Imagine having three different phone lines to manage. One of those phone lines connected you to the doctor serving your physically failing but deeply loved parent. The confusing part is, both your other phones incessantly keep ringing. The other phone calls involve a wide variety of issues, but none as critical as that of your parent.
That word picture describes our mind as we walk through life. We pick one of the other two phones, get so caught up in the thoughts and emotions of the messages that we cannot hear the ringing of the most important phone call from the doctor serving your ailing parent.
God Calling
This happens frequently throughout each day, except in our case, the most important phone ringing is from our Heavenly Father. He calls to give us assurance, guidance, insight, or to correct our misguided notions. However, if we are so caught up in the emotions or intensity of the other phone messages, we miss the most important one.
Three days after Jesus died on the cross and on the very day He rose from the dead, two disciples were walking to a nearby community called Emmaus. They had been earnestly intending to follow Him, but they had also been listening to the messages on the phone depicting their personal dreams. This was not supposed to happen to their hero. Jesus’ death had virtually blown them out of the water because they had invested all they had believing He was the Messiah. They were commiserating about the confusing events that had just happened in Jerusalem. Their deeply invested dream had vaporized.
Jesus knew their condition, yet did not blame them for their confusion. Rather, He began walking alongside of them, entering their conversation. At the opportune time, He explained what the prophets of old had boldly, yet naively proclaimed in the Scripture. Note that He did not talk in parables; He helped them understand what portion they had of the Bible. What He said made the words in their Bible come alive. Yet, they had been so caught up with their spinning minds and emotions; they did not know this was Jesus with whom they walked and talked.
It was AFTER Jesus left them; the pieces of their puzzle fell together. Then they said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32 (NLT2). They did not recognize Jesus with their five senses. They recognized Him with something burning within them. The most important phone had been ringing all the time Jesus walked and talked to them, but they did not hear it ringing. Why? Their minds and emotions were louder than the still small ringing within them.
No Greater Pleasure
Have you been caught up in disturbing circumstances in life? Have your mind and emotions been smothering the soft, gentle ringing within your inner being? If so, it does not upset God! Instead, He walks alongside you, waiting patiently for you to recognize your heart burning within as you seek to reflect on what your Bible is saying to you. Like these two disciples, the Spirit waits for you to dial down your mind and emotions. Then take time to listen to the gentle burning within your spirit as He reveals Himself and His truth to you. There is NO GREATER PLEASURE than the awakening of God’s whispers to you as you meditate on what His Bible says to you.
This message is SO GOOD! It “speaks” columns. Thank you for your Faithful blogs! Merry Christmas