Psalm 27:8 — When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
The human heart, the physical muscle in our chest, is an extraordinary organ, as we all know. We are aware of its necessity, that’s a no brainer. There are two states in which this organ is work within us at any given time (stick with me on this, the metaphor will fall into place). The two states of the heart are: the Diastole and the Systole. Two common words we use in everyday conversation, right? We may not be familiar with these terms but we are familiar with what they do.
We are all familiar with blood pressure measurements. The two numbers that score our blood pressure–the high and the low number, for example 120/80, are the Diastole and Systole. The high number–“120” is the Systolic pressure, and the low number–“80” is the Diastolic pressure. Yes, I am going somewhere with this and I promise there won’t be a patient co-pay involved. My point is that there are two pressures or movements going on with this physical organ that keep life flowing in and throughout the whole body.
- The Diastole. This cycle or action is the muscle relaxing to allow the chamber of the heart to fill with blood. Think: Intake.
- The Systole. This cycle or action contracts to push out the blood to the rest of the body. Think: Output or Giving Out.
Now the metaphor takes form. Just as our physical heart needs these two cycles and actions–Intake and Output, so does our spiritual life. We need to relax in the presence of our God and allow our souls to “take-in” the grace that God is offering. We need to be filled, built up, encouraged, inspired, washed, comforted, strengthened, and … we need to respond to the Intake. Call the responding a spiritual exhaling, so to speak. Think through this with me. Because He sovereignly gives—pours in to us love, grace, mercy, and all that I mentioned above, we should, because we NEED to, respond and exhale. As He gives grace we need to respond. As He has freely given, we need to freely give (You know who said that).
The Initiator and the Responder
God has ALWAYS (the caps are on purpose) been and will always be the “Initiator.” I’ll take it to the next step: God HAS TO BE the Initiator. Man can only be the Responder. It is never the other way around, in anything, at any time in history or in the future. God initiates; man responds. This is a fundamental truth from Genesis through Revelation. From the beginning of man’s very existence: man’s first breath was a response to God graciously breathing life into him. The physical, mental, and spiritual part of man’s existence has always been because God first acted—He poured in. Man has never, because he is incapable of having inherent life, light, and/or love independently within himself. Therefore man cannot act independently as the initiator. Man can only respond to what God does first to him/her.
There is a theology held by many believers that God is waiting for us to make the first step towards Him. But we can’t; we aren’t capable. He gives to us so that we can respond. Jesus HAD to come to save us because we are “helpless” and “hopeless” and “without God” apart from Jesus Christ, as St. Paul tells us in Romans 5. I’m feeling a long sermon wanting to come out of me, so I better get back to my main points.
Let’s ask some probing questions.
As God pours IN His divine grace, howbeit in any manner and form that He chooses, how do I respond? If there is intake from God, which obviously there is on a daily, hourly, minute-by-minute basis, how should I respond? How conscious are we of God’s pouring into our lives? He may pour in general grace, saving grace, grace for ministry, or grace for a specific situation in life, are you trying to be consciously aware of His graciousness so that you may respond back to Him in a fitting and appropriate manner? In fact, doesn’t His initiating input of grace into our lives and the lives of others demand a corresponding response from us, of some nature?
Prayer is man responding to God pouring Himself into a soul.
A soul that has tasted of the goodness and life of God responds in prayer. A response, this corresponding action to God–whatever you may call it, can be in a variety of forms depending on the individual and the moment. A cry for help; a cry for forgiveness; reaching out to Him in pain, sorrow, or love; worship; or being overwhelmed by the revelation of Who He is–are some of the outputs back to Him that we should, and actually “need” to express. The emotions, the intellect, the body, every part of us can respond to Him. He initiates a pouring into lives; we respond to Him from a humble, grateful heart.
A sidebar warning here: I exhort that we do not allow our denominationalism or our own personal temperament to judge how a person should respond to God’s daily grace. Remember we are individuals and He gives each person a measure of faith and grace as is appropriate for him/her. He distributes His gifts according to where each person is and who they are, and what He is doing in and through him/her life. Therefore, I should never compare and judge (same thing) my expression of faith with another believer. That is, as long as it is within biblical boundaries. You nor I are a benchmark (now that is hilarious) or the example (hold on, I have to stop laughing) of godliness and piousness. Only Jesus fills that role. If someone is more, or less, expressive than you, you and I are alright with that, right?
A biblical response to God, whatever or however it is, should be tempered with reverence. We should guard against letting our sinful nature take the lead in expressing our response. When we do that, we are no longer worshiping God in spirit and in truth. God does want us to use our emotions, but they should be lead by a tempered heart of reverence and respect. Let our response to God’s grace and mercy be Christ honoring. Our reaction to Him should not draw attention to ourselves as if we have manufactured this divine grace and life within ourselves. in other words, our reaction should not be self-honoring. God’s actions towards an individual will never have the intention of puffing a person up, we do that on our own. A true view and response of grace is humility. Therefore, let us not put the emphasis on ourselves, but let whatever our response be to Him, let it be humble, as opposed to self-honoring
Leviticus 10:3 — And Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord spoke, saying: ‘By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.’ ” So Aaron held his peace.
Point: As our living God pours Himself into your heart/soul, through the knowledge of Himself, through love, joy, peace, encouragement, comfort, strength, laughter, … respond to Him. Seek Him, thank Him, and express this even to one another for this is also the intent of His pouring Himself into your heart. If you are not sure WHAT to respond to or HOW to respond to Him, begin by opening the Scriptures. Read and meditate on His Word to you. He has given us the holy scriptures, His revealed word, let us read and respond. Pray His promises, and put His teachings into your life.
Some additional reading and biblical examples of God as the Initiator.
As mentioned, God’s role as the initiator is from Genesis to Revelation. Here are some examples of God taking initial action towards man’s soul/heart (intake) and man being responsible to respond (output). These show our dependence upon Him to be the Initiator, and how we respond. I should say, how we ought to respond. The following responses of faith are dependent upon the Spirit of God. Even our responding to Him is dependent upon Him enabling. The more you dig into this subject you realize that it is more of God and less of you and me. How humbling.
I John 4:19 and I John 4:10. Because God poured His love IN, our hearts can respond by giving love OUT to Him, and to others. If He does not pour it in, we have nothing to give out in response because we have nothing within us to give out. The love, compassion, mercy, kindness, and etc. that we have to reach out to Him and to give out to our fellow man is ONLY because He puts it in us. The car needs fuel put in so that it can produce/give out energy and operate. Our hearts need the living God to give in to our souls so that there is something to give out. [Insert your own metaphors here. There are plenty of them.]
In John 6:44 we have Jesus saying that a person is only able to respond to God the Father because He draws the person (by the heart) to Himself. We can only react if He first acts upon our heart. Jesus reiterates this in verse 65 saying that no one can come to Him unless it has been granted to him by the Father. Do you see the sequence? God grants a person to come by invading the heart/soul. He opens the heart’s eyes of understanding (gives light) that quickens the heart out of spiritual death into new, spiritual life.
Romans 5:12 (“… because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”) and I John 4:10 & 19 tells us that He pours into the heart/soul His divine love. All of which can’t help but produce a desire to react–an output of faith, love, and hope in and towards Jesus Christ. God’s divine input demands and requires an output. Let’s flip that last sentence and the truth remains: We have nothing to put out unless He has first put something in us by His diving grace.
This is what Peter learned from Jesus (Matthew 16:16-17) when he pronounced his revelation that Jesus is the Christ. The Father revealed this divine truth to Peter (input from God the Father) and Peter’s heart, enabled by the Holy Spirit, responded with a confession of faith.
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