Some mornings I have to kind of “fast path” my devo time and skip the reflection time when I try to put a few thoughts “to paper.”  I’ve got to get to work early this morning, so my “chewing” time this morning was to go back over some posts from previous years.  A post from 2010 resonated with me . . . I liked the diagnosis of this re-occuring condition . . .  so I’m re-sharing it . . .

I started feeling it almost immediately this morning . . . came on kind of suddenly . . . but it didn’t take long to diagnose what was happening. It came on as a result of recognizing Him in Isaiah . . . I started feeling it as I heard His voice in this ancient prophet . . . my heart started to burn within me as I read the words which my Savior took for His own when He identified Himself 2,000 years ago to a congregation in a synagogue in Nazareth . . .

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD . . . ”
                                                              (Isaiah 61:1-2a, Luke 4:18-19 NKJV).

Jesus told those in the synagogue that Sabbath morning, after He had read this portion of Isaiah, that these words were fulfilled in Him. That’s why, when I started reading in Isaiah 61 this morning, my soul was stirred. And I continued to read of Him and me. I read that He promised “to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” (61:3) . . . and my “condition” got worse . . . or better . . . maybe more acute is a better description. My stirred soul becoming a spirit in awe . . . and filled with gratitude . . . and welling up in praise . . . as I recognized myself as that “planting of the LORD” for His glory. What I was feeling was then expressed later in this passage . . . “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” (61:10).

I read Isaiah 61 this morning . . . and my “condition” came on suddenly. How come? . . . heart burn.

My “condition” was diagnosed when I read also in Luke 24 this morning. The risen Lord Jesus is walking with a couple of disciples on the road to Emmaus . . . He has veiled Himself such that, though they are interacting with Him face to face, they don’t recognize Him. They tell Him about how their worlds have been rocked by Jesus’ crucifixion because they though that Jesus was the one to redeem Israel . . . they also tell Him that some women found His tomb empty and saw a vision declaring He was alive. They don’t what to think . . . not sure what to believe. And so Jesus, beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, explains to them what the Scriptures teach concerning Himself (I bet you He covered Isaiah 61). (Luke 24:13-27)

Jesus eventually reveals Himself to them as they eat together and He breaks bread for them. He then vanishes. They then verbalize what I am experiencing this morning . . . “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32)

They too experienced heart burn. It was a result of being with Jesus . . . it was brought on by Him opening the Scriptures to them. Could that be what’s happening to me this morning through Isaiah 61? . . . I’m thinkin’!

He who lives within me through His Holy Spirit showed Himself to me through Isaiah 61. I recognized Him almost immediately. As I read these ancient words, I knew that they spoke of Him. I was stirred by seeing Jesus in God’s inspired revelation . . . I was drawn in as I saw Him afresh in the prophet’s words . . . my heart burned within me as He opened the Scriptures . . . I had been with Jesus.

How often do I not recognize these divine encounters? . . . how often do I think it’s me “feelin’ it” rather than Him “revealing it?” This is the dynamic God promises . . . the living and powerful word of God . . . bringing illumination through the ever present Spirit of God . . . that I might encounter the glorious and risen Son of God. And when that happens . . . heart burn! Amen?