Going Deeper

Going Deeper

We had a prayer morning recently and we drove about 20 miles to a place where no-one would find us but where we would be welcome and undisturbed as we sought God. We were just enjoying God, and seeking Him for our future. He asked us to call in those He was sending to our ministry. We did this and it was fine, but then, He spoke to both of us – in slightly different ways but He impressed something upon both of us. The word we both got was that God is calling us to go deeper with Him.

Now I know from experience that ‘going deeper’ may have a price tag attached. It costs us personally to deny self even further and to seek out a deeper relationship with our loving Father. A friend of mine was asked this a few years ago, and it cost him all sorts of personal things. He came under such personal attack that it would have broken the resolve of many. His health, finances, family, and business all came under God’s closest scrutiny. It is said that if, or rather when, God wants your attention, He first grabs a hold of your finances.

So it was that, as we prayed together, the Lord impressed upon us to, ”Come deeper.” We know this is about greater discipline in our lives and He even gave us 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” He reminded us that Holy Spirit cannot be in an unclean place or that nothing unclean can stay in the same place as the Holy Spirit. This means that He is calling us to greater holiness, even as He is holy.

As He has recently been talking to us about praying expectantly, we did so. This means praying and assuming we have got what we prayed for, as against praying and waiting hopefully for our answer.

As a watchman, too, the Lord brought more focus upon what this means. He took me to Ezekiel 33:7-12  “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.  When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for  their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.  But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.  “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’  Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’”

This was not just for me but for all watchmen. Watchmen are not usually “good news Charleys”. They rarely, if ever, bring good news. Theirs is the job of warning, if necessary again and again and again, until people either take notice or suffer the consequences of their ignorance and attitude. I believe the Lord is saying to all watchmen to “Warn, and warn, and warn again. Jesus IS coming again very soon and my people need to be ready. They do not believe this yet and they risk much by ignoring your warnings.”

This is all just a small part, for me, of going deeper, staying obedient, dying to self that He may be seen rather than me. Will you join me? Will you answer God’s call to go deeper, ever deeper, in Him?