Summer 1990

A Present Word
Wade E Taylor

"Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name" Psalm 86:11. "He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel" Psalm 103:7.

When we pray, "Teach me Thy way," we are asking for more than we realize. The Lords way, or perspective is quite different than ours. For us to see things as He does will necessitate our being taken through some very difficult and trying experiences. In answering this prayer, the Lord is limited by any doubt or instability that is within us concerning our standing in Him.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" Isa 55:8-9.

Our ability to understand "The ways of the Lord" will require a determined commitment from us: "I will walk in thy truth." It is essential that we rightly discern the "arranged circumstances" that come into our pattern of life as being a part of the out working of His determined purpose to answer our prayer. Then we will be able to accept without rejection, reaction, or complaint, these divine arrangements that the Lord brings into our pattern of life experience to enable us to better understand His ways.

The last part of this prayer is, "unite my heart to fear thy name." This speaks of our being brought to the place where we have only a single desire. This is necessary, or we will loose sight of our goal of understanding His ways. It is all too easy, during the outworking of these "Divine arrangements," to become enamored with some detail, apart from the intended purpose of understanding His ways.

This prayer to "Unite my heart to fear Thy Name" can only be answered through an implicit trust in the character of the Lord. The "fear" that is spoken of here is a deep heartfelt respect and trust that the Lord will do right when we totally place ourselves in His hand, giving Him permission to do with us as He chooses, even when it may not be reasonable to do so.

When the Lord hears this prayer and accepts the sincerity of our heart, He will begin to gently knock upon the door that will lead us into the areas of spiritual understanding that we desire. Our response to His knocking confirms to the Lord that we will cooperate with the necessary process.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice "and open the door", I will come in and sup with him and he with me" Rev 3:18.

Several years ago, the Lord prompted me to respond to His gentle knocking and “open a door" that would lead into a new area of spiritual understanding and knowledge. I became frustrated because I did not know how to do this. Then I realized that this "door" spoke of the barrier that existed between where I was at that time, and where I desired to be.

This "door" will affect us in two ways. First, it acts as being a hindrance because we feel we do not deserve the right to enter, or are not as spiritual as we should be. Each of us has our own set of reasons as to why we cannot enter. Therefore, the door becomes a hinderance and remains ever before us. As a result, our entrance into understanding His ways is hindered.

Second, it acts as being an open highway, leading into a new realm of experience. We asked the Lord to "Teach us His ways." Therefore, we must act in faith by going through this door, which becomes a spiritual conduit concerning all that He is about to do in our behalf. As we do this, the Lord will come and impart to us the understanding we desire.

There may be certain things that we would like to have, or areas we would like to enter, but these would hinder the outworking of our desire to know the ways of the Lord. Therefore, there will be an evident restriction concerning these, as the Lord shuts specific doors before us, for our own protection. We must respect these shut doors.

In the Song of Solomon, the Bride asked the Lord about a friend that was immature. "We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for? SS 8:8. The Lord answered, "If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar" SS 8:9.

This speaks of her instability. She is seen as being like a double hinged door that swings both ways: today, victorious and rejoicing; tomorrow, doubting and discouraged. The Lord said to "enclose her with boards of cedar." These boards of cedar speak of an "arranged" protection, until a firm, established spiritual foundation can be built, replacing her present unstable experience.

Asking the Lord to "Teach me His ways" is to ask Him to deal with me, until I am no longer like this "swinging door." "Unite my heart" means that I have come into a realm of fellowship with Him that enables me to see things from the same perspective as He. Now, stability will come into my spiritual life and experience. I have become as a wall that can be built upon.

David saw this need for unity of heart. He said, "one thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in His temple" Psalm 27:4. The Apostle Paul said, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this "One Thing" I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before" Phil 3:13. Both David and Paul came to a singleness of vision and understanding. The doors that had been before them as barriers became doors of entrance.

Have you ever locked your car doors with the ignition key still in the car? It can be seen, but is un-obtainable. It is so close, and yet so far. The car door has become a barrier to where you want to be. When you have the key, the door becomes a way of access to where you desire to go.

I often walk through the print shop, late at night, on my way home from the office. Though it is very dark, I do not turn on the lights as I am very familiar with the layout and know where everything is. Our spiritual lives are this way. We become accustomed to certain things in our spiritual experience. We can walk through, without the guidance of the Lord, because we know the way. Then the Lord presents us with a door that leads to a new dimension of spiritual life where we have never been. We want to go through, but become afraid because we are not sure of the way.

"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you," John 14:2a. This speaks of many different levels of spiritual attainment. The Lord has something fresh and new for us, but when we haven ever been there, we become apprehensive. It is easier to remain in the place of our present spiritual experience, where we are comfortable.

"Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked" Rev 3:17. The Lord is speaking of a division of interest. We can be divided in our desire to know the Lord Himself, and our desire for the things He can provide. To these the Lord said: "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me" Rev 3:20. Here, our divide heart and interests are made one with His.

There is another attitude of heart that affects the door that is before us. "And to the angel of the Church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth, and no man openeth. I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name" Rev 3:7-8. Here, the Lord opens the door for those who have no strength to do so and encourages us to enter in.

This "door" is placed by the Lord between where we are spiritually, and where we would like to be, or better, where He desires us to be. We usually feel that we are not where we should be, spiritually. This places us on the wrong side of the door. But there is hope, for Jesus has the key! "He that hath the key of David, that openeth, and no man shutteth, and shutteth, and no man openeth."

Concerning our coming to know His ways, He can shut these doors, He has the key! Concerning our opening our heart and soul to learning to know His ways, He can open these doors, He has the key! I can struggle with these doors, as when I locked the key in the car and had to use a coat hanger to get in. It is so much better to trust Him and place our lives in His hands.

Jesus knows best when to use the key. If we will come to the unity of spirit that He desires for us; making Him Lord of our every circumstance, He will shut the wrong doors and open the right ones. When the Lord is the center of our lives, we can walk with Him through the open door. "I have set before thee an open door." Now I am in the place of coming to understand His ways.

Otherwise, He can be found standing outside of the door, knocking (Rev 3:20). This door has become something different, a hindrance. We must open this door and allow Him to come in and sup with us, and we with Him. Here, we will receive the needed strength to "buy of Him gold tried in the fire." Rev 3:18a.

"Unite my heart." If I settle this by making Him Lord of my life and begin to trust Him, He will begin to open the right doors and close the wrong ones. He is there waiting to answer my prayer: "Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name."