Yesterday I just listened the message concerning "open vessels", and this morning the Lord again reinforced this point through my morning revival.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (Matt. 5:6)
The hungry He has filled with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. (Luke 1:53)
Just as the message I listened yesterday, the message I read this morning talks about the first condition for spiritual growth in a Christian is hunger. We have to learn to be hungry so that the Lord has a way to fill us and bless us. This is God's principle. There must be an empty and open vessel so He's able to fill.
Hunger is the drive for us to search for food. As the Lord said in Luke 11:9.
And I say to you, Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you.
When do we ask? That's when we're in need. If we are too rich, we will never come across the idea of asking. When do we seek? When we're desperately want to achive it. If we don't really need it, we might ask and leave. When do we knock? We knock because we are in an emergent case that we must get it right now!
Let's see how cambridge dictionary defines the words.
1. Ask: to put a question to someone, or to request an answer from someone
2. Seek: a) to try to find or get something, especially something that is not a physical object
b) to ask for advice, help, approval, permission
3. Knock: to repeatedly hit something, producing a noise
How about the Lord's responses in the different cases?
1. Given: Giving, providing and supplying
2. Find:to discover, especially where a thing or person is, either unexpectedly or by searching, or to discover where to get or how to achieve something
The third one I like the ones on good translator and dictionary.com.
3. Opened:a)move or adjust (a door or window) so as to leave a space allowing access and view.
b)set so as to permit passage through the opening it can be used to close. (Oh Lord, if
we don't knock, it can be closed to us!)
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Today I also learn to open to the Lord. I realised most of the time I have "hidden thoughts" even when I'm in my morning revival or praying with others. I would have a hidden intention like "oh Lord, help me finish my dissertation properly today". I'm encouraged that this ministry taught us to "learn to open". Yes, we're not an open vessel by nature so that we have to learn, to practise. I have to learn to master in "openness". I'm also reminded throughout the day that everytime I come to the Lord, my time with Him is unique and belongs simply to Him.
Lord, more learning in being open so you have a way to dispense Yourself.
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