I have often, myself, sat in darkness, and cried aloud for the Holy Spirit to deliver me from the fantasies that gather round a parched soul like flies round a rotting carcass in the desert. Likewise, I have sat tongue-tied, crying out to be given utterance, and delivered from the apprehensions that afflict the earth-bound. And never, ultimately, in vain. Jesus’ promise is valid; the Comforter needs only to be summoned. The need is the call, the call is the presence, and the presence is the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth.
~Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990)
And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
~ Luke, writer of the Apostolic Travelogues of the 1st Century, in Acts 16
Oh beloved, it is true.
There is a deeply mystical work within the Wind of The Spirit. We come to a place in our lives where we simply know that it is no longer we who live, but The L_RD Christ who has taken preeminence.
The sense of control we once had is seen for what it was – nothing. And now, we know, simply know, we are on a solid diamond-lined path, and we are kept in its center by the very Hand who created us.
As we let go, the experiences get clearer and clearer. Perhaps it is just the scrubbing of our souls effected by the suffering He has allowed in lives. That which means anything to us, now fits on a very short list.
Him
His Love
Obedience to Him
The Joy of The L_RD
The Fruit of His Spirit
The Kingdom of Heaven
Communion with Him
and
Loving others with everything He has already given us.
We really don’t care where we go, or even if we eat. To know that we are in Him, and Him in us is exceedingly and abundantly enough. We pant with Love and burst with Hope as we begin to have the faintest understanding of His Great Heart of Love towards us. It is an ache, and nearly a moaning to be with Him fully and forever.
We know this Day is coming. And that is enough. For Hope does not fail us… But then it gets better.
We don’t have to wait. Instead of our heart bursting to sense His Presence, He crashes through our circumstances and tells us who He is, and tells us how we can participate with Him in His plans for the world. Oh, it is not that we do not know of His commission… It is just that we are not sure where we are to fit in the program.
Then, in time, He shows us.
Each step of the way, there will often come a moment of waiting. And sometimes that moment extends out into months and years. In each second of this moment though, He is expanding our ability to trust Him, hear His voice, feel His Loving Presence, and develop our willingness to obey.
If we are willing too, we even come to the place where we become unconcerned whether the plans turn out the way we think He is unfolding them. For we know that the manifold wisdom of the One weaving the plan is far beyond the senses of even our spirit.
However, in that same moment comes a deeper moment of clarity. His Grace wants us to go somewhere or do something that He has set before us. There is a work for which He has created us, and to which He has brought all of history, calling out to us: “Come over here and help us.”
And as we watch it all come together, there comes this sense of wonder bursting forth from within us. We just stand there, jaw dropping open, eyes wide, and heart filling with joy at His goodness. Every second has been worth it. Every moment of grinding prayer. Every disappointment. Every dashed opportunity we thought was “it,” was not a failure by me or Him – but instead – lead-ups to His own amazing unveiling of His purposes for us.
Can we see it?
At first, we thought that abandoning ourselves to Christ was going to bring chaos to our existence. Everything in us fought it. We say something like: “He might send me to the other side of the world!” Exactly. However beloved, instead of this bringing chaos to our lives, we find that in going where He sends us, there comes a clarity and strength we never thought possible.
So, are hearing something from Him you never thought possible? Tonight is your night beloved. Time to get up and go. He is making the way, and has been doing it forever.
