Receive

Receive. 

This is the word that the Lord brought to mind when I was praying about my “word of the year.” And my heart rebelled. I couldn’t have that word. I needed a word that required action- something that I could do for Him. My heart was to serve Him. That was the route I was already on. The year before I had followed Him from Virginia to Oregon to intern at Crystal Peaks. While I was there I felt His leading to move to NY. I drove back to Virginia, not knowing if I was going to be staying for a while or moving right away. Ten months later I moved to NY and worked at a Christian summer camp, not knowing what I would be doing job wise when I finished at the camp. I started teaching Sunday school at my church and started a small group with a couple friends. All of these things were actions on my part. Me following the Lord’s leading. So where did this “receive” come in? I was ready to do! 

But Abba knew my heart. He knew how tired and thirsty my soul was for Him. In those times of action and moving I had time with Him, even sweet time, but I had not allowed Him to truly fill me. I had not stood, arms open to receive His fully satisfying presence and love. I had prayed, read His Word, but I was not silent before Him- allowing Him solely to fill me. 

~Psalm 46:10 “He says, ‘Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’”

~Exodus 14:14 “The LORD will fight for you; you need only be still.”

~Psalm 37:7 “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him…”

~Psalm 62:5 “Ford God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is in Him. 

~Ephesians 3:17-19 “that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”  

These verses call us to be still before the Lord. 

Be still and know Him. 

Be still and see Him work. 

Be still and wait for Him. 

Be still and receive His love. 

When we rush around serving God, but forget to let Him fill us, we are missing the entire point of our relationship with Christ. Psalm 51 speaks to the heart of the matter- it isn’t performance that Abba wants from us- it is relationship:

VS 10 & 12: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence , and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. 

VS 15-17: O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 

Psalm 63:1-8 talks about Davids soul thirsting for the Lord, to dwell with Him and be filled with Him. 

All of this is not to say that we shouldn’t do anything for the Lord- we are called to love others, and that can be worked out in a number of ways. But before we are to love others we are to love God. We are to still at His feet and filled by Him! Friends if we are running around trying to please the Lord through our works we will end up weary and discouraged. We cannot share the love of Christ without allowing Him to first fill us. 

Looking back to Psalm 51, after David asks the Lord to renew his spirit and fill him with the Holy Spirit and joy he says 51:13- then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. 

Friend if you are tired and weary, maybe you are exhausted from serving Him, or you’ve fallen away from even spending time with Him- I want to encourage you to go- sit at His feet, and let Him fill you. His well never runs dry.