There is a depth of spiritual power that God desires for us. But we are the only one who can determine how much of that depth will be attained. Notice the desperation in the words of the psalmist: “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God…deep calls unto deep…” (Psalm 42:1-2, 7).
The deep longing and yearning of our inner man is to know the Lord and His ways more intimately, that is God’s desire for us too. Psalm 63:1-2 from The Amplified Bible says,
“O God, You are my God, earnestly will I seek You; my inner self thirsts for You, my flesh longs and is faint for You, in a dry and weary land where no water is. So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary to see Your power and Your glory.”
How far are we willing to go to quench the thirst that is within us?
Some people are just not determined enough, or desperate enough to seek the Lord. But those who are willing to seek Him until He comes and rains righteousness upon them will experience the outpouring of the Spirit of God in a new dimension.
The more deeply we yearn for God to pour Himself through us, the more deeply we will be cultivated. Fruitfulness is always preceded by cultivation. We must seek Him until we experience the rain.
“For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him” (2 Chronicles 16:9 KJV).
A “heart perfect toward God” is a person who has devoted himself without reservation to Gods ways; one who has the integrity to forsake his own ways when they conflict with God’s; one who is pure in motive, dedication and sincere. God is always ready to supply power and sufficient strength to anyone who will open his heart with unqualified devotion to Him.
When the Holy Spirit is allowed only limited influence in our lives, He is limited also in the results He can bring to us. It’s not unusual to hear someone say they have tried to sow the seed of God’s Word into their life, yet have seen very little fruit. Notice what the Prophet Haggai said about people who see little fruit in their lives:
“You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages, earns wages to put into a bag with holes. Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Consider your ways!'” (Haggai 1:6-7).
When our ways do not correspond to God’s ways we will not experience His power. But the Holy Spirit will help us take hold of the principles that produce increase. God wants to reveal His ways to us. He is reaching out to guide our ways and to bring stability into our lives.
Don’t be like some people who want God’s presence and power, but not His demand for increasing excellence. It is this “half-hearted” desire for God’s activity that has caused the Church’s ineffectiveness.
