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By Rob Des Cotes
[other pieces By Rob Des Cotes]
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalm 61:2
 The Presence of God is the very origin and wellspring of life itself. It is no wonder then, that to draw near this Presence is to approach the most fertile place in existence, and to draw away from it is to move in the direction of non-growth, which ultimately leads to death.
A lot of what Jesus had to say about the kingdom of heaven had to do with how things prosper and bear good fruit because of their proximity to God. To be close to Jesus, the true vine, is synonymous with growth,and conversely, spiritual growth in our lives is a sign that we are living in the realm of God's kingdom.
It is possible however to stop growing in our faith. We find ourselves on a plateau of spirituality, assuming that the depth of relationship we have experienced with God thus far is all that the Christian life has to offer. But thankfully, the Lord has made this conclusion an uncomfortable one for us. More often than not we feel restless in our spirits as we pine for an experience of spiritual life that is greater than the one we presently have. And the very fact that we hunger for more is evidence of the Spirit's activity within us.
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Before a next stage of growth occurs, God often instills a deep desire for change in us. This sets up a momentum for growth that continues to thrive long after the initial spurt. Many saints have identified how desire for God leads not only to satisfaction, but often to an even greater experience of desire. Hungering and thirsting then are signs of a deepening relationship with God. They represent the outreach of the soul for its next stage of maturity. To simply have this desire for growth is to participate with divinity.
Julian of Norwich, a 14th-century mystic, once received a word from the Lord that helped identify this relationship to the God-granted desire within her. In one of her many showings, the Lord revealed Himself to Julian saying, I am the ground of thy beseeching. If I caused you to beseech, will I not also grant you the object of your beseeching?
The desire by which Julian was led to seek God was also the evidence that the object of her desire was within reach. God caused her to long forunion with Him, and this longing itself was the God-given assurance that her desire would inevitably be fulfilled.
Consider the spiritual desires that you presently experience, and reflecton how God has placed these within you in order to cause you to seek Him. Our deep longings, far from revealing inadequacy, can be welcomed as precious gifts, tokens of what is to come in their satisfaction.
Rob Des Cotes is a spiritual director and pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He teaches Contemplative Traditions at Trinity Western University, as well as courses on spirituality and the arts at Carey Theological College and Columbia Bible College. Rob also directs Imago Dei (www.imagodeicommunity.ca) a network of faith communities that encourages the practice of prayer and a transforming relationship with God. Rob is a regular contributor to canadianchristianity.com. To obtain 'Higher than I' go to: www.clementspublishing.com
March 12/2009
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