Finding God in the Journey, Not Just the Destination

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus Walks With Us Even When We Don’t Recognize Him

Even in our moments of grief, confusion, or disappointment, Jesus is present and walking alongside us, even if we don’t immediately recognize His presence. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we can be so overwhelmed by our circumstances that we miss the fact that Jesus is right there with us, listening, caring, and guiding us. Sometimes, it’s only in hindsight that we realize He was with us all along, turning our sorrow into joy and our anxiety into peace. Don’t wait until the end of your journey to see Jesus—ask Him to open your eyes to His presence right now, in the midst of whatever you’re facing. [03:51]

Luke 24:13-35 (ESV)
That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Reflection: Where in your life do you feel alone or abandoned right now, and how might you ask Jesus to help you recognize His presence with you in that very place today?

Day 2: God’s Work Happens “On the Way,” Not Just at the Destination

God’s greatest work in our lives often happens not at the arrival point, but in the process, in the journey, “on the way.” Like Jacob, who encountered God in powerful ways while fleeing, wrestling, and traveling, we discover that the lessons, strength, and identity we need for the future are formed in the in-between seasons. The journey may be long, confusing, or even painful, but it is there that God deposits what we need to sustain us and prepares us for what’s next. Don’t despise the process—embrace it, for God is shaping you on the way. [15:48]

Genesis 32:27-28 (ESV)
And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

Reflection: What is one difficult or uncertain part of your journey right now, and how can you look for God’s presence and purpose in the process rather than just longing for the destination?

Day 3: Joy Is Found in the Journey, Not Just the Arrival

Joy isn’t something reserved for when you finally “arrive”—it’s available to you on the journey, even in the midst of challenges and waiting. Like the Israelites who sang the Songs of Ascents on their way to Jerusalem, we are invited to praise God before we see the breakthrough, to celebrate His goodness in the middle of the climb, and to enjoy the blessings along the way. The question isn’t just whether you’ll reach your goal, but whether you’ll choose to enjoy God’s presence and the beauty He’s placed around you as you go. [25:07]

Psalm 121:1-2 (ESV)
I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From where does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

Reflection: What is one way you can intentionally choose joy and gratitude today, even if your circumstances haven’t changed yet?

Day 4: The Miracle Is Happening as You Walk in Obedience

God’s miracles often unfold as we walk in simple obedience, not always in a single dramatic moment. Like the servants at the wedding in Cana, who saw water turned to wine as they carried it to the master, we may not know exactly when or how God will move, but as we keep doing what He asks—praying, serving, trusting—He is working transformation in our lives. Sometimes, you only realize the miracle has happened when you look back and see how far you’ve come. Keep walking, keep obeying, and trust that God is turning things around on the way. [30:31]

John 2:5-9 (ESV)
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.

Reflection: What is one area where God is asking you to keep being faithful, even if you haven’t seen the miracle yet, and how can you take a step of obedience today?

Day 5: Jesus Is Not Just the Destination—He Is the Way

Jesus is not simply waiting for you at the finish line; He is the Way itself, present with you in every moment, every struggle, and every step. Even when life feels uncertain, broken, or incomplete, you can declare that Jesus is here, and that is enough. He is your strength, your guide, your peace, and your hope—not just when everything is resolved, but right now, in the middle of your story. If you have Jesus, you are already “there.” [34:21]

John 14:6 (ESV)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to stop waiting for a perfect outcome and instead rest in the presence and sufficiency of Jesus right now?

Sermon Summary

In life, it’s easy to become so focused on reaching a destination—whether it’s a relationship, a job, healing, or a breakthrough—that we miss the presence and work of God along the journey. The story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24 reminds us that Jesus often walks with us even when we don’t recognize Him. Grief, disappointment, or the weight of our circumstances can blind us to His nearness, but He is present not just at the finish line, but every step of the way. The blessing is not only in the arrival, but in the process, in the “on the way” moments where God shapes, sustains, and reveals Himself to us.

Many of us live in the tension between “here” and “there,” believing happiness or fulfillment will come when we finally arrive. Yet, when we get “there,” it simply becomes “here” again, and the cycle continues. God often disrupts our comfort to move us forward, not because He is only found at the destination, but because He wants to meet us and transform us in the journey. The life of Jacob illustrates this truth: every significant encounter with God happened not at his destination, but on the way. The lessons, strength, and identity we need for the next season are forged in the process, not at the endpoint.

Joy, too, is found on the way. The Psalms of Ascent were sung by pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem, praising God before they ever arrived. We are invited to “pre-praise,” to worship and find joy in the journey, not just in the victory. Even when the way is hard, God’s beauty and presence can be found if we choose to see it. The miracle you’re waiting for is not just at the end; you are walking toward it, and often, God is working in ways you don’t recognize until you look back.

