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03
Apr
Desire
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hand reaching outSometimes I feel like I’m going mad. One thing for sure – the Lord has had me pray dangerous prayers lately. You know the ones…

“Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit.”

“Consume me with Your love.”

“Help me to see with Your eyes.”

“Help me to know what it is to love You with all my heart, mind, soul and strength.”

I’m so heartsick I can barely stand myself.

But I realize that this is what I have been praying for. To be so consumed with Him that every time my thoughts touch on Him tears begin to fill my eyes. I’m at an all-time level of dissatisfaction and I have no idea what to do with myself. When God turns His face toward you and looks you in the eye you will be changed. You cannot look upon the face of God and remain what you were before…who you were before.

Moses was so changed he had to cover his face when around his people because the glory of God emanating from him terrified them. And so it should.

There are times like today when He feels so close to me I’m about come unglued, while crying out for more. More truth, more love, more of Him. It’s an insatiable hunger. I feel like a drug addict today trying to find my next fix.

Consumed.

Then there are other seasons when I’m reaching out as far as I can, only to have His fingertips brush against mine and I fall…longing, praying, drowning. And I wonder what it is that I’m holding onto so tightly that I can’t seem to grasp His open hand.

It is a travesty really. Too many times I want to hold onto my worldly things when God is calling me to something deeper and more glorious than my latest gadgets, my internet, my Facebook or Myspace, or my ministry involvement.

God help me. I cannot be who You’ve created me to be without Your abiding Presence. Help me to lay down every trapping that would keep my heart from Yours. Teach me how to reach You in the holy place, for You are my greatest Desire.

“Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.”

Song of Solomon 8:6

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02
Oct
Vacancy?
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vacancy“He (David) swore an oath to the Lord and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob, ‘I will not enter my house or go to my bed – I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids, till I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the mighty one of Jacob.‘”  Psalm 132:2-5

As I was pondering the above scripture it occurred to me that David was incredibly passionate about making a dwelling place for the Lord.  We know from scripture that he was a man consumed with the desire of having the Lord as close to him as possible.  I believe that this one desire above everything else made him a man “after God’s own heart”.  And because of that heart-cry he was able to create a tabernacle for the Lord and meet with God, with musicians and singers ministering to the Lord throughout the day, and all through the night. (1 Chronicles 15-16)

Every week in congregations around the world we invite the Lord in our worship to “come”.  We want Him to invade our circumstances, invade our churches and invade our workplaces.  We invite Him – throwing the vacancy sign out on the doors of our hearts to let Him know we’re available.  Then He comes.  Standing at the front door He knocks, and we’re surprised when we open the door and see Him standing there.  I can hear the conversation now…

“I received your invitation and immediately told Gabriel to pack My bags…here I AM!” He says with a smile.

At this point you’re thinking the house isn’t clean and the beds aren’t made…and there are still breakfast dishes in the sink.  And where will you put Him?  From the look of the bag He’s carrying, He’s planning on staying for a while.

“Ummm…hold on one second.  Check-in is at 4pm.  Can you come back then?”

God smiles, says that would be fine, and walks back down the walkway.

It’s 10am, so you have 6 hours to whip the place into shape.  Everyone is employed in getting the house in order, and the best guest room is prepared.  Dinner is in the oven, the fire lit in the fireplace and the best linens placed on the table.  4 o’clock arrives, and so does God.  He’s right on time.

You run to the door to open it before He has the opportunity to knock again.  With a sweep of your hand and a smile on your face you welcome Him into your home.  After entering your home He is immediately drawn to the family pictures you have on your fireplace mantel.  Caressing each face with His finger, each person is lovingly acknowledged by His gentle gaze.  Placing the pictures back as He found them, He turns to you and says, “Can I see My room now please?”

