Hunger for More
Isaiah 11:2 NKJV – The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
When I read this verse, a deep hunger wells within me. This scripture is a prophecy about Jesus. But God is drawing us to walk just as he walked (Rom 8:29). This same Holy Spirit is resting upon us to manifest the same realities in our lives.
It seems that most Christians have found their personal walk hard rather than easy, like Jesus promised. Have you noticed that there are things lacking in your Christian walk? Do you struggle with your salvation, wishing you had assurance? Do you struggle with failing to resist sin? Does it feel like your prayers don’t go anywhere? How hungry are you to see more of God manifesting in your daily life? There is an answer.
John 10:9-10 NKJV – I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. [10] The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
John 7:37-39 NKJV – On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. [38] He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” [39] But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
God has a plan for abundance and passion in your life and it is simple, His name is Holy Spirit. The purpose of this book is to invite you into the promise of the Father so that you can experience the depths of Jesus. So that your relationship with him can become new and refreshed.
Scripture promises struggle at the hands of men, but for your spiritual life, Jesus says his yoke is easy and his burden light. Scripture also promises that we can be filled to overflowing with all the fullness of God, that we can walk in deliverance, and also release deliverance. Scripture also promises that we can experience the ever-deepening love of God, and also stay there, so that we can experience a consistent life of peace, joy, passion, and fulfillment.
Deciding You Want More Life
Everyone around you is chasing happiness and failing. The more we chase happiness the more elusive it becomes. Rates of depression and anxiety are at an all-time high. So many people are chasing the next escape and not finding any. We are all hungry for love and acceptance. But most people are only finding loneliness. The cross is the best solution to this. When we see that Jesus gave up his life so that God could get his kids back; when we recognize that our self-centeredness and pursuit of self-gratification has only caused us to hurt those around us, but Jesus paid the terrible price the law demanded; now we can see how great God’s love is for us.
Are you dissatisfied with your inability to live a changed life? Do you still find that you are chasing happiness even though you have said yes to Jesus? You may have noticed that there are some around you who seem to know God in deep and fulfilling way. You may have noticed that some Christians have found contentment and joy. You may have wondered if there was something wrong with you or if you were missing something.
When I was a child, occasionally, I would contemplate on how I was the only one looking through my eyes. I could recognize that I was alive because of the thoughts that I had, but how could I know that everyone else around me was not really a robot. In one of these moments, I had an epiphany. I was the only person who could decide how far I went in my life. I was the only person who could decide how deep my walk with God was.
James 4:5,8 NKJV – Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? [8] Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
You are the only one who can decide the level of relationship you have with God. You are the only person who is responsible for the fire that burns within and the passion you carry for the things of God. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. There are many people who live with a level of separation between them and God. They have become used to living this way. Deep inside their spirit, they long for more. The main reason they have become accustomed to living separated is because they don’t know how to fix the problem. Repenting of your behavior will only get us so far, and afterwards we are still dissatisfied. There is still a desire to know that you’re right with God, and there is still a longing for proof to know that you can live in his love.
Isaiah 11:2-3 NKJV – The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.
[3] His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
There is a wonder about God. A phantasmal aspect to his kindness and love. There is a recognition of his power, and when it is compared to his tenderness, this recognition produces an awe. Very few people understand the Fear of The Lord. A simple definition is that it is a “Hunger to Honor” him because you have experienced the massiveness of his kindness. What if this becomes your reality? Not only that you are aware of how amazing he is, and not only that you long to celebrate him, but also that you are clothed in this reality of his goodness. What if that becomes your reality?
What if we were to seek to be clothed in the Spirit of the fear of the Lord? What if our heart stayed in a constant amazement of him and our every activity was an outpouring of worship? What if your encounter with God was like Moses on the mountain and you carry his glory? What if you could be baptized in his love? What if you could be baptized is the Spirit of the fear of the Lord? What if you could be baptized in the Spirit of wisdom and counsel? What if you could be baptized in the Spirit of might? What if you could be baptized into the very image of Christ?
Holy Spirit is the mechanism though which we encounter our friendship with God. Very few have been taught all that Holy Spirit does, so they end up missing out. Most Christians seem unaware of who Holy Spirit is, how He partners with the cross to bring complete freedom, and what His role is in their life. Very few experience the full measure of the transformation that only interacting with Holy Spirit can bring. Very few see how he introduces us to a deeper more meaningful relationship with God.
First, we must clear up a few misconceptions that will severely limit the degree we are able to receive from God.