..for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God…
(Exodus 34:14)
And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
(Luke 4:8)
In digging the ancient wells to see the Holy Spirit move, or praying for rain to quench a thirsty land, do we truly seek God, or just the works of His hand? Christ is the well of the Spirit (John 4:14; 7:37,38) and in God’s presence rain falls (Psalm 68:8,9), and yet when we often seem more focussed on the gift rather than the Giver. It is not that seeking such things is necessarily wrong, it is more about our motivation for doing so.
Why is it that we seem more about our prayer needs, and not the One who answers them? Is it because we want control of the outcomes by really only wanting the thing that meets our need rather than the Provider? For surely if you seek God, the giver, we know we must submit to His authority, and plans. Maybe as leadership or church goers we prefer to be in control, and believe they can access the power of God, without acknowledging that the Lord Jesus is Head, and thus the One in control, and the true leader.
Perhaps we just get to focussed on the need, and forget our focus and trust should be on and in the One who knows all. If we want the rain, or the Spirit to flow, we need to first seek His kingdom, and the face of God. We cannot expect the flow or rain of the Holy Spirit unless we truly know God, and let Him reign. In the past God did bless us with gifts even knowing we were only satisfied with them, and not Him. But now, in this the Kingdom of God era, He expects His bride to be maturing, and so we are to be moving beyond a relationship with Him based on blessings to one founded in love.
One of the greatest sins in the church is it’s treatment of the Holy Spirit. In our arrogance we have forgotten He is God, it is He who reigns, and we have seen Him as one who empowers our plans, accepting His move only when it fits our structures or programs! Again, looking to the things He does for us, rather than seeking Him through Christ, and following His move. In sending the Holy Spirit to earth, being poured out on all flesh, God was enabling us and calling us to the knowledge of His will being done on earth as it is in heaven. In the Spirit of God He is on earth, and in us, and the Lord of all.
Our desire should not be to simply dig old wells of the Spirit, thinking this will recreate a past glory, rather it should be about pursuing Christ. In this journey to go deeper in to our Lord, to know Him more intimately, He will give the Living Water, but His flow may do a much different thing this time than before. He is after all a very creative God. When His Spirit does flow we feel more comfortable if it looks like something we know (e.g. an old revival, order of service, or previous ministry activities), rather than knowing and trusting the One who pours out His Spirit, and charting new territories with Him. Imperative is obeying the Holy Spirit, and going with the flow, for man’s traditions will block the well.
We have all made this mistake at sometime. So let us learn from that famous father of the faith, Jacob, who was not content with knowing the House of God, but pursued and wrestled for the very face of God (Genesis 28:10-16; 32:22-30; Ps. 24:6). In doing so, we know this means trusting the Lord, and in the fear of God, having a heart like King David, one of passion and obedience. We must wait on Him, seek His face, and only move when He moves, and go where the anointing flows.
He will answer our cries, and in doing so God hopes to get our attention. While in mercy He respond to our needs, in grace He offers so much more..an opportunity to go deep in to His heart, to truly know (Matt. 7:23; 25:12), in intimacy, Him, and to dwell within this place of love forever.
For the Lord God is love, and has given us love, that we may seek Him whole heartedly. For our passion for Him brings us abundant, and eternal life, and opens great springs of love to be shed abroad. Our jealous lover, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is like no other. He does not force love, but seeks our’s with a passion, and patiently pursues us and waits even when we desire another. His jealousy does seek our whole affection, and yet He so very much wants us to share His love with others. God knows we truly fulfil our eternal destiny as we become one with Him through Christ in love, and that our deepest peace and joy is in this place. For this reason He calls to us because He deeply loves to abide with us, as a parent with a child, and like a Bridegroom with His bride.
Our God is passionate for you, and desires your attention.
(Ex. 20:3-6; Deut. 6:13; John 3:16; 2 Cor. 11:2)