He follows you up the stairs to the guest bedroom.  As He fills the room you realize at once that it is much too small to accommodate Him.  What should you do?  All the other rooms are completely filled with family members, other guests, and items stored away.  The attic is full of Christmas items and storage containers of clothing, sports equipment, and family memorabilia.  The basement is full of entertainment and exercise equipment.  Then the thought hits – “Perhaps I should give Him my room.”

Hearing your racing thoughts, God chuckles.

Each week as we ask the Lord to “come”, we need to ask ourselves if we’ve prepared a place for Him first.  Our hearts can be full, but our mouths keep telling Him to come anyway.  Is Jesus trying to find a place in your heart to rest and there’s no vacancy?  Have you filled yourself with other pressing more worldly things that have screamed for attention first?  Or have you prepared a place for Him like the widow did for Elijah (1 Kings 17:7-16)?  Can you say like David that you will not give rest to your eyes until room is found for the King of Kings?  Are you offering Him a place in the basement, or a place in the attic? Will He fit in the hall closet?  Or have you prepared the best room in the house – your favorite room with the softest sheets, the walk-in closet and bathroom with jacuzzi tub?  Will you give Him your personal bedroom filled with the most priceless treasures you own?

Does He get the honor of having the “Master” bedroom?

Others throughout history have been known to prepare places for important people.  The prophet Elijah was sent to a widow in Zarephath during a severe famine, and as she received him into her home, she and her son were saved from certain death.  When the boy was later struck with an illness and died, Elijah called him back to life again (1 Kings 17).

What provisions do you need from the hand of the Lord?  What areas of your life need a resurrection?

A Shunammite woman prepared a place for the prophet Elisha, and was radically blessed as well.  The Lord opened her womb and she gave birth to a son (2 Kings 4).

What dreams are held within your heart that need to be birthed?

Those who receive a prophet receive a prophet’s reward (Matthew 10:41).  How much more will we receive when the Lord comes to inhabit our hearts through the Holy Spirit!

But let’s take this a step further.

When you agree to allow the Lord to have the best room in the house, you will find that suddenly you don’t want Him to leave.  What more can you do?  You’ve given Him the best room in the entire house!  Looking at the keys hanging by the door, it suddenly occurs to you what would keep Him there indefinitely.  Taking the keys down you begin to ascend the stairs to His room.  Knocking gently on the door, you are summoned to enter.  Taking His hand in yours, you carefully place the set of keys in His hand.

“These are Yours now,” you say.  “You can have my home.  You can have my family, my car, my business, and my finances.  Everything I have is now yours.”

Smiling, God pulls out a keyring of His own.  “Because you have done this thing, you may now enter My house, and make My heart your home.  My life will flow in you, and My provision will flow to you.  My Spirit will empower you to do all I desire, and the gates of hell will not prevail against you.  And I will never leave you or forsake you.”

As we make room for the King of kings, we will find that nothing is impossible for us.  He’s knocking at the door even now.  Have you prepared your heart for visitation, or habitation?

“…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

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10
Aug
Floating
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Floating in WaterMy daughter was invited to my girlfriend’s pool to swim with her children the other day.  When we arrived I reminded her that Rebecca couldn’t swim very well, and to keep a close eye on her. We talked about her children’s swimming skills, and she told me that they still had trouble floating.  They were great swimmers, but for some reason this was a skill they had not mastered yet.  We both agreed that floating was probably one of the most important swimming skills you could master, because it could potentially save your life when in a crisis situation in the water.

Floating is a simple skill to learn.  You take a deep breath while laying on your back with your face to the sky, trusting the water to buoy you to the surface.  Your body is fully relaxed, with your arms out to the side.  Your breathing is even with your arms placed on each side of your body.  Learning to float is important as it helps you to conserve precious energy while you wait for someone to rescue you from the water.  Even the act of treading water can quickly wear you out.  Floating is one of the first skills swimming instructors teach their students, knowing that  this one basic skill has the potential to save their lives.

