“…Let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.” Isaiah 54:2
Dear Ones:
If there is one thing that the Gospel teaches us, it is the concept of “expanding capacity.” What do we mean by this? When the Lord Jesus was seeking to teach His disciples lessons on communion with the Father, He spoke these words in regard to prayer: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how MUCH MORE shall your Father, which is in heaven, give good things to them that ask Him?” (Matt. 7:11) In the gospel of Luke, the wording slightly changes to, “…how MUCH MORE shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:13) What is the lesson here? It is the knowledge of the magnitude, capacity, of willingness of the Father to GIVE in quantity and quality that which exceeds our capacity to receive. Our greatest problem with regard to receiving from the Father all that He desires to give, is the littleness of our vision of His heart and purpose. The Psalmist writes: “…the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” (Ps. 84:11) In Psalm 81, we read: “…I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (v.10) What is the extent, both in motive and commitment, that the covenant God is willing to go to, in order to give “muchly” to the one who is truly willing to receive? It was to the great preacher, Dwight Moody, that someone said: “Mr. Moody, the world has yet to see what the Lord will do with the man who is totally His.” Moody responded, “I will be that man.” Moody, in responding in this manner would echo the prayer expressed in a hymn: “My empty vessel I may freely bring; O Thou, who art of love the living spring, my vessel FILL.” Here is a man who is looking heavenward at the Father, who not only can do all things, but is willing to do the “exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” (Eph. 3:20) The question then becomes to us, “Are we looking heavenward for the Lord to “enlarge our tents,” and in such a way, that more of His life and power may be known, as He loves in and through us?
It is my understanding in this modern era, that “bandwidth” is not only a means by which data can be transmitted, but a measure of the capacity to transmit that data. When our sincere desire before God is to be His clean, and empty vessel, to be filled with His life, then it should also be our desire that our “bandwidth,” or capacity, should be increased, so that a greater measure of blessing can be poured out upon those for whom we pray, and serve. The Lord told Israel to “Enlarge the place of thy tent.” Why? It is because God wanted to do that which exceeded their expectations. Why would He want and will this? It is because of the blessing that He desires to give, and to be, in and through every one of us. How do we know that He wants and wills to do this? It is recognized by the desire, or thirst, that He gives us to ask and trust Him for it.
In Isaiah 55, as we see in Isaiah 44, and also in John 7, the Lord is often speaking to us of “thirst,” a consciousness of need that is acute, strong, and unrelenting. Why? It is His way of drawing us to Himself, so that we will give Him access to the need, believing Him to meet it. He says: “Ho, EVERYONE that thirsts…come…come unto Me…incline your ear and hear.” (Is. 55:1,3) To the one who comes to Him, the promise is this: “…the word that goes forth out of My mouth…shall not return unto Me void, but it WILL accomplish that which I please.” (v.11). The proof of His blessing, and the very confirmation of His working wonderfully is in this: “You shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace.” (v.12)
Dear Father, give us to understand that your ways and thoughts are so very much higher, and greater than our own. Save us from putting Thee into a box by our little thoughts. Show us how to “enlarge our tents,” believe Thee for the enlargement of our capacity to know, love, and serve Thee. Then, a greater measure of Thy goodness and power will be known by those to whom You send us. We thank and praise Thee, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad