The Process of “Through” Part I

Scripture:  Isa. 43: 2 -  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.”

A. W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God says it as profoundly as to what hinders us from a more intimate, dynamic, and personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  He says “Why do we consent to abide all our days just outside the Holy of Holies and never enter at all to look at God? We sense that the call is for us, but still we fail to draw near.  The years pass, and we grow old and tired in the outer courts of the tabernacle.  What hinders us?” SELF!!

We must be emptied to be filled and SELF is our greatest enemy.  It’s the “me” in enemy. We must choose to take our self-sins to the cross, confess them and forsake them.  The emptying process (Isaiah 43:1-3) of going “through” the waters, “through” the rivers and “through” the fire will be costly and necessary, but the Lord says that He will be with us.

There are four disciplines for “through.” Let us look at two today.
(1) “Through” means that one must go “by way of.” Galatians 2:20 says “I have been crucified with Christ…” and Matthew 16:24 says “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Going “by way of” means that the cross is the only way to salvation and daily crucifying SELF.
 (2) “Through” also means “a period of time”. II Corinthians 4:17 says “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory…” We must remember that our afflictions, though they seem as though they last forever, are only for a moment in the light of eternity.  Praise the Lord!

Prayer:  As the old Negro spiritual song says “It’s me, it’s me oh Lord standing in the need of prayer…”  Thank You my Great High Priest for making intercession for me as I’m going “through” and emptying “me of me!”

(by Cheryl Torain)