10:15 PM Los Angeles time. I am in the lobby of a hotel at the end of a full few days of a conference. The kind of conference that makes your head hurt. Good stuff, stretching stuff, some stuff I am still chewing on. I love how God is the great conductor; he brings in different parts at just the right time to make the music work. I see him do this all the time. He did it with Jeff. Jeff’s wife prayed for him and gently encouraged him in a spiritual journey. At the same time, God waves in a guy from New York to influence Jeff. A few more of these encounters and Jeff begins his spiritual journey and the symphony continues; with, of course, some loud guitars and a killer kick drum.
So, a long intro to the story . . .
When God begins to call some of these occurrences in my life, I try to listen. When I hear the same thing from different places – the same notes from different parts of the room, I listen. From some stuff at this LA gathering, to what God has been speaking in my spirit, to life journaling, he has taught me that . . . .
OK, not so fast. 2 Samuel 19 tells of David. Once King, then de-throned. In looking to make another run at the palace, David knows he needs the support of the people. The scripture says that He won over the hearts of all the men of Judah as though they were one man. (2 Samuel 19:14). So a couple of things hit me here.
- As though they were one man. What if exchange was a movement of one? Not of one persons, but of hundreds or thousands of persons with uniqueness and individual passions, but were “one.” What kind of power and influence might there be in that?
- He won over the hearts. Our heart is being won by something. Mine is. Too many times my heart is won for myself. When we allow our hearts to be won to something, we will give everything; anything to it. My heart is either won over to myself or God. If I step outside of the wishes of God, it is because I am selfish – my heart is won for myself. What if our hearts were won over to God? What would that look like?
Glad you asked. If the hearts of the exchange community were one and won, here is a sketch of what it may look like:
Thousands of people set on personal mission.
People embrace God and trust Christ to lead their life.
People move to Terre Haute because of the spiritual climate.
God’s reputation gets repaired.
Loving people becomes the highest priority.
Hearts become pure.
Crime is down.
Marriages are healthy.
Miracles start appearing.
God is deeply feared and passionately embraced.
The church looks outward and not inward.
Our dreams fade as we stand speechless at what God does.
The space between heaven and earth becomes a “thin place.”
You Christ, have won over my heart. I am sorry that I keep taking it back again, somehow thinking that it is about me. My heart is a deceitful thing, but it belongs to you. I gave it to you long ago, and I don’t want it back. May I move with my fellow travelers as one unit. Loving you with unmatched passion and loving humans with outlandish love. And may your kingdom come on this dirt the way it is in your heaven.