Ready to Respond

Hello, all--

I wanted to share something a bit more personal with you...A couple days ago, my Kinlaw devotional book spoke about being filled with the Holy Spirit. He used the example of Abraham being willing to lay down the life of his son, Isaac, in response to God's command. If you haven't read it in awhile, I encourage you to read the account again...it's in Genesis 22:1-19. Kinlaw writes that this complete surrender is necessary if we desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I don't know about you....I have to wonder, who would NOT want to be filled with the peace, joy, love and power of God? To have His unending supply of grace, faith, wisdom? But, as Kinlaw points out, He cannot fill us with that kind of presence if we are holding on to anything else as more important...whether it be profession, family, wealth, or status. Truthfully, I consider those the "biggies"--I think most of us never get to the point of surrendering them, because on the list of things we "hold dear", there are many other lesser things that we are unwilling to yield: the right to be "right"; the better parking space; the demand for excellent service at every restaurant, store or office; the right to withhold forgiveness until we receive the apology, restitution, contrition, or whatever of the offender; etc.Any way, when faced with the decision to have the fullness of God Himself, or our "rights"--we can have what we really want. Our decision says a lot about how much we really desire the indwelling presence of God to rule our lives. (By the way, I did not say it is easy; it most certainly is not. Just look at Abraham--Isaac was the visible promise of God, the hope of the future to his elderly father.)When we are ready to surrender every thing into His hands, we pull back curtains, unlatch doors and throw wide the barriers. But we must seize the moment and be ready to respond.

This thought became a vivid reality to me here in watersoaked Danang. So far, the rainy season brings us 2-3 days of heavy rains, followed by a partial day of sun, followed by 2-3 more days of downpour. And on it goes. When the sun appears in the morning, my first response is to RUN for the laundry porch. I make haste to wash clothes and get them on the line where they will dry quickly in the warm rays of the sunshine. If I wait and the washing machine is not finished until almost noon, there will not be enough time for things to dry. I have learned that no matter how clear the sky at 10am, rain will arrive by 6pm. If I really want to receive what the sun can do for me, I must follow its bidding.

Tony and I have been seeking, seeking...every day praying together that God will guide our steps, keep us in His path, make us more like Him. This week our church has had meetings with a pastor from Australia. Even though I usually decline anything that takes me out of the house on a school night, we felt that this was an opportunity God has put before us to receive from Him. So, we have attended extra gatherings. On Wednesday night, we had a sweet time of worship, then began in prayer. Several people received prayer ministry from our guest. Tony and I were on the back row, both of us praying. I felt a tap on my shoulder, "Can I pray for you?" the Australian pastor asked. I nodded and went to the front of the room (our church meets on the first floor of a residence, although this first floor room is used during the week as a play area for their children.) I turned to face the pastor and he began to pray."The Lord wants you to know He loves you. And to the one He loves, it is His delight to give them strength, help, honor and wisdom..." All I could say was, "I love You, too, Jesus! I love You, too!" There was more to the prayer, but I felt myself falling back, back, back---gently, kindly--and then I was on the floor. I lay very still, the nearness of the Lord was precious. It was completely filling--like seeing my favorite picture ("The Way Home""), and hearing my favorite songs (Handel's Messiah), and smelling my favorite smells (anything with caramel), and feeling my favorite thing (gently brushing my cheek along the cheek of one of the girls or feeling Tony's strong embrace)--all at once.I stayed there for some minutes, then returned to my chair.
Isaiah 55:6,7 says,
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Actually, all of Isaiah 55 is so instructive--and only 13 verses long! (Boy, that Isaiah could sure say a lot in a few words!)

Today, I pray that we are all ready to respond to whatever the Lord opens before us. If it is surrender, may we do it with faith-filled joy; if it is a tidal wave of His love, may we receive it as His most fortunate child; if it is instruction, my we embrace His correction and teaching with humble determination and resolve.When you feel the light of the Son, RUN to Him!

Grace and peace to you.