Throughout the ages, man has searched for God by means of ingenuity and with diverse methods. Some say they find God within themselves while others see Him in nature. In 1 Kings 19:11-12 we are told: “As Elijah stood there, the LORD passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.” Those genuinely seeking intimacy with God can tell you, “He is not to be found in these things.” Being motivated by consuming desire is born through our relationship with Christ. The deeper our fellowship with Him, the more consuming our desire. We will never appreciate this so much as when our soul is in a state of exhaustion, weary from yearning for the presence of God. Here is the conclusion of the matter: those who claim the name of Jesus; those who live in the luxuries of His atoning grace, have been offered the opportunity to enter God’s throne room.
I bring to your remembrance a subject addressed in Chapter II where we talked about taking up the cross of Jesus Christ. Now, we learn the further significance of that requirement. We must take it up and carry it, lest we fail to move beyond our first experience with the cross. To know the power of the cross only in the capacity of salvation is indeed a spiritual travesty. Unfortunately, that is the plight of a believer who never enters beyond the veil. For to have intimate fellowship with Christ, we must learn and exercise the powerful applications of the cross.