The Ones Who Cause the Earth to Groan

photo by Cody Redmon

We are on the precipice of a great unveiling.  Since before time began, there has been a great dispute - a great battle.  It has not been a true struggle in the sense of having two equal opponents.  The One has always been superior in every way.  It is only the ability to deceive that has given the inferior any foothold.  Although the overwhelming sovereignty of the One has been displayed time and again, the weak minds and souls of men have continued to be swayed by the schemes of the lesser one.

The earth groans.  It has watched the rise and fall of many men and nations as some have believed, as many are deceived.  It waits for a specific man - a specific nation.  It waits and anticipates their unveiling - their release onto the earth - for where they walk, no darkness can stay.  When they speak, no deception can persuade otherwise.  They carry Life which has overcome death on every front.  They are those who have walked through the waters, but knew their God was with them, and were not overcome.  They have stood in the fire, but the flames did not kindle upon them.  They have been mocked and scorned, but thought it worthy to suffer for the One to Whom they have entrusted their every breath.  They are not afraid, although confronted on every side, for they have seen the faithfulness and fortitude of their Salvation.  The earth anticipates these, for they carry within them the One, Jesus,  to whom the earth owes its very existence.

There has always been the faithful in the midst of the trial.  There has always been light in the darkness.  What will make this day unlike any other?  It is like asking, when filling a glass with water, "What makes one drop any different from the others?"  At some moment the glass will be full; at some moment it will overflow.  And at a moment unlike any other in history, darkness will reach a point of overflow.  But on that day, according to God's great plan, Light will also pour forth in unprecedented display.

Jesus spoke continually of the Kingdom of God being like that which is hidden for a season only to be revealed in fullness - as seeds planted in the ground, as leaven in flour.  That which our God has been planting and perfecting from the first day will mature to fullness at the perfect time.  In hiddenness, the Lord has been pouring Himself without measure into those whose hearts are truly pure before Him; those who wait in silence and trust.  At some moment, these hearts will overflow upon the earth - not because they are the great or strong, but the humble full of Truth and Peace.  This release will not be a trickle, but a deluge.  It will be a flood as in Noah's day, but of Life and Liberty.  Hold on to this truth.  Hold on to the whispers of the Spirit in the night.  His Light will break forth in your darkness as you are revealed for the son that He has been making you to be and you will join with all of His sons to reveal the One who has always been the superior.

Desires of My Heart

For all of us who have encountered unexpected obstacles, fears, or pain as we long to be a part of God's plans, Psalm 37:4 is one of those amazing promises: Delight yourself also in the Lord and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. When the Holy Spirit breathes upon these words, hope can rise from ashes and strength from sorrow. It's like seeing again a glimpse of the finish line and the prize at the end. It is also a reminder that we are not alone on this journey; our Creator is both interested and involved in each detail.

Recently, I began to ponder this verse again. Like most of us, I have dreams that I have carried around for a long time, even decades. Dreams of places to go, activities to do, goals to accomplish. Desires to be a part of a Kingdom bigger than myself. And as I have put my delight in the Lord, these desires have been fulfilled in many unexpected ways. I have even done things I never would have dreamed of - things that only God knew that I would desire. You see, only our Creator really knows our depths and what we would desire if we saw all things clearly.

This time, as I asked myself what my secret petitions really are - what I truly long for - I realized that the answer had very little to do with places and activities. In fact, it had nothing at all to do with who I am or what I like to do. Rather, it had everything to do with my Creator and what He wants for me. Seasons of shaking and pruning and growth have pushed me further into His arms and I am beginning to realize how much deeper my desires lie.

More than the physical, tangible details, I desire an ever-deepening faith to trust my Father's perfection in any situation, regardless of what I see or need. I desire to experience more and more of His peace as I confidently wait for His plans to unfold. I desire to obey quickly and quietly, even when it hurts or makes no sense. I desire to truly display His character: to love endlessly and selflessly.

