Day #100 - Presence Unaware

The Presence - A Devotional for Living in Thanksgiving, Worship and Wonder

“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, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭30‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash

Have you ever felt that you are missing out?

I don’t know how many times I’ve been in a room during a sports game on television and somehow I get preoccupied with something else and I miss the big play that causes everyone else to freak out with excitement. Have you ever been so close to an opportunity but you were unaware of how close you were to greatness? Often we can take for granted incredible things in our life that are right next to us.

There is a story right after the resurrection of Jesus where not all of His disciples knew He was risen yet. Jesus joined two of them on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24. They were conversing with Him and He shared from the Scriptures about Himself yet their eyes were closed to who He was. When Jesus and the disciples arrived at a place to go in and eat, at the breaking of bread their eyes were opened to who He was but then He vanished. Their response is so powerful, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road?”

Some refer to this moment as the fellowship of the burning heart. Jesus wants us to be disciples, followers, that have a burning heart and close fellowship with Him. But as Jason Upton wrote in his song Road to Emmaus, “Two fools on the road to Emmaus. Well, they might as well be you and me.” We can be that near to the presence of Jesus and we unaware that He is right there in front of us.

The disciples said it was while He revealed Himself in the Scriptures that caused their hearts to burn. That is a lesson for us. If we learn to read the Bible to search for Christ in the Scriptures, we will have a burning heart of love as He is revealed to us.

We also learn that when the bread was broken their eyes were open. Every time we come to the communion table and break the bread together, we have an opportunity for our eyes to be open to who He is. This is always a fresh invitation to encounter His presence.

May we not be presence unaware, but may our eyes be open each time we read His Holy Word and partake of Holy Communion.

Lord Jesus, I don’t always see every opportunity to meet with You. Open my eyes that I would not be unaware of your presence in my life. Let me see You Jesus in the Scriptures and as I come to the communion table. Oh, how I long to encounter you my slain and risen King! There is no one like you! I want to live in your presence and join the fellowship of the burning heart. In your name, amen.