So the LORD must wait for you to come to him
so he can show you his love and compassion.
For the LORD is a faithful God.
Blessed are those who wait for his help.
Isaiah 30:18
This week, perhaps more than any other, I’ve had people approach me on the connection points they’ve made with this blog. Normally, I’d ride that wave of encouragement for months. Problem is, it’s highlighted the fact that I’ve got nothing for you this Monday. Nada.
Oh, I’ve tried (and tried) to get inspired. Searching for it in the strangest of places. (It would be a painful replay to watch) Ultimately, I sat at my computer unable to choke so much as a pair of sentences onto it this screen. And, for the first time in 68 weeks, I gave up.
“Alright God, you aren’t meeting me here? I’m over it.”
Silence. Even when I put my foot down(!). It’s like the Holy Spirit moved on out. What is happening? God packed up and left me in the middle of the night. No note, no apologies.
Have you ever felt like that? It’s both a dangerous and scary place to sit. But I began to feel entitled in my smug attitude and slowly stopped pursuing the Father. After all, I’m not desperate…
And that’s when it happened. On a hot night, in an outdoor amphitheater, I sat waiting for the concert to begin. About to take the stage was the first band performing at OUTCRY, one of the greatest gatherings of Christian worship artists ever assembled, and God started talking to me… finally… about BEER (well, He had to get my attention somehow).
I saw a picture of a huge dam in front of me.
A thick and secure wall, with a dry and safe Heather standing dwarfed in its shadow. I’m thirsty, but there’s no water here.
And God says, “Tap in.”
Tap? I immediately began to think about my German home. You see, before any dancing on the tables can begin, Oktoberfest has a famous opening scene. Using a large mallet, the mayor of Munich “taps” the first keg of beer to officially begin the festivities. And when he’s pounded that spout into its big wooden keg, everyone waits for him to yell, “O’zapft is” or “It’s Tapped!”, to commence the drinking of (loosely) 1.7 million gallons of beer over the next 16 days.
That short moment of forceful pounding starts the party heard round the world.
I believe God is saying, “POUND THE TAP. Press into Me with purpose, because one small hole is all it takes to start the flow – more than 1,700,000 gallons worth.”
If you’re facing a dam today, get ready. He waits for you. Sometimes the divide feels too great. He seems silent and we feel lost. He must be mad, so we feel guilty. He isn’t chiming in at our pace, so we make decisions for ourselves. But that is contrary to what His Word says: “Come near to God and he will come near to you” James 4:8.
One more prayer. One more verse. One more tear. ONE MORE POUND at the dam… And like the greatest wave of rushing water, He WILL COME.
“And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder…” Revelation 14:2
When we draw near to the Father, it’s not tit for tat. One step by you doesn’t mean one (measly) step by Him. Before your foot hits the ground of its newly found dirt, He is running – RUSHING – to meet you!
- To envelope you.
- To love you.
- To forgive you.
- To heal you.
- To teach you.
- To open your eyes and give you grace for the next move – closer still.
But the moment always begins with you. Isaiah 30:18 says that “the LORD must wait for you to come to him
so He can show you his love and compassion…”
No matter how self-sufficient the father of lies tells me I should learn to be, I AM DESPERATE . Lifeless. Dry Bones. Dead. Without Him.
…‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!… I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” Ezekiel 37:4-6
When we pound the tap, new life comes. Things we never saw before. Revealed. Do you want that? Do you need that?
I. DO.
Lord, rush over us with your spirit of life and truth. Still our hearts. We need you. This our move. O’zapft is!
COME.
If you need a song to get the flow started, this one worked for me…
Oh, how I needed this today! Thank you Heather! Thank you Holy Spirit!
We have a Daddy who cares and knows and sees and delivers RIGHT ON TIME!
LovenHugs to you Heather!
RIGHT ON TIME! I’m with you on that, friend! And after all these years of experiencing it, I still struggle with the faith that it WILL come (and not a moment too late). Love that God keeps us on our toes. 😉
I absolutely love this. I have been there in smugness and in desperation. Thank you for the beer visual of tapping in. It landed well in my spirit and made me smile. Beautifully written, Heather.
Heidi, I like that the beer part landed well in your spirit. (makes me think you and I would have fun together!) I’m so glad it reached you where you needed it. It’s amazing how often the Father is doing similar things in all of our lives, right?
Thanks for that important reminder!
I miss you, Tordny. You’re good at pressing in. I’ve always admired that about you. 😉
Heather, it was so nice meeting you at the concert on Saturday. I am so encouraged by your honesty and openness in this post. Molly sent me your blog right after my younger brother passed away in May. God is using you in ways you don’t even realize. God bless!
Shelley, I was so glad to meet you too! And I just sent you a friend request on FB, I hope you don’t mind. I can’t begin to imagine what last year was like for you. Loosing someone so close… these are the times we fall deep into the pain or find strength to ride on grace of the Father. And the choice is not simple. I’m honored to have been a part of those days in a small way with you. I’ll bet you have a greatly encouraging story of your own that the Father will use to bless people that YOU don’t even know. I’m so glad we met.