Pick Up That Axe

Hey!  How’s it going?  That question for a blog is about as useful as a radio host saying, “Watch this.”  But I guess you could always use the comment section below to let me know.  Sorry, I’m a little hopped up on caffeine right now and feeling a bit silly.  This could be interesting.

But there is a light at the end of this potentially pointless tunnel.  I just came out of the presence of the Lord and so my heart is fired up.  I want to spend the next few words encouraging you in the same way he just encouraged me. 

As I sat with the Lord just enjoying the sweet atmosphere, a picture began to form in my mind’s eye.  I saw a hardhat and a pickaxe.  Then I heard the soft voice of the Lord flow through my heart.

“Get your hardhat and pickaxe and start digging into the greater riches of my heart.  You will meet resistance—not from me but from your adversary.  He will try to drain your energy and courage.  He will try and discourage you.  Press in and only listen to my voice.”

I think there are times that our relationships with the people around us begin to grow stale.  What is it, the seven-year itch for marriage?  Although one Internet commenter stated, “The seven-year itch is a myth.  Marriage actually grows stale after 10 years and 11 months.”  Weird timing on that one.  My guess is that the author has something personally invested in that number.

The same is true about our most important relationship:  God (see what I did there.  I can bring things back around.)  If things have grown stale between God and us it’s not a problem on his end but on ours. 

God’s heart is endless and the riches of his glory are so deep we might never ever be able to search them all out.  Even with an eternity to work with.  There are always new things to discover.  But we are the ones who need to step forward.  We are the ones who bear the responsibility of actually moving through the open door into the greater portions of his heart.

So why are many of us contently discontent to remain in a place with God we feel has lost its sizzle?  I think it mostly has to do with our adversary’s influence in our lives.  We have trouble hearing in one instance and we hear, “He doesn’t want to talk to you anymore.”  Something doesn’t work out the way we want and we hear, “God wants you to remain in this struggle.  He’s teaching you something through pain.  He won’t deliver you until you’ve suffered enough.”  We don’t get any new revelation on things and we hear, “God doesn’t want to share with you anymore.”

So we swallow these lies and settle for something less than what we were promised:  abundant LIFE.  Now, I will admit that I believe there are times that God will not reveal something because it’s too great for the stage of the road we are on.  Revealing it would hurt us so he holds back until we have the tools/maturity to handle it.  But that doesn’t mean there aren’t many amazing things he wants to show us right where we are.

There is way too much abundance in the heart of God for us to ever feel bored in our relationship with him.  I think it’s true that walking into his heart is effortless as much as it depends on God.  But the enemy before us is a different story.  We need some tools to deal with him hence the hardhat and pickaxe God told me to pick up.

We must dig through the lies forming a wall in front of us and persevere until we reach the rich valleys of his goodness.  We must not allow the voice of our adversary to drain our energy with discouragement along the way.  The line, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” is hogwash.  If it were true we would never grow.  I suppose there are many who don’t but that doesn’t change the fact that the opportunity for abundance is in front of each one of us.  We can have it and have it to the fullest.

Christ in us is the hope of glory and that hope will turn the winter into spring if we let it.  Rest in his love instead of getting all worked up that nothing new is happening.  Listen to the voice of Jesus instead of the voice of the enemy.  Seek out resources about things that spark your spirit.  Listen to others who have insight into things you’d like to have.  Sometimes the voice of God is leading us to people he’d like to use to move us into the deeper places.  Don’t ignore those he’s pointing out.

Blessings,

Jesse and Kara