Learning to Receive Again

I like to keep my heart conditioned for the word of GOD. What I mean by that is I like to keep my heart in a place of gratefulness to GOD, trusting with confidence in Him, at rest in the assurance of His provision and providence for my life. The fires of sin burning in the earth all around us can have a parching effect on our hearts, making the heart resistant to the seed of the word. It is crucial to stay in a place where we can receive the living waters of GOD. It is the living waters of GOD that conditions the heart to be fruitful in the way I wrote about earlier. It takes intentionality to stay planted by the rivers of His water. It takes intentionality to keep the well of His spring within us from being covered with cares and concerns. The Lord has given us praise and worship to help bring the showers of joy and peace needed to keep our hearts conditioned.

I purposed this morning to listen to some worship music by Minister William McDowell. This brother has an anointing for worship and as the scripture says, “the anointing breaks the yoke,” that is to say the anointing breaks whatever is hindering you from entering GOD’s will. In praise and worship, the will of GOD is sweet communion whereby He can impart into our lives what we truly thirst for, His presence.

I was listening to a song called, “Wrap Me In your Arms”. It is a cry from the child to be wrapped in the Father’s arms. That secret place of security and safety where you can surrender all your cares, fears, longings, challenges, and just be at rest, because He is the source of all we need. The genesis of everything that gives life.

As I thought about many of the men I know, and the standard of masculinity most of them embrace, I know a cry to be wrapped in someone’s arms is hard for them to utter. It does not seem like the behavior of a strong man. Even if that someone is GOD. We have this idea that we are all grown up. We wrap people in our arms to strengthen them, but not the other way around. But actually, how grown up are we? Let’s look at being grown from a heavenly standard. You may say you can walk, but how long can you walk the straight paths of righteousness without stumbling or falling? You may say you can talk, but do you know how to be quiet and wait patiently for what it is you need or want, or do you find yourself whining on occasion? When you do speak, are you speaking the truth of GOD’s word in the power of the spirit, or are you rambling in the language of the world in opinions and uncertainty? We are infants in the eyes of the Lord, and some of us are even yet to be born of His spirit. We are so dependent on Him. Any real strength that we have is the product of being fed by His loving hands. Let’s not get tricked like Adam and Eve in thinking we can go it on our own. GOD forbid we ever entertain the idea of independent living. YAHWEH is life, how can we live separate from Him…foolishness.

We need to spend time in the arms of YAHWEH. We need the rest only He can provide. We need the nourishment only He can give. We can only grow up spiritually into mature beings, in the image of GOD, through the process of being shaped by His intimate touch. Take rest in His arms and become the people He ordained for you to be. There are no self-made men. As it was in the beginning, it is today, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;” (Genesis 1:26 KJV). The Father, the Word, and the Spirit, have to be actively involved to make any person whole. Let’s reach for Him and cry out to be wrapped in His arms.

¹⁵ Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” ¹⁶ And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. (Mark 10:15-16 NKJV)