This morning I got up at 3:30 am, on "spring forward" day. I met my running group at 4 and we proceeded out on our 16 mile run. I didn't want to be there. I would have rather been back in my bed, warm and cozy, enjoying every minute of sleep that I could. BUT, I survived the early alarm clock, made it out the door and happy to say, finished that dreaded run this morning. And oh how glad i am that I did.
Part of our run took us across the Wilson Dam. I've been across it dozens of times before on my long runs. But today, well, today was one I will never forget.
This past week was our Kingdom Advancement Conference at church. God did a mighty, mighty work in the hearts of His people. We experienced His presence and His Word. It was wonderful. It has inspired an even deeper hunger for the things of God in my life. Not only that, but it has set me on a passionate pursuit of holiness in my life. that's a topic for a whole nother blog post there. So let's get back to today.
As we were coming upon the top of the dam, I noticed there were several of the spillways open. As I got to where I could look over and see them, I saw a mighty rushing of water coming forth. It was powerful and quite the majestic sight. As sure as I'm writing this blog, I heard the Holy Spirit say to my heart, "This is what's to come spiritually for My people." I almost stopped in my tracks. But I kept watching the water gushing out of the spillways. It was captivating. It was a powerful force. And I felt the Lord showed me how these spillways represent the hearts of His people. He has been raining down lately, He is waiting for people to open up the spillways of their hearts so that He can pour through. And let me tell you, it's not a trickle He wants to do. It is a mighty, rushing outpouring that will change us the root of who we are. That water current was so strong coming out today. Nothing could have withstood it. And that's how it will be in our lives when He begins to pour forth. Nothing of our flesh can remain. No sin will be able to stand in it. It will wash away everything not of Him. And it will pour over to those around us. But it has to start in us.
How do we open the spillways of our lives? I believe with all my heart it starts with repentance. It starts when we fall to our knees and acknowledge our filthiness in our hearts. It starts when we dethrone all the false idols we have placed before God. We repent of our pride, arrogance, selfishness, lusts, vanity, anger,....anything that exalts itself against the nature and principles of God. It HAS to start in us. And we must be willing to come to terms with all the sin in our lives if we are to receive the outpouring that He has in store.
Not further down the road i came upon a smaller stream that had water rushing through it. It was tiny in comparison to what I had just seen. It was more like a refreshing stream of flowing water. And I felt like God began to show me how we have settled for just "refreshing". But He has soooo much more He wants to pour out. Refreshing times are good and useful for us, but they don't change us at the core of who we are. They aren't so powerful that they could wash away anything in its path.
I don't know about you, but I don't want to settle for streams of God. I want the spillways open so He can flood my life with His presence. I want nothing in my life to be able to stand when He pours Himself out in me. I want a spiritual tsunami over my life. I want the mighty, rushing outpouring so strong that Stacy disappears under it, and only the Jesus in me remains when all is said and done. I want a heart that crys out, "let no sin or iniquity rule in my heart, but only Christ and His Word."
May God stir our hearts to repentance. May He stir us to fall to our faces and cry out for more of Him, more of all He has in store for us. And may we not be content with streams in our lives, but earnestly seek after and passionately pursue the holiness of God in our lives. Greater things are yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city....because there is no one like our God. To Him be glory!
Stacy
No comments:
Post a Comment