With Thanksgiving upon
us, I must admit, I had every intention of beginning this letter talking about
how beautiful the leaves are and how sweet the fall air smells. However, the
more I thought about it, the more I realized that's just not our style. Though
mere words cannot begin to express how thank-full we are for God's handiwork,
the changing seasons, a roof over our heads, the food on our tables, and our
families and friends, it is not our thankfulness for what He does for us that
we would like to proclaim, but rather our all-consuming thanks for God HIMSELF
- for WHO He is. He Is God!! For that alone- He is Worthy of our continuous
thanks!!
When I was serving on
staff at a growing church, those in ministry over me would tell me regularly
how I was being used mightily by God. Many people were coming to Jesus and
being nurtured through me and the team's efforts. Yet there were times that,
even today, I felt my service was not truly effective. I began being
increasingly haunted with whether or not I was truly in God's will for my life.
The question I would ask myself with increasing regularity, as I was doing lots
of good things, was, "Am I doing the 'right' thing?"
It was one night, shortly
after I began to struggle with that question, that I experienced a very vivid
and sobering revelation. I had a vision of what it would be like to stand
before the all-mighty, all-loving God without having completed what He put me
on this earth to do. What I saw crushed my heart! There I was, on my face
before the all-consuming, all-power-full, loving God - "Love" Himself
- with nothing to show for what He had fashioned and purposed me to do. I had
taken what He had given me to the grave. Buried with me were my talents, those
that were intended for a special purpose, meant to be multiplied, for His
glory. All I could do is beg God to forgive me! All I could think to myself is,
"WHAT have I done?!"
Perhaps more fitting
would have been the question, "What have I NOT done?!" Without Him
having to say a word, I knew I had let Him down. I can remember feeling
overwhelmed with grief like I had never experienced before. It was not a fear
of being rejected by Him, but a deep sorrow, wishing that I could have just one
more chance to go back, and no matter what it took, give birth to and fulfill
"every purpose" that He had placed in me to fulfill. Now it was too
late! I had my chance--and blew it!
If you have had an encounter
with God, you'll understand wholeheartedly when I say that NO WORDS can even
begin to relay His ALL-CONSUMING Love and Power when we're in His Presence! I
will give you my best attempt to put into words what it felt like, using the
only illustration that I think may help explain, kind-of, what my overwhelming
and distressing encounter was like that night. It was like that time when you
went to a Christmas celebration with your closest friends and relatives - that
special gathering you had placed on your calendar months and months earlier.
Suddenly, everybody begins showering you with gifts that so far surpass
anything you could ever give to them. Suddenly, you get that terrible, sick
feeling in the pit of your stomach, when you fully realize you showed up with
no "gifts" to present. Standing before God - fruit-less, completely
unsettled, empty-handed before my Father - that was what it was like, except
multiplied a Ga-zillion times over!
On the day of the
Gathering of all gatherings, that Great Day when we'll stand before God to give
an accounting of our life lived, we won't be able to apologize for letting that
day "slip our mind" or we won't have a Christmas tree to hide behind
having "no gifts" to be laid at His feet. (See the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30.) I am committing to you now, that
is NOT going to happen to me!
What about you?
Obtaining the revelation
of Who God is compels us to offer up pure thanks TO Him for Who He is first,
and then FOR all the things that He has done, or can do, for us. That level of
boundless THANKS comes only by seeking God with all diligence, hearing His plan
and assignment for us, and working with Him to fully fill His passions in the
earth.
"... give
diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye
shall never fall: ..."
(2 Peter
1:10-11) "But without faith
it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He
is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek Him."
(Hebrews 11:6) *To understand the kind of faith that pleases
God, read "3 Keys to God-Pleasing Faith" in chapter 10 of our book,
"LETTERS FROM THE FRONT" available on our website.*
What is His reward to us
for diligently seeking Him? It is Him! It is our being permitted, as Jesus
prayed, to enter into God Himself, where we get to see what He sees and hear
what He hears. When we become "one" with God, through our diligence
in seeking Him, there is a paradigm shift that occurs in our heart. With that
shift, we are shown things that are so awesome that our heart fills up with
indescribable joy! It is that JOY that compels us to offer up TRUE THANKS,
all-consuming GRATITUDE, so much that we cannot contain it! This transformation
results in what is best known as "being born again," being able to
see through His eyes His passionate love for His children and His reason for
creating all things the way He has.
We could not close
without sharing with you the scripture that the Holy Spirit illuminated for me
shortly after I had asked God to lead me IN-to Himself, IN-to oneness with Him
as Jesus prayed in the garden before His arrest. "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts
with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." (Psalms 100:4) The secret to our becoming
"one" with our Father and receiving the privilege of working with Him
to fulfill His dream though our lives is, and will always be, gratitude to Him
for Who He is-- He IS GOD ALMIGHTY!
From Brenda and I, and
from the faith-full family and friends who help us help others. We pray that
the Holy Spirit will settle over you this Thanksgiving with healing and
provision where it is needed, and with joy unspeakable, full of His Glory!
Thank you for hearing our heart, and this "secret" God has graciously
given us!
THANK YOU for downloading this blog today! We pray God will use it to
bear tremendous blessing in your life!
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