Loving Jesus, Loving God (A Word Picture)

What exactly does loving God look like?

He's invisible to the human eye.  

I was up praying last night.  In the middle of the night.  And the Lord gave me a "word picture" that I just HAVE TO share.  I have heard a lot that love is not a feeling but actions.  And in a sense it's true. But, I'm convinced that love does start out as a feeling and it's feelings that keep actions coming.  But if it remains just a feeling, is it true love?

What kind of actions will show true love?  

As I was praying, I started saying out loud the words, as if I was describing to a person sitting in front of me what the Lord was showing me.  And then I realized that the Lord was speaking to ME, through ME.  This is the word picture He gave me to show me what true love is:

It's a cold, dark, stormy night.  In the middle of the night, you hear a knock at the door.  You turn on the lights and go to see who's out there at this late hour.  Two people are standing there:  One is an old friend whom you have not seen for a long time.  The other is a complete stranger.  

You look in the direction of the first and he explains, "I drove for three hours to come see you.  I've been thinking a lot of you, I missed seeing your face, I missed talking and fellowshipping with you, I longed to just be in your company."  The feeling is mutual.  You invite him in.  

Then you look in the direction of the stranger, still standing there, shivering, hair disheveled, soaked by the cold rain.  It looks like the two just happened to arrive at your door at the same time.  

When you look in his direction, he knows it's his turn to speak, to explain himself, to beg for your mercy.  "My car broke down", he begins, "about a mile from here. No other homes in sight, I have no phone and would not know who to call anyway.  I'm far from any family or friends.  Would you please give me a bowl of food and shelter till morning light?  Maybe a cot to sleep on?  I'm cold and wet, I've walked in the storm and am thankful I came across your home. Please?!?!".  What can you say?  He too is a human being.  You invite him in, out of the cold rain still coming down in torrents.

You feed him and show him to a cozy sleeping area, nice and warm and dry!  He quickly falls asleep.

Now you turn your full attention to the friend.  You know he loves you.  He traveled a long distance, sacrificed, just to come spend some time, catching up, enjoying each other's company.

Unlike the stranger, he did not come to knock at your door for what you can do for him.  He had no other interests in mind.  He did not ask for favors and he did not even state a desire to do things for you.  He only wants to spend time with you!  Enjoys being in your presence.  

Which one of these really loves you?  The stranger who came to your home for what he can get from you?  Food, shelter, a nice warm place to sleep?  And in the morning will disappear as quickly as he appeared?  Or the one who sacrificed just to spend time with you?  Just to see your face without keeping track of time?

Well, if you were thinking on a spiritual level as I described the scenario, you already know where I'm going.  How many people come to Jesus, come to God, like the stranger?  "Lord, I'm afraid of hell, I know heaven is the only other option, so would You please take me into Your heaven?  Lord, I'm sick, would You please take my pain away?  Lord, I need this and that, would You please provide?"  

OR, "Lord, with me on Your team, You can't go wrong.  I'll tithe, I'll go on missions, I'll do whatever I can."  But these same people sometimes are doing so much stuff "for the Lord" that they find no time to spend with Him.

True men of God, even in the Old Testament found pleasure in His presence.  David, the man after God's own heart said in Psalm 16, verse 11 "In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

True love of God is finding joy, even pleasure in His presence. Enjoying Him soooo much in the intimacy of your secret garden, your prayer closet, that you'd never want to leave.  It's not about what He can do for us and it's not even about what we can do for Him.

It's about feelings of love.  But those feelings can only come from a new heart!

And what are the actions that are sure to follow those feelings?

First action of course will be spending time with Him.  One on One!  He and I!  When we truly love someone, we want to spend time with them.  Lots of it!  Alone, one-on-one! 

And as a result of spending time with Him, we get to know Him, to know His heart.  And then, it will result in us wanting to please Him.  When we truly love somebody, we want with all of our heart to please them.  And then, we don't tell them of all the wonderful things we want to do for them.  We will want to do what we know pleases them.  In other words, we will OBEY them!  Their desires!

Jesus said in John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." 

For those of us who do not FEEL love for Jesus, here's a suggestion:  Pray and ask for it.  "Lord help me to love You.  Show me what You've done for me so I can love You".  And also remember that "to know Him is to love Him".  How do we get to KNOW Him?  By spending time with Him.  The more time we spend with somebody, the more we know them.

In the Song Of Solomon He beckons us, "My beloved spoke, and said to me: “Rise up, my love, my fair one, And come away." He indeed is the LOVER of our soul and He desires that intimate fellowship with us!

