While on Sabbatical recently, I have to say one theme kept coming through from the Lord. That theme was “I Want Your Heart”. My first thought was “You’ve had my heart for over 40 years”, but I soon realized He sees what we don’t see and it has not been enough.
What type of heart does God want?
A heart that is clean and loyal-Psalm 51.
A heart that speaks truth -Psalm 15.
A heart that, like Esther, stands uncompromisingly in the face of seeming destruction and with the attitude “if I perish, I perish”
A heart that has found the secret place with God-Psalm 91.
I ministered Sunday on “Making Room for Jesus” and identifying and removing clutter from our lives—spirit, soul and body. I then had a dream the next day of familiar people coming to my house and pulling things out of my closets and throwing away some long held unused items and rearranging other things. I was so embarrassed in my dream that I had so many things in my closet that I didn’t need or use. Just clutter.
What did I learn from the dream? As i pondered this dream, I saw how easy it is to hang onto “clutter” that has no usefulness. It just occupies space. I learned that “hidden clutter” does get revealed eventually and we really do live our lives inside out. I also learned that the larger the space, the easier it is to hide the clutter. What is the clutter? The clutter looks like unrepented sins, emotional baggage, bad habits or anything that hinders our effectiveness for God.
In further pondering of this dream, the Lord revealed that the greater the call of God in our lives, the easier it is to tuck away little heart issues that will eventually surface. We masterfully hide them behind gifts, talents, or opportunities, but they will eventually surface. The “clutter” gets pushed here and there and tucked away out of sight until the “assigned” person decides to “invade our closet” and expose what we have been holding on to.
God is calling out all clutter as we enter into the New Season. Actually, I’m not sure if we can enter that season until we’ve cleaned out our “closets”. Some will need help understanding that God needs the heart space that is currently occupied by useless attitudes, beliefs and passions
I’ve been told numerous times over the last three years that there is such a level of God’s glory coming that unless our hearts are prepared, we will not be able to withstand His Presence and what He wants to do. It will require a pure heart with no hidden agendas or motives. It will require a heart that is “unalloyed” in its pursuit of Him. It will require a heart that is loyal to His purposes and not our own.
Success is no longer measured by budgets and numbers, but God results. We are called according to His purposes not our own. God has promised me that His glory will draw the prodigals back. And He said one profound thing just this week. He said, “It’s not important how you minister IN My Presence but how you minister TO My Presence in the days ahead.”
The Lion is Roaring in 2023 to awaken His Remnant, His Tribe, His Ekklesia. The Glory is coming. Will our hearts be ready?
