Deep calls to Deep

WHAT HAPPENED?! 

Last week it was as simple as shifting my inward gaze upon Jesus and the Holy Spirit would almost immediately wrap me in His arms of joy inexpressible. This week it seems nothing I do gets me anywhere but frustrated and feeling far from God's presence! Is there some hidden sin? Is there an underlying issue that I'm not aware of? Have I resisted, grieved or quenched Holy Spirit without knowing it?! The Lord's simple response to each of these questions was, "Yes and No, but you're missing the point."

Then what is the POINT?

Holy Spirit explained to me that if I desire to grow beyond my present spiritual capacity, then I must be willing to let Him lead me beyond the boundaries of my present comfort. Truth is, last month's breakthrough quickly becomes this month's resting place, and we were created to build upon our breakthroughs, not settle down in them. The bible is full of stories of people who never enjoyed the fulness of God's promise to them, because they settled short of the prize! 

I have to confess I often want to settle. I get tired, worn out and begin to convince myself that what I have is good enough. Holy Spirit often reminds me they don't do - "good enough." They always do "above and beyond anything you can ask or imagine." So if you find yourself in anything short of the "above and beyond" Jesus promises, Holy Spirit will gladly lead you into the promise land of abundance. 

How does Holy Spirit lead us into this promise land? Simple - WAITING. Waiting is the process of letting Holy Spirit do inside of you what you can never do for yourself. Waiting is only painful because it means dying to our need to be in control. The Psalmist says it like this - "Why are you so downcast, O my soul?...Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God (42:5)." The Psalmist is encouraging himself to wait on God, trusting that praise will again rise up from within him as he makes space for God to be his Savior! Waiting on God means letting Him be our savior, and resisting the temptations to take care of ourselves. 

As we make space for our souls to be in need of God, something miraculous happens. Our souls begin to stretch! Later in Psalm 42, the author says, "My soul is downcast within me; therfore I will remember you...Deep calls to deep (v.6)." Spiritual growth happens when we allow the deepest parts of us - our soul - to cry out for the depths of God's presence. Only God can truly satisfy our deepest longings...if we'll let Him.  

So that's what I'm doing TODAY. I'm learning to make space for my soul to long for God. I find myself weepy, at times giggling, downcast, and at times wondering if anything is happening in there! But the more I just sin in the longing, as my deep calls to His deep, I feel my hope in God stirring, knowing I will yet praise Him. 

I choose today to let Him save me, no matter how much waiting may hurt.