Do you have a favorite Bible Story? One that draws you back to read and read again?
The story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus after Christ’s crucifixion is one story that I continually discover new insights that touch my heart and feed my soul. Often when I don’t know what to read I meditate on my favorites verses to guide my path.
Oswald Chambers
used a verse from this passage in My Utmost for His Highest
on the February 7 entry:
used a verse from this passage in My Utmost for His Highest on the February 7 entry:“But we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place.” Luke 24:21
Chambers writes, “Spiritual lust causes me to demand an answer from God instead of seeking God Himself who gives the answer…The purpose of prayer is that we get a hold of God, not the answer…If we will only obey and do the task that He has placed closest to us, we will see Him.”
Chambers asks us what have we been praying for, expecting an answer from God? Is today the ‘third day” and God still has not done what I have expected Him to do?
Convicting questions, aren’t they?
I have recently whined to God about my thirst to grow in devotion to Him and my lack of clarity on how to do this. Three days? Try three years I have been praying about this. What have I learned?
Chambers is so right: I am to focus on God, not the answer and to do what He has placed in front of me for my next step and not worry about the end results.
The disciples on the road to Emmaus experienced God, not all the answers to their prayers.
On my road to Emmaus, I chose to focus on God too, not the answers. This is not easy as I slip back into old patterns of wanting to control the outcomes in MY timing. But once again, God’s Word gently prods me back onto His path.
Do you have a favorite Bible verse that keeps you on the right path?
P. S. I just realized that this is my 300th post for Healthy Spirituality. Please invite others to check this blog out and subscribe if they wish. Thank you for reading this and walking with my on this journey.
Thank you for all the congrats on my 300th post. and glad you all like how Chambers wrote about this. I think I will be rereading his bio soon: Abandoned To God. I think there is much we can learn from his life and writing.
Congratulations on your 300th post Jean! I’ve only been reading your site since I found it several months ago, but I always come away with something to think about, and to inspire me to look deeper in Christ. Thank you so much for that!
And you’re right… It’s easy to get misdirected if we focus on the answers, not seeking His path for us. Wonderful point!
Have a Blessed Day!
Congrats on 300! Wow! So very proud of you.
You know I’m a big Chambers fan, too, though taking a break from reading Utmost this year.
Favorite story? That’s a tough one. Michal’s story breaks my heart, but I don’t look to it for inspiration or guidance. Hannah’s prayer helped me to see that it’s okay to be sorrowful over something that’s not going right even when I’m blessed in so many other ways. She had her husband’s profound love, but grieved over her infertility. God cared about her heart and eventually answered her prayers. He never chastised her for not being content with what she already had.
Happy 300!!
You know that story has a special place in my heart. I love the part where one of them says, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as…”
Love Chambers’ take on it, too. We need to seek Him, not just the answer. Great reminder, Jeanie!
That is one of my favorite stories too. I love her complete surrender in worship and praise. Thanks for sharing and so glad we have connected.
I have many stories I come back too read I love the story of the woman who anointed Jesus feet that one speaks of my life I can so recognize her life and all she did and went through and how she did not let anyone stop her from coming to Christ and when she got to Him she just dropped at His feet weeping. My life was like hers in so many ways, I won’t go into all of it on here but when I got to the end of myself I knew Jesus was the one and so I weep like this woman did. That is why I say until a person knows my story they can’t understand my praise. Even in church people look at me strange but they just don’t know what and where Jesus found my soul..