As I was pondering all the benefits of floating, and the sheer enjoyment of relaxing in the water this way, the Lord began speaking to me.  As believers, we all need to learn how to “float”.  During the course of our lives we are going to face many crisis situations, and if we don’t learn this key skill, we will certainly drown.  We must learn to relax, turn our faces toward heaven, and trust that the Lord is already working to deliver us from the situation at hand.  We must not panic, for then we could drown.  Even if the storm is fierce we can completely trust the One who has brought us to it.  The very storm or catastrophe brought into your life can be used to buoy you into greater realms of intimacy and fruitfulness for the King of kings.  The very trial laid at your door could be a test of your heart’s faithfulness to Him.  Can you say as Job did long ago, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15)?

Here is what He spoke to my heart:

“Beloved, it is not for you to completely understand the storms I bring to your door.  If you completely understood why it was taking place, you would not need faith to see you through.  Every time you exercise the gift of faith you become stronger inside.  Your trust will not be misplaced.  I have promised that I would never leave you or forsake you – no matter what comes.  Remember that I have overcome the world.  Your complete surrender to My plans for your life rise to Me as a sweet offering.  Beloved, all I am I offer to you now.  Just trust Me.  I have plans for your good and not for evil – plans to give you great hope, and a future beyond anything you could possibly dream or imagine.  For I am the dream-giver…I am the LIFE-giver.  I’m asking for the only thing you have to give Me – your heart, your trust, and your love.  I delight in moving heaven and earth to come to your rescue.  But even if I wait, it is only to work a greater victory in your life.  Through faithfulness you will be established.”

As hard as we may try, we cannot add a single hour to our lives (Matthew 6:27).  We can be cautious and play it safe, but ultimately life is not ours to give.  We partner with God to protect life and nurture life and bring new life into the world, but He is ultimately the life-giver (John 10:10).  He holds your very life in the palm of His loving, capable hands.  Take a deep breath, relax, and turn your face to Him in complete trust and faithfulness.  Throw your arms out to the side in complete surrender.  Allow Him to be your buoy during the crisis.  I promise that His love will never fail you (1 Corinthians 13:8).

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39

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03
Aug
Eyes on the Road
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Nighttime Ads2Have you ever tried to drive down the road and NOT read the billboards? They’re everywhere you look. Today I was coming home, and for some reason I had this crazy thought to try NOT looking at them. I had a 20 minute ride home, and it was very challenging. Normally I read everything going down the road – it’s just part of the driving experience. We don’t even realize we’re doing it, unless the billboard is particularly creative or flat-out obnoxious. The Lord began to speak to me through this experience.

He has prepared a road for us. It’s called the Highway of Holiness:

“And a great road will go through that once deserted land.
It will be named the Highway of Holiness.
Evil-minded people will never travel on it.
It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways;
fools will never walk there.
Lions will not lurk along its course,
nor any other ferocious beasts.
There will be no other dangers.
Only the redeemed will walk on it.” Isaiah 35:8-9

He’s prepared it for the redeemed – the children of God – to walk on. I have found that as I stay on that road I do okay. But satan has also planted distractions along the way. They’re billboards that tempt me to stray off the road He has placed me on, and onto the side roads that lead to self, flesh, sin, and destruction. They look inviting, but each path eventually leads to a dead end. It may not come immediately, but it will come.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 4:12

The only way to stay on the right road is to stay focused. My two older kids will be learning how to drive soon. They’re going to hear, “Keep your eyes on the road!” until they’re hearing it in their sleep. For those of us that have been traveling with the Lord for a while, we need a reminder. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD. Beware of distractions. Beware of driving with your life set on cruise control. Don’t let the enemy deftly steal your destiny right out from under you. If he can’t get you into open sin, he will get you distracted with other things.

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.” 1 Peter 5:8-9

Are you constantly worried? Are you having trouble extending forgiveness to someone? Do relationships take a back seat to your career? Only as we daily come to the Lord will we see things as they really are. As we are led by His Spirit we’ll continue down the path prepared for us.

Christian, you are called to holiness. Keep your eyes on the road.

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