Revive Us!

In John 17:3, Jesus defines "eternal life" this way: "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

It is God's desire that we have eternal life. Most people think of eternal life as spending eternity in Heaven. And this is correct, but only in part. By thinking of it only in this way, we miss what God really has for us--a deep and personal relationship with Him as we live this life.

When we become saved, we enter into this relationship, but as babies, with practically no understanding of what we've done. Sadly, many Christians never grow beyond this. They think that the beginning is all there is.

The Scriptures say over and over that "those who seek me with all their hearts will find me." This does not mean that those who have been saved have sought the Lord with all their hearts and so have found all there is. No! The Lord wants us to go deeper and deeper with Him, and draw nearer and nearer to Him--to know Him intimately. How many Christians can honestly say that they know their God intimately? Not many. I know because I've been there, and am just beginning to get dragged out of there after being a Christian for more than 25 years!

The Lord is visiting our church (KIC at the time of writing - 1998) with a powerful revival, a restoring of His Presence to our church and our lives. I'm finding that I've spent 25 years missing out on so much that the Lord had and has for me. I knew I was missing something, but I didn't know how to change that. Am finally learning--it gets changed through prayer and by crying out to the Lord to change me. Only He can change my heart so that I'll want what my flesh is apathetic about.

So what I'm learning, after all these years, is that I can't change me but God can and will, if I ask. I can't even desire Him on my own. Only He can plant the desire and make it grow--but I have to pray, ask, seek with all my heart. I've even had to ask Him to give me the desire to seek Him.

But God is truly faithful. He's answering my prayer, revealing Himself to me, making His presence known and felt, making me sensitive to His voice as He gives me direction, encouragement, correction. I need that desperately!

("Soaking," defined as learning intimacy with God, is an absolutely essential aspect of relationship with Him. Please use this reference for understanding soaking.)

Rev.10Apr07

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