Quote from Forum Archives on June 16, 2003, 11:24 pm

Posted by: wrather <wrather@...>

Because of my mother having hip replacement surgery on Wednesday it is
likely that I will be unable again this week to write and send the
devotionals on a regular basis. Thank you for your prayers and
understanding!

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The Burning Bush Devotional
(Over 8,000 subscribers in 75 countries)

06.16.03

Mistaken Identity

Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called
Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. And they talked together of
all these things which had happened. So it was, while they conversed and
reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes
were restrained, so that they did not know Him. And He said to them, "What
kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and
are sad?" Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are
You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which
happened there in these days?" - Luke 24:13-18.

Have you ever said "hello" to someone thinking they were a certain person
but the were not? It creates one of those embarrassing moments! Some people
are so kind that they never say a word and only later you suddenly remember
that they were not the person you thought they were. However, mistaken
identity can be a quite serious matter. Nona Cason found out exactly how
serious when she was mistaken for a fugitive from France (Nadine Tretiakoff)
who had kidnapped her children from their father. Not only was Nona
misidentified but the children were also misidentified as being the children
of Pierre Fourcade. Pierre stood only three feet from Nona in court and
swore that she was Nadine Tretiakoff.

Even though Nona had birth certificates, passports, and other records to
prove she and her children were not fugitives she was still held in jail for
six nights. The children were placed in state custody during the ordeal.
She was finally released, along with her children, after DNA tests revealed
that the children were not related to Fourcade. Cason said as to the reason
for the misidentification, "Apparently, I look like this other woman."

On the road to Emmaus two disciples of Jesus make a misidentification. They
assume the man that has joined them in their travel is a stranger from
another area. The disciples almost miss out completely on this resurrection
appearance of Jesus. But finally when, "He sat at the table with them.took
bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were
opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight (Luke 24:30-31)."
It was then that they remembered, "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)?"

If Jesus were to knock on your door - would you recognize Him? While you
are in church assembled with other believers would you recognize His Voice
if He were to speak to your heart? The disciples on the road to Emmaus were
not expecting Jesus to join them in their travel. But He did. How many
times do we spend time in prayer alone and with others not really expecting
to hear God speak? How many times do we sit singing in church and never
really expect God to speak? How many times do we daydream through sermons
not expecting God to have anything to say to us? How many times do we sit
through invitations hoping all those other people will respond because we
think, "God wasn't speaking to me?"

Could it be that we have misidentified that still, small voice as being our
conscience, or a bad memory, or just heartburn when really Jesus has decided
to travel with us for a while along our way? What blessings have we missed
out on because we have assumed that God would never speak to us? The next
time that Voice in your heart speaks remember it could very well be the
Voice of God.

Copyright © 2003. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
on a non-profit basis with source credited.

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