What I've been learning.

I've been learning a lot lately about life. I've been having a lot of doubts, anxieties and uncertainties with the future. I've also been reading this great book called The Prayer that Changes Everything by Stormie Omartian. I'm going through it for the second time. It's a great devotional! Anyway, I want to share a short section of the chapter with you. Just to give you a little background, she's been explaining a period of her life where she went through two months of the most empty, paralyzing, depressing time. And one night...

I became so desparate to break through this painful malaise that I reached out to God yet again from the depth of my being and cried, "Lord, what is the matter with me? What is this about? am I doing something worng? Tell me what I should be doing differently. I can't seem to make myself do anything at all. Am I just burned out? Have I worked too hard for too long? I thought You had instructed me to do the things I'm doing, yet I feel incapable of working on any of them right now. Did I misunderstand Your leading? If so, what am I supposed to do? Please speak to me, Lord. Help me to understand. Take away this heaviness so I can breathe freely and think clearly again."

FinallyI felt a distinct impression upon my heart that I knew was the Lord. It was like the sun breaking through clouds after a tornado. Everything was calm and peaceful in direct contrast to the intensity of the moments before.

He said, "Simply worship Me."

I understood this was not to be a prelude to anything else, but an end entirely in itself. It was not to be for just that moment or until the next morning. I was to worship Him until He told me otherwise.

It's not as if I didn't know how to praise God in the midst of difficult situations or had never done that. I had learned this powerful principle many years before and had made praise and worship of God a priority in my life. I knew what to do. I knew how to do it. I knew why I was doing it. But this time, I was to do it as the ultimate end in itself. As if nothing else would ever follow.

God, are You preparing me for eternity?" I asked.

"That is always true," He spoke to my spirit again. "But this is not your time to die. I am preparing your heart to do the work I have for you to do, and I need your full attention. Don't come to Me with your lists right now, even though the things you need are imporant to Me and I desire that you look to Me for all your needs. There will be a time for that kind of prayer again soon, but right now you must trust that I know what you need. In this season, I want you to simply worship Me. Exalt My name and praise Me for all that I am. Let Me fill your heart with My thoughts and not your own."

God wanted to have such free riegn in my heart that I would allow Him to break it, pummel it, grind it into sand, and then make something new. That's because He wanted to do something new. Ultimately not just for me and my benefit, but for others as well.

And I was willing.

Boy, was I willing! When God has a hold of you, it's best to not resist. It's better to go with the program and see it through. Life will never be the same if you do. It will be always missing something great if you don't.

He desires so much more from us because He has so much more for us. And when we let Him, He will revela more of Himself to us. As much as we are able to contain.