"Maturity"

I was recently in Ft Myers, FL ministering with Paul and the Lord really did incredible things while we were there. The atmosphere was charged with the tangible sense of His presence. Waves of worship moved to and fro all around us as we praised and sang to the Lord. It was quite a sight to see.

During our worship time on Saturday of that weekend, we were called upon to go throughout the crowd of people that had been called forward for prayer. We were to lay hands on them and agree with them for God's answer to their needs. I noticed that I ha not particularly heard the Lord over each person as I prayed for each one. I was searching and listening for instruction as I walked, but none was specifically given. Part of me wondered why, while another part of me was completely content.

Then I had a revelation.

It seems to me that as we grow in the Lord, the pattern of communication changes. When I first came I the Lord in 1984, He would speak to me so clearly and frequently. But I have noticed that as I've grown in Him, He doesn't speak as often regarding to others, or even personally. The one constant is that His love for me hasn't changes at all, but His expectation of me has.

The older we become in the Lord, the more He requires deeper, more confident faith on our end. We've walked long enough with Him to know His heart, His motives, His intentions, an His purpose for our success in life. These are foundations upon which we build our experiences with Him.

I have noticed this dynamic in marriage. When we first meet our spouse, we are in a constant state of discovery of them. We are learning how they communicate, how they process things, what makes them who they are interpersonally. The longer we grow with them, the less we need to figure out. We have been with them so long that we can "finish each others thoughts" as the saying goes. The same occurs between us and the Lord. The more we grow in Him, the less we need to understand from a foundational standpoint, what and why He does what He does. We have grown to a level of certainty the end result of the occurrences in our lives. We may not understand the process, but we do understand the purpose.

Perhaps you are going through a time of growth and refinement right now and you don't understand what is going on. Perhaps you've sought God and it seems like the heavens are closed and your prayers appear to stop at the ceiling. I submit to you that perhaps the Lord is silent because you really do know the final outcome of His purpose for your situation. He knows that you've walked with Him long enough to take comfort in His motive regarding your life (Jer. 29:11/Jer. 31:3/3 John 2). And if you know Then end result of His purpose for you, perhaps He expects you to simply trust in the thick of the process. Remember what Jesus said regarding Lazarus in John 11:4? “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” In like fashion the process of growth is "not into death" even if it "feels" like it is, but for the glory of God AND for your good.

So cling to the confidence you have in the heart of God toward you. Rest in that, knowing that even though He seems silent, He isn't. Even though it feels like He's far away, He isn't. Even though it feels like He's simply watching you go through without working on your behalf, He isn't. Why? Because He promised, and He NEVER breaks a promise.

He has been, is, and will always be FAITHFUL.

He loves YOU.