There are times that I feel the presence of the L-RD greatly. Times that I feel like I could jump out of my skin and fly through the air. Times that I’m filled with joy that overflows into singing. Times that put a smile on my face. Times that excitement is boiling inside of me. I feel alive. I’m on a mountain looking over the valley. Watching the birds fly around in the blue sky. Life is exciting and full of joy.
These times usually come when there is great connections with friends, family, and fellow believers. Mission trips, vacations, and ministry/worship are when these times come. Times full of fellowship, eating together, laughing together, worshipping together, praying together, and doing everything together.
I’ve noticed in these times everyone seems to think less of themselves. Everyone is eager to help each other, have more patience, more grace, and a common goal to make the best of situations, most of the time. Times that we travel together, sleep in close proximity. Times of praying for others. Times of trying to make sure everyone else gets to do something that they really want to do. Times when the focus is on our L-RD Yeshua. Times when we strive to love G-D and others more than ourselves.
Times we are in close community that drives deeper conversations. Times of less judgmental criticisms and with no entanglements of the normal standards of worrying about living up to the social standards. Times without the busyness of life engulfing us.
Admittedly, these times have their dull and trying moments but over all, when they are over, I seem to go into somewhat of a depression. When, I’m sitting at a stop light, headed back to the mundane daily tasks of normal life and work. When I wake up in an empty house by myself again. When all I have to think about is what I’m going to do.
I believe the spiritual highs are glimpses of what life will be like in Heaven. Times when we will know Jesus more fully. We will know each other more fully. We will know how to love better. We will walk in deeper community.
For now though, I will have to remind myself of my identity in Yeshua Messiah when I come off these highs. I will need to preach to myself and remind myself of the gospel and to walk in this gospel each day. My rest is in Him. My hope is in Him. My faith is in Him. My love is in Him.
He gives me purpose. He gives me life. He gives me joy abundantly. He is my light. He is my L-RD. He is my G-D. He came to save me. He didn’t leave me to wallow in my vomit. He died that I may live.
8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death ; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet ; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:8-14
Theses highs and lows of the Christian journey of life remind me of John Bunyan’s book “Pilgrims Progress”, where he tells of the journey of Christian. I highly recommend it. John Owen, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Owen_(theologian), interestingly helped him get out of jail once. Apparently, Owen admired Bunyan’s preaching. Rabbit trail but very interesting to me:)
May we live for Christ. May we walk in the Spirit. Through the ups and downs of life. Through the mundane and exciting days. On the mountain tops and in the valleys. On the narrow path, turning neither to the right nor to the left.
Grace and peace be with you,
In Yeshua Messiah,
Coley
”To live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21
Tags: John Bunyan, John Owen, Philippians, Pilgrim's Progress
February 3, 2012 at 7:17 pm |
Great post man! There is no better “high” than the one you are rightly describing here! In His light we see light and He came to give us life in more abundance.
Grace and Shalom in Messiah Yeshua!