Deeper
And Solomon said, ‘You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David, my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?’ It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, ‘Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life, or riches, or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
1 Kings 3:6-14
When the staff team came together to reflect on the faithfulness of the Lord in 2021, and expectant for His work in 2022, we voiced aloud what this year might hold for City Pres:
“Well, we’d like to buy our building…”
“Then we’re going to need money.”
“What about being a faithful presence in our neighborhood? What about being
consistent in one outreach ministry as a church? Like-minded, goal-oriented,
mission-focused.”
“Is 2022 going to be the year we fight complacency, starting with us, the staff?”
I felt daunted by the task list at hand, not even fully knowing what it included, but knowing that my heart was still recovering from almost two years of Covid distancing us. I remember showing up to staff meeting after staff meeting frustrated, and constantly hearing,
“Abide.”
Justin preached that to us as a staff through the pruning and the conflict:
“Abide.”
I worked through the monotony of responsibilities I covered while Bronwyn was on maternity leave each week, and again in my head I heard:
“Abide.”
And we came to the end of the year hearing about this lofty goal of $30,000 from the Christmas Offering just so we could break even, and the Lord repeated:
“Abide.”
Abiding through the fall at City Pres meant holding on for dear life to your life preserver ring hoping the other side of the rope is attached to the rescue boat, continually clinging, continually waiting.
But abiding in the new year at City Pres is what I think we’re being called into: “Deeper.”
When Solomon was faced with his inadequacies as a new king for Israel, he had the opportunity to ask for anything from the Lord. He could have asked for what normal kings ask for - riches, power, respect, honor, a long life. Instead, he comes humbly before the Lord, daunted by his task list, not even sure what all it entails, and asks him for wisdom.
In December, we invited the church, again, into the practice of Impossible Prayers. Surprisingly, my Impossible Prayer is not something I haven’t prayed for in the past. Rather, it’s praying for those things in a different way.
So when we survey the year ahead of us, and the things we are asking for, the things we’ve been asking for, we will again hear, “Abide.” But the abiding this year gets to come from the Lord’s abundance of provision, and I think we’ll ultimately get to hear, “Deeper.”
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”
Romans 11:33
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