Thoughts

 I've been making up a new prayer journal, and in doing so I've been going over past books that I've read and highlighted, transferring many of the thoughts and insights into the journal. It's been spiritually stimulating to refresh my mind and heart with things processed a decade and more ago. For this writing, I thought I'd share three thoughts I wrote down in the journal. They're not specifically related to each other, but I think each bears a truth we need to remember anew, or know for the first time. They speak to me, and I hope they speak to you.

Genesis 1 tells us that He created the heavens and the earth, and made the earth from a formless mass, and that all was in darkness, until He spoke, "Let there be light." He then separated the light from the darkness. He has continued to do so through the ages. Jim Hylton says that God never stops speaking, "Let there be light." No matter how darkness seems to grow, and no matter how black that darkness may be, He will, in Christ, continuously speak His Light into it. Into the darkest dark, He will continually direct His light, and the darkness cannot stand against Him. His Light searches, reveals, exposes, and cleanses. It breaks the power of darkness. It has broken the power of darkness. For His people, darkness may at times envelop us, but we take heart, because though it may hide much from us, it can't hide Him, or hide us from Him. At all times and in every way, He will continue to speak, "Let there be light," and we can live in the assurance that there will be....even in our darkest hour.

The second truth is that we have become so focused on the last days that we run the danger of missing what He's doing and saying in these days. Yes, Jesus spoke of knowing the days, discerning the times, and looking for His return. Both Paul and Peter wrote of those coming days as well, but nowhere did they tell us to take our eyes off of His activity and words in these days. He is returning, but until He does, we're to occupy. Actively occupy. We're to recognize His works, His leading, His will for these days and be where He is in them. We're to live looking up, but also aware of what is happening around us. We both look for His return as well as look for His presence in the here and now. The Kingdom is coming, but it is also here right now. We're to seek it with all our heart now, even as we wait for all its fullness in His return. That's how we're to live. Is it how we're living right now? Dudley Hall said that Paul wasn't looking towards an event, but a Person, Christ, and that while we wait for His physical return, we can enjoy intimacy with Him every day. Let us so live.

The final truth concerns the encounter between Jesus and the two disciples on the Emmaus Road, right after the resurrection as detailed in Luke. Jesus approached them as they were in conversation about His recent death and burial. They were in deep depression and didn't recognize Him at all. He entered into conversation with them about it all and went quite a way with them, still unrecognized. Finally, at the door of the home, their eyes were opened to see who He was, and they rejoiced. The point made was that they had gone a great distance talking about Him when they could have been talking with Him. How like that are we? We gather in our Bible studies, classes, and worship services, even in our prayer groups, and talk a lot about Him, but talk so little with Him. We spend so much time on the subject of Jesus, and so little with Jesus Himself. I write this on a Saturday. Tomorrow, many of you will be engaged in Bible class/study and worship services. Will you be talking about, hearing about Jesus, or will you be talking with Him and hearing from Him? The two disciples were talking with Jesus, but didn't recognize that He was right there with Him. How much of what we call "church" is the same for us? Do we talk about Him as if He's not there?

May He this day speak light into every aspect of our lives. May we not be so caught up in looking for Him in the last days that we miss Him this day. Last, may we not grow so used to talking about Him that we miss the joy of talking with Him.

Blessings,

Pastor O