Streams in the Desert and Still Upward

Ezekiel 41:7 The side rooms all around the temple were wider at each successive level. The structure surrounding the temple was built in ascending stages, so that the rooms widened as one went upward. A stairway went up from the lowest floor to the top floor through the middle floor.
 

"Still upward be thine onward course:
For this I pray today;
Still upward as the years go by,
And seasons pass away.
 
"Still upward in this coming year,
Thy path is all untried;
Still upward may'st thou journey on,
Close by thy Saviors side.
 
"Still upward e'en though sorrow come,
And trials crush thine heart;
Still upward may they draw thy soul,
With Christ to walk apart.
 
"Still upward till the day shall break,
And shadows all have flown;
Still upward till in Heaven you wake,
And stand before the throne."

This poem from Streams in the Desert, possibly written by Spurgeon, brought several things to mind for me. First the obvious challenge of embarking on a New Year. This becomes a more poignant excursion for me as I grow older. The verse from Ezekiel took me by surprise and I had to go back and read it. I forgot about all the measuring in that book! The Temple represents for me the dwelling of God. We are told in 1 Peter that we are to be priests and kings unto God. 1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Ezekiel 44:28 “‘I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession."

So how are we to grasp this possession and fulfill this role of royal priesthood? How might we ascend still upward in our fellowship with God? The Nautilis shell represents for me my spiritual journey. The rooms get larger as the shell grows to accomodate the growth of the animal. Our fellowship with God is to grow as we learn of Him, trust Him more and fellowship with Him. My intimacy with Him draws me into the center of my being, much like the center of the shell. The more I practice being in His presence, the more quickly I can descend " the stairway from the top floor through the middle florr to the lowest floor." As I withdraw from the things of the world, occupations of anxiety, regular courses of thought, He seems to draw more near to me. In fact, I am just peeling away the layers of distraction that I might live more aware of Him.

Today I could not go to intercede at the Church Office as my car is being repaired. So I determined to pray here at home. I was awakened with a song in my heart, "Forever Reign." I made my way through the first few morning necessaries and into prayer. The place in my heart where I meet God is like no other. I used a list of names of those in our church leadership and the song to draw me back to the purpose of my prayer anytime my attention wandered. And I felt certain that this song is for our part of the Body of Christ for 2013.



When I moved on to my devotional reading, I found the poem "Still Upward" and came to blogging.


I pray that as you journey into 2013 the call will resound in your soul to travel "Still Upward" into the larger places of fellowship and ministry where your Lord awaits you, and also into the deeper places of intimacy with Him where He can touch and direct your heart. Be His living stone. He has promsied to BE your possession and inheritance. Possess your inheritance. May you be richly blessed with an increased awareness of His presence.

 

Posted with Blogsy