RELATABLE: Walking With People Who Are Walking Away
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
This devotional is for anyone who’s ever tried to love someone who’s grieving, doubting, or drifting—and didn’t know what to say. It’s for those who’ve watched a friend silently pull away, or maybe felt that drift in their own soul. And it’s rooted in one powerful truth from Luke 24: Jesus doesn’t wait for us to find Him—He walks with us while we’re walking away.
This week, we’ll reflect on how Jesus showed up for two discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus—and how we can walk like Jesus when people we love are slipping away. Whether you’re a believer learning how to show up in hard places or someone still figuring out where you stand with Jesus, this journey is for you.
Each day will include:
A Scripture reading
A heartfelt reflection that speaks to both believers and seekers
A journal prompt to help you process
A prayer to guide your heart
Let’s learn to love like Jesus did: not just when it’s easy, but when it’s messy. When we don’t have the answers. When the road feels long.
DAY ONE: Love Walks First
READ: Luke 24:15 (NIV)
“As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them.”
REFLECTION
When everything had fallen apart, the two disciples didn’t stay in Jerusalem—they left. Disappointed. Discouraged. Quietly walking away from the very place they had hoped God would show up. And that’s exactly when Jesus appeared—not to call them back, not to shame them for their doubt, but to walk beside them while they were walking away.
That’s grace.
Jesus didn’t demand they come to Him. He came to them. He matched their pace. He stepped into their confusion and pain—not after they had clarity, but while they were still confused. That’s the kind of Savior we follow. And that’s the kind of love we’re called to live out.
If you’re a believer, this challenges everything about how we love people in hard places. Jesus didn’t wait for the turnaround. He didn’t give a lecture. He didn’t say, “I’ll be here when you’re ready.” He walked first. He met them where they were—and so should we. Sometimes loving like Jesus means walking with someone even when you don’t know how the story ends.
And if you’re still seeking, maybe you feel like you’ve been drifting or doubting. Maybe you’ve walked away from faith, church, or God altogether. Here’s what you need to know: Jesus hasn’t walked away from you. He’s closer than you think. Even when you don’t see Him, He’s already walking your road.
JOURNAL PROMPT
Who in your life might need you to simply walk with them right now, without fixing them?
Have you been walking away quietly? If so, where might Jesus already be meeting you?
PRAYER
Jesus, thank You for walking with me—even when I don’t see it. Teach me to love like You did, to step into people’s pain without needing to solve it, to walk beside others when they feel like giving up. And if I’m the one drifting, open my eyes to see that You’ve never left me. Help me take the next step—with You and for others. Amen.
DAY TWO: Let Them Talk
READ: Luke 24:17–21 (NIV)
“They stood still, their faces downcast… ‘We had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel.’”
REFLECTION
Before Jesus ever said a word, He let the disciples speak. He gave them room to name their grief, to pour out their disappointment, and to process what they couldn’t make sense of. And when they finally said it—“We had hoped”—they weren’t just talking about Jesus. They were talking about everything they believed was supposed to happen but didn’t.
Jesus didn’t rush in with a solution. He didn’t shut them down. He didn’t say, “Just have more faith.” He let them talk. He let them hurt. He gave them space to be honest.
If you’re a believer, here’s the challenge: when someone you love is hurting, don’t be so quick to speak. Don’t jump in with a Bible verse before they’ve had time to breathe. You don’t have to have all the right words. Sometimes the most Christ-like thing you can do is stay quiet long enough for someone to feel heard. Love listens.
If you’re seeking, maybe you’ve been carrying disappointment in silence. You believed God would come through—but He didn’t show up the way you expected. You’ve been walking, not with anger, but with quiet sadness. Can I tell you something? Jesus hears that too. He’s not scared of your “we had hoped.” He already knows. And He’s not in a hurry to fix you—He just wants to walk with you.
JOURNAL PROMPT
Have you ever tried to rush someone’s grief instead of listening?
What unspoken disappointment have you been carrying that God might be inviting you to say out loud?
PRAYER
Jesus, help me listen like You did. Slow me down when I feel the need to fix, and give me compassion to simply be present. Thank You for being patient with my pain. Thank You for letting me speak—even when I don’t know what to say. Teach me to create safe spaces for others, just like You’ve done for me. Amen.
DAY THREE: Stay for the Process
READ: Luke 24:28–29 (NIV)
“As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them.”
REFLECTION
Jesus had already done so much. He walked seven miles with them. He listened to their doubts. He unpacked the Scriptures. And yet, when they reached their destination, He acted like He was going to keep going. He gave them a choice. He didn’t force Himself into their lives—He waited for an invitation.
