Consumption NOT Convenience
I encourage you, before you read this post, read Luke 24:13-35.
This is the account of Jesus being resurrected, and specifically his encounter with two people walking toward Emmaus. One thing that I love about God's Word is that He constantly teaches me something new, even through familiar passages of scripture. I love breaking down specific words or ideas in passages and applying them to my life with different sorts of analogies. As I was reading Mended this week, that is exactly what I did with the book and with the passage of scripture.
One thing that I love about Angie(the author of mended), is how much i relate to her. Maybe it's because she seems to have a personality and thought process much like my own. As I read through this weeks chapter, I felt as though it was a reflection of my life. Although Angie and I have gone through different things, how we processed those things was very similar.
Angie spoke of how throughout her life, God was there, but he didn't seem to be practical, and therefore not necessary. It always seemed to be a game of "catch up." For 17 years of my life, that is exactly how I felt. I thought I had it all together. I mean I was very "dedicated" to God. I was always at church, I did devotionals, I prayed, and I was morally good for the most part. But actually having a real relationship with God, that just wasn't practical. My relationship with God was very much a "catch up" game. It was all about one way communication, "Hey God, this is what I need. Accommodate my desires. Catch up to me and what I want." I neglected the importance of simply listening. When God became necessary to me, that is when He suddenly seemed practical. In the moments that I was at my lowest place, I cried out to God, asking that I would finally be able to listen and hear his voice, that His presence would be known to me. He did exactly that. I can't describe the overwhelming feeling of God's presence. My new found peace made me hungry for Him. I wanted more of this incredible feeling. This is when I finally began to understand communication with God is very much about listening. That was the problem my entire life, I wanted communication, but I wanted it on my time and my terms.
The thing that struck me most in this passage of scripture was when the two men spoke of how their hearts burned within them while Jesus spoke and opened the scriptures to them. The word burn in this verse is related to the Greek word "Kaio," which means "to set on fire, to be consumed." In the presence of Jesus, there is an overwhelming feeling of something so intense. I considered the word burn. What does it mean to burn/be on fire? The dictionary definition for fire is this: "combustion, or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke." I pondered how this could apply to my relationship with Christ. Am I so "combined" with Christ that I burn? Do I allow the intense feeling of His presence to consume me? Like smoke, can He be detected in me from afar? Like a bright light, does He shine out of me in the dark places, in a sinful world? Like heat, do I radiate Christ in the presence of others? Does the fire of Christ consume me? Does it spread like a wildfire?
Everyone is on a different spot on their road to Emmaus. Are you still walking blindly beside Jesus, not recognizing Him for who He is? Or maybe you are at the point of breaking bread with Jesus? Breaking bread is a sign of communion with others, in this case Christ. I love how the verse says that the men's eyes were opened during the breaking of bread with Christ. That is exactly true, when we are in true communion with Christ, this is when our eyes are opened. Or are you at the point where you have recognized Jesus and are now proclaiming Him to anyone and everyone? Everyone is at a different place on the road, but no matter where you are, there are things that you can do to be consumed with Jesus:
This is the account of Jesus being resurrected, and specifically his encounter with two people walking toward Emmaus. One thing that I love about God's Word is that He constantly teaches me something new, even through familiar passages of scripture. I love breaking down specific words or ideas in passages and applying them to my life with different sorts of analogies. As I was reading Mended this week, that is exactly what I did with the book and with the passage of scripture.
One thing that I love about Angie(the author of mended), is how much i relate to her. Maybe it's because she seems to have a personality and thought process much like my own. As I read through this weeks chapter, I felt as though it was a reflection of my life. Although Angie and I have gone through different things, how we processed those things was very similar.
Angie spoke of how throughout her life, God was there, but he didn't seem to be practical, and therefore not necessary. It always seemed to be a game of "catch up." For 17 years of my life, that is exactly how I felt. I thought I had it all together. I mean I was very "dedicated" to God. I was always at church, I did devotionals, I prayed, and I was morally good for the most part. But actually having a real relationship with God, that just wasn't practical. My relationship with God was very much a "catch up" game. It was all about one way communication, "Hey God, this is what I need. Accommodate my desires. Catch up to me and what I want." I neglected the importance of simply listening. When God became necessary to me, that is when He suddenly seemed practical. In the moments that I was at my lowest place, I cried out to God, asking that I would finally be able to listen and hear his voice, that His presence would be known to me. He did exactly that. I can't describe the overwhelming feeling of God's presence. My new found peace made me hungry for Him. I wanted more of this incredible feeling. This is when I finally began to understand communication with God is very much about listening. That was the problem my entire life, I wanted communication, but I wanted it on my time and my terms.
The thing that struck me most in this passage of scripture was when the two men spoke of how their hearts burned within them while Jesus spoke and opened the scriptures to them. The word burn in this verse is related to the Greek word "Kaio," which means "to set on fire, to be consumed." In the presence of Jesus, there is an overwhelming feeling of something so intense. I considered the word burn. What does it mean to burn/be on fire? The dictionary definition for fire is this: "combustion, or burning, in which substances combine chemically with oxygen from the air and typically give out bright light, heat, and smoke." I pondered how this could apply to my relationship with Christ. Am I so "combined" with Christ that I burn? Do I allow the intense feeling of His presence to consume me? Like smoke, can He be detected in me from afar? Like a bright light, does He shine out of me in the dark places, in a sinful world? Like heat, do I radiate Christ in the presence of others? Does the fire of Christ consume me? Does it spread like a wildfire?
Everyone is on a different spot on their road to Emmaus. Are you still walking blindly beside Jesus, not recognizing Him for who He is? Or maybe you are at the point of breaking bread with Jesus? Breaking bread is a sign of communion with others, in this case Christ. I love how the verse says that the men's eyes were opened during the breaking of bread with Christ. That is exactly true, when we are in true communion with Christ, this is when our eyes are opened. Or are you at the point where you have recognized Jesus and are now proclaiming Him to anyone and everyone? Everyone is at a different place on the road, but no matter where you are, there are things that you can do to be consumed with Jesus:
- Walk slowly and deliberately with Him. Soak in His words.
- Listen to Him. Enjoy His presence.
- Invite Jesus over. He's been waiting for you to do so. He wants to spend time in communion with you!
- Acknowledge the truth about who He is.
- Be consumed and on fire with His love.
My key word/prayer from this weeks chapter was this:
LISTEN- God, let your voice consume me, so that I burn for You.
Two great songs to remind you to be consumed:
Start a Fire- Unspoken
Set a Fire- Jesus Culture
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