“As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for You, O God.”
Psalm 42:1 (ESV)
The Longing of Life – His Invitation
“Heaven is endless longing, accompanied with an endless fruition–
a longing which is blessedness, a longing which is life.”
Alexander MacLaren
(continued from Part One)
Using the sailboat illustration again, the truth is that the sailboat has no propulsion of its own. It is totally dependent upon the winds for movement. Every true Christian has known the Romans 7 experience:
“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.”
Romans 7:18 (ESV)
God has created man for relationship, from which flows the Divine enablement to live and to grow into His righteousness.
“…for without me ye can do nothing.”
John 15:5
The most vivid illustration of the Christian life is in the parable of the Vine, where the branch is energized, enabled, and empowered only by the nature and life-giving wonder of Christ.
Every relationship, whether it is with others or, more importantly, between God and man, is determined by that longing within to nurture the intensity of that relationship. God’s longing for relationship was revealed at Calvary. It is by our receiving His Spirit that we become partakers of that same longing.
Our yieldedness to His Spirit determines the depth of our relationship to Christ. Many are satisfied with a casual relationship with Him. He has procured their forgiveness of sins; He has become a help in times of need; and they “have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come” (Hebrews 6:5). His goodness and His care for them are evident. But as revealed in the story of the ten lepers, there were nine who received His healing and went their own way; to live unto themselves. (See Where are the Nine?)
Relationship and Enablement
The invitation of the Son for relationship with each of us is the overriding theme of the New Covenant. His long-suffering is immeasurable and overflowing with an incomprehensible love.
“My Beloved spake, and said unto me,
Rise up, My love, My fair one, and come away.”
Song of Songs 2:10
May we this morning, while the day has yet to lay its demands upon us, allow the invitation to sweep over our souls and draw us away to Him who is our resting place of provision and wonder.
An individual’s dependency upon God
will be in measure to their distrust of themselves.
“We must have the glory sink into us before it can be reflected from us. In deep inward beholding, we must have Christ in our hearts, that He may shine forth from our lives.”
– Alexander MacLaren
Brian Troxel
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