Ultimately, Jesus is not just the destination—He is the way. He is present in our pain, our waiting, and our uncertainty. If we have Jesus, we are already “there,” because His presence is the true arrival our hearts long for. The invitation is to recognize Him now, to trust Him in the process, and to find joy and purpose on the way.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s Presence Is Often Unrecognized in the Journey Just as the disciples failed to recognize Jesus on the road to Emmaus, we can be blinded by grief, disappointment, or unmet expectations. Yet, Jesus walks with us even when we don’t perceive Him. The comfort and strength we seek are available in the midst of our journey, not just at its conclusion. Recognizing His presence now can transform our sorrow into peace and our anxiety into awe. [03:51]
2. The Process Is Where God Forms Us Jacob’s life shows that every pivotal encounter with God happened “on the way,” not at the destination. The journey is where God deposits the character, faith, and resilience we need for the future. Shortcuts may get us to a place quickly, but without the process, we lack the depth to sustain what God wants to give us. Embrace the journey, for it is the place of becoming, not just arriving. [15:48]
3. Joy Is Available Before the Breakthrough The Psalms of Ascent teach us to praise God before we reach our “Jerusalem.” Joy is not reserved for the moment of victory; it is cultivated in the climb, in the struggle, and in the ordinary steps of faith. Choosing to worship and give thanks on the way opens our eyes to God’s goodness in every season, not just at the finish line. [21:11]
4. The Miracle Happens as You Walk in Obedience In the story of water turned to wine, the transformation happened as the servants carried the water to the master. Often, we don’t know the exact moment God turns our sorrow to joy or our struggle to testimony. The key is to keep walking, keep obeying, and keep trusting—God is working in the process, and the miracle is often realized in hindsight. [30:31]
5. Jesus Is Not Just the Destination—He Is the Way We often think that if Jesus were truly present, our circumstances would be different. But Jesus declares, “I am the way.” He is with us in the waiting, the pain, and the uncertainty. If we have Him, we have already arrived at the deepest fulfillment our souls desire. The invitation is to see Jesus in your present moment and let His presence redefine what it means to “arrive.” [34:21]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:23] - Honoring Faithful Leadership
[03:51] - The Road to Emmaus: Recognizing Jesus
[05:45] - Jesus Walks With Us in Grief
[07:36] - The Adventure of the Journey
[10:36] - Are You Awaiting Arrival or Embracing the Adventure?
[11:43] - The Trap of “Here” and “There”
[13:57] - God Disrupts Here to Move Us There
[14:28] - Arrival Is Found On the Way
[15:48] - Jacob: Encounters On the Way
[21:11] - Joy Is Found in the Journey
[21:59] - Rite of Passage: Lessons from the Grand Canyon
[24:11] - Choosing Joy in the Climb
[26:05] - The Miracle Is On the Way
[30:31] - Obedience and the Unseen Miracle
[32:42] - Jesus Is On the Way
[34:21] - Jesus Is the Way, Not Just the Destination
[35:18] - Finding Fulfillment in Christ
[37:26] - Responding to Jesus’ Invitation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 24:13-35 (ESV) – The Road to Emmaus —
> 13 That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ... 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” ... 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Genesis 28:10-17 (ESV) – Jacob’s Encounter with God "On the Way" —
> 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” 17 And he was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

John 14:6 (ESV) – Jesus is the Way —
> Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Observation Questions

In the story of the road to Emmaus, what kept the disciples from recognizing Jesus as He walked with them? ([03:51])
According to the sermon, where did Jacob’s most significant encounters with God happen—at his destination or while he was traveling? ([15:48])
What did the Jewish people do as they traveled to Jerusalem, according to the Psalms of Ascent? ([21:11])
In John 14:6, how does Jesus describe Himself, and what does that mean about where we find Him? ([34:21])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think grief, disappointment, or difficult circumstances can make it hard for us to recognize God’s presence in our lives? ([03:51])
What does Jacob’s story teach us about the importance of the journey, not just the destination, in our walk with God? ([15:48])
The sermon talks about “pre-praise”—worshiping God before the breakthrough comes. Why might it be important to praise God even when we haven’t seen the answer yet? ([21:11])
How does understanding that Jesus is “the way” (not just the destination) change the way we approach seasons of waiting or uncertainty? ([34:21])

Application Questions

Can you think of a time when you were so focused on reaching a goal (a job, relationship, healing, etc.) that you missed what God was doing in your life along the way? What did you learn looking back? ([05:45])
The disciples didn’t recognize Jesus until the end of their journey. Are there areas in your life right now where you might be missing God’s presence because of grief, disappointment, or unmet expectations? What would it look like to notice Him now? ([03:51])
Jacob’s life shows that God forms our character “on the way.” Is there a difficult process or season you’re in right now that you wish you could skip? What might God be trying to teach or develop in you during this time? ([15:48])
The Psalms of Ascent were sung before the people reached Jerusalem. What is one way you can “pre-praise” God this week—worship Him before you see the answer or breakthrough? ([21:11])
The miracle at the wedding in Cana happened as the servants obeyed Jesus, not before. Is there an area where you need to keep walking in obedience, even if you don’t see the result yet? What step can you take this week? ([30:31])
The sermon said, “If we have Jesus, we are already ‘there.’” How does this truth challenge the way you think about fulfillment and arrival in your life? ([34:21])
What is one practical way you can look for and celebrate God’s presence in your everyday, ordinary moments this week, instead of just waiting for the “big” answers or victories? ([25:07])

