Softly and Tenderly

Hello,
 
One of my most favorite stories, after the resurrection of our Lord, is the story of the two men meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus.  As they were talking about all that had happened in Jerusalem that week Jesus came up and walked along beside them.  But they didn't recognize Him.
 
Have you ever wondered why they were not able to recognize their Lord?  More interesting than that though, is why did He not just tell them who He was?  Why did He not run up to them and just say:  "It's Me! It's Me!, It's over! I'm back! We won! It's Me!"  Can we begin to see that it was more important for Him to wait until they said, "It's You!  It's You!
 
Remember teaching your little toddler to walk?  Mom would hold the baby while Dad would reach out as far as he could to encourage the baby to take that first step.  If Dad grabbed the baby's hand and pulled him, the baby was not walking, but being pulled.  Was this the very thing Jesus was trying to do?  As the three walked along the road, Jesus reminded them of the things Moses and all the prophets had written about Him.  Trying to get them to say with faith:  "It's you!  It's You!"
 
Now the sun began to drop in the west and they were to part company.  But wait, they invite Him into the house for the evening meal.   So the Lord has more time to lead them into that faith they needed to discover on their own.  As they began to share the meal, the Lord broke the bread and blessed it.  Cleopas and his friend may have shouted at the same time:  "IT'S YOU!  IT'S YOU!"
 
We live in a very rushed world, and a very noisy world.  We are surrounded by people and things that are calling out:  "It's me you need!  It's me you need! Pick me! Pick me!"  Don't wait for Jesus to yell at you as just one of the competing voices.  In our scriptures, and in our own experience, we learn Jesus doesn't speak that way.  But in spite of that noise, and even above that noise the voice of Jesus can be heard by that lost soul, softly and tenderly saying:  "It's Me!  Take that first step of faith, I'm right here."
 
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door,  I will come into him and will sup with him and he with Me."  Revelation 3:20
 
God bless you today as you listen to that still small voice.
 
Henry

P.S.--YOU ARE LOVED!