Do you splash and dash?

As modern Christians, we often expect God to move at our quick, have-it-now pace. We get a little splash of spiritual wisdom, refreshing, or anointing, then dash off to the next thing. The problem with this approach is that we quickly dry out, then become discouraged and disillusioned, and we ask God, “Is this all there is?”

His resounding cry throughout the Bible is, “There is MORE, so MUCH MORE!” Jesus said, “I came that they may have life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]” (John 10:10*).

Make this trade

If you want more of Him, you must trade your splash-and-dash lifestyle for a sit-and-soak one. We don’t much like the word “patience” but it’s in patience that we inherit God’s promises (Heb. 6:15). God promises to fill us, but we must give Him enough time to flood us until we’re fully saturated.

I grew up in the Arizona desert, in a neighborhood filled with date palms, orange, lemon, and grapefruit trees. We didn’t have sprinkler systems. Instead, we had the guy we called the “irrigation man.” He came along every few weeks and turned on the irrigation which flooded our lawns with water from the nearby canal. We loved it as kids because we could start at the top of the street and run all the way down the block through the “lawn ponds.” You see, in the desert, our fruit and dates couldn’t grow with just a splash of water. Growth only came with a good soaking.  

My friends, it’s just like that with God. Think of what happens when you marinate a piece of meat. The process takes time. As the meat soaks, the marinade penetrates the surface, making the meat more tender and flavorful. Forgive me for comparing our Christian life to a piece of meat, but hopefully you get the idea. As we soak up the Spirit, and patiently allow Him to penetrate our tough exterior, we become more tender, more like Christ, and more able to minister to the lost, hurting people He sends our way.

And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.
Isaiah 58:11

The key to getting saturated

I never like to leave you without some practical steps. How exactly do you get saturated in the Spirit? The simplest answer is that you must learn to tarry. The word tarry in the Bible (Acts 10:48, 15:34) means to stay on, remain, or persist. When you’re with God reading the Bible, praying, praising, or listening for His voice, don’t be content with just a little splash. Relax, sink in, and stay a little longer.

I often think of it like settling into a bean bag chair. When you sit in one, it’s hard to get back up, because you sink into it, and it wraps itself around you. Sink into His presence. Relax and let Him to wrap you in His love. Don’t run off too quickly. Persist in your desire to have more of His manifested presence. If you hunger and thirst, and press in for more, He promises He will not leave you empty or dry. He satisfies the longing soul!

For He satisfies the parched throat, And fills the hungry appetite with what is good.
Psalm 107:9*

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The secret of spiritual success is a hunger that persists…It is an awful condition to be satisfied with one’s spiritual attainments…God was and is looking for hungry, thirsty people.

Smith Wigglesworth

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*Amplified Bible Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved www.lockman.org