"Dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan.... dwell deep, O ye faithful of Hazor...Jeremiah 49: 8, 30
We are living in an age of appalling shallowness and superficiality. Nobody will question that. The trivial, the transient temporalities of time are viewed as primary and essential, while the great matters of eternity are ignored and forgotton. In this day of shallowness, God is saying, "dwell deep"
The Christian life is only successful as we go deep into the things of God. It is an axiom of the Christian life that we rise spiritually, only as we go down into the depths. Dr F.B.Meyer said that at one time he thought that God's gifts were on shelves rising higher one above the other, and that as he grew in the Christian character and stature he could reach up to the best gifts on the top shelf.
But he learned later that it is just the other way around. The shelves go down one under the other, and God's best gifts are reached not by growing taller but by stooping lower. Dr F.B.Meyer also said "all God's thrones are reached by going downstairs" Not just sure exactly what he meant by that, but the throne of grace is found on our knees.
You must go down if you wish God to lift you up into blessing. Jesus said "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" "He that shall humble himself shall be exalted" We must learn the great paradox, that life comes out of death; exaltation out of humilation; crowning out of crippling; and blessing out of breaking. The Christian rises by descent; we scale the heights of spiritual life by sounding depths.
"Dwell deep" Do not despair if you feel God is bringing you down low. If he is doing that with you, it is in order that he may lift you up eventually.
Amen
We are living in an age of appalling shallowness and superficiality. Nobody will question that. The trivial, the transient temporalities of time are viewed as primary and essential, while the great matters of eternity are ignored and forgotton. In this day of shallowness, God is saying, "dwell deep"
The Christian life is only successful as we go deep into the things of God. It is an axiom of the Christian life that we rise spiritually, only as we go down into the depths. Dr F.B.Meyer said that at one time he thought that God's gifts were on shelves rising higher one above the other, and that as he grew in the Christian character and stature he could reach up to the best gifts on the top shelf.
But he learned later that it is just the other way around. The shelves go down one under the other, and God's best gifts are reached not by growing taller but by stooping lower. Dr F.B.Meyer also said "all God's thrones are reached by going downstairs" Not just sure exactly what he meant by that, but the throne of grace is found on our knees.
You must go down if you wish God to lift you up into blessing. Jesus said "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone, but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit" "He that shall humble himself shall be exalted" We must learn the great paradox, that life comes out of death; exaltation out of humilation; crowning out of crippling; and blessing out of breaking. The Christian rises by descent; we scale the heights of spiritual life by sounding depths.
"Dwell deep" Do not despair if you feel God is bringing you down low. If he is doing that with you, it is in order that he may lift you up eventually.
Amen
