Devotion
He Meets Us Along The Way
Frances Taylor
Have you ever wondered where God was when you needed him? I'm sure that the two disciples on the road to Emmaus were wondering the same thing. But Jesus was right there walking with them and they didn't even know it. Jesus walks with us every day and we often don't recognize him. The main reason is that we're not even looking! Do you invite Jesus into your life each morning and thank him for being there each night? We all need to feel the presence of God in our lives. But we also need to notice him. When you're in a hurry and all the lights are green, do you say thank you? When the alarm doesn't work but you wake up in time anyway, do you say thank you? When your mind wanders as you walk or drive but come to just in time to avoid a disaster, or you need a hug and someone is right there offering one, does God come to mind? Jesus walks with us every day. He is there in the ordinary circumstances of our lives as well as in all the people we meet. Sometimes, we are the ones called to be Jesus for others. Are we open for that? Each time we pray, Jesus gives us the strength to become more like him as well as to make us more open to coming to recognize him in others.
We must remember, however, that Jesus didn't just walk with the disciples, he taught them. He opened up the Scriptures to them so that they would know him better. We are also called to get to know him better and one way of doing that is to open the Scriptures at home each day so that we will know him better and so be able to bring others to know him better as well.
Prayer
O Lord, sometimes the busyness of the world keeps me from spending time with you. I say that I love you but don't make more opportunities to get to know you better through your Word. Slow me down, Lord, so that I have more time for you. Amen.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
