Waterspouts of Glory

It was like a prophetic sign from God. My husband and I went to the beach to relax, look at the ocean and sky, and read our books. At my recommendation, Jac brought one of my favorite ones:  Waterspouts of Glory, written by Wade Taylor. Wade explains his choice of title on the back cover of the book. "If He (God) finds within us even the slightest aspiration to truly know Him, He will demonstrate a singular interest in us. This personal attention which we receive from the Lord is comparable to a waterspout which is formed by a wind pattern that whips rain into a funnel of water, then directs it toward a singular point of destination. While the rain showers upon all, a waterspout aims a deluge upon one, thus, 'all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.'"
 
We no sooner situated ourselves on the beach than an enormous, dark cloud came overhead. From the top of the cloud both of us discerned what looked like a white trail of exhaust coming from an airplane. Only this condensation trail was descending toward the ocean. As it hit the warm surface, a fountain of water rose. The column of cloud-filled wind continued to spin and delight us with its waterspout on the ocean. It was the first time either one of us had seen such a sight. We learned afterward that the conditions were perfect for a waterspout from the cloud. They require high humidity and warm water temperatures. This is what we had.
 
The Scripture that Wade quotes from the King James Bible comes from Psalm 42:7. "Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers swept over me." (NIV) How fitting that the Lord would display what Jac was reading about in his book! We had a personal demonstration of being caught up with Him in the whirl of His Kingdom glory. The column of cloud had a pinpoint destination in the ocean. This is what God does when He decides to choose us. 2 Chronicles 16:9 talks about something similar. "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." When He finds that person who is totally committed to Him no matter their circumstances, He catches them up with Him.
 
Sometimes the experience of God's love comes to us in the most difficult situations. He requires us to trust in Him beyond our understanding. Psalm 25:14 reminds us that "The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him; and He will show them His covenant." The meaning of the word "fear" here is a deep reverence and trust. According to Wade, "The Lord is looking for a people who will allow the Word to become active within their life circumstances to transform them. These must submit their lives unconditionally to the Lord and invite Him to come within to accomplish His purposes."
 
The bottom line is that the Lord chooses those who choose Him. He desires to be first in our lives and wants to see that we have the highest level of commitment to Him. Here is how Wade Taylor puts it:  "The Lord knows our heart intention and the potential that is within us, and He responds accordingly." We must ask ourselves: "Is it our desire to be caught up in the waterspout of His glory?" The Lord is looking for those who have childlike faith and trust in Him. He is looking for a people who find no greater joy or purpose in life than to go deeper with Him. Let deep call unto deep.