Winter 1995
The Lord becoming active in our life experience
Wade E Taylor

"I love them that love me; and those that seek me
early shall find me ... that I may cause those
that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill
their treasures" Prov 8:17,21.

While a student in Bible School, one of my teachers, who had a close walk with the Lord, said something that was very simple yet profound, "God appreciates being appreciated."

Whenever he was in charge of a service and a quickening of the presence of the Lord came, he would pause and say, "Lord, we want to let You know that we know You are here and we greatly desire and appreciate Your presence." Then he would continue with the service. Many times after such acknowledgement, a heavy presence of the Lord would settle upon us and our lives were greatly affected.

Only in the release of His anointing and the quickening, lifting power of His presence will our spirits be adequately fed rather than our intellect. This requires "time" being allowed, and "room" being made for the Holy Spirit to move upon lives. When His presence is welcomed and respected, we are lifted into the realm of the Spirit where we will be changed.

One of the indications that we are sitting under a quality spiritual ministry is an evident sensitivity in the leadership to the presence of the Lord. This spiritual openness results from an expressed desire for the Holy Spirit to move and a willingness to make room for a release of Spirit and Life.

There are those who stress the sovereignty of God in which "election" determines the action of God towards us. This leaves us as having little, or no part in the outworking of our redemption. There is truth in the fact of sovereign election, but I Peter 1:2 reveals the other side of this view; we too have an important part in our election.

The Lord certainly loves each one of us with an absolute love, even when we are unworthy of that love. But there is an aspect of His love that responds to the expression of our love for Him - "I love them that love me."

"Elect according to the foreknowledge of God
the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit,
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus Christ" I Peter 1:2a.

It can rightly be said that the Lord knows through "foreknowledge" those who will truly love Him and respond to Him in obedience. As a result, He moves upon them accordingly.

I was born into a non-religious family. Yet in 1943 while in the Army, I went into a small chapel, and when I was sure that no one was present, I knelt down and told the Lord that I would go into the ministry if He would bring me through the war alive. Although I did not understand what was taking place, I felt tremendously quickened. Why did this happen? I believe the Lord responded because, in foreknowledge, He knew that I would submit my life to serve Him, and over fifty years later, write this article.

"I love them that love me." This places a responsibility on us to express to the Lord our love for Him. I have noticed that when I am heavily burdened with problems and come apart to meet with the Lord and rise above these problems, even when there is much struggling to worship and seek Him only, I later find that these problems are resolved, apart from any prayer on my part in their behalf.

The Word tells us that He "inhabits" the praises of Israel. This word "inhabit" comes from a picture of an animal of prey waiting for a "meal" to come along so it can pounce upon it and partake thereof. Thus, through our worship, a way is made for the Lord to "pounce" into our lives to work in our behalf.

As we worship, He works. This is a secret that is known to few. Our worship is tremendously important. It involves far more than just getting ourselves ready to hear the Word.

When we put the Lord first and worship Him with a pure heart, giving expression to our love for Him, He will move in our behalf and cause us to inherit "substance." There is a natural application to this, for He will meet our needs with adequate provision, but the real riches are spiritual, in that which we are becoming, and in our understanding of spiritual things.

"Riches and honor are with me; yea, durable riches and
righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yea,
than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.
I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst
of the paths of judgment: that I may cause those
that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill
their treasures" Prov 8:18-21

When the officers were sent to take Jesus, they returned and reported, "Never man spake like this man" John 7:46b. This was because the Word, through life experience, had become within Jesus an inner reality. The result was "substance" in His life and ministry.

"For He taught them as one having authority,
and not as the scribes" Matt 7:29.

We cannot impart that which we do not have. "And the Word was made flesh" John 1:14a. As we come to Jesus and partake of His life, allowing His Word to become a personal reality in our life experience, we also will have "substance" in our lives and ministry, and as a result, others will marvel.