The Eye Of The Needle

Very early in my worship leading journey, I attended a worship conference that marked me for life. One powerful moment was when I heard a prophetic parable originally shared about ten years earlier. The other morning, I was in prayer and asked the Lord to share with me about the current season we’re in. I sensed Him say, “The Eye of the Needle.”

I remembered something about this, but couldn’t remember any details. I found it online and am sharing a version with you today. I’ve tried to rewrite it in today’s language. I hope it encourages you. If you’d rather listen to someone reading the original, you can do so at https://bit.ly/44tqkHa.

I stood among my companions, strong and tall. My heart was filled with enthusiasm. My life was given to the purposes of God.

I said, “Lord, I will do mighty exploits in Your name.” The Lord said, “What do you desire?” I said, “Lord, if I could only be among those who play sweetly and sing well in Your house, I would do great things for my God.”

The Lord gave me the desire of my heart. He let me play and sing. I saw the day when people’s hearts were moved by what the Lord had given me. I stood back and said, “Now I will be content, for I have been able to move people’s hearts.”

But then I quieted my soul and bowed before God. I said, “Lord, You have given me what I asked for, but my heart is heavy. I have a longing for something more.”

He asked me again, “Ask Me what you desire.” I said, “Lord, I see people bowed low by their burdens. I see hearts that are broken. I see sadness and discouragement. Oh, give me the power to speak Your word that their hearts may be delivered.” The Lord said, “My child, I have given you what you desired.”

With great joy, I marched before God’s people. In my youth and enthusiasm, I spoke the word, and men were delivered. I spoke the word, and their hearts were made whole. I knew what it was to bind up the brokenhearted and to pour in the oil of joy replacing their mourning.

While they were still praising Him, glorifying His name, I returned to my secret place and bowed my head in sorrow. I said, “Oh my God, I am not satisfied.”

He again said, “What do you desire of Me?” And I said, “Oh my God, give me power in my hands that as You did, I might lay my hands upon the sick and see the healing flow.” He said, “It is done.”

God healed the sick. I went to the nations and saw the sick raised from their beds. I saw pain and suffering go away. I was rejoicing as I went to my secret place. I bowed my head before my God. I said, “Now God, I will be satisfied, for you have given me what I desired.” 

No sooner had the words come out of my mouth when the heart within me began to ache and cry. I said, “God, I don’t understand. Again, my heart is sad. Lord, will You, just one more time, give me what I ask of You?” He said, “It is done.”

“God, I desire to go against principalities and powers, the powers of the wickedness of this world and spiritual darkness in high places. He said, “Yes!” So I went, and the Lord allowed me to go into dens of iniquity, the holes and dives where men hide from the light because of the sin and evil upon them. There was a day when I saw demons cry out at the very presence of the power of God that rested on me.

Then I went back to my secret place, broken. I said, “God, I have asked You for all that I desired, and my heart is still not satisfied. Nor do I feel I have found what You called me to. In my youth, I have expended myself with everything my heart desired.”

Then, one more time, a gracious and loving God said, “Now - what is it you desire?” In brokenness of heart, I bowed before Him and said, “God, only what You desire to give me.”

He said, “Come with Me, and I will take you on a journey.” He took me past my friends, past those with whom I had come into the house of the Lord. He took me into a desolate place. He caused me to go into a place alone in the wilderness. I said, “Oh my God, what are you doing to me? You have cut me off from those I love.” He said, “I take you to the place where all must come if their heart’s cry is to be fulfilled.”

I bowed before a gate called the Eye of the Needle, The Gate of Worship! 

Before the Eye of the Needle, I heard the voice of the Lord say, “Bow low.” So I bowed lower. He said, “Yet lower. You’re not going low enough.” So, I went as low as I could go.

But I carried my books of learning. I had with me my instruments of music. I had with me my gifts and abilities. He said, “You have too much and cannot go through this gate.”

I said, “But God, You have given me these books. You have given me these abilities.” He said, “Drop them, or you cannot go.”

So I dropped them.

I went through a tiny gate called “the Eye of the Needle.” As I went through this gate, I heard the Lord say, “Stand up on the other side.” As I rose, a very strange thing happened to me. You see, the gate, which was so small on one side that I had to lay aside everything, was now so wide I could not fill it. As I stood in the presence of the Lord, I said, “God, what have You done, for my soul is now satisfied?”

He said, “You have come through the gate of worship. Come up here, and I will show you a great mystery. I will reveal to you what I am doing among my people.”

The Spirit of the Lord took up, higher than where the eagle flies, beyond where the clouds can rumble, beyond where the sun shines or the moon finds her path. There, at the throne of my God, He said, “Look down on My people.”

I saw strange things. I saw my companions gathered around the very small gate, “the Eye of the Needle, the gate of worship.” I saw them wringing their hands and crying. They were saying one to another, “But God has given us these instruments of war. This sword is my sword, and I will work with it against the enemy to bring him down. I cannot go through this gate, for if I go through this gate, I must put down my sword. God has called me a warrior; therefore, I will not do it.”

And I heard another one say, “Me? Lay down my instruments of music? Lay down all God has given me just to go through that silly little gate, to be nothing but a bare man who comes out the other side stripped of everything? I cannot do this!”

I saw them as they stood aside in their pride, afraid to bow themselves before a very small gate.

I saw again as the Lord brought me closer to the gate. I saw a man bow low, laying down everything that he had. His musical instruments were there as he came through the very wide gate on the other side. His sword was there. His books were there. The power was there.

The Word of the Lord came to me, “Go tell my people that I have given them extreme talents and much ability. But tell you, if you do not come through the very small gate, which is the gate of worship, and bow low and lay before Me your instruments, talents, abilities, vision, and power, you will always be among those who will only be able to minister to the hearts of men and bless the hearts of men.”

There is a gate open to the Church, a very small gate. And through this gate, only men and women who are worshippers will go. These people will lay their talents before God. These people will say, “God, we will be Your worshippers.” Through that wide gate, they will come and arise on the other side, not to minister to men, but to minister to God.

I have brought you together today to choose. You can minister to men, and I will cause you to sway the hearts of men with your talent. Or, you can go through a very small gate, “the Eye of the Needle, the gate of worship,” and while making new worshippers, you will minister to the King of kings and Lord of lords!”

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Friends, are we willing to lay down everything good to more fully become true worshipers?

-Dave Helmuth
(purchase my book, "Worship Fertilizer: (the first hundred)" HERE)

The Eye Of The Needle (Nº 379)