02 May 2010
The Season of Flourishing Love
05/07/10 01:05 PM
One morning some time ago I woke up to God's voice saying to my spirit a most profound but simple thing: "Janet, you are not there until you are there. It's not over until it's over. You're not done until you're done."
Months before, I had gone to sleep with my journal open before the Lord and as big as I could write the letters over several consecutive pages I'd scribbled the despairing words, "HOW LONG OH LORD, HOW LONG?" His answer seemed late, strange and so unassuming. He is quite secure; unmoved by our desperateness and unrushed as He deeply considers what is best for us.
I am in an entirely different season of life by now - but those lessons never leave me as I counsel God's children through their pain on a daily basis. Long ago someone told me God was making of me a 'Moses' who would know the way and lead many out of bondage, through the wild lands (the wilderness) and into His promised inheritance.
Lately, God is revealing His heart to me in new and awe-inspiring ways. He is giving me greater glimpses of what our difficult journey's are for, in His loving heart.
My life's journey, in time, has allowed Him to forge much fruitfulness in the garden of my heart. This 'Season of Fruitfulness' is described in Song of Songs 2:15-16: "Our vineyards are in blossom. My Beloved is mine and I am His! He pastures His flocks among the lilies." Those lilies in 'our vineyards' are the one's I tend to, with the love He's born in me. This love in me is the fruit of understanding His heart for me in Song of Songs 2:3: "Like the lily among thorns, so are you, my love, among the daughters." When we understand who we are, we can lead other's (many daughters) to drink of the same revelation.
My life is Your vineyard,
it belongs to "us."
You pasture "your flocks" there
to heal and to bless.
All whom I love -
Your lilies midst thorns,
the flowers and fruits
my labor has born.
The singing of birds
and voice of Your dove
proclaim this the season
of flourishing love.
The Vine and the Keeper
the branch that is kept
the fruits and the flowers
~ by Your Glory swept.
God's heart is to bring us into 'The Season of Fruitfulness' not only, but beyond that to the full climax of 'The Season of Flourishing Love.' It, too, is described in Song of Songs (AMP):
Song of Songs 5:1:
"Eat, O friends, [feast on, O revelers of the palace;
you can never make my lover disloyal to me]!
Drink, yes, drink abundantly of love,
O precious one
[for now I know you are Mine, irrevocably Mine!"
This is His fantastic heart. In 'The Season of Flourishing Love,' He says, "I can now bless you as I desire to, without threat of you deserting Me for the wonders of the blessings I impart!" If we receive the abundance of love too early, before our heart is loyal to The King alone; we are prone to eat it for ourselves as gluttons. If we minister to the masses, with too many unmet needs of our own, we will consume the riches and bring glory to our self instead of the Father. Arising in authority is a carefully timed dance with the Lover of our Souls; Who watches over His dreams for us with a jealous love that we will not turn to 'other loves' in the process.
This was God's purpose in the testing of Abraham's faith when he was required to sacrifice Isaac.
Genesis 22:12
For now I know that you fear and revere God, since you have not held back from Me or begrudged giving Me your one and only son.
Genesis 22:16-18
I have sworn by Myself, says the Lord that since you have done this and have not withheld [from Me] or begrudged [giving Me] your son, your only son, In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sands on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies. And in your Seed [Christ] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed and [by Him] bless themselves, because you have heard and obeyed my voice.
PRAYER
Dear Beloved Shepherd,
Bring me through all the seasons necessary
to come into the 'Season of Flourishing Love!'
Do what You must in my life,
until You can say 'For now I know'
you are irrevocably Mine,
and you will not hold back or begrudge me
any blessing I give you.
How I desire to reach the plateau of trust in Your mighty heart
that releases Your blessings as a massive waterfall
through my life,
so all you send me to
can feast.
Make me trustworthy, O God,
to drink abundantly of love!
Your Beloved Vineyard.
Months before, I had gone to sleep with my journal open before the Lord and as big as I could write the letters over several consecutive pages I'd scribbled the despairing words, "HOW LONG OH LORD, HOW LONG?" His answer seemed late, strange and so unassuming. He is quite secure; unmoved by our desperateness and unrushed as He deeply considers what is best for us.
