My Favorite Form of Exercise is Beyond Physical

My favorite form of exercise is beyond physical. It is the exercise of my heart where I continually train my heart to surrender to the presence and reality of the living Jesus as I seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Christians have access to a supernatural altar, the altar of an altered and surrendered heart. Two men walking along the road to Emmaus had more than a physical altar. They had the presence of Jesus, Himself, walking along and talking with them, but they didn’t recognize Him. Yet as He spoke their hearts burned within them. When they remembered Him (recognized His presence with them) in the breaking of the bread, He suddenly vanished from their physical view.

Once those two men knew that Jesus was with them, they no longer needed to depend on their physical senses to be aware of Him. His invisible presence was so strong to them that they began to praise God and boldly and openly profess His name. They rushed back to Jerusalem to celebrate Christ’s presence and reality with the other disciples.

The book of Hebrews says that “We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.” We who have surrendered our life and our will to follow and obey the risen Jesus have so much more than a physical altar. We have the altar of the heart, the inner altar of a heart that is ever being altered (sanctified) by the ongoing presence of Jesus — “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

(I’m not aware of any Scripture that indicates that Jesus or the early Christ-followers worshipped at a physical altar. I’ve searched numerous Bible resources and can’t find anyplace that they did that.)

Because Jesus now lives within each one of His followers, Hebrews goes on to say: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess His name.” I love that word “continually.” Christ doesn’t come and go. His presence isn’t tied to physical objects, to physical places, or to our feelings. He comes to stay with us continually and He calls each one of us to abide in Him continually. “And lo, I am with you always.” Lord Jesus, help me stay continually aware of Your presence in and through my life!

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