I am realizing anew that my greatest desire to be one with God and, amazingly, He desires to be one with me (John 17). This being the case, the promise of Psalm 37:4 is even more astounding: The more I delight in my Father, the more I will be one with Him. And the more I am one with Him, the more delighted I will be. What a wise God.

P.S. (...if I can do that on a blog....)
On my drive home from the library, after posting this column, I realized that this stripping away of my physical desires to once again reveal my deepest desire is actually an answer to a verse I recently started praying again:

I pray my love may abound yet more and more, and extend to its fullest development in knowledge, understanding, and discernment. I pray that I will display this love in greater depth in my relationships with both God and man so that I may surely learn to sense what is vital, and to approve and prize what is excellent and of real value. I long to recognize the highest and the best.... (Phil. 1:9-11)

Thank you, Father. You are the highest and the best.
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Core Desire

We have a black lab named Ruby. She has more personality than any other dog I've ever known. She absolutely loves company, be it human or canine. She always acts like it's her birthday. She rarely has a foot on the ground as she hops and leaps and pounces and spins her way through the day. She loves life. And she absolutely loves the river.

Three times this summer, Ruby disappeared. Each time we received a phone call: She had gone to the river. Twice she swam over a mile beside a boat or tube until the fishermen pulled over at a campground and called the sheriff to come pick her up. Her only thought was to be in the water, and preferably with company.

I have been taking her on my morning walks more lately. Although it can be a bit distracting for my prayer time, it seems that the Spirit often uses her as an object lesson. One thing I can't help but notice is how she acts every time we start in the direction of the river. She gets more and more attentive. Then, when I let her off of the leash at the bridge, she stops every 5-10 yards to stick her head under the bottom rail to get a quick look at the water below. It has her full focus.

I love this picture. There is no doubt that God made her with a core desire to swim, and she has discovered it. She loves to fetch and play and explore, but it is all better in the water. She found her passion. It then begs the question: What core desire did God put in us as humans, and have you discovered it? 

I guess that our talents and gifting and activities pursued could be a part of that core desire. I have a deep love for music and writing, people and traveling, walking and exploring. And yet, I don't think any of these are my foundational passion. Rather, I believe that they are simply avenues to express and explore my true core desire. I believe the one desire that our Creator put in each and every one of us is to know Him. Not to know about Him, but to know Him. To make memories with Him. To spend time talking together and living together and sharing those activities that we love to do.

I almost always talk to God as I'm cooking, asking what ingredients to add or how long to cook something. (He is an amazing cook! Just ask my kids.) I love to tell Him how much I am enjoying the landscape or the song I'm writing or the friendship that I've made. I know He already sees and knows all things, even before they happen, but that's not the point. The point is that He wants to spend time together. He wants us to learn how He thinks and what His voice sounds like and what He sees that we would have missed without Him. He wants to give us new wisdom and ideas that we would have never found otherwise. He also wants to bring the words of the Bible to life in our very own lives - for us to know what love and grace and faith and hope really look like when we live them out deeper each day.

This isn't always an easy process, this getting to know God. Sometimes we make mistakes when we are learning to hear His voice. Sometimes we misunderstand what He says. Sometimes we let our emotions and own ideas get mixed in and He has to bring us back to the truth - usually through the Word. But this doesn't frustrate Him in the least. Just as loving parents get excited to see their children learning to talk and walk, so is God with us. I believe He laughs and rejoices over each attempt made, over each lesson learned. I know His grace covers countless mishaps. As long as we stay soft and teachable before Him, there is no limit to the places He will take us into Himself.

When Jesus prayed in John 17 that we would be one with the Father just as He is, it was not just wishful thinking. God the Father has been arranging for all of time to bring you to this place, today, to know Him as Creator and Father and Friend. To know Him in the most intimate and majestic ways possible. This is that thing that keeps nagging at you from your core. This is what you were created to do. Believe me, it will make everything else in your life come alive.