Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

Here is one of the most important subtleties within scriptures. It is often overlooked but is in fact the essence of relationship with our Lord and the Word. It is directly related to the condition of that spiritual heart which is the main focus of God’s concern in conforming a new believer into the image of His Son,

Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Helping our infirmities, to change the condition of the heart, is of utmost importance to God.

Ephesians 3:16-19 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

The inner man is God’s concern, not the outward and seeming but the inward and real. In this we can know that God is at work in the inner man, if when Christ is revealed to us in the inner man, our hearts are touched. It may not be as strong as the disciples on the road to Emmaus, but bit by bit we should be able to detect changes in the inner man.

Psalm 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

A change of heart is required.

Philippians 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

In modern vernacular consolation is often thought of in terms of being given a consolation prize because you didn’t win the big prize or a prize of value.

How about we just remove any confusion. Let us read it this way; If there be any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,…

Does that help? It might help remove confusion but it also removes the object of consideration, Christ. The Greek word here is parakaleō where the most frequent word with this meaning, lit. denotes “to call to one’s side,” hence, “to call to one’s aid.”

If that sounds familiar it is because we covered it yesterday in encouragement. Like I said, the word covers a wide range of emotions. The use here denotes a walking with, being alongside, and once again begins a longer lists of effects solicited by that action.

V2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

The following verse brings all those effects into focus. It would please Him greatly if we could all share in this experience together, being in agreement, and not holding ourselves apart. I added this last thought because I have already peeked at the next verse.

V3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

It is that holding of the door, you first, no you first, no you first, that is the essence of God’s goal in Christ, that we would have a desire to go nowhere without you. The ultimate in leave no man behind.