Habakkuk 2:14 "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the seas." 2020 is going to be an amazing year of great opportunities for the Kingdom of God. There will be an exponential increase in the glory of God for those who pursue it. Isaiah 56:7 Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Be intentional in focusing on God's glory knowing that you play an intimate role in ushering the glory into the earth – even through your worship, intercession and engagement in activities related to spreading the light of His Presence to people. Don't underestimate the power of just affecting one life. Many focus on the multitude then while waiting miss the opportunity set before them. Make it your aim that wherever you are you will be a conduit of the glory of His Presence.
Prayer is like the engine of our lives that keeps us moving God's direction. It is our life with God, our communion or communication with Him. One of my favorite, and I have to admit "the easiest," way for me to connect with God in prayer is when I pray with my spirit. In the book of 1 Corinthians Paul taught us that we can pray with our spirit (in tongues) and with our understanding. Many times when I am praying with my spirit God will show me things to pray with my understanding. 1 Corinthians 14:14 "I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding."
When there are clogs in your spiritual drain it causes stagnancy. If the water of God's Presence is not flowing there could be a blockage making our spiritual waters dirty over time. It is important that we are able to recognize clogs and the things that clog quickly, seeing with the eyes of revelation. If we are not accustomed to experiencing the flow of God's Presence in our lives then it will be much harder to recognize when things are not as they should be. If oppression is what you are used to then spiritual clogs may not be obvious.
The wind of the Holy Spirit is always blowing, but there needs to be something for that wind to "blow into." God looks for us to put up our sails that His wind might blow into our sails to take us where He wants us. When we step out in new ways it is like putting up our sails for the winds of His Presence. It takes some effort on our part to find out just how to put up those sails. In our times with God the light of revelation gives us guidance on just what to do. God inspires us to do things that His wind might find something to blow upon.
God wants to open up the well of our spirit so that we can experience the fullness of His Spirit from the inside out. That begins with us connecting with Him, discovering intimacy and allowing His Spirit to make intercession through us. Ezekiel 43:2 "And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory." God's voice is powerful. When God speaks from heaven it shakes the earth with impact and force. If you can imagine the power of God's voice as exemplified in the beginning as He created the heavens and the earth along with everything in it. There is such power in the voice of God. God said, "Let there be light" and there it was as with everything else He spoke into existence.
God is not cheap but rather expensive. We are expensive as well as it cost Him the life of His Son Jesus. Although our salvation is a "free gift" there is a price to following Jesus. After all, Jesus told us that anyone who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom. Luke 9:62 "But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." What do we have here? What we see is the difference between being saved and being a disciple.
God is always up to doing new things. It is His nature to do something new. He is LIFE. Because of this all things are fresh and new that flow from the throne of God. He has the power to make all things new for you. Revelation 21:5 "Then He who sat on the throne said, 'Behold, I make all things new.' And He said to me, 'Write, for these words are true and faithful.'" In Christ we've been made "new creations," God in His grace and mercy gave us new birth by the Holy Spirit. That is why Jesus said that we must be "born again" – born of the Spirit or born of above. We have been made alive to God and dead to sin as we have become part of His family.
Genesis 1:26-27 "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." We see in the beginning that God created man in His own image and likeness. Before the fall of man Adam and Eve reflected that image of God in fullness. They walked in the Presence of God, not having a "self-awareness" in the sense of having to fix themselves.
It is easy to trust the Lord when everything is predictable and all is under your control. The real test comes when you don't understand everything that is going on. The fact is that God does not let us know everything. He is the only one who knows it all, otherwise He wouldn't be God. Genesis 12:1-2 Now the Lord had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing." If you don't have it all figured out, realize you are in good company because Abram did not know where he was going – all he knew is that he was going!
God is looking for our whole-hearted commitment to Him. But that commitment also extends into how we live. When we make commitments it is extremely important that we keep them. We live in a world of broken covenants and commitments. This is a major component that fosters dysfunctional lives. Come hell or high water we need to learn to keep the commitments that we make. It can be sacrificial. What if Jesus had got to a point before the cross and just said He was "not in the mood?" It is not the thought that counts - it is the follow through.
Follow Up
