Spiritual Agoraphobia

I heard this great phrase from James Jordan on his teaching CD 'The False Covering of Fig Leaves' (availalble on www.fatherheart.net)

Spiritual agoraphobia. The fear of big open spaces...in spiritual terms - the fear of not having things in a small, comfortable, manageable space. He was talking about how we can confine our knowledge of God (and knowing him experientially) to what we can understand within our framework of what we have discovered so far. But of course he is infinite - and often the scriptures use the phrase 'beyond knowing'. He can do 'far more than we can imagine...' Hallelujah for that!

All around the world the Lord is doing things beyond our imagination (check out Iris Ministries for one - with Roland and Heidi Baker www.irisministries.org) and showing his love and his power in unprecedented ways. Why not in our lives? Why not throw open the windows and doors of our minds and hearts and say 'More - Father, more - Lord Jesus, more - Holy Spirit'?

When the Scriptures talk of 'mysteries' it means things that are 'veiled' or hidden. Bill Johnson astutely says they are hidden FOR us to find (because we seek) not from us. There are many things we have not yet had revealed to us from the Word. It is not just logical truth to be understood - it points to spiritual realities that only our heart and spirit can taste and grasp. And we do not know when or how he will do it. He is sovereign. But an open and seeking and child-like heart will always be READY to see and taste and experience more, and perhaps understand as well some of the 'mysteries' of the Kingdom. Oh for such seeking hearts.

It is really about POSITION. What posture do we take - what way do we face? Our words frequently reveal our posture because the mouth cannot help but speak what the heart is full of! Are we keeping our eyes on heavenly things - on him who is our Wisdom, our Life, our very Source? Or are the trials and testings of earth our focus? I have to keep checking my posture and my position. It slips... looking down - looking at others - looking at myself and my failings...

"Father - lift my head to fix my eyes on your sufficiency at all times. To whom else shall we go... And may my vision have vast horizons and endless possibilities in you."