All Signs Point To....

Have you ever had one of those seasons in life where you want to say to God, “OK, God, I get it! I hear you!” Ironically, this can only happen if we are recognizing His voice in situations and circumstances in our lives – which is a beautiful thing – and we often act like we’re frustrated that we’re hearing God’s voice so clearly!  Yet, at other times we bemoan the fact that we cannot hear His voice. That we aren’t sure of the direction He wants us to go. Hmph… Humans… We’re never satisfied, it seems.

I’d like to focus on those “clear hearing” seasons for a few moments. Sometimes I think these seasons are very personal and individual. There may be something that we are facing requiring His guidance and direction, and God, in His mercy and grace, blesses us specifically by making His will and desire known in our lives. There are other times though, where I believe God is up to something bigger. Where it is more of a corporate season of what I would call “Divine Inundation”. This is when everything you consume, spiritually and intellectually, is following the same script. It’s not intentional, you’re not specifically seeking these things out, but you suddenly realize that there is a recurring theme amidst all of it. And that’s when you realize God is up to something, and it’s bigger than just you. At that point you know you really need to be paying attention.

It appears that one of those seasons is underway now. Whether it’s just for me and my family, or my circle of friends and influence, or broader than that I’m not sure. I just know that God is clearly speaking – a Divine Inundation – of the importance of a few things in this moment in time.

Let me explain…

It all began at my church. (Sidebar: Much spiritual growth takes place in and through your local church. This is why it’s so important that you are part of one!) Every year our church rallies around a “Word for the Year” that is placed on our Pastors' hearts. This year, our word is Abide. The key passage being John 15:1-11. Over the first weeks of this year, we have been studying this passage and what it means to abide. And all the related aspects including the elements of pruning, growth, bearing fruit, and love.

About the time we learned of our church’s word for the year, my wife and I were praying through what our word of the year was to be for the year ahead. Something we’ve done for the last five years or so and found to be incredibly powerful in our lives. I had been reading a devotional and it discussed the Hebrew word Qavah. It is one of the words used in the Old Testament for “waiting”. It’s the Hebrew word used in Isaiah 40:31:

“but they who wait (qavah) for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (ESV)

Something in my spirit told me right then this was to be our word for 2024, but I fought it. “Waiting”? Really? No thanks Lord, I’ll hold on for something like “Joy” or “Breakthrough” or “Success”. We tried to pray another word into our spirits, but no luck. God made it clear that Qavah was our word.

Here's the “formal” definition of Qavah… to wait, look for and expectantly hope. There is also a secondary aspect to the definition that connotes a “collecting” or binding together, as it is also the root word for rope. Think about how a rope is twisted and entwined together, resulting in more strength. As one author explained it, while you are waiting, you are being drawn closer to Jesus and become “bound together” with Him. Sounds a lot like abiding, doesn’t it? See where this is going?

We’re not done yet…

It isn’t uncommon for me to look forward to a new book by a favorite author. And thanks to living in the 21st century, it can appear on our doorstep on the day it’s released. So, on January 16th, the book Practicing the Way, by John Mark Comer arrived on said doorstep. The subtitle will help you see how this fits in – “Be with Jesus. Become Like Him. Do as He Did.” In the first part of the book Comer speaks about how to, “be with Jesus”. And guess how he says we do that? By abiding in Him, of course! And how do we do that? With a lot of practice. Specifically, some very specific spiritual practices, or disciplines, that help us to become “apprentices” of Jesus. According to Comer, “abiding is not just about our thought lives or even our emotional lives. It’s about a level of with-ness to Jesus that goes beyond our thoughts and feelings. It’s about love.” (p. 47)

Let me add one final piece of this divine inundation. My wife and I watch and listen to, a handful of Churches and pastors from around the country. One of them is Valley Creek Church in Dallas, TX and their Lead Pastor, John Stickl. In mid-January they started a new sermon series called “A Different Way.” The whole premise of the series is the simple statement, “If you want to do what Jesus Did, you first have to do what Jesus did.” Meaning, if you want to be able to do what Jesus did that was seen – love people well, heal the sick, mend the broken-hearted, forgive, etc. – we must do the things Jesus did that were not seen, like spending time alone with His Father in prayer. And a handful of other spiritual practices and disciplines that help us become more like Him. Sound familiar? Sounds a lot like abiding, doesn't it?

To sum it up for those who haven’t caught it yet. We are to abide in Jesus, spend time with him, and do what He did. And what did He do most? What did He do best? Love. And everything else flows out of that. There it is. And the best way to get from wherever we are now, to wherever we want to be, is to start making habits of things – those spiritual disciplines or practices – that bring us closer to Him. What those things might be will be a topic for another day.

So, why is it that a simple couple living in Suburban Atlanta are given a Word that aligns with the focus of the teaching at their church, while at the same time a church in Texas and a pastor/author from Oregon are all preaching and teaching about the same thing? Perhaps – and I’m just taking a wild stab at this – perhaps because at the time in which we are living it is very important for all of us to learn and understand what is being taught. That we need to be more connected to Jesus. That we need what He has and wants to give us. And that we are supposed to do something with it once we have it. Perhaps…

Or… maybe it’s all just a coincidence?

Somehow, I don’t think so. The divine inundation is happening for a reason. “And as for me and my house….” We are paying attention. I pray you do, as well.