Like A Tree Planted By The Water

You know, living life in the Spirit is truly a perplexing thing. I wrote a “short devotion” not long ago that is ringing truer and truer to me lately. I am experiencing another revival in my life and it is very exciting, yet a little fearsome. I know my own wickedness and though this new life in Christ is wonderful, a part of me wonders how long it will be until I stray again, until I trade the treasures of heaven for the fleeting pleasures of this earth, the trinkets that hold no real value but are a mirage of a lie. That’s right, a mirage of a lie. They are not even the lie itself, because the subject of the lie does not exist. Satan loves to whisper in our ears telling us that fulfillment or contentment is found here or there, yet the father seeks those who will worship Him in Spirit and Truth. It’s not a matter of here or there, but a matter of Him. Right here, today; today while it is still called today do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. You do not have to seek God in one place or another, nor do you have to seek His promises in one place or another. No, you seek Him and all these things are added unto you. Nevertheless, the devil loves to whisper in our ears that if we look at that or seek after that, or do this in this manner, THEN we will have fulfillment. Yet, what is going on here is that we are grasping for straws, we are trying to take by force what Christ has promised us by Grace. By grasping, we are saying to God that He is not looking out for our good, or that He is not moving quickly enough, and ultimately that He is not good. Does not your heavenly father know that you need these things?! If you as for bread He will not give you a stone, therefore we should stop trying to turn stones into bread seeking to provide for ourselves by our own power, which is literally nothing. We cannot change one hair on our head, we cannot add one measure to our life, we are powerless and can do nothing… except ask and receive!!!

My friends, I have many more things to write, and yet I do not know where to begin or where to stop. My real purpose today is to ask for your prayer. I have had pseudo-revivals in the past where the Spirit wooed me and I followed for a short time, but quickly became distracted by the things of this world and the renewed life the Lord desired to bring to me shriveled and died among the thorns and rocks. I have also had genuine revival in the past, but over time, I forgot the Lord. I forgot the Lord when I sat in a house I didn’t build, ate food I didn’t plant, and drank my fill of the wine of this world. My friends, I want to be completely “sold out” to the Lord, I want to stand in His presence saying “here am I,” “use me Lord.” I don’t want to hold anything back or become complacent once again. I want to stand before Christ at the end of my life saying that I indeed fought the good fight and that I lost none of those who were put into my care. I want to stand firm, not wavering or turning to the right hand or to the left, with fire in my soul, united and in perfect unity with Christ as a wheel within a wheel.

As I lead my new family, I cannot lead if I am not following the Lord. I cannot seek to feed my wife Spiritual food, if I am anemic. How can a man feed a flock if he has no food and no strength to find it?! The job of every truly great leader is to guide those in his care through the treacherous perils of life. He does this by the light of the Word, by the power of Jesus Christ, lighting his paths and guiding him in all righteousness, so that he does not stumble or lead his people to death. The moment a leader loses the glory of the Lord, those following are in danger. This is a powerful meditation for the past, the present, and the future as the Lord has called me to be a shepherd. If I don’t know how to find water, I cannot water His sheep. If I do not know to eat, I cannot feed the sheep, nor can I have the strength to lead them to food. If I don’t stay on the alert, being ever vigilant and watchful, I am like a shepherd without his staff, helpless to defend the flock from ravenous wolves.


This is a constant struggle in my life (and in all of ours if we are honest) and I don’t want to lose the battle any more. My friends, I need your prayers! Below I will share just a few of the things that I jotted down as I was praying this afternoon. Please pray that Lord will protect me from the temptations of the evil one and that this work will not fall void, but will be the catalyst for the rest of my life. Today IS that day!

From the depths of my soul I cry out to you O Lord, let this be the moment that I forever resolve to walk in your Spirit and in you alone. Let me no longer walk in the paths of sin such as laziness, gluttony, and complacency. Search me and know my heart and reveal it unto me so that I may follow you with my whole heart and with all of my strength. Teach me your ways so that I may know what is right, be renewed in my mind and spirit, and follow you in your way. Give me genuine passion, remove the heart of stone and give me the heart of flesh so that your Spirit burns as a fire within me and I’m lead by you rather than by emotion and human determination. Help me no longer stumble about trying to walk as blind in my own power, but bring me to naught so that I may see you in truth.


I shared a note a while back called, “Lord Jesus” that is also quite appropriate and totally in line with my heart right now. I'm placing the link to that note and a picture of a powerful song below that.

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=2892830294

My blog:
http://a-hawk.blogspot.com/2007/07/lord-jesus.html