The best things are nearest: breath in your nostrils, light in your eyes, flowers at your feet, duties at your hand, the path of God just before you.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with His and seated us with His in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
~ Ephesians 2:1-10
One day He spoke directly to our spirit.
“Live child. Breath,” He says.
And He breathes into us.
And Live we do; forever.
Huhhhh! And that first sharp intake of His beautiful Air in our spiritual lungs brings a Life which is something wholly other than before. We come to know that nothing else in our lives is ever going to be the same again.
He has given everything for us, and desires the same in return.
And as we go through the crisis of having to surrender everything we ever thought meant anything, we find that there is no limit as to what He will do to bring us into a right relationship with Himself. Oh it hurts!
He brings us to the very edge of ourselves – and then pushes us off the cliff. But, instead of being dashed on the stones below, we land on Solid Rock, standing firmly – with balance and verve and a passion to only now Live and move and have our being within Him.
We learn dance and rest and sing and pray and learn and grow and simply know Him. And OH how wonderful He is! Just a moment ago, we were dead our trespasses. Now, we are free in Him, and dead only to ourselves, and the sin that self pursues.
Our greatest joy now comes from abiding in Him and making Him famous. We become His burning ones, with lives set apart, consumed by Him. But instead of burning out, we become eternal beacons He places at strategic points and places throughout this dark world.
And as we begin to understand His voice, we begin to take direct orders on where to be, and where to go to shine most brightly for Him. He may have us cleaning toilets, or preaching to millions. The venue does not matter. Rather, we begin to see it is the perfection of His timing and placement of our presence and work that fulfills His commission for us to go and make disciples.
This fool of writer was just sent to the mountains outside of Surabaya to help 31 future leaders of Indonesia learn how to be a bondservant of their Saviour, and servant leaders of the great people of this great State. It seemed like almost every moment of each day of this conference at an old retreat center was just perfect for its purpose. And surely the only reason it seemed like only “almost” everything was perfect, was because we simply cannot see all the amazing things G_d is doing in our lives.
How does this all happen?
Beloved, surrender to Him tonight. He will show you!
