Suppose I’m hungry for a greater portion of peace, a greater portion of tenderness, a greater portion of kindness, a greater portion of sweet enjoyment of Jesus with total authenticity and not watching myself enjoy but just enjoying him. Suppose I get on my knees, and I’m going to give five minutes of prayer seeking this, waiting for this, pursuing this. Now, if I go on my knees and Hudson Taylor saw me there pleading for five minutes for that, I don’t think he would criticize me.
But, suppose the Savior at minute four and a half of my pleading, walks up to me with a tray and on it is called peace, kindness, gentleness, enjoyment of me with authenticity — what you’ve been asking for. And he goes like this, and I say, “Oh God, give it to me please, I pray, amen.”
I turn, and walk right by the tray, and I go over to my computer and start working on my message — this message. Do you think that might be what Hudson Taylor means when he says, “Stop seeking. Stop waiting. Stop pursuing. Accept.” I mean, what is faith? What is that last moment of the connection of an answered prayer? What’s it like? Isn’t it like, okay, off the tray. Take it.
Isn’t there in some of us, a sense that “He never answers my prayers”? “I’m supposed to pray. I’m going to pray and now I’m done. And maybe while I’m working on this message, something will happen to me.” That’s what I think he probably would say if he were watching me and I stood up and the tray were in front of me, called “You are my branches. I am your Savior, your love, your bread, your life. I am all.”
What is it going to take? He would say resting, abiding, enjoying, receiving. And I’m not spanking you because this is a miracle. Act the miracle. Act the miracle. Receive. You got to work this through guys. You got to work this through. There’s more here than cynics see.
