What if today, on this very day of life, Jesus is in your midst, working in the details of your life? What if he is going before you? What if he is with you? And what if you just don’t recognize him?
You think you would recognize Jesus … but would you?
Yesterday morning I sat down and read the Easter story in Luke 24. I read how early on the third morning, the women went to the tomb of Jesus and they found the stone had been rolled away. I read how Jesus appeared to the disciples again and then rose to Heaven. But this time, while reading it, I saw something I had just skimmed right over in the past. Something that caused me to wonder if maybe I too haven’t been recognizing Jesus.
Scripture says two disciples were walking down the road, talking about the events of the past 3 days, now wondering where had Jesus’ body gone. Luke 24: 15-16 “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.”
These were men who had spent the past 3 years living with Jesus. They had likely walked this same exact road with him before. Just 3 days earlier, Jesus had washed their feet. Now, here he is walking with them, and they do not recognize him. How is that possible?
Well Sis, you likely do not realize just how dependent every function of your body is upon the command of God. If God says you will live, then nothing can stop you from living. You will live through impossible circumstances. Some of you listening at this moment know that is true because God himself is responsible for you being alive today, and you know it.
Without God, your eyes don’t see, your ears don’t hear, and your mind doesn’t process thoughts. These two disciples were KEPT FROM RECOGNIZING HIM. Yes, God in all of his providence blocked their ability to know the very one they were talking about was with them at that exact moment. The one questioning them about what they had heard and seen, and what they believed, that WAS JESUS!
Wait … does God keep you from recognizing him and his work sometimes? Absolutely! There’s a mystery in his work that leaves us in awe. Sometimes, for reasons we cannot understand, God intentionally keeps us from recognizing him. But just because we don’t see him, doesn’t mean he’s not right here with us!
The disciples walked with Jesus, not yet knowing it was Jesus, telling him all about the crucifixion and the empty tomb. Then, they invited him in to stay with them. Now, this is where it gets really good. Luke 24: 30-31 “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him.”
Yes, they recognized this man was Jesus. Their eyes were opened to the truth that had been right in front of them! Scripture gives no account of some magical transformation, it was simply a matter of God allowing their eyes to see.
Have you ever asked God to simply help your eyes see what is already all around you? Have you ever asked him to allow you to recognize his presence that is already here? Would he do that? Would he enable your eyes to be opened as they’ve never been opened before? Would he empower you to recognize him?
I know he can! It’s right here in scripture. And that means it’s possible for us too.
Why not ask him for it? Why not ask him to open your eyes to what you have been missing? Remember, every function of your body is completely reliant upon the command of God. Your eyes may be seeing, but they may not be seeing all there is to see.
Lord, open our eyes to recognize you!
This is discernment. There are things happening all around us, movements of God, his divinity in the details, and we’re walking around clueless. We desperately need discernment. We need the opening of our eyes which only God can do, to help us really SEE what it is we’re seeing.
Now, after their eyes were opened and they were able to recognize it was Jesus with them, these two disciples went to the other disciples and told them all about their experience.
Luke 24: 36-45 “While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, ‘why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see.’ They still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. THEN HE OPENED THEIR MINDS SO THEY COULD UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES!!!!!”
Suddenly, they were able to make sense of the events that had just unfolded. They understood the words they had read all along about “The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations” … ohhhhh, that’s what all of this was! They had read it before, but now they were able to understand it. And understanding it would change the trajectory of their entire lives and set them on a path to their purpose.
Girls, are we reading things, yet our minds do not understand? Are we studying the right scriptures, but our minds are not comprehending how it applies in our lives? Have you ever asked God to open your mind so you can understand? What if the words you have been reading are clues to your purpose, you just haven’t been receiving them fully?
When we read God’s word, we’re reading deep mysteries. We’re reading an account of impossible things and divine details our human minds cannot possibly make sense of. But what if God opened our minds so we can understand? What if there have been things you didn’t understand before because you weren’t ready to understand, but now God is ready to open your mind?!!!!
God opens eyes and he opens minds, to see the things we have been missing and understand the things that previously made no sense. Our role in this is to simply be at the table!
Both the opening of the disciples eyes to see it was Jesus with them, as well as the opening of their minds so they could understand scriptures, happened while they were at the table communing with Jesus. They made time. They stopped everything else they were doing, and they sat down.
What if in the rush of your busy life, and the noise of all that bombards you on the daily, you’re missing that God is right here with you? What if you’ve been running around thoroughly confused, when all this time God is trying to open your mind? Girl, sit down at the table.
You know you’ve been standing up eating. You know you’ve been eating your meals in the car. And you know I’m not really talking about eating, right?
I’m talking about your rush. I’m talking about your distraction. God is all around you and maybe you’re missing it! He’s written love letters just for you with details about what you’re going through right now and where he’s leading you next, but you’re not getting the message.
Get yourself to the table. Sit down and be still. Ask him to open your eyes so you recognize him in the details of your life. You may be amazed by what you start seeing! Seriously, hold on to your butt, Sis, because he’s here and he’s working and once you see it, you can never un-see it! Ask him to open your mind to the meaning of his words. Ask him to show you how they apply to where you are and what you’re going through.
You want to know why sometimes these devotional just hit you in the gut and seem like they’re written just for you? Well that’s simply because I started asking God to open my eyes and my mind to what he has for me to share with you. And without fail, he does.
Girls, he does. He does impossible things on your behalf when you seek him. And my guess is, he’s already doing impossible things on your behalf, maybe you just haven’t really been seeing or understanding them.
Everything changes when you sit at the table with Jesus. And the good news is, he’s sitting at the table waiting for you now! Always.
Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela
Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
