“They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?'” (Luke 24:32)
Keeping it R.E.A.L.
In the journey of life, each of us will inevitably face disappointments and unmet expectations. The real question is: how do we respond to them biblically?
The story of the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus offers profound insight. Their encounter with the risen Jesus reveals how a right understanding of God’s Word can realign our attitudes and actions, guiding us back to the path of hope and purpose. As we read Luke 24:13–35, three things stand out:
1. The disciples were walking away from Jerusalem. They were walking in the wrong direction towards Emmaus, about 7 miles (11.3 km) away, from the fellowship of believers in Jerusalem.
2. They were deep in conversation, processing their disappointment: “We had hoped…” (v21) that Jesus would redeem Israel. They were disheartened by reports that some companions “did not see” (v24) Christ alive.
3. Jesus met them in their pain, reinterpreting their sorrow through the lens of Scripture and God’s redemptive plan (v27).
By the time they reached Emmaus, they urged Jesus to stay. His words had brought healing. In this devotional, we will explore how we too can experience healing by getting real with our disappointments, using the acronym R.E.A.L. to guide us:
R: Recognise the Disappointment
Before opening the Scriptures, Jesus first walked with them. He listened. Then He spoke truth. This is the power of divine presence. Jesus walks with us in our confusion, speaks truth into our pain, and reveals Himself in intimate moments. The road of retreat becomes the road of return when we encounter the risen Christ.
Recently, I went for a run to clear my mind, and in that quiet space, God gently impressed a song on my heart from the 1990s: “You’ll Be in My Heart.” The lyrics go: “You’ll be in my heart. Yes, you’ll be in my heart. From this day on, now and forevermore.” In that moment, I sensed God inviting me back into His heart, a tender, personal encounter in my own Emmaus. It was as if He was saying, “Come back to Me.” That run became more than just a mental reset, it was a spiritual turning point. I chose to place my heart back into the safety of His heart, where hope is restored and peace is found.
If you are walking through a season of suffering right now, take heart. Jesus desires to walk with you, even when you cannot see Him.
E: Expectations Unmet Blind Us to the Truth
Like the disciples, we often miss what God is doing because we are focused on what did not happen. Their unmet expectations blinded them to the miracle unfolding beside them. They did not recognize Jesus walking with them. Disappointment can isolate us from the strength found in community and from the presence of Christ. But when we intentionally seek Jesus in our midst, we begin to see clearly and receive the help only He can bring.
A: Apply His Truth
The disciples hoped for political redemption, but Jesus offered something far greater. He provided freedom from sin. His death was not the end. It was the beginning of eternal hope. When we apply the truth of His death and resurrection to our own gaps of unmet expectations, we experience His redeeming love. And often, it is through the presence of faithful believers walking with us that we begin to believe again.
L: Love Others in the Midst of Disappointment
Pastor-Theologian Tim Keller once said, “Disappointment is the gap between expectation and reality. But it is in that gap that God often does His deepest work.” The story does not end with Scripture explained. In the breaking of bread, their eyes were opened. Jesus vanished, but their hearts were ablaze. They rushed back to Jerusalem, transformed from mourners to messengers. Today, Jesus wants to meet us in our personal Emmaus: our disappointments, doubts, and detours. He listens, teaches, and breaks bread with us. And when our eyes are opened, we are called to return, testify, and live with burning hearts.Even when the disciples could not see the purpose behind the crucifixion, God was working through it to bring about the greatest good: Redemption. Your disappointments are not wasted. God is weaving every moment, even the painful ones, into His divine plan.
• Start your week knowing that God draws near to you.
• Let Him reframe your understanding, just as He did for the disciples.
• God’s plan may unfold differently than expected, but it is always better.
• Jesus stayed because they sought Him. Seek Him with your whole heart today.
• The Holy Spirit continues Jesus’ ministry of opening Scripture and hearts.
Just as the Emmaus disciples returned to Jerusalem to testify, we too are sent as His ambassadors. Our personal revelations are not meant to be kept private; they are invitations to represent Jesus to a world in need of reconciliation, hope, and healing.
DAILY MEDITATIONS
Monday: Psalm 34:18
“The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Tuesday: Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Wednesday: Isaiah 55:8-9
“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.”
Thursday: Jeremiah 29:13
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
Friday: John 14:26
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”
Saturday: Romans 8:28
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Sunday: 2 Corinthians 5:20
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”
All scriptures are quoted from the New International Version (NIV).
By Bro David Jeremiah Mok
