that it is not my sojourn they rejected, but His. It was just a temporary assignment.
For He is always one step ahead.
Some sit comfortably on the sidelines, cheering for me with encouragement, for they too have travelled this journey. Some watch me quietly, curious and cautious. But all of them, at one point or another, throw their baggage over their shoulder and continue the next leg of the adventure.
For He is always one step ahead.
In the gospel of Luke, we find the story of two disheartened disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. They are joined by the resurrected Jesus but don't recognize Him as they share their grief, deeply hurt following Christ's crucifixion. Jesus walked alongside them as they lamented their loss of hope, completely missing the reports from others of an empty tomb and visions of Jesus appearing.
In their journey riddled with confusion and loss, they did not recognize the voice of the very Saviour they mourned. But Jesus knew just where to find them along that beaten path, for He was already one step ahead.
It was not until some time later during the breaking of bread that their spiritual eyes opened, and they recognized Him and He vanished from their sight.
“Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32
So, I must bid you ado as I hear Him calling me to take another step out in faith today. My bag a little lighter for my heart was burning when He asked me to let go and let God. I hope to be a blessing today encountering another sister along this well-worn path. And I hope you do, too.
