Dismayed

 "They were now on their way to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. The disciples were filled with dread...." Mark 10:32....."There is an aspect of Jesus that chills the heart of a disciple to the core....I have no idea where He is going." Oswald Chambers

I think most who know the story, love the tale of the two disciples on the Emmaus Road, who, forlorn after the crucifixion of their Jesus, were now joined by the resurrected Christ on that road. We love the picture of Jesus coming near, entering into our sorrow and need, and offering Himself, His Life, and His Hope. On that day, He led in a very beautiful and intimate way. But that is not always His choice. Sometimes He leads us in ways where He seems to be aloof, far off, and totally unconcerned with us. We know that He goes ahead of us, but we always think and picture that in terms of His constantly looking back, calling us on, encouraging our hearts. He often does lead like that, Yet sometimes He doesn't go before us like that at all. Sometimes He just keeps going forward, never looking back at us, giving us no real part of His presence, sharing nothing about the journey or where He leads us. All we can see is His back, and even that seems to be fading in the distance, while the landscape around us grows more threatening with each step. But that is nothing compared to the gaping darkness looming ahead of Him. And in it, He says nothing. He is leading, and His full expectation is that we follow....but we do so with fear, even with dread. We tremble at the unknown.

Chambers calls this process "the discipline of dismay." We have committed to follow Him. We have decided that there will be no turning back, but we didn't foresee this. We didn't think He'd lead us into such places. Our expectations never included situations like the one we find ourselves in now. Here is where our dismay arises. Here we must decide; will we keep on with Him....or will we turn back? Chambers writes, "When the darkness of dismay comes, endure until it is over, because out of it will come that following of Jesus which is unspeakable joy."

The Lord has promised us His constant presence. He has not promised us the constant sense of it. There will be times when there is no sense of Him, no spoken encouragement, yet He leads us on. There are times when His voice whispers continually in our ear, but there will also be times when He is completely silent....yet He leads us on. There will be times when we lose all spiritual sight of Him, where He seems to have disappeared into, been devoured by the dark unknown that lies ahead.....yet even here, He leads us on. In all of it, He has told us ahead of time, "I will never leave you or forsake you. Press on!"

We will have those times of dismay in the journey. Deep times. He knows this, even plans for it. But He also knows if we keep on with Him, trusting in His promises and not in what we're experiencing, we will enter into the true joy of the journey. And what we learn of Him in it will prove priceless beyond measure.

You may be undergoing the discipline of dismay right now. He leads in silence. In the past He has spoken His promises, offered His comfort and encouragement, but now, all you have is what He has said....and that must be enough. You may not know where you are or where you're going, but He does. As you follow, you're in His will, and this is a part of it. He's doing a work beyond understanding right now, but only right now. He will get you through, and He will get you home, and you will come to know Him more deeply than ever, and that is what makes for the joy of the journey. Press on.

Blessings,

Pastor O