He brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our forefathers. Deut. 6:23
Yes, the Lord has granted me vision and passion and drive, but at the same time I feel like I am hung up on not receiving the fullness of his blessing. Yes, I have been taken from Egypt. I have been rescued from a life of bondage. But have I allowed God to take me all the way? Am I stuck in the wilderness – occasionally experiencing God (eating manna yet doubting; following the pillar of smoke yet not fully trusting) – or have I passed into the promise land that is flowing with milk and honey? I have been brought out of the bondage of sin (Egypt), but have I been brought out of the wilderness and into the promise land? In the wilderness, one still wanders around in the flesh. In the promise land, the primary motive is the Holy Sprit. I am more motivated by my worldly/fleshly desires or the Spirit?
“…be filled with the Spirit…” Eph. 5:18
To cross into the promise land I need to believe that God wants to fill me with the Holy Spirit and that I can dwell in His presence always, not just sometimes. Because I am a daughter of the King, all He has is mine. Do I live my life like that? Do I live life in the spirit? No, my worldly experience affects how I perceive my love from my Father. I do not think that I am worthy. I do not want to ‘bother’ Him with my requests. I do not think that he wants to hear from ‘my point of view’.
Through much of life, my voice has not been heard. Or at least that is how I have perceived it. Growing up, I always felt as though I was on the outside of the circle and rarely asked to voice my opinion. And when I would step out and say something, a lot of times it was dismissed and not really considered as valid. There were many times that I did not feel as though my input was valued. I am beginning to see how this ‘mindset’ directly affects my relationship with my Creator.
“‘My son’, the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.'” Luke 15:31
The prodigal son parable is the perfect example. But, for this illustration, turn your focus from the prodigal son to the older brother who never left his dad. He stayed his entire life in order to serve his father. He walked with his father each day, yet, he had not discovered the true gift of ‘sonship’. The prodigal son, after returning, knew God’s grace and intense love for him. He has witness his Father’s love first hand. He had experienced the lavish blessing that the Father wanted to pour down upon him. All the son did was repent and come running back to his father.
Jesus says “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
I do not want to be lukewarm. That is the most dangerous place to be. I do not want to be like the older son – camping out in the wilderness, content with the occasional blessing of the Father . I want unbroken fellowship . I want to be walking in the Spirit at all times…always in the presence of my Father. I want my doubt to change into belief that rides upon faith in who my Father is – a father who wants to pour down his blessings and who wants to walk with me every second of my life.
Yes, as a believer of Jesus, we are loved. But God does not want us to be content as just a “believer” or to have fun running around in the wilderness because we feel safe there. He wants us to live as a son and daughter and to enter the land flowing with milk and honey. A son and daughter who truly desires ‘to have all that their Father has’ and who believes that the Father wants to share it all with him/her!
