Promise of Rest
By William M. Self
The Word of God is like a fire
It will ignite passion, hope and life
If ever there was a time of unrest it
was at the time of Christ’s crucifixion.
Three days after Jesus was nailed to the cross
two men were on a
seven mile walk.
The two men were downcast.
They were walking in hopelessness and fear.
They had put all their hopes in Jesus Christ…
Who was just crucified as a criminal
and His body was missing.
Every ounce of passion and hope
was drained from their hearts.
Their hearts were empty and hurting.
Each step of the seven mile walk only
filled their hearts with more depression.
As they talked, they found no answers,
only disillusionment.
Maybe it was because they could not raise their heads
or maybe it was because their eyes were filled with tears.
But for whatever reason they could not recognize
another man who joined them on the walk.
All of us know the
feeling when we receive bad news…
Our hearts sink and
it seems bad news travels in threes.
The unrecognized person who joined the walk was Jesus.
Jesus entered the conversation with scriptures.
When the walk was ended,
they sat down and
broke bread.
When Jesus gave thanks for the bread,
the two men’s eyes
were opened.
After Jesus left… “They asked each other,
"Were
not our hearts burning within us while he talked
with us on the road and opened the Scriptures
to us?"”
The Word of God is a fire.
The scriptures have the ability
to ignite the passion of the heart.
The heart is like a fire place…
It needs to be fed to
keep the flame burning.
You and I need God’s Word daily.
The more the rains of depression falls
the more we need
God’s Word to keep
the fire, the passion, the joy in our hearts.
When you read the scriptures,
spend time meditating on it…
Like a log that burns through the dark night.
Scripture Reading
Hebrews
4:1-2 NIV
1 Therefore,
since the promise of entering his rest still stands,
let us be
careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
2 For we
also have had the gospel preached to us,
just as they did; but the message they heard
was of no value to them,
because
those who heard did not combine it with faith.
Luke
24:13-32 NIV
13 Now that
same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles
from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had
happened.
15 As they
talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up
and walked
along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
17 He asked
them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They stood
still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are
you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened
there in these days?"
19
"What things?" he asked. "About Jesus of Nazareth," they
replied. "He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all
the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced
to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who
was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all
this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the
tomb early this morning 23 but didn't find his body. They came and told us that
they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our
companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him
they did not see." 25 He said to them,
"How
foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have
spoken!
26 Did not
the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?"
27 And beginning with Moses and all the
Prophets, he explained to them
what was
said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
28 As they
approached the village to which they were going,
Jesus acted
as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly,
"Stay
with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over."
So he went in to stay with them.
30 When he
was at the table with them, he took bread,
gave thanks,
broke it and began to give it to them.
31 Then
their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
and he
disappeared from their sight.
32 They
asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us
while he
talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
