I
now see that God continues this pattern of showing us Higher things about him
that we didn’t already know or understand, and he shows us Deeper things about
ourselves that are still in need of knowing him, usually in the Higher way he
has just revealed.
So,
yesterday was definitely a Deeper. It actually started with a Higher, as God
really ministered to me in his word,[2]
but then quickly fell into a Deeper, a dross-focused[3]
consciousness of some fairly miserable things about my soul-condition. I think
the theological word, “Yucky”, would about cover everything.
This
morning I continued presenting my lament to God, wondering how much more dross
he would reveal before turning down the fiery furnace a degree or two.[4] It
wasn't long into my time with him that he made this clarification: “…and you have made them a kingdom and
priests to our God…”[5]
I
represent those people who have grown up as "good Christians". We
struggle especially hard to appreciate the wonders of the gospel, that we are
sinners in need of a Savior, and that God has provided all the Savior we could
ever need (in Christ, that is, not in ourselves!). It isn’t that us “good
Christians” have difficulty understanding the doctrines of salvation with our
minds, but that we have difficulty experiencing them with our hearts.
So,
what stood out to me in this phrase was the "you
have made them..." I do not have good standing with God because I am
good. I do not have access to God because I have made a way to have access to
God. Revelation 5 has already made this clear, that no one is worthy to open
the scroll and break its seals.
Once
again I was faced with a micro-beatitudinal experience.[6]
First God blesses us by showing us our poverty until we mourn the condition of
our souls. Then he brings us to the meek consciousness that acknowledges we can
do nothing to fix what is wrong with our souls. And that brings us to hunger
and thirst for what God will give us by faith.
If
experiencing poverty of spirit, and mourning, and feeling meek in the knowledge
that I can do not one good thing to help myself, is all an indication of
blessing, I was feeling very blessed this morning! Now God has my attention on
what he has made me as part of this kingdom and priesthood, and curious about
how he will carry on to completion this good work he has started in me
(Philippians 1:6).
From
my Higher-and-Deeper heart,
Monte
© 2013 Monte Vigh ~
Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise
noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible,
English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.)
[1] This conversation is
recorded in John 4
[2] I wrote about this
yesterday in my post: http://in2freedom.blogspot.ca/2013/11/pastoral-pings-plus-ransomed-from-sin.html
[3] Dross: the worthless
rock that is separated from a precious mineral in order to have the mineral in
pure form.
[4] “Behold, I have refined
you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.” (Isaiah 48:10)
[5] Revelation 5:10
[6] See the Beatitudes of
Matthew 5:1-12
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