“For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD,
And has perceived and heard His word?”
Jeremiah 23:18
How the battle continually rages — flesh vs Spirit, the adversary vs the Intercessor. Thus the great challenges of maintaining a daily heavenward gaze.
As others have said in times past, we are just as spiritual as we want to be. But oh the deep, deep desire to want to want more.
To drink from the Rock, not the puddle.
To eat from the Body, not the gathered fragments.
Straight from the Source of all life, and not from the secondary blessings.
As the water certainly gushed forth from the rock, so too did the ground receive it. Not able to absorb it quickly enough, puddles formed, near to the rock, and sourced from the rock, but not straight from the Rock.
We may say, “The water leftover from the rock, in the puddles, this has quenched my thirst.” Or, “The leftover fragments in the baskets, this is enough for my hunger.”
Yet to be satisfied with the byproduct of Christ, but not Christ Himself — to settle for puddles and scraps, all while the Living Water and Living Bread stands ready to receive us unto Himself — is to be deceived by the form of religion.
Direct communion and no substitute! Nothing secondary, straight from the Source — may this be our cry!
“Who has stood in His counsel, in His inner circle, in secret assembly and familiar intimacy? Who has drawn close enough to see and hear for themselves His word from His very mouth?”
Do these words not burn like a fire and break like a hammer upon our hard and overgrown hearts? May we lament the prophet’s inquiry as we realize just how far away we’ve been content to stand.
Today, while it’s still called today, let us draw near afresh, with a full assurance of faith, bolding approaching the throne of grace, holding fast to Christ Himself. For, “You can’t love theology, you can’t love a creed, you can only love a person, and that Person is Jesus Christ.” -Leonard Ravenhill
As Sprugeon expounded, “True prayer is an approach of the soul by the Spirit of God to the throne of God. It is not the utterance of words, it is not alone the feeling of desires, but it is the advance of the desires to God, the spiritual approach of our nature towards the Lord our God.”
Let us cry out, “Lord, teach us to pray — but not from a distance! Allow us to come close. Usher us into Your inner circle, Your secret chamber, before Your very presence!”
Oh to be a people who truly pray. Who have stood in His council. Who have seen and heard. Who continually have the King’s ear. And who use this position to bring many souls to Christ.
In love,
Derek
As always, a timely piece.
I will be sharing this with my ladies prayer group. :-)
Thank you for your continued work.
Keeping move plans in prayer!