Deerly Beloved
Greetings and blessing to you, the highly valued Beloved Family!
WOW! Was that not an amazing outreach our culture was engaged with… I was privileged to have so many great interactions with folks that I was replaying a few of them the next day even. It is so important to have moments like those in our life while we are engaged in battle to push back the current darkness. After all the dust settles, and we are deep into THE Great Awakening, what we will most remember is the little moments of authentic interaction with sincere people that brought them into the light. All of our hard work is for naught if we do not highly prize every moment between here and there.
Check out this Psalm by the Sons of Korah when they were going through one of those similar times in their life. There is no specific context that we know specifically from biblical record that Psalm forty-two is from David or a Son of Korah. Also, no mention of what specific moment or account, but you can hear in the context that there was some harsh circumstances that the leaders were dealing with, just like how we are all wrestling with so many, very difficult times as well. Look-ey here:
1As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
2My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
3My tears have been my food
day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
4These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival.
Let us break this down and apply the words and truth of history (HIS-Story) to our lives today.
In verse one, we see that the person is acknowledging, from a transparent place, that they are struggling. This is very relevant for many today. We are struggling with seeing the evil, wicked, lawless, and (seemingly) unaccountable folks who seem to have the power and control in our world. It is like we are a deer, in hunting season, running from all the hungry archers. Our soul is thirsty and out-of-breath desiring to drink in the peace and, “still waters,” of our Father’s presence. Now, hopefully, I have done a good job in teaching our church that God NEVER leaves us or forsakes us… but, it is a legitimate thing that there are times it seems as if we are inches away and other times when is seems like the heavens are brass. I acknowledge that there are ebbs and flows in our feelings, but the truth remains rock-solid that Jesus could not be any closer to us than He is right now… ever! But, there still remains a powerful truth about how much your soul should be affected by that desire.
In verse two, it seems that the desire is increasing and narrowing in spiritual application. Our soul literally longs for the life that only the living God can give. We also see the next stage in this divine desire for breakthrough (or the way I like to say it, “overcoming”) leads to the eventual need to, “appear before God.” This is speaking to our rightful and righteous place before the Just Judge of the universe Who ALWAYS renders the proper verdict. I cannot express to you how important this has been to my heart over these long twenty months of lies, deception, crimes against humanity, and tyrannical torture of the innocent. My heart cries out for justice… and my cries do not go unheard.
In verse three, we see how emotion sets in during the waiting time. In the New Testament, Finished Work of the Cross, we should be waiting in expectancy and faith-filled patience for our rightful outcome. In the Old Covenant, when people could not be filled with Holy Spirit, the best you could do is sit down and have a good cry. But, today, we can wait in peace, thanksgiving, and joy because we KNOW THAT WE KNOW that our petitions have been heard and circumstances have no choice but to change. We call that THE Great Awakening!
Finally, in verse four, we see faith really starting to kick in as the writer purposefully engages his soul in a much better way than just emotionally. He uses his memory of past victory to empower current victory. We see authenticity, intimacy, and a removal of all barriers through a complete, “pouring out.” God is not scared or offended by our, “nakedness,” in front of Him, actually… He thinks we are beautiful in every way. Then, we see how the imagination part of the soul fueled by faith starts to see a victory parade in the Spirit and that parade is raucous with thanksgiving and praise. This is where the battle is truly won and victory is physically grasped. The reason many people do not attain their dreams or fully grasp their visions is because they never get to this place of real knowing that produces a thankful and radical response.
I am not saying this is a formula, but I do find that these stages play out over and over in scripture and in the testimony of folks who have seen great things happen. I know we are going into an enormous place of the, “promised land,” like no generation has ever seen before. It will be global in scope and have an effect in every single person’s life on the planet. My hearts desire for us all is that we see the glorious outcome that the Father has orchestrated for us and not faint in the fight.
I promise to fight with you all the way! My soul is panting right along side of yours.
I love you deeply,
Steve
