Month: <span>May 2013</span>

by Rev. Daniel Forster

I will be the first to admit, I can be quite hard headed at times; and as we see in the Bible, mankind is known to be quite hard headed at times as well. Following the resurrection Cleopas and his companion, followers of Jesus, are walking on their way to Emmaus. As they are walking they are discussing the events that have just taken place in Jerusalem; from the death on the cross of Jesus, to the story just told to them that morning on how some had discovered that Jesus tomb was now empty. Despite what they may have known, or had heard Jesus teach, or had knowledge of live up to date details; they could not grasp what was taking place, their eyes were not yet open to the truth in full.

Thanks be to God Jesus does not let us walk around with closed eyes, and He will always set us straight as He did with Cleopas and his companion.

 Luke 24:25-33 (NLT)

“Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures.
 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering His glory?
Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if He were going on, but they begged Him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So He went home with them.  As they sat down to eat, He took the bread and blessed it. Then He broke it and gave it to them.

 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him. And at that moment He disappeared!

They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as He talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”
And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them,”

It is common for us to be hard headed about what we know to be truth, because the world loves to confuse the facts;  which just leads to endless debates. Let us not act the fool, and see truth for what it is. Let Jesus open our eyes today and every day to His Glory and to what He has done for us. Let His Truth fill us with His Grace; in order that we may find His Peace and Rest in our lives. Let us follow Him, follow His Spirit that is alive and in us, and let Him open our eyes to His Glory. Thank you Jesus, Hallelujah!

Lord I pray that the world does not confuse me, that I am not distracted away from your truth Lord. I pray that you carry me Lord, lift me like the wings of eagles Lord, lift me out of the darkness in this world and fill me with your light, fill me with all of you, in Jesus name, Amen.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2013/05/18/df_eyes-opened/

Thoughts by All Thoughts by Men thoughts by Rev. D. Forster

by Marilyn Ehle

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”  Isaiah 55:6

…those who seek me diligently find me.”  Proverbs 8:17

…seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.”  Matthew 6:33

Seek isn’t a word that slips easily into our English vocabulary. We don’t seek a bargain; we shop for one. Rarely do we seek for misplaced keys; we look for them. But this fascinating word is used, in one form or another, over 240 times in the Bible and it has a meaning we should seriously consider. Dr. Skip Moen defines the word as deliberately striving for and desiring something as an act of the will, putting your whole life at the disposal of God’s rule and will so that nothing takes greater priority.

Do I desperately seek after God or do my attempts wither when He seems distant, not answering my prayers, when I don’t feel His presence? What would it look like to stay in my quiet corner seeking after God with the same determination as the persistent widow in the story Jesus told? And then there is Jacob wrestling with the angel of God: “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” Both the woman and Jacob put their whole lives at the disposal of God so that nothing took greater priority.

I want these words from A Guide to Prayer to be mine each morning:

Lord, you have promised to meet those who seek your face. Come now and reveal your presence to me as I make myself present to you.”

Father, it’s much easier to just skim through a few Bible verses each morning, content with doing what seems part of the “formula” for following you. Don’t let me be so easily satisfied; help me pant after you as a deer pants for water.

You can comment on this devotional online at:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2013/05/16/me_seeking-god/

Thoughts by All thoughts by Marilyn Ehle Thoughts by Women