While my wife and I were praying yesterday the Lord put us into the story of the Road to Emamaus.
13 Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him.
I pray that you have someone that you can talk with about your spiritual life and your desires in God. That you would be able to share your faith for this year with someone close to you….or perhaps even share your fears and doubts about your future with someone who cares for you. If you do not have that person I am always available.
But the thing to see here is that as we TALK TOGETHER AND CONVERSE AND REASON TOGETHER….that JESUS HIMSELF DRAWS NEAR TO US.
If you are single or your partner is not in a place to listen to that level of sharing–then keep TALKING TOGETHER AND CONVERSING AND REASONING WITH JESUS!! He is with you and draws near to you in a tangible way when you believe “that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Heb 11:6
Phones and social media and sports and Television, Netflix, church meetings, are all CROWDING IN ON YOUR TIME WITH JESUS. We really need to stop and spend some quality time sharing our self with Jesus.
EMMAUS means: “warm baths” in Greek and “hot springs” in Hebrew. Perhaps there were hot springs there? The symbolism is strong to me. Jesus spoke about SPRINGS when referring to the WATER that He shall give a person….
John 4:3 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
How is your spring going?
Springs can dry up….they can become blocked.
Jesus wants your spring to become in you a fountain of living water. And one of the ways He does that is through conversation, sharing, reasoning together. Share all your troubles with Jesus…He has the time to listen. Cast all your cares upon Him for he cares for you. Don’t pretend to be some great faith person…He is the One with all the Faith not us. You see Jesus knows your emotions and is not put off by them….even if they are all negative emotions. Sometimes we are made to feel like we must hide our negative emotions and fears – especially in church meetings. But not with Jesus!!
Luke 24:17 And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” (angry-looking, of sad countenance, sullen gloomy)
So back to the story…..
Jesus drew near to these two sad and angry brothers who were just about home to Emmaus. The did NOT KNOW THAT IT WAS THE LORD…THEIR EYES WERE NOT OPENED.
Sometimes in all our worry, doubt and fear about what is happening to us or our loved ones or our country – we seem to lose sight of Jesus and are as if we do not know Him. But like a faithful friend Jesus shared the Scriptures with them to encourage them that these things that had happened in Jerusalem were all prophesied to happen.
When stuff happens that we do not understand God does and the Holy Spirit will reveal the reason to us from Scripture and give us all spiritual understanding with joy as Paul said…
Col 1:9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;
We need to be filled with the knowledge of His will inside of all spiritual understanding so that we might be strengthened with JOY to endure. This is what communing with Jesus and/or with other believers does for each of us.
Luke 24:28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.
Ahhh the Lord is so wonderful!! Of course Jesus wanted to go into their home with them…but he made out as if He would keep walking…HE WAS WAITING FOR THEM TO ASK HIM TO COME IN.
Dear one Jesus is waiting for you to ask the same thing!!
The old gospel song: ‘Kum by Yah my Lord’ Come by Here my Lord! Come by Here!!
Sometimes those who major on THE DOCTRINE of being in union with Jesus in their spirit -which is true–They know the doctrine of it but not the experience…and as a result become dry and hardened. Friend God gave us our emotions…and He gives us His emotions too. It is okay to weep on His shoulder and to be angry about some thing. He is your loving heavenly Father. Jesus wants so much to come in and dine with you…in your home….in your heart. He wants to hear you ask Him….
These two brothers who lived at Hot Springs showed us the way…THEY CONSTRAINED THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE TO COME INTO THEIR HOME!
2) to compel by employing force
3) to constrain one by entreaties
Lord Jesus!! Come and dine with me in my house!! Lord Oh wont you come and share your heart with me in my house. Lord do not pass me by…do not go somewhere else…Come be with me…I need you…I want you Lord Jesus.”
29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them.
HE WENT IN TO STAY WITH THEM!! Oh hallelujah Glory!! Sometimes we take it for granted that we have Jesus all the time….Friend He still does these kinds of things with us today. He still feigns or pretends to go elsewhere hoping that it will cause a DESPERATE RESPONSE FROM US…TO DEMAND THAT HE ABIDE IN US.
Jesus wants to be the OBJECT OF YOUR HEART–so much that you value His presence above everything else in your life.
The result is that He will commune with you and show you things about Himself and yourself and OPEN YOUR EYES TO KNOW HIM MORE.
I believe that this year we will CONSTRAIN Jesus to abide with us in our home…the brick house we live in and also our marriages and our heart. He is willing–but He wants permission to come in….more than just permission–He wants us to CONSTRAIN HIM TO COME IN.
This is a hungry man’s prayer…a thirsty woman’s cry..
The type of prayer that demands that Jesus come and abide….Yes we know theologically that He is already within us….but still there remains an encounter with Jesus that is not HEAD KNOWLEDGE.
The one who has ONLY GOT DOCTRINAL HEAD KNOWLEDGE of Jesus does not yet know Him. To know Him we must EXPERIENCE HIS PRESENCE so that our hearts burn hot within us and so that the WELL WITHIN BECOMES A FOUNTAIN OF LIVING WATER SPRINGING UP TO AGE UNFOLDING LIFE.
It begins with us doing what Mary did – who chose that GOOD THING – to spend time at Jesus feet hearing His heart/word.
Luke 10:41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”