by Eric Holter on November 15, 2011
“So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, but they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.’ So he went in to stay with them.” Luke 24:28-29
Jesus was willing to let the two disciples think that He had other business to attend to, some place down the road, when He acted as if He were going farther. But they pleaded with Him to stay with them. They wanted more of His words. But, in fact, Jesus was eager not only to continue to speak God’s Word to them, but He was eager to be with them, to sit at table with them, and to fellowship with them–to break bread with them.
Jesus is never too busy to meet with us–he doesn’t have more pressing work farther down the road. He always wants to sit with us–to fellowship with us. If it sometimes feels like God is distant, that He has greater things to attend to than to hear our prayers and to meet with us, it’s not so. Jesus is eager to sit and commune with us. And because He has risen and because He has ascended to the right hand of the Father His Spirit is able to meet with us anywhere and all at all times. But sometimes He does stand off–waiting for us to plead with him and urge Him strongly. He wants us to ask Him saying “stay with us.” He wants us to be eager for His word and His fellowship. Sometimes we fail to feel His closeness–we feel like God is far off busy with other matters–not because He has no time for us, but precisely because He wants our devotion. He wants us to hunger after Him.
Lord make me hungry for Your Word, for Your presence, and for Your fellowship. Stay with me! Let my heart burn within for You through Your word. Amen.
by Eric Holter on December 5, 2006
“Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel; and they saw God, and they ate and drank.”
Exodus 24:9-11
What an amazing sight enjoyed not only by Moses and Aaron but also Nadab, Abihu and the seventy elders. These men saw God. They saw a glimpse into the glory of heaven. They saw God standing upon a clear sapphire foundation. They saw Him with their own eyes–and did not die! What a privilege, what a sight. To see God Himself, to see Him in His glory is the ultimate desire of the human soul and the best result of our entire existence–to see Him (and not be struck down dead) is the successful end of our purpose for living. These men saw it–and then they ate and drank.
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by Eric Holter on February 10, 2005
“My son, eat honey, for it is good,
Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste;
Know that wisdom is thus for your soul;
If you find it, then there will be a future,
And your hope will not be cut off.”
Proverbs 24:13
This year my wife discovered and introduced me to at a terrific show on the Food Network called “Good Eats” It’s a cooking show. It’s informative and instructional like other cooking shows but it is so much better because its host, Alton Brown, provides extremely interesting historical and scientific information about the process of cooking. On top of that, the show is very entertaining, fun, silly, and captivating.
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by Eric Holter on January 5, 2005
“A sated man loathes honey,
But to a famished man any bitter thing is sweet.”
Proverbs 27:7
Proverbs 16:16 declares, “How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen above silver.” If getting wisdom is better than getting gold, I can rejoice when God gives me hunger. Anyone who is hungry longs to eat and dreams of abundance. I think the desire for abundance is built into being human. Sometimes God actually give us abundance, but usually more hunger comes along with it. In this sense I am always going to be in a state of hunger. This is okay, because the abundance God intendeds for me, is with Him in heaven.
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