At the earth’s equator, there is a belt of nearly windless waters. It was a much dreaded area in the era of sailing ships which could be stuck, becalmed, for days or even weeks. It is called the Intertropical Convergence Zone, more commonly, the Doldrums. by sailors. In the mid-Atlantic, there is an area of thousands of square miles, called the Sargasso Sea. Four strong currents sweep around that region, causing a unique sea within an ocean, a place that sailing ships avoided because of the seaweed that collected. Various kinds of floating debris accumulate there, too. What a place to get stuck on a ship with slack sails and no wind.
What a metaphor for a
life becalmed! This is not a life of calm, nor one of peace.
I am thinking of those seasons when we stall - stuck without vision or
motivation - unable or unwilling to move ahead.
Ever been in that situation? Seasons
come in my life when I feel as though the wind of the Spirit has stopped
blowing.
One author describes those
seasons like this: "the old ways
of prayer, worship, Bible reading become dry and stale. The church worship and
preaching that used to encourage us, teach us, and inspire us becomes barren
ground. God seems to extinguish one means of feeding our faith in order to make
us hungry, even starving, for new ways. ... Now that the way is void and empty,
God comes to us in new ways, if only we can perceive them. When we are
becalmed, we learn to wait." -Perfect Storm,
Abingdon, 2008
The experience is much more common that we might think. Many Christians through
the centuries have found the wind of the Spirit subsiding, their intimacy with God
apparently non-existent. A natural response is to look inward believing that something
must be done, that some failure has brought about the sense of
emptiness. It may be that we have grieved the Spirit or walked in our
own willful way. Equally true is the fact that these seasons come from much
more complex causes - life changes, aging, loss, or grief.
God is always present! His Word promises that when we are becalmed there is a better choice than frantic activity or self-incrimination. We choose to wait, to lean into faith. The Psalmist's prayer is one for those who are becalmed. "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning. O Israel (people of God), put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption." (Psalm 130:5-7, NIV)
Jeremiah’s words are worthy
of memorization for such times! "Yet
this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love
we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every
morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the
LORD." (Lamentations 3:21-26, NIV)
In days of less maturity, my focus in my Christianity was on me, doing good, working at service to others, measuring my daily devotional habits … a long list. That misplaced emphasis made me insecure, prone to a sense of drivenness, harsh with myself and, too often, judgmental of others. Now I better understand that Jesus Christ is my hope, my salvation, my keeper, and my guide. He makes me right with God, His grace greater than my emotions, present even when in the doldrums of spiritual life!
Yes, when the winds of the Spirit
are still, it remains a temptation to attempt to stir up something of God for myself! “Do more!”
“Sing louder!” “Read the Bible
more!” And in that effort I become even
more weary, risking even deception.
Why? Because that which is not from
the Spirit is either demonic or, more probably, of Self - borne of human
emotions and/or desires. No amount of
self-discipline or great effort can grow the fruit of the Spirit in my life,
nor do my ‘un-Spiritual’ further the
purposes of God. Better to lean in, to trust His promise.
Ponder this, a reference to the Promised Land that Israel anticipated - that was there for them even when they wandered, God’s faithfulness assuring the ‘rest’ to come. "So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who enter into God’s rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating the world." (Hebrews 4:9-10, NLT)
Are you spiritually becalmed,
feeling less enthusiasm, wondering where the joy has gone? Don’t get anxious. God is in His Heaven.
Jesus is our Faithful Savior. The Spirit, though unseen, is ever-present. So
here is a word from the Word for us today: "In the morning, O LORD, you hear
my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." (Psalm
5:3, NIV) "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." (Psalm
27:14, NIV) "Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when
they carry out their wicked schemes." (Psalm 37:7, NIV)
____________
(Video of this blog at this link)
Blessed assurance
Jesus is mine
He's been my fourth man in
the fire
Time after time
Born of His Spirit
Washed in His blood
And what He did for me on
Calvary
Is more than enough
I trust in God
My Savior
The One who will never fail
He will never fail
Perfect submission
All is at rest
I know the author of tomorrow
Has ordered my steps
So this is my story
And this is my song
I’m praising my risen King
and Savior
All the day long
I sought the Lord and He
heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He
heard and He answered
I sought the Lord and He
heard and He answered
That’s why (I trust Him)
Brandon Lake, Chris Brown, Mitch Wong, Steven Furtick © Brandon Lake Music; Music by Elevation Worship Publishing; A Wong Made Write Publishing; Integrity's Praise! Music
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