“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” (Matthew 11:12).

Forceful men and women don’t say, “I want the things of eternity.” Simply desiring the things of eternity is not enough. They must have the things of eternity! There is a cry from deep within them that cannot be stopped from rising upward. It burns for a release. It’s the divine call set aflame that burns and rises in passion towards the source from which it began. It is the eternal cry within every man or woman who tastes the wonder of God and knows beyond any doubt that there is no peace or no purpose apart from this Divine Love which draws him or her heavenward.

Forceful men and women are messy men and women, because they know the cross. Crucifixion, by its nature, is messy and violent, but this is no deterrent to forceful men and women. They’re after the glory, and anything they encounter is a small price to pay compared to the glory of the prize they’re after.

 Forceful men and women are messy men and women, because they know the cross.

Forceful men and women live for God, for His sake. They have no real desire to receive anything. Even though He has many good gifts to offer, they just want to receive Him and be united with Him. The eternal song within them cries out not just for a release, but for completion, and He is their completion. He and He alone will satisfy them. The must see His face. They must feel His embrace. They must sing this song to the nations. They cannot be kept quiet; they cannot be held down. Crucifixion only multiplies their yearning. It only increases their hunger.

Who are these men and women? They are the ones prophesied about by Jesus Christ Himself. They are the men and women who take the kingdom of God by force, and bring it right down in our midst. They are the ones who refuse to back down to the prince of darkness. They are the ones who will redefine the face of this planet. Some of them don’t yet know who they are. They don’t know they have a song, for the world has told them they do not have a voice. They don’t understand their restlessness. They don’t understand their hunger at the end of the day.

These are the ones who must be awakened. These are the ones who must be retrieved from the false freedom that others are satisfied with. Go out and find them. Find your song within you and sing it with all your heart.

Awaken the forceful men and women within your midst. You are one of them. They are all around you.

JOURNAL ENTRY:
It is often said that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our heart. (Psalm 37:4). Truly, if we delight ourselves in the Lord Jesus Christ, if we seek Him with fervor and single mindedness, He will transform our heart into a heart that desires only Him! So the Scripture is therefore fulfilled, He gives us Himself. He alone is the desire of our heart!

©2005 Masterpiece of the Wilderness, Deanna Deering