But when they asked Him to stay, He stayed. And not just for a moment. He sat down at their table. He shared a meal. And it was in the staying—not the teaching—that their eyes were finally opened.
That’s what presence looks like. It’s not always about having the perfect words. It’s about staying long enough for grace to do what truth alone cannot. That’s what Jesus modeled, and that’s what He calls us to imitate.
If you’re a believer, don’t underestimate the power of your presence. Staying might mean checking in after the funeral. It might look like sitting with a friend who’s not ready to pray yet. It might mean texting someone who hasn’t responded in weeks. You don’t have to solve everything. Just stay. That’s when hearts start to open.
And if you’re seeking, maybe you’ve wondered whether Jesus still wants anything to do with you. You’ve drifted. You’ve doubted. You’ve been quiet. But He hasn’t left. He’s still at the table. He stayed. And maybe today, He’s just waiting for you to say, “Will You stay with me?”
JOURNAL PROMPT
Who in your life needs you to stay—not with solutions, but with steady presence?
Where in your own heart have you needed to be reminded that Jesus never left?
PRAYER
Jesus, thank You for not walking out when things get messy. Thank You for staying in the moments when I’ve felt most unworthy, most confused, most alone. Help me love like that. Help me stay when it’s easier to disappear. Give me endurance to sit in the process, and grace to know You’re sitting with me too. Amen.
DAY FOUR: When the Bread Breaks
READ: Luke 24:30–31 (NIV)
“When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.”
REFLECTION
They had walked seven miles in confusion. They’d talked through their grief. They sat down with Jesus still not recognizing who He was. But something happened when the bread broke. In that moment—something ordinary became sacred. Their eyes were opened. They didn’t just hear truth—they saw Him.
This is how Jesus often reveals Himself—not in the spotlight, but in the simplicity. At the table. In the silence. Through the quiet consistency of grace. That’s when clarity comes. Not always in the explanation, but in the experience of love that stays.
For believers, this is a powerful reminder: don’t stop showing up just because you haven’t seen fruit yet. Sometimes it’s not the talk that changes someone—it’s the table. It’s the consistent love. The presence that doesn’t rush. The kindness that keeps coming. When the bread breaks—that’s when eyes open.
And for those still seeking, maybe that’s where you are. You’ve listened. You’ve watched. You’re not sure what to believe. But something inside you is stirring. You’re seeing Jesus not just as a name—but as a Savior who sits with you. A friend who breaks bread with you. Don’t wait until you have all the answers. Let Him open your eyes in the middle of the process.
JOURNAL PROMPT
When have you experienced Jesus in a quiet or unexpected way, like at the table rather than the temple?
Is there someone in your life who needs you to keep “breaking bread” with them—offering grace until their eyes open?
PRAYER
Jesus, thank You for showing up in the breaking. Thank You for revealing Yourself not just in sermons, but in silence. Not just in answers, but in the meal. Help me trust the process. Help me stay at the table—with You and with others. Open my eyes again, and teach me how to keep breaking the bread of grace for those around me. Amen.
DAY FIVE: Keep Walking
READ: Luke 24:32–33 (NIV)
“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?’ They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem…”
REFLECTION
Something changed after the meal. As soon as Jesus revealed Himself and disappeared from their sight, the two disciples looked at each other and realized—He had been with them the whole time. They felt it in their bones. They couldn’t explain it, but they knew it. Their hearts were burning. The conversation on the road wasn’t just talk—it was transformation.
And so, they did something powerful: they turned around. They got up and went back to Jerusalem—the place they had been walking away from. Same road. Same steps. But now with different hearts.
That’s what grace does. It turns walkers into witnesses. It takes people who were drifting and gives them a reason to go back. Not because they have all the answers, but because they’ve been with Jesus—and they can’t keep it to themselves.
If you’re a believer, maybe the person you’re walking with hasn’t turned around yet. Keep walking anyway. Keep praying. Keep listening. Don’t quit just because you haven’t seen change. You may not know what God is stirring in their heart. The walk matters more than you think.
And if you’re the one who’s been walking away—maybe today is your turning point. Maybe you’ve felt that burning in your heart and realized: He’s been with you the whole time. You don’t have to figure everything out. You just have to get up and go back. He’s not waiting to shame you—He’s ready to welcome you.
JOURNAL PROMPT
Where might God be calling you to keep walking with someone—patiently, faithfully, even when it’s slow?
Is there something God is stirring in your heart that it’s time to return to?
PRAYER
Jesus, thank You for walking my road. Thank You for stirring my heart, for speaking to me even when I didn’t recognize You. Give me the courage to turn around—to go back to what You’ve called me to. And give me faith to walk with others, not just in their victories but in their valleys. Help me be a witness, not just with words, but with presence. Amen.
