Imagine, if you will;

You have been on a long journey and you begin to feel the aching in your feet, the tiredness in your body. Ahead of you, you see a large tree on the side of the road with a bountiful umbrella of shade surrounding it. The sun has been beating down on you and you feel the weight of the journey pressing upon your body. You make your way to that large tree and sit beneath it. You remove your sandals and start to rub your feet. The rough road you walked made your feet dusty and sore. Your sandals look a bit worn, but you know they will get you to your destination. You take a deep breath and lean back against the large tree and close your eyes for a quick rest.

As you begin to relax, a beautiful light breeze graces you and begins to cool you down. You take another deep breath and realize with that breeze is the hint of a fragrance. A smile turns on your face as you enjoy it. Honeysuckle. How beautiful the smell of honeysuckle. But where is it coming from? It doesn’t matter you think as you enjoy it’s wonderful aroma. Your body begins to relax. While your eyes are still closed, you notice a sound in the distance. But you don’t open your eyes to see what it is because you are truly enjoying the senses of the aroma and the breeze and the relaxation you are experiencing. “Thank you God for such a wonderful gift you give to a weary soul,” you say in a soft whisper.

“Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faintest not, neither is weary? There is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” Isaiah 40:28-29.

Your ears focus on the sound in the distance and you hear the sound of another traveler coming down the road; but you don’t open your eyes to investigate of who it is. For whoever it is will just walk on by, you think to yourself. This traveler is graceful, for the strides of each step is soft and steady yet strong. Listening to your own steps for hours on the road, you can tell how tired you were from dragging your feet and scraping the road. But this traveler had a lot of energy you can tell. For each step gracefully placed the weight of their body evenly without any sound of distress. They must not have been traveling as long as you have. The sound was getting closer and louder as whoever it is approaches. Your eyes are still closed while you concentrate on the sound of contact of each stride. You still take in deep breaths of the wonderful fragrance of honeysuckle and enjoy the beautiful light breeze that revives your being. “Oh what a wonderful Saviour to give such grace to a soul like me,” you think to yourself. The smile never left your face as you think upon the mercy given.

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16.

The sound stops. And for a quick second you listen intently to see if it picks up again. You notice that it hasn’t so you open your eyes to look around. There stands a person at the edge of the road looking compassionately at you. “Hello there weary traveler!” The voice calls out. “Hello fellow traveler,” you respond. “May I join you?” He asks. “There is certainly plenty of room here,” you respond. As the fellow traveler approaches, you sense something different about him. He is not dressed in fine linen, his sandals are just as worn as yours, and he looked just as weary as you. Yet his strides as he walked were not weighted down like yours. The stranger approaches and sits close under the umbrella of the shade tree.

Now imagine, if you will;

The fellow traveler strikes up a conversation. “Where are you headed?” He asks. “Wherever the Lord sends me. I am a lone traveler looking for the place where I belong.” You say. “Indeed?” The stranger inquires. “I am seeking that which the Lord has for me.” You say. “And what is it the Lord has for you?” Asks the stranger. “That I do not know until I get there.” You reply. “He has mighty things for you ahead traveler,” he says, “The journey may be long, but the reward is great in the end. Thank you for allowing me your company while we rest.” He says while rising up to continue.

You ponder on the words he just said and didn’t realize he had left you there alone. Smiling again you lean back against the tree and meditate on those words. “The journey may be long, but the reward is great in the end.”

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1

While yet alone, you ponder the visit of the traveler that stopped to make conversation. Who exactly was this traveler that came to you? He could have kept walking by and not give any attention to you as he went on his way to his destination. Yet he chose to stop and make conversation. You think; “What a delight.”

Suddenly it hits you. That face is familiar. One you have seen before in the crowd. One you have heard stories from many times. One you longed to meet in person but had not the opportunity. It was Him! The Saviour of the world. The one who saves His people from their sins. Yet how is it He was able to rest with you under the large tree in the umbrella shade in the cool breeze enjoying the moment of solitude. He was crucified. He was buried. How can He just be there with you? Your heart pounds and you for a moment forget where you are. “I just saw the Saviour! He spoke with me!” He stayed for some time and had conversation with you and you didn’t realize that it was Him until after He left. Jumping up you look around to see where He might be. Is he waiting for you to realize and will be there as you join Him on His way? No sight of Him anywhere, you quickly put your sandals on and run up the road a ways to see if He was further along. But there is no sight of Him. Falling to your knees you give praise to the Saviour as He gave Himself just one more time to the need of a longing soul. A weary soul looking for a place to belong.

“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” Hebrews 10:36. “For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.” Jeremiah 31:25.

If you will;

But since you were not there in days of the Living Christ who came to the earth in human form to hear Him speaking in the crowd. Being so close to you yet not close enough that you can meet Him in person, you can experience this same scenario in your life today. For today, He knocks at the door of your heart. Will you answer Him? Will you wait for Him under the big shaded tree for Him to call to you? “Hello there weary traveler!”

“God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…” Psalm 23:1-4