Sermon Clips

Most people can I be honest are not happy here and will tell themselves this but when I get there and they spend their whole life getting there but then when they get there something happens to there it it upped and changed its name because when you get there let me help you out there becomes here and because you never learned to be happy here you will never be happy when you get there it is you're waiting for whatever it is you're praying for you Let me help you. You will never be happy when you get there. [00:12:43] (60 seconds) #FindJoyInHere

But because what God wants to do in your life, listen, it's not here or there. It's on the way. The thing that God wants to do in your life is on the way. If you're taking notes, here's my first point. Arrival, it's not a place. Arrival is on the way. Arrival is on the way. What God wants to do in your life is in the process. It's on the way. [00:14:23] (22 seconds) #ArrivalIsTheJourney

A lot of people find shortcuts to the destination and when they get there they can't stay there because they skip the season of their life, listen, that was designed to deposit things inside of them that was supposed to be developed on the way. This is why you get people who get famous too fast and then the fame actually kills them because they didn't spend enough time in obscurity developing the humility that it would take to sustain this. This is why people who win the lottery and get there so fast go broke for so long because they didn't know how to bogo at Publix, which they should have learned on the way. If they had spent enough time in poverty, they'd have known that. When you get there too fast, you don't have all the tools in your toolbox to stay there. Are you with me? And God's not just trying to get you there. He's trying to keep you there. And so he wants to develop it inside of you. Listen, God is not about arriving. He's about becoming. He's about becoming. [00:19:27] (51 seconds) #JoyIsOnTheWay

You are going to get there. I'm going to say it one more time. You are going to get there. Now, lean in. The only question is, are you going to be mad on the way there? Are you going to be sad on the way there? Are you going to raise your fist at God and be angry on the way there? Or are you going to have joy on the way there? [00:26:05] (31 seconds) #JesusIsOnTheWay

God is going to turn your water into wine. God is going to turn your brokenness into blessing. God is going to turn your struggle into a story. He's going to turn the breakup into a marriage. He's going to turn the depression into a miracle. He's going to turn it. He's going to turn it. But here's how he's going to turn it. and I'm going to tell you when he's going to turn it. Here's how he's going to turn it. John 2, 5, as long as you do, as long as you do whatever he tells you. [00:30:36] (24 seconds) #JesusIsHereNow

All you did was be faithful. If you keep coming, keep giving, keep believing, keep praying, keep having faith, God's going to do it in your life. Here's my thing. I'm going to tell you, listen, you're not waiting for a miracle. You're walking towards it. Listen, you're walking towards it. You're walking towards it. [00:31:52] (16 seconds)

Just because you're not there doesn't mean Jesus isn't here. A lot of people have a hard time believing that Jesus could be in America, that Jesus could be here because of all the events that took place this week. How could Jesus be in that? How could Jesus be in this? How could Jesus be in there? A lot of people...showed up at church today. Jesus can't be here because if Jesus was here, my marriage would be better. If Jesus was here, I wouldn't have to be looking for a job. If Jesus was here, my kids would be serving the Lord. If Jesus was here, I wouldn't wrestle with depression. If Jesus was here, I wouldn't be contemplating taking my life because if Jesus was here, then I would know everything would be different. Because here's why. Because we think that Jesus is a destination. We think that Jesus is an arrival moment, but Jesus is not an arrival moment. [00:33:34] (53 seconds)

Here's what Jesus said he was in John chapter 14, verse 6. Put it on the screen. Jesus answered, overcome your grief. I am the way you overcome your trauma. I am the way you overcome your pain. I'm the way you get through it. You think I'm not here because you're you and I'm giving you strength. He said, I am the way. And if you put your trust in me, I can walk you through this thing. I can get you through this thing. I can lead you through this thing. [00:34:27] (41 seconds)

``For those who've been praying about that arrival moment, I've got good news. Guys, Jesus is here. And listen, and if Jesus is here, then you're already there. I don't need more campuses at our church or more people to show up. I praise God for all of the things that he's done. But if I just have Jesus, I'm already there. I don't need to make another dollar. I'm already there. I wish that you would see the beauty of Jesus in your moment right now. [00:35:08] (28 seconds)

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

What does recognizing Jesus on the journey depend on?

How can grief blind us from God's presence?

Why is the process more important than the destination?