I am in an entirely different season of life by now - but those lessons never leave me as I counsel God's children through their pain on a daily basis. Long ago someone told me God was making of me a 'Moses' who would know the way and lead many out of bondage, through the wild lands (the wilderness) and into His promised inheritance.
Lately, God is revealing His heart to me in new and awe-inspiring ways. He is giving me greater glimpses of what our difficult journey's are for, in His loving heart.
My life's journey, in time, has allowed Him to forge much fruitfulness in the garden of my heart. This 'Season of Fruitfulness' is described in Song of Songs 2:15-16: "Our vineyards are in blossom. My Beloved is mine and I am His! He pastures His flocks among the lilies." Those lilies in 'our vineyards' are the one's I tend to, with the love He's born in me. This love in me is the fruit of understanding His heart for me in Song of Songs 2:3: "Like the lily among thorns, so are you, my love, among the daughters." When we understand who we are, we can lead other's (many daughters) to drink of the same revelation.
My life is Your vineyard,
it belongs to "us."
You pasture "your flocks" there
to heal and to bless.
All whom I love -
Your lilies midst thorns,
the flowers and fruits
my labor has born.
The singing of birds
and voice of Your dove
proclaim this the season
of flourishing love.
The Vine and the Keeper
the branch that is kept
the fruits and the flowers
~ by Your Glory swept.
God's heart is to bring us into 'The Season of Fruitfulness' not only, but beyond that to the full climax of 'The Season of Flourishing Love.' It, too, is described in Song of Songs (AMP):
Song of Songs 5:1:
"Eat, O friends, [feast on, O revelers of the palace;
you can never make my lover disloyal to me]!
Drink, yes, drink abundantly of love,
O precious one
[for now I know you are Mine, irrevocably Mine!"
This is His fantastic heart. In 'The Season of Flourishing Love,' He says, "I can now bless you as I desire to, without threat of you deserting Me for the wonders of the blessings I impart!" If we receive the abundance of love too early, before our heart is loyal to The King alone; we are prone to eat it for ourselves as gluttons. If we minister to the masses, with too many unmet needs of our own, we will consume the riches and bring glory to our self instead of the Father. Arising in authority is a carefully timed dance with the Lover of our Souls; Who watches over His dreams for us with a jealous love that we will not turn to 'other loves' in the process.
This was God's purpose in the testing of Abraham's faith when he was required to sacrifice Isaac.
Genesis 22:12
For now I know that you fear and revere God, since you have not held back from Me or begrudged giving Me your one and only son.
Genesis 22:16-18
I have sworn by Myself, says the Lord that since you have done this and have not withheld [from Me] or begrudged [giving Me] your son, your only son, In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sands on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies. And in your Seed [Christ] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed and [by Him] bless themselves, because you have heard and obeyed my voice.
PRAYER
Dear Beloved Shepherd,
Bring me through all the seasons necessary
to come into the 'Season of Flourishing Love!'
Do what You must in my life,
until You can say 'For now I know'
you are irrevocably Mine,
and you will not hold back or begrudge me
any blessing I give you.
How I desire to reach the plateau of trust in Your mighty heart
that releases Your blessings as a massive waterfall
through my life,
so all you send me to
can feast.
Make me trustworthy, O God,
to drink abundantly of love!
Your Beloved Vineyard.
|
Thoughts on Pain & Pleasure
05/04/10 06:34 AM
I recently became a new grandma — Hudson is the first child of my own children... and there is nothing quit like it.
I have been particularly struck by the relationship of pain and pleasure through observing the whole experience. At first, Luke & Bonnie were rather 'traumatized' by the 17 hour labor, including 3 hours of pushing... and this — the price — for the most amazing, blessed event of their lives! Scripture does make it clear that 'Suffering' is very connected to 'Glory' — in this case — the glorious, sought after beginning of such a precious new child's life! It seems we cannot have the one without the other.
Romans 8:17-18 We share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. [NIV]
2 Corinthians 4:16-17 Therefore we do not lose heart... For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. [NIV] (The AMP version calls it: "an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculation, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!")
John 16:21-22 A woman, when she gives birth to a child, has grief (anguish, agony) because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she no longer remembers her pain (trouble, anguish) because she is so glad that a man (a child, a human being) has been born into the world.
Hebrews 1:10 For it was an act worthy [of God] and fitting [to the divine nature] that He, for Whose sake and by Whom all things have their existence, in bringing many sons into glory, should make the Pioneer of their salvation perfect [should bring to maturity the human experience necessary to be perfectly equipped...] through suffering.
