TODAYS MEDITATION: LUKE 14:25-33 Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them… (Luke 14:25) Try to imagine yourself among the people following along behind Jesus. Questions are swirling around you; some are laughing, and some are crying, as the crunch of feet on the ground grows. Suddenly Jesus stops, turns around, and looks right at you. Did I do something? Jesus begins to speak, and it is as if everyone else disappears. Luke’s little detail about Jesus stopping, turning, and speaking seems deliberate. He wanted to emphasize Jesus’ desire to get the people’s full attention as he spoke words crucial to their faith. This was not a time for idle chatter or casual conversation. It was a time to let every word soak in. And for those who did pay close attention, the words changed their lives. Every day, Jesus, the Son of the living God, wants to speak to you! He wants to take your face in his hands and say, “Look at me. Listen closely. This is important. I want you to receive it.” He asks you to set aside your own thoughts, ideas, and plans, and try your best to imagine looking into his eyes. This is a holy moment, when he can move your heart and form your mind. It’s a sacred time, when he can give you the grace you need to love him and follow him. It’s a golden opportunity for him to chip away at the hard outer layer of your heart so that he can find new ways to teach you and love you. Day in and day out, we are surrounded by distractions—both interior and exterior. There is so much “chatter” trying to pull us away from Jesus and from one another. How encouraging, then, to know that we have a Redeemer who will never stop trying to get our attention! Day after day, he wants to turn to us, look us in the eye, and tell us about his love, his will, and his salvation. So don’t let the chatter drown him out! “Jesus, thank you for calling my name and speaking to my heart. Open my ears to hear you above all the noise in my day.”
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 06:41:19 +0000
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