God, Are You There? 3 Ways to Recognize Jesus in Every Situation

Have you ever felt distanced from God?

I’m sure you have because we all go through dry seasons in our walks with Christ! And it is no surprise, especially in today’s society where people’s differing opinions leave rifts in relationships, social media makes us feel lonelier the more we are online, and schedules seem to grow increasingly overwhelming with each passing day.

So, how can we find Jesus in our disconnect? Let’s go to God’s word and look at a situation most of us can probably relate to.

3 Ways to Recognize Jesus in Every Situation

While the Bible doesn’t say it, I can safely assume in Luke 24, the disciples are dealing with some anxiousness and disappointment. Not only had they left what was normal to follow Jesus for several years, but Jesus had just been crucified. This was not anything like they thought it would be. (I don’t know about you, but I would be devastated!)

They expected Jesus to save them from the Roman empire and make right every injustice done to Israel. They were waiting for a new and better kingdom to make its way through a broken system. Nothing made sense!

On the same day that the grieving women found an empty tomb, two disciples were making a journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus. As they are walking, they are in deep conversation about what happened to Jesus, and they don’t even realize Jesus Himself is walking with them down this dusty road.

Friends, if we, just like these men, remain focused on what is going wrong and forget to look for Jesus, we will miss Him! He is always with us, but sometimes, we allow our circumstances to get in the way of locking eyes with Him.

Is there a situation in your life blocking your view of the One who is greater? Together, let’s explore three actions we can take to recognize Jesus in every situation of our lives.

Recognizing The Word of God

As we continue in Luke 24:17, Jesus, who is walking closely with the two disciples, leans into their real emotions. And while Jesus gives them grace, He points them back to the Old Testament and what it says about who he is.

“Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to experience all these sufferings and afterward to enter into his glory?”

-Luke 24:26, TPT

Dear one, anytime you are struggling, stay in the Word. When you continue to open your Bibles, regardless of how you feel, the Holy Spirit will honor that. Jesus knew it was necessary to maintain a life of reading the scriptures and meditating on them because He lived in a complicated, harsh world, and not much has changed for us today. Without the Father, our True North, we will lose our way.

Are you spending time reading God’s word?

Recognizing Spiritual Disciplines

Even as Jesus was verbally reminding the disciples what the scriptures say about him, they still didn’t recognize who this “stranger” was, so they generously invited him to stay with them.

As the disciples are in fellowship, Jesus takes the bread, breaks it, blesses it, and then gives it to the others.

Wait a minute, where had they seen this before? This was Jesus!

They didn’t recognize who he was until they sat at the table with him and watched him do what he had done the last three years of their lives. Dear one, when you find yourself in a place where you don’t quite recognize or see what Jesus is doing, sit at the table with those who can.

Imitate Jesus Through Disciplines

How do we imitate Jesus? Well, we do so by doing what he did!

Spiritual disciplines are actions that keep us in fellowship with God. Much like He did with the disciples, sometimes God prevents us from recognizing His closeness in our depression and frustration. He doesn’t do this because He is a mean, distant God but because He is using our situations to align us in a position to draw closer to Him.

When we can’t find something, what do we do? We look for it! In Luke 24, the disciples recognized Jesus when they began engaging in things that were familiar to them.

What are one or two spiritual disciplines you can implement in your life?

Recognizing Your Community

We all will experience deep valley seasons in our lives, and for me personally, I was able to endure when I had a community of trusted women around me.

Hebrews 6:11-12 in the NKJV says, “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”

When I feel at my lowest and most distant from God, I imitate my good friend, Susie, and how she prays. I imitate my dear sister, Deedee, who is strong in the faith. We need community because we need those sisters around us who will hold up our arms when we feel like we can’t take another step!

Do you have women around you spurring you on to know and understand the word of God? If not, I invite you to join a Grace Girl community. You won’t regret it!

Dry Seasons in Our Lives

I believe we are guaranteed two things in life: that God will love us for eternity, and we will encounter hard seasons while on this side of heaven.

Part of our journey as believers is learning how to walk through these things because it teaches us how to depend on God and what His word says.

Part of our journey as believers is learning how to walk through these things because it teaches us how to depend on God and what His word says.

Years ago, I read an article about Mother Teresa. In the interview, it was perceived that God must sleep right next to her at night because she was always such a kind and compassionate person. She shared that, like us all, she experienced dark nights of the soul, but that didn’t keep her from walking away from the faith and trusting God to provide for her ministry initiatives. Like Mother Teresa, you just have to stick it out!

Are you struggling to move forward in a dry season? I encourage you to read God’s word, engage in spiritual disciplines, and surround yourself with a community of women.

Beloved, God is near. Sometimes, we just have to be intentional with our hearts to see Him.