Posted: December 11, 2021
The two followers of Jesus were confused, sad and discouraged, so they went out for a walk. They knew the promises of God in their heads and had lived the Christian life for some time, but now, all their hope seemed to be gone. As they walked along the road, they met a stranger who asked them why they looked so sad. As this stranger walked along with them, he started teaching them out of the Word of God. Suddenly, like a beam of light appearing in the darkness, hope, joy and faith all started rising up in their hearts. The things of God started to seem close and real again. In wonder, they said to each other “Did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us on the road and while he opened the Scriptures to us?”
That stranger was Jesus, though He was hidden from their recognition, the road was from Jerusalem to Emmaus, and the two followers were two of the original disciples of Jesus. They had seen with their own eyes the miracles of Jesus, had eaten, talked and walked with the twelve disciples, had Bible Studies taught by the Son of God himself, yet were questioning and doubting. Why? Because they were humans just like us, sincere believers in God yet buffeted by the circumstances in their lives, overwhelmed with negative feelings, questioning and doubting in their minds. But what happened to change that? As the Word of God was taught to them, the Holy Spirit made it alive again in their hearts, made it real and exciting and fresh. This same Holy Spirit will do the exact same thing for you. John 16:7 says, “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you: but if I depart, I will send Him to you.”
Imagine, Jesus Himself said that the power God has put within us during the New Birth, what He has equipped all of us with to help us live our Christian lives is more effective than even walking and talking with Jesus himself when he was living on earth as a man. Yet, too often we neglect or ignore this wonderful gift or tap just a fraction of what we have available to us. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6a)
The purpose of God’s Mighty Word is to teach you how to enter the presence of God, how to see His Promises come alive in your own life, how to use for yourself the mighty Weapons of our Warfare He has given us, to build the very character and nature of Jesus Himself within you and to experience, just like those two disciples long ago, the burning in your hearts of the reality of the things of God each and every day.