Luke 24.32 32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts
burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to
us?” (NLT)
Today, I did some catching up on my reading – I missed a
couple days so I read it all from the demands of God on Pharaoh to the trial
and crucifixion of Jesus and His resurrection. Whew! What a read!
I landed on a verse in Luke 24 where the two disciples
from Emmaus reflect on their visit from Jesus and what they said about
themselves as they realized what had happened. I think it safe to say they were
excited beyond belief and the heartburn
they felt was from the realization that everything they’d been taught from the
earliest time in their life all came into perfect focus at that moment when
Jesus talked with them on the road and explained the Scriptures to them. There
is much in the Scriptures that I don’t understand and would love to have Jesus
open my mind to really what was said and what was going on; I think I’d get
heartburn too.
The heartburn in question is the realization of truth in
a way that makes the body react in indescribable excitement – you might also
say: wiggles and giggles. One can only
hear the truth and then have the mental ability to confirm the truth. When this
confirmation happens, the brain releases endorphins into the body that cause a physical
reaction. Now then, heartburn is not for everybody, nor is it proof that one is
saved – but heartburn (or more likely wiggles and giggles of happiness) can
happen to a captive who’s been suddenly set free.
The other day, my Pastor was called to help a woman who
was suspected of spiritual oppression. Thinking he had his hands full, he
approached the situation by simply telling the woman how to be born again. I
don’t know if I’d call it heartburn, but when she realized how close salvation
was, and how it was a free gift to her without strings attached, she
experienced relief on a level that simply brought about joy and happiness and
the witnesses there said her face visibly changed from doubt, fear, and
confusion to relief, joy, and happiness that her life had changed because of
the realization of the truth of Jesus Christ and the freedom that accompanies
that truth.
She was the
captive that had been set free and she was happy about that. She thought it was
all up to her and when she realized it wasn’t she was tremendously relieved.
Peter, later in his life said, You love
him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you
trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for
trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1.8-9) That’s
some kind of happy; it’s enough to give someone the wiggles and giggles…
Father, Your truth sets the oppressed, miserable, and
frantic captive free; and with that freedom and realization that the chains are
finally broken and the burden is marvelously lifted, a human being can feel
happiness and joy physically. It’s
just the result of really understanding Your love! Help me to remember the joy I felt
when the veil was opened for me, and to remember that there are still those out
there who long for the truth that will cause them to (maybe) wiggle and giggle
in relief, joy, and exuberance that only a true encounter with You will bring.
Help me to live it today I pray, amen.
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