He Sneaks Up Behind Us
Mary Ho walking "alone" on the wall of Jerusalem
“I’ll always sneak up from behind you.” During this season, I was meditating on the resurrection account of Jesus encountering the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-53). They were confused, downcast, and walking alone on a dusty road away from the spiritual center of Jerusalem. Perhaps they needed an “out.” Perhaps it was too much. Perhaps too dangerous. But, “as they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them” (v.15). As I prayed, I felt the Lord say to me, “You often feel you walk alone. But I walk with you — in the past, in the now, and in the future. I always walk besides you. When you walk alone, I’ll always sneak up from behind you.”
One of the greatest challenges of our cross-cultural workers is loneliness, missing family and friends who are far away. One of our African workers moved to a remote town to make disciples and plant churches among the Pokot people. He was separated from his family for two years until they finally had enough finances to join him last month! I catch only a glimmer of our workers’ aloneness, but in different ways, I have also felt it excruciatingly in some hard seasons.
We are just like the two disciples. Though Jesus walked with them, they did not recognize Him until their eyes were opened. Then they recognized Him (vs. 15, 32). May the Lord open our eyes to see Him walking alongside and talking with us. May He rekindle “our hearts to burn within us while he talks with us on the road and opens the Scriptures to us” (v.32 - my paraphrase).
It was out of this divine encounter that the two disciples were then reinvigorated to return instantly to Jerusalem and share with the other disciples about the risen Christ! As they were sharing, Jesus entrusted to them the Great Commission to “preach in his name to all nations” (v.47). The Great Commission proceeds from encountering Jesus. Encountering Jesus precedes the Great Commission. The Great Commission then brings the nations to encounter Jesus!
Today, if you are feeling weary and alone following and serving Jesus, remember He always sneaks up on you. If there is a particular area of aloneness, take time to pray and ask for the gift of His Presence — the gift of knowing He always sneaks up behind you and walks and talks with you. Always. In the past, in the now, and in the future.
Blessings,
Dr. Mary Ho, DSL
All Nations International, Inc. | International Executive Leader
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