April 30, 2022
And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32
The thrilling account of the encounter with the risen Savior on the road to Emmaus brings a ‘newness’ to our own soul; a fresh desire to seek for and share jewels hidden below the surface of the written word. These two disciples of Jesus were familiar with the scriptures, yet their comprehension needed a divine ‘boost.’ He opened the Scriptures…!
Beloved, let us be ever prayerful for the Master’s hand upon us as we open His word; and let us cultivate a readiness to share what we find there. Sharing with others is the fruit of the divine mandate to love Him! We are to love God and love people as outlined in the Ten Commandments. The first four summarize how to love the Lord, and the last six demonstrate love and respect for our fellow man. They are all intertwined and inseparable, yet in our fallenness, we vainly attempt to separate each one from the others. James reminds us of their interconnectedness: For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. (James 2:10)
In extending love to our fellow man, there is the constant risk of rejection. It is in holding fast to love for God, and holding fast to the proof of His love for us, that we can persevere in the face of rejection. The great prophet Jeremiah was not made of steel. He suffered terribly under the insults of his own people.
“I am in derision daily; Everyone mocks me…Why did I come forth from the womb to see labor and sorrow, That my days should be consumed with shame?” Jeremiah 20:7b,18
Between these two laments, these words are found:
“…the word of the LORD was made to me a reproach and a derision daily. Then I said, ‘I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.’ But His word was in my heart like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, And I could not.” (vv.8b-9)
The fire of God’s love is more than enough to sustain us, beloved! Yes, we are still in the battle with darkness, but as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, let us remember that it is the Refiner’s fire that readies us for the glory to come. Bear in mind that the enemy’s influence is intensifying. God makes us aware so that we will not lose heart. Any discouragement that comes to us usually comes through other people—the very ones He desires to reach!
The waters which you saw, where the harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues. Revelation 17:15
Many waters cannot quench love, Nor can the floods drown it. Song of Solomon 8:7a
Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly… Isaiah 33:14b-15a