And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast thou not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
Luke 24:14-18
As I read this passage last week, I had to pause in the story and reflect on 2020 and thus far in 2021. So many things have happened in our nation. We have been all consumed with the election, the c0vid, the shots, the masks, the fraud, the crime, the race, the hate, etc. When we “are allowed” to get together with friends and loved ones it can be hard to avoid these topics of discussion. (These can be very controversial topics, also. This just adds another element of stress and strain in our lives if we let it.) When is the last time you ONLY talked to someone about how the Lord is working in your life?
Just as the people in these verses in Luke 24 who had lived to witness Christ’s crucifixion and burial, we have seen many things. But have the things which we have seen, so distracted us from the Gospel, that we don’t recognize Christ when he shows up in our midst? Do we fail to recognize blessings when they are right in front of our face? Do wee also fail to see sin for sin, and evil for evil? We can become so consumed with the troubling news we are bombarded with, that we miss the truth in most of it, and we will miss God’s will for us if we aren’t careful.
Scripture tells us to weigh EVERYTHING in life against the Bible. When we get saved, the Holy Spirit lives within us. He is our discernment. When evil comes our way, that little inkling that “something’s not right” is the Holy Spirit telling us to beware! Likewise, when blessings come our way and we instantly say “Thank you Lord!”, it is because we have felt the Holy Spirit in that moment, and know to give God the glory!
We must be careful that we don’t press the mute button on the Holy Spirit, and turn the volume up on the world around us. Child of God, we still have great days ahead! Pick up your head, listen for the Lord to come your way. Look for the good things. Block out the negative. Take a break from the TV and social media. Share something positive with others. Be on the lookout for Jesus, because, just like in Luke 24, he is coming back soon for us as well!
