Day 10
A Warfare of Rest – Day 10 – The Boiling Point
Times of focused consecration, like the one in which we are presently journeying, can be a two-edged sword. Because it is a “kairos” time when God has determined to do something specific, there is a tremendous amount of grace available and potential for life-altering breakthrough. But at the same time, true breakthrough usually comes when God is able to take us to the root of our issues. And often times that comes through trials and tests that expose what’s in our hearts.
Different friends have been sharing with me some of their struggles during this consecration and it got me thinking about breaking points, times when we feel like we just can’t take any more exposure or any more tests. Everything in our flesh or mind is screaming – stop! And we’re tempted to pull back or run away.
I was pondering this the other day, when suddenly Lord interrupted my thoughts with an interesting statement. “What you think is a breaking point is actually a boiling point.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“What happens when water boils?” He queried.
“It changes states; it shifts from a liquid to a gas.”
“Exactly Stephanie,” He answered. “And that’s what spiritual boiling points are too. Places where I apply heat in order to shift you into a completely new state.”
When water boils and changes to steam, it no longer looks the same nor does it act the same because as the water is heated, the molecules start to move faster and faster and separate one from another, allowing them to move more freely.
What a picture of what the Lord wants to do inside us. He wants to shift us into a completely new state, where we don’t look the same or act the same or think the same. A place where we are able to move more freely and, therefore, respond more quickly to Him.
So how does water change into steam? Does it just decide it wants to change? No, there has to be heat applied that causes the change to happen. All the water does is respond to the heat.
Try as we might, we really don’t have the power to “change” ourselves. All we can do is respond properly when God is turning up the heat because He wants to shift us to a new state.
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. (James 1:2-4, The Message)
What do you do when someone gives you a gift? You accept it and thank the person who gave it to you. And that is exactly what we are supposed to do when tests come our way and our hearts are being exposed. Instead of trying to avoid them or hide what is happening, we need to accept and embrace what God is doing, thanking Him that He loves us enough to reveal everything inside of us that is keeping us from being like Jesus. Because ultimately, being like Jesus is what we all want.
If you would like to position yourself to respond in a new way to God’s boiling points, both during this consecration and beyond, then let’s pray this prayer together. “Lord, I want to thank you for leading me into this time of consecration, this warfare of rest. Thank you for giving me the gift of sight so I am no longer blind to areas inside my heart where my faith has been compromised by unbelief. Please give me the wisdom to recognize and the grace to accept the times when You are “turning up the heat” in my life because you want to shift me to a new state. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”
Love,
Stephanie
On behalf of the Awaken Team
We would love this journey to be an expression of the corporate body and not just a few of us, so if the Lord gives you a vision or dream or speaks to you through a scripture or if you have a story or testimony you would like to share, please send it to share@awakenthedream.org.
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