Did not our heart burn within
us…? —Luke 24:32
{CHAMBERS} “We need to learn this secret of the burning heart.
Suddenly Jesus appears to us, fires are set ablaze, and we are given wonderful
visions; but then we must learn to maintain the secret of the burning heart— a
heart that can go through anything. It is the simple, dreary day, with its
commonplace duties and people, that smothers the burning heart— unless we have
learned the secret of abiding in Jesus. […] If the Spirit of God has stirred
you, make as many of your decisions as possible irrevocable, and let the
consequences be what they will. We cannot stay forever on the “mount of
transfiguration,” basking in the light of our mountaintop experience (see Mark
9:1-9). But we must obey the light we received there; we must put it into
action. When God gives us a vision, we must transact business with Him at that
point, no matter what the cost.”
{ELGIN} Spending time with the one you are devoted to. Is that a priority for you? I was talking with my wife last night about
the day. This week we are working to
rebuild two homes ravaged by Hurricane Harvey with a team of volunteers. We are on a compressed schedule which means
that my days are long. My wife was missing being with me and she told me
so. And I her. The point is .. we love each other and have a
strong desire to be with each other. The
spiritual point is .. if we truly love God and not just the idea of being saved
and enjoying the benefits of His blessings… we will want to spend time with Him
and will be painfully aware when we don’t.
Like time with your sweetheart … you will long for that
companionship. Do you have friends that
you used to be close to, but time, distance and the priorities and
circumstances of life have separated you .. and now, perhaps, you are not even
certain where they live or how you might contact them? Your heart has grown cold .. not in a
mean-spirited way, but your heart no longer burns at the thought of spending
time with them. That is how it is with
God often times. I want to encourage you,
and you to encourage others, to fully embrace life in Christ. And that means
pursuing a relationship with the Father. Spending time – mano y mano – with Him. And if that is not a passion, if there is no
persistent desire to do that … well … “Houston we have a problem!” Listen – I am
not trying to send anyone on a guilt-trip.
Instead, I want to encourage the Saints to examine their hearts and draw
close to God. And this is His promise …
(James 4:8) “Draw close to God and He will draw close to you.” And there is no better place to be.
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