Something of Eternity

Some great sense of destiny hangs over me that I cannot explain or quite understand.

A sense that I am created for some great kingdom purpose. Not for my glory, but for His. Some great calling beckons me onward. To live daily and to live in such a way as to leave Christ's mark on the world. "That the world may know that there is a God in Israel." 

A God who answers by fire and reveals Himself in a whisper. 

A God who holds the universe in the palm of His hand. 

A God who someday I shall behold. A God who defines who I am and set me in this earth for some purpose. A God who has set something in my heart, something of eternity. A God who calls me closer and draws me further, demanding of me my life. 

To die for Him in the flesh is a small thing, for I have already forfeited my life to follow Him. I have exchanged my life for His and in so doing have gained full joy and completeness. My life is no longer my own to do with what I please, but it is His. 

To give up myself is a small sacrifice, for in so doing I have found Christ. One who gave all for me. What a beautiful exchange. Glory so fulfilling. Savior so delightful. I have lost myself and yet find myself complete in Him. 

And so I press on, eager to be "worthy of the calling" with which I am called. Dying daily, losing all, but gaining everything.

Some great purpose calls me forward. A great God draws me on. 

"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death...I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me...I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

-Philippians 3:7-10, 12b, 14

"For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

-Philippians 1:21

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

-Galatians 2:20

"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called"

-Ephesians 4:1

"...He has put eternity in their hearts..."

-Ecclesiastes 3:11b

Farther. Deeper. More.

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the waters, wherever You would call me. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith will be made stronger, in the presence of my Savior."

It's a new song by Hillsong United. Everybody's singing it. Something about it is resonating in the heart of the church. A cry is going out for God to stretch us.

That's a dangerous prayer. 

It's kinda like asking God for patience. Or asking Him to teach you to love. 

He does it. But usually not like we'd hoped. 

Usually asking for patience means God is going to bring some impossible person or circumstance for you to practice with.

Asking for Him to teach you to love usually means He's going to again bring some difficult circumstance for you to practice in. 

This song is asking Him to stretch our faith and trust. 

Wow.

Do we grasp what we're asking? Do we mean it? Do we grasp the gravity of what we're asking? 

Maybe that's why it's resonating inside the church so much. Maybe we're tired of the mundane, the going through life just getting by. We want more. We want to go farther, deeper, higher into what God has for us. We want to trust Him more so we can know Him more and go further into what He created us for. 

Praise the Lord.

I hope this song continues to resonate and resound through the heart of the church. I hope it rumbles through our chest cavity. I hope it shakes our core. I hope it becomes our heart's cry. I hope as we sing this song, the Holy Spirit brings it to life inside of us till it consumes us. I hope this song awakens something deep within us, something that may have been long awaiting such a battle cry. 

We want to go farther. We want to go deeper. We want more of God's presence. 

Spirit, lead our faith beyond the boxes we've put it in. Call us to follow You amidst impossible circumstances. Take us beyond ourselves and our comfort zones so we can grow in Your presence. 

It's a dangerous prayer. God really likes this kind of prayer. He likes to answer it. 

So, make this new song your heart's cry.

And be prepared for God to answer. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this new song by Hillsong! If you haven't heard it yet, here's a YouTube link. Take a listen! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neZkRT35J40

How does this song speak to you or resonate within you? What are some other heart cries in this song? 

How has God stretched your faith? In what other ways is He stretching You and revealing Himself to you?