It is Time

I hear the voice of my Lover,
Here He comes,
Leaping with joy,
Over immense obsticles,
To find me.

He comes with much anticipation
To the place where I hide.
He know the place where I hide,
He knows the place I hide from my feelings, from my pain, from the truth.

He comes to me in these places,
And gazes,
Gazes into my soul,
With longing and desire,
Pursing me with His love,
Planting seeds of hope, seeds of desire.

Yes, He comes,
Skipping over the hills of separation,
He gazes,
Waits...

And the He announces:
"It is time My beloved,
 It is time for the bondage of the barren winter to end.
 It is time for the cold rains to disappear.
 It is time for a new season,
 A new season of poured out grace,
 It is time for a new day of destiny to surround you.
 It is time for you to ARISE and
 Come with Me to a higher place."

Come away with Me my beloved...

Song of Songs2:10-13 



 

Redeeming Love

Love like no other love,
Love that gives Himself,
Our Jesus, giving,
Willingly, until His body is unrecognizable from the beating,
Until His side is pierced,
Until the thorns are oozing scars and wounds,
Until the nails have ripped flesh. 
Redeeming love that did not stop with ridicule and suffering,
But was willing to go the whole way..die..bear the weight of the sin of the whole world,
Be forsaken even by His Father.

He did it all in love...to rescue us,
Took what we deserved upon Himself,
Although He was perfect in every way..

Redeeming love that came to earth as a baby, humbling Himself to be a man,
Even though He knew what was before Him...
Redeeming love that healed, performing miracles, touching lives,
Even though He knew what was before Him...
Redeeming love that walked the road to Calvary,
Although He knew the outcome... 

He was not forced, He did not argue,
Willingly He came, willingly He went, willingly He endured to the end,
Because of His love for me, because of His love for you.
Willingly His body died, entered hell and destroyed the enemy's plans with His power,
Willingly He conquered...all with redeeming love for His "precious ones," His sons and daughters,
To rescue them from the curse of their own doings.

Redeeming love that consumed Him for the joy that He saw on the other side,
His "precious ones" rescued from the enemy's grip, rescued from the curse, rescued from the pit...
His "precious ones,"  restored, victorious, filled with wholeness and joy...

Redeeming love that never ends,
But continues with His constant presence, His constant provision, His constant help, His constant 
    companionship.
Redeeming love of the King of Kings to His children,
Crowning us with royalty as we receive and enter into all He is for us...

Love like no other love,
Redeeming love

Yet you are so Lovely

Do you think you are beautiful?

That is how the Father defines you, child of God.
He defines you as "lovely."
But you feel otherwise,
    dirty, shameful, guilty, dark.
You have heaped accusations upon yourself of measurement and comparison.

But the fact remains,
He whispers,
"Yet you are lovely, my precious one."

Your beauty is reflective of the One who lives within you,
Jesus, the Anointed One.
When the Father looks at you, He sees His Son Jesus.
The Father put us into His Son so He could see us and love us as He sees and loves His Son.

So despite my measurement, my critique, my comparison...
The Father responds,
"Yet you are so lovely."

I see myself as unworthy, He sees me as worthy,
I see myself as insignificant, He sees me as valuable,
I see myself as spotted, He sees me as clean, washed.
I see myself as weathered by the storms of life, He see me glittering from the treasure obtained from the 
   storm.
I see myself as "apiece of work," He sees me as set apart for His glory.
I see Him looking at me scornfully,
But He interrupts and declares,"You are thrilling to me, how I delight in you!"

I think I need to change my thinking...renew my mind...see myself as He sees me,
As His beloved!

Song of Songs 1:5

Song of Songs 1:5

His Gift of Myrrh

My Beloved has a special gift for me...
It's a tied-up bundle of myrrh.
He places it over my heart
In the night.
This bundle has the aroma of the finished work of Christ,
All that He accomplished for me on the cross.
He lays this bundle on my chest,
This gift from His heart to my heart,
In the night season, yes even in the storm.
The aroma invites me to rest,
Rest in what He has accomplished,
Rest in what He has accomplished for me.

This aroma that breathes in:
       Joy instead of mourning,
       Hope instead of despair,
       Love instead of hate,
       Peace instead of fear,
       Laughter instead of crying,
       Gentleness instead of irritation,
       Empathy instead of apathy,
       Courage instead of fear,
       Rejoicing instead of complaining,
       Prosperity instead of brokenness,
       Strength instead of fatigue,
       Wisdom instead of foolishness,
       Light instead of darkness,
       Winning instead of losing,
       Truth instead of lies,
       Honor instead of rebellion,
       Freedom instead of bondage.....

This aroma consumes me here in His resting place,
This resting place where He washes me with the Truth, opening my eyes to His Light, His Love.
This resting place where He spaciously protects me, 
Surrounding and covering me with His blood, His presence, His fragrance.

So luxuriously providing everything I need.

What a gift!

Song of Songs 1:12

Enjoying the Beauty

There is beauty in every day...

Beauty in sunrise,
Beauty in a rested body,
beauty in health, strength,
Beauty in being able to serve, give, love, help,
Beauty in that smile, that touch, that kind gesture,
Beauty in that conversation, that idea, that memory,
Beauty in the goodness of God surrounding us.

Strife takes the beauty away,
Selfishness takes the beauty away,
Offended feelings, victim feelings, "poor me" feelings take the beauty away,
Telling lies, believing lies, harsh words,
All destroy the beauty, destroy the treasure, destroy the poured out goodness.

Allow me God to see the poured out treasures of Your grace today.
Thank you God for Your beauty!

The Good Shepherd

My Good Shepherd doesn't send someone else to find His lost sheep,
No, He goes Himself, pursing, searching.
He does not give up on the search,
Or only look in the safe places.
There is no limit to the distance or the deepness He will go to search.

He promises success... rescue... found.
He brings them home, carrying them in His arms because of their wounds, malnutrition, and disease.
He brings them back to the green pastures of His love and acceptance.
He brings them back to the cool waters of refreshment and cleansing.
He brings them back...and begins to restore them:
      Singing over them His songs of love,
      Reminding them of who they are, who He is, and what He wants to do for them.
      He nourishes them with His words.
      Comforts them with His compassion,
      Heals them with His truth,
      Forgives them with His power,
      Restores them with His strength,
      Sending His streams of living waters for their continual provision.

The Good Shepherd makes a covenant with His rescued flock,
Surrounding them with His blessings, favor, prosperity as they trust in His wisdom, His care, His direction,
       His provision.

He promises showers of blessings...just when needed, 
      bumper crops of fruit to share,
      peace and rest

Rescued, restored, provided for...such a wonderful Shepherd!

Ezekiel 34

Comforting Love

Thank you for Your comforting love, Father!

Your love that comes alongside and says, "I am here, I will never leave you."

Your comforting love that hugs me tight when the grief hurts,

Your comforting love that does not reject me when I question,

Your comforting love that keeps me steady when I feel faint,

Your comforting love that lifts my head and breathes hope into me,

Your comforting love that allows me to see your eyes of compassion...

And as I gaze into your eyes...
Into the eyes of the One who loves me completely,
I am surrounded with Your truth... and peace comes.

Thank you for Your comforting love!