As you start to worship Jesus, the Lord of Glory, do you feel just a little empty? For all your praises and thanksgiving does something feel lacking? I know it often does for me. King David worshipped the Lord with all his might. He had real passion for the Presence of the Lord. What about you and me? Oh, there are times when a passionate unction falls on us to really, really, love Him as He deserves. However, and maybe I am just speaking for myself, I find that I desperately don’t want to spend another year as a child of God without real, daily, lasting passionate love for Jesus, My Abba Father, and for the Holy Spirit.
There is yet another desperation in me. Ever since I was first born again I recognized my sorry lack of real compassion. I read in Matthew 14:14 that Jesus was MOVED with compassion and healed the sick. Compassion, which I assume was sort of a by-product of His passion for His Father, motivated everything Jesus said and did. Walking, (at times actually crawling) with the Lord for over 30 years I still don’t see that level of abandoned passion or compassion in my life. And, I am desperate.
When I meditate on the glory of God, on His loving kindness and His faithfulness to me all these years I could easily condemn myself for being less than a passionate lover. Many time I have “beat myself up” over my lack of compassion for hurting people. So, where does that leave me today? Thankfully, I am not without hope. For many years I have clung to a couple of scriptures… Philippians 1:6 “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:13 “… for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” These Scriptures encourage me and let me know that my Father is the One who has placed this hunger in me for more passion and compassion. His word also tells me that “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” Romans 5:5 Then, I HAVE the Father’s love in my heart. I just need to learn to draw on that love to be able to love Him and others more. I realize that Father has never closed His ear to my desperate pleas to be more like His Son Jesus who was Passionately in Love with Him and full of Compassion. Actually, I am seeing that this obsession I have had for “more” is really a calling out to God for my DESTINY.
Jesus said the works that I have done and greater works shall you do because I go to the Father. Everything Jesus did flowed out of His passionate love for his Dad. Compassion for the hurting people of His day was not something He had to work up. He knew His destiny – one day to hang naked on a cross for you and me.
Passion placed a nail in one hand and compassion placed a nail in the other.
So, how do you and I come to our “destiny” to be passionate lovers of God and compassionate lovers of people? There is an old secular song that has been rolling around in my head. I can hear the tune but the only words that are surfacing are “the more I know you, the more I love you.” Ah, perhaps that’s our key. As we spend more intimate times quietly soaking in the Presence of the Lord, reading and thinking about Him in His Word, and acknowledging Him in the moments of our daily lives, we shall know Him.
To know him intimately is to love him passionately. Then, from that passion will flow all the compassion our hard hearts have wanted to feel for people. This is our destiny, even if, like me, you feel as if it is taking you years to get there – that is where we are heading. It is the Father’s heart of passion and compassionate love for us that has put this desperation in us to be like Him in the first place! Isn’t He wonderful! Enjoy the journey as you experience His loving Spirit leading you down a road you have always wanted to travel. Desperation does a soul good!
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