Encountering Him...

The Gospel of Luke records a story about two disciples walking down the road to Emmaus. Their encounter with the Lord gives us something to think about. Encountering Him may be different than what you expect.

Within the Gospels we actually read of two encounters the followers of Jesus had with Him that were out of the ordinary. Though they spoke with Him and were in His presence, they did not know it was the Lord. For Mary, it was when He spoke her name that she realized it was Him. For the disciples on the Emmaus road their eyes were opened to see Him before He left. Many have wondered why we read these accounts in Scripture. Some have wondered if Jesus looked differently. I just wonder if it was part of His ministry in the Spirit.

Things like this often go against our logic. Most people would just rather Jesus do the same thing over and over again. If only there were some steps to take, some principles to apply, or some directions to follow. But where is the relationship in that?

I love what the disciples said after they realized it was Jesus who walked with them: "Did not our hearts burn within us...?"
I love it because it helps us in our own encounters with Him.
It encourages me to recognize what I feel, and what I sense in my own spirit.

How have you encountered the Lord? How have you seen Him? Did He speak your name? Did you heart burn within you? Regardless of what your experience/encounter was like, I want you to be encouraged. The Lord wants to encounter you as much as you want to encounter Him (if not more). The Bible is full of people encountering Him at different times and in different places. Some of them were praying. Some of them were simply going through life. Some of them expected the Lord to move. Some of them weren't expecting anything.

The more we understand that the Lord wants us to encounter Him, the more we can move out of religious exercise and into genuine relationship. We recognize that faith in Christ brings us into something that is real. It also keeps us from simply trying to appease a distant deity. We realize that He is in us, with us, and for us.

Over the years I have known people who have had a physical encounter with the Lord. Others saw Him in visions or dreams. Some have heard Him speak or heard Him through someone else. Their encounters challenge me. They compel me to know the Lord personally. They remind me that the Lord is not far from any of us. Jesus promised His disciples that He would manifest Himself to them. You are no different.

How many of us have read the Scripture for an encounter with Him?
How many of us have prayed believing that we would encounter Him there?
How many of us in worship have experienced His presence, or seen His activity among us?
Or how many of us have been in conversation with others about the Lord and His presence became strong among us?
This is all a part of our journey with Him. It's a journey where He is very much involved. He has crossed all worlds to be with us. The Spirit of the Lord convinces us of this reality. He encourages us. He manifests Himself.

Encountering Him cannot be mapped out. It looks different for every person. We are unique individuals and the Lord meets us accordingly. The exciting part about this is that when we begin to recognize Him among us, then we can learn how to encounter Him with one another. The Church becomes something greater than a meeting center to learn a lesson. We become a Body where the Head is clearly seen.

May your heart burn within you for His presence. May you hear Him speak while on the road. May you hear Him call your name. On encounter with the Lord can change everything. Be blessed!!!