Push Through to the Final Third

Lately, we've been having great Bible Studies at our house, things are happening at church in the sense that the Spirit is moving, powerful decisions are being made, and young men are being saved. And yet . . . I can't help but feel that my natural tendency to pull back at the sign of spiritual momentum and success is starting to take hold. I have a bad habit of shooting myself in the foot every time I get to the threshold of God's all-consuming fire. I really desire to push through this so that I can experience true healing and life-changing fruit. In my own life and in the lives of those around me.

I wrote a post recently about how we're missing the third element of the disciples - the element of authority. To push through to that is huge. I really believe it is where GOD resides in power.

In my Bible readings, I've noticed this trend recently - how important this third element is.

Hosea 6:1 - 4 "Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds. After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will restore us, that we may live in His presence. Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him."

The third day is the day of healing and restoration. It is the day where we push through to the presence of God. Days one and two are the ripping apart. Many of us choose to dwell in these days. But it's day three, if we are willing to press on, where the healing takes place.

Isaiah 37:30, 31 (to Hezekiah, who has been devastated by the Assyrians): "This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyard and eat their fruit."

The third year is the year of fruit. Years one and two - recover, live off the mercy of the Lord. There's nothing wrong with taking a deep breath and gathering yourself back up. But the third year, if we can push through to it, is a year of life and healing and production.

Recently, in reading Daniel, I noticed that the world understands this principle. When Nebuchadnezzar grabbed the best of the young men from Jerusalem, this is what he instructed his court official:

Daniel 1:4 "He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service."

The Babylonians knew that if these young men were immersed for three years in their culture, then they had them. If they could push them through to the third year, then the ways of Israel would be erased and they would be useful for the king's service.

This principle holds true spiritually. We often grow weary - pushing up to the point of victory, then pulling back. Push through. Whatever is keeping you from the surrendered, abundant life, push through it. All the way to the Third Day - the day of the resurrection. Any man can have the first two days. Just like man killed Christ and had two days of "victory." But the third day belongs to God.