I am re-reading one of my favorite classics at the moment: Hind's Feet On High Places. It is now available in a devotional form, with the original story along side a daily meditation - I highly recommend it! In Hannah Hurnard's story, a lowly servant girl named 'Much-afraid' makes her journey to the High Places - into the Kingdom of Love. There she will receive her new name: "Grace & Glory." Her curious journey companions, given her by the Good Shepherd Himself, are 'Sorrow' and 'Suffering'. At first she despises that these are to be her companions, but they alone can be trusted to show her the way. How human - we all desire Grace without sorrow and Glory without Suffering. I do, at least. But as an inspirational mentor in my life often says: "Come to Jesus for free... but to have Christ formed in you will cost you everything." Sometimes I hate it... but the most worthwhile things in life are by far the most expensive.
Hudson Lucas is proof enough.
Dear Lord,
Let me not call you Lord and still want my own way. Your ways are higher than mine and your thoughts than my thoughts.
Thank You that all Your ways are perfect and that You are making my way perfect. Thank You that You are The Father of Lights who gives only good and perfect gifts to Your children. When I ask You for a loaf of bread, you do not hand me a stone. When I ask for a fish, You do not hand me a serpent.
When my heart grows faint within me - You alone know the way that I take. When I journey through suffering, you are perfecting me to be like Your glorious Son. Is there something I would rather be??? NO.
No wonder Paul said he was in labor until Christ was formed in those he loved. And You've promised that Christ in me is the hope of Glory! You have my permission today to continue forming Christ in me.
Your child,
_____________
I have been particularly struck by the relationship of pain and pleasure through observing the whole experience. At first, Luke & Bonnie were rather 'traumatized' by the 17 hour labor, including 3 hours of pushing... and this — the price — for the most amazing, blessed event of their lives! Scripture does make it clear that 'Suffering' is very connected to 'Glory' — in this case — the glorious, sought after beginning of such a precious new child's life! It seems we cannot have the one without the other.
Romans 8:17-18 We share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. [NIV]
2 Corinthians 4:16-17 Therefore we do not lose heart... For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. [NIV] (The AMP version calls it: "an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculation, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!")
John 16:21-22 A woman, when she gives birth to a child, has grief (anguish, agony) because her time has come. But when she has delivered the child, she no longer remembers her pain (trouble, anguish) because she is so glad that a man (a child, a human being) has been born into the world.
Hebrews 1:10 For it was an act worthy [of God] and fitting [to the divine nature] that He, for Whose sake and by Whom all things have their existence, in bringing many sons into glory, should make the Pioneer of their salvation perfect [should bring to maturity the human experience necessary to be perfectly equipped...] through suffering.
I am re-reading one of my favorite classics at the moment: Hind's Feet On High Places. It is now available in a devotional form, with the original story along side a daily meditation - I highly recommend it! In Hannah Hurnard's story, a lowly servant girl named 'Much-afraid' makes her journey to the High Places - into the Kingdom of Love. There she will receive her new name: "Grace & Glory." Her curious journey companions, given her by the Good Shepherd Himself, are 'Sorrow' and 'Suffering'. At first she despises that these are to be her companions, but they alone can be trusted to show her the way. How human - we all desire Grace without sorrow and Glory without Suffering. I do, at least. But as an inspirational mentor in my life often says: "Come to Jesus for free... but to have Christ formed in you will cost you everything." Sometimes I hate it... but the most worthwhile things in life are by far the most expensive.
Hudson Lucas is proof enough.
Dear Lord,
Let me not call you Lord and still want my own way. Your ways are higher than mine and your thoughts than my thoughts.
Thank You that all Your ways are perfect and that You are making my way perfect. Thank You that You are The Father of Lights who gives only good and perfect gifts to Your children. When I ask You for a loaf of bread, you do not hand me a stone. When I ask for a fish, You do not hand me a serpent.
When my heart grows faint within me - You alone know the way that I take. When I journey through suffering, you are perfecting me to be like Your glorious Son. Is there something I would rather be??? NO.
No wonder Paul said he was in labor until Christ was formed in those he loved. And You've promised that Christ in me is the hope of Glory! You have my permission today to continue forming Christ in me.
Your child,
_____________