Fulfilling the Father’s Longing Desire In Jesus..

The Father’s earnest desire for believers in Jesus Christ has always been to have a people through whom His Holy Spirit can work freely and without hindrance.

The Father’s longing is for yielded hearts that are fully available to Him. Jesus Christ revealed this perfectly. At no time during His earthly walk did He live from His own strength, human wisdom, or natural ability, but in complete dependence upon the Father. Jesus declared: “The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do.” (John 5:19)

And again,“I can of mine own self do nothing.” (John 5:30). As with Jesus, so too in the lives of believers. If the heart desires to please the Father, then our lives must never depend upon our mere self-effort, but upon our continual submission, dependence, and obedience to the revealed will of the Father.

I recall a word of exhortation in which the Lord declared: that many of His people desire His power in their lives, yet there are so few who are willing to embrace the conditions that lead to it.

The Father seeks those who will set their lives in order before Him, those who will come before Him with brokenness, humility, and genuine repentance. For this reason Jesus declared:“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

Who are the poor in spirit? They are those who recognise their complete dependence upon Almighty God. I recall a word the Lord brought to my attention:”The poor in spirit are those who are totally bankrupt before the Father; they have nothing to call their own.”They no longer trust in themselves but place their confidence entirely in Him.

The Father asks every believer to evaluate these searching questions:

• Is there a willingness to come before Him with a broken and contrite heart?
• Is there a desire in our lives for His Holy Spirit to be above every earthly pursuit?

The Lord Jesus taught:”Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

There is always more of Almighty God’s life, more of His grace, more of His anointing, and more of His presence than believers have yet experienced. Herein is an important truth that must be fully embraced: there are no limitations in the Father.

Jesus invited His followers into a deeper relationship when He said: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)

It is of tremendous importance to understand that concerning our lives as believers that:

• Before there can be a greater outpouring, there must be a greater yielding.
• Before there can be an increase of His life, there must be a putting away of our confidence in the flesh.
• The Holy Spirit of Almighty God cannot fully work through a life that continues to exalt itself.

The Father’s earnest longing is not simply to bless our lives but to transform us into vessels through whom His Son is revealed. This requires a stripping away of our self-sufficiency and an ever-growing dependence upon His Holy Spirit.

The Father continues to seek hearts that are fully His, hearts that have laid down personal ambition, self-confidence, and dependence upon natural strength. He desires a people who no longer trust in what they can accomplish through their own might, power, wisdom, or ability, but who rely wholly upon His Holy Spirit.

There are searching questions that confront every believer:

• Is there anything being held onto that hinders the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s work?
• Is there confidence in the flesh where there should be dependence upon Jesus Christ?
• Is there resistance where there should be surrender?

The Father seeks those who will humble themselves before Him, acknowledge their complete dependence upon His grace, and yield fully to the work of His Holy Spirit.

Such hearts become vessels through whom the life of Jesus Christ is revealed, and through whom the Father’s longing is fulfilled on this earth.