There was a television commercial several years ago, of a young boy who thought that he was abandoned by his parents as they let go of his hand in a crowded subway. It was an advertisement pertaining to the loss of the parent, and the child thought that they left him stranded. As the parent let go of the little boys hand and walked away, it took him just a few seconds before he realized that he was alone. He then became frightened and felt forsaken. He didn't know where to turn, and as he turned around, his heart was gripped with fear because he didn't see a familiar face, but only strangers all around him.
The Lord is showing me that some of you feel as if your father God has left you. You may be a Christian for ten, twenty or more years but you don't have that intimate relationship that you once had with the Lord. You may even be in the five-fold ministry, but you feel a separation in your personal relationship with Jesus, and you long for the fellowship and friendship with Him that you've once had.
You are not Neglected
Some of you are in fear because you feel neglected and stranded from the Lord. For some of you it may be a separation as Adam and Eve had in the garden. The Lord did not leave them, but because they followed their own desires, and listened to the voice of the serpent, their relationship with the father was severed. This was not the Lord's intention.
The Lord is calling you back. He is reaching out His hand to you. He is telling you that He has never left you, and has been there all the time. He is asking you to come and take His hand once again. No matter what you have done, or how far you have strayed, the Lord says, come back to Me. I will never leave you or forsake you. He has all your provision, He will supply all of your needs. As you simply draw nigh unto Him, He will draw neigh unto you. He is calling you back into a place of deeper intimacy with Him.
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:8 And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
As we step into the new year, I sense a great expectation rising among believers. The Lord is stirring something fresh, and anticipation is gaining momentum. Many who walk intimately with the Lord are believing for fresh encounters, and there is a hunger for more of the things of God. I see the body of Christ pressing in through prayer and fasting for something new, something fresh. They crave the fresh manna. They are tired of the old school doctrine, and they are now seeking revelation and the mysteries of God.
There is a story in the book of Numbers when the Lord told Moses to send twelve men, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to spy out the land of Canaan, which is also known as the Promised Land. As I read about the giants in the land and thought about all my friends and ministers who are going through intense spiritual warfare, the Holy Spirit said: "It comes with the territory." Then He said: "Go and take possession, because I have made you well able to overcome."
Every year as Christmas approaches, I like to write about the incredible story of Jesus' birth and the parallel of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine the overwhelming emotions Mary must have felt as she cradled Jesus in her arms, knowing that He was the long-awaited Messiah, God incarnate. He wasn't just a human being with divine qualities; He was God, embodying both divine nature and human nature simultaneously.