How to Invite a Burning Heart

“They said to one another, “Were our hearts not burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to Us?” Luke 24:32, NASB

Two disciples were on the road to Emmaus discussing everything that occurred during those days. The resurrected Christ joined them on the journey, but didn’t reveal Himself. As the discussion continued, Jesus explained to them the things concerning Him in all the Scriptures–a burning they didn’t acknowledge was beginning within them. That evening, He joined them for dinner. He blessed and broke the bread and gave it to them. Their eyes were opened and they recognized Him.  Then, He vanished from their sight.

It was only after He was gone that they began to share with each other how their hearts were burning while as He spoke.  I believe it’s the LORD’s desire for each of us to experience this burning of His presence….  As I reflect on the blessing I get when reading God’s Word,  I always feel like He’s teaching, explaining and clarifying principles for my life. I’m getting to know Him more as I read; consequently, my focus is sharpened and dots connect.

Another beautiful insight is Christ’s willingness to speak and expand our understanding of who He is. When we love people, we want to talk with them, share experiences, and explain the details of our lives.  When we come to God’s Word, He wants to speak with us, reveal new experiences, and explain His truths.  He desires for our hearts to burn passionately within us.

Lastly, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him when He blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to them.  May I encourage you today to engage this same process in your life?

How you can invite a burning within your heart:

• Bless Him—Let Him know how much you desire to grow in your love relationship with Him. Our love for Him grows as we spend time with Him.

• Break bread—Open God’s Word and allow yourself adequate time to sit at His feet. Listen to Him speak to you. Busyness, distractions, and the Devil himself will pull out all of the stops to get in your way. Frankly, you won’t luck up on this–you will need to be intentional about this process. We can posture ourselves to experience the burning that the disciples experienced.

• Receive it—Just listen to Him. Read aloud. Read to yourself. Take your time…don’t rush. Feel free to park in a spot and rest there a while. I appreciate Bible reading plans as much as the next person. However, if all you’re doing is force feeding yourself by shoving scheduled verses down your throat to check off a box, you may be missing the point. I’m no expert on this, but I think God might be blessed if you lingered in one spot and chatted with Him a while.

• Take action—Go tell somebody! The disciples were excited to share with others what they had experienced and learned. One great benefit of sharing what you learn with others is that it confirms you’ve actually learned it. Share your fresh insight with a friend, a co-worker, a family member or small group. You will find yourself encouraged as well.

Today, may He speak to your heart and create a burning within that transforms you for His glory….

Stay close to Him. Live beautiful

Marvita