Heart Burn

Have you ever experienced a bad case of heart burn that just wouldn’t go away? Perhaps you tried different medicines, but no relief? Heart burn isn’t something that can easily be ignored. For some it consumes them and breaks them to the core. Here’s another question, have you ever experienced Spiritual Heart Burn? A burning in your spirit that was so strong you couldn’t control it or ignore it? God’s Word says we should continue to fan that flame to a blaze, constantly being on fire for God with excitement. This is the kind of heart burn these men felt during their travel to Emmaus when Jesus revealed Himself to them in a special way. Now understand, it was just a few days ago that Jesus was hanging on the cross, and buried in the tomb. So no one was expecting to see Him, despite His promises.

Luke 24:27-35 NKJV
27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. 28 Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. 29 But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. 30 Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. 32 And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” 33 So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 And they told about the things that had happened on the road, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.
What was the source of their heart burn? It was their closeness to Christ. When’s the last time you can say you’ve had such a close encounter with Christ that your heart burned within you? Now this doesn’t mean you’re a bad person or that you have a poor relationship with God. But that your relationship just isn’t as strong as it could be. Regardless your relationship status with God, we all have room to grow.

Bro. Austin Chapman is the Youth Minister
at Sugar Creek Baptist in Murray, KY and founder
of Inflamed Church Ministries. View Austin's
personal online ministry blog iPursueWorship.