A Call To The Remnant

Time must become our primary resource for encountering God rather than the primary cause of our disconnect from Him -Nick Franks

Time is so mysterious. One hour spent in an enjoyable pursuit can seem like a day if doing something we don’t like. If I were to spend a week with my grandson on an a Island as a couple of beach bums, building rafts and building sandcastles and building fires, that week would “fly past.” On the other hand if I were to spend a week in solitary confinement, it would “seem like an eternity?” The difference between the two scenarios is not time, for one week is one week no matter what you are doing. Yet, we know what we are doing is part of the calculus of how fast time actually passes where it counts, in our minds. We are told in Scriptures that “one day in your court is better than a thousand elsewhere.” We also know that one day is as a thousand years unto the Lord. Time spent with God is the perfect use of time and everything else, no matter how good, how virtuous or noble, is something lesser.

Nick Franks, the author of the above quote shares with us a word the Lord spoke to him in the same book “Body Zero.” “Nick, are you willing to wait for me for an unreasonable amount of time.” For those of us who know something of the Lord’s presence , who have been touched by the glory, have tasted of the good things of God , waiting on God can seem like a week in solitary confinement. How long are you willing to wait upon God? How do we live when the vine-dresser has gone? Do we faithfully, patiently wait, carrying on, knowing He will return? Or do we, after a while, begin to act as if He shall never return? I cannot sense His presence, I cannot hear His voice. Have you walked through seasons like this? How long Lord is your cry. Saint, you will be tested on this. Would you serve God with joy and gladness and faithfully if you never sensed His presence again in this life? Would you love Him even if you knew that for the rest of your life you would not hear His still small voice? Is He not worthy to be praised and worthy to be worshiped for who He is despite what we “feel,” or in this case do not feel? Moses went up the mountain and in less than 40 days the people had thrown of God and created for themselves an idol that allowed them to rise up and play.

The saints of God worship Him no matter what, this is what distinguishes them from false professors. They have been sealed and their faith is not dependent upon circumstances or feelings. They will wait upon their God, it will be difficult but they know in their own spirits that God is always working whether they see it or not, whether they feel it or not, whether they hear it or not. The Word of God is a lamp unto their feet and bread unto their hungry souls and metaphorically speaking they use that lamp and go down to the docks and scan the horizon of their souls to see if today is the day. With infinite patience they faithfully wait upon their Lord. And even although they would wait a thousand years, their patience is rewarded when suddenly He comes to them in the depths of their spirit. They find themselves at the banqueting table, feasting upon His presence with a banner of love flying over them. Time stands still, it loses its meaning. Was it a moment or was it a thousand years? Wait faithfully upon the Lord saints, it pleases our Father in heaven to see that no matter what, we love Him unconditionally. And when we do experience his manifest presence it is all the more glorious for the waiting. And the ultimate coming of the Lord, when He comes with all of His glory, very soon I believe, will be so above and beyond what we could think or imagine, that we just have to leave it in that part of our spirits that just “knows.”