Just one example from the Bible: Exodus 3:3-4 "Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight....” So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”" This has a deep meaning.  Moses made a conscious decision to "drop whatever he was doing" and make time to know the Lord.  And when the Lord saw his desire, He revealed Himself to him.  He will also honor our desires.  Want to know Him?  Want to love Him? Make time for Him!  You'll be richly rewarded.  My favorite quote of my pastor "God is equal opportunity!"

Are we going to "turn aside" today from our busy schedule and seek to know Him? Remember "the place where you stand is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5).  No need to look for a better place!  It's right where you are!  You will be richly rewarded!

To think about:  

Feelings that are not backed up by actions are not true love, they're just LUST! They're love of SELF! 

Actions that are not birthed in feelings of love, are LEGALISM!  Yes, we can perform actions without the feelings but, sooner or later, if we keep "working" for somebody we don't love, we will hate them! 

That's what the Pharisees did!  "Anything for God!  We'll keep the Sabbath, we'll tithe, we'll wear the long robes and make loooong prayers in public.......".  But they hated Him so much, they KILLED Him!  Think about it!

If you don't have a "secret place" yet, make one!  And remember, that could be anywhere you are!

In your bedroom, in the living room (I call mine "Loving Room") when all are asleep at night or when home alone, in your car, any place where you can be away from people, in peace and quiet.

Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God!..." "Knowing" refers to intimate relationship knowledge. 

May He give us a new heart, one that loves Him, enjoys His presence, desires to keep His commandments!

Until next time, LOVE HIM, SEEK HIM, while He may be found!

Natalia

What a great morning to be alive Beloved!

What a great morning indeed!  

And since I've been made alive in Jesus, every spring reminds me of His power to resurrect.  To bring life out of death.  In John 12:24 Jesus states "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain." 

So, in order to come to life, something must die FIRST! Every new human conception is a picture first of all of death!  An egg and a sperm must each first die to their own independence and to join in order to give birth to a new life! 

We must first die in order to be brought into a new life with Him! 2 Timothy 2:11 is clear "For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him."

This morning I'm in 1 Timothy 2:1 and it's like Jesus spoke to me:  "I exhort first of all that ....giving of thanks be made for all men".  Now I really had to stop and ponder on this.

Sometimes I tend to just read quickly over passages, too quickly.  This time, I stopped and said to myself, "this is too important to just hurry over".  When we dig for treasure in God's Word, let's not be too in a hurry, cause we may miss it.  Sometimes very valuable things come in small packages.

"Thank God for all men"!  That means men, women, boys, girls.  

When is the last time somebody cut me off on the highway and I thanked God for them?  Do I thank God for the mail man who brings bills or bad news?  Did I thank Him for the policeman that stopped me for speeding on the freeway and gave me a speeding ticket, the second citation in my life, when my first was 30 years earlier?

Can I thank Him for a neighbor whose dog or child makes my life miserable?  For a teacher who has me re-do my paper cause she knew the first was not as good as I can do? For a parent who did not raise me as well as I think I deserved?  For "friends" that are more like Judas? How about for sons and daughters that keep me on my knees longer than I would like to stay?  

For a shopper in front of us in line that is moving too slow?  For the driver that just took "my parking spot"?  For a spouse that is not doing his/her job as well as I would do it if I were in their shoes? How about for in-laws?  In-laws that are sometimes bound to bring us face to face with the worst in us?  To bring to light hidden things in us that we did not know or care to think that existed in us?  

The list is long.... 

Lord, help me make an effort to remember to give You thanks for ALL men!

His Grace to you!  And till next time, seek Him!

Natalia in Idaho

Welcome to my new blog!

"Why another blogger?", you might ask.  "Don't we have enough?", you wonder.

When the Lord tells you to do something, you'd better do it, I figure!  Don't want to end up like Jonah!

In my blog I will try not to give advice on how one should live his/her life.  That's not my calling.  The purpose of my blog is and will be to share from the roof top what the Lord has communicated and continues to communicate to me in my secret garden, in my prayer closet,  from His glorious Word.  

And you might wonder what the purpose of that is, what will be accomplished?

My prayers go out even now and every time I will blog that the Lord will use my simple words to birth in every reader a hunger and thirst for Him.  If  my blog will cause the reader to seek Jesus, to hunger and thirst for Him, it will have accomplished its intended purpose.

I will be that "mail-woman" that will deliver to you the love letter from the Lord and then, 
John 3:30 "He must increase, but I must decrease."

I pray that through this blog many will find their way to Jesus, call on Him and be saved.

Here are a few verses through which the Lord spoke to my heart encouraging me to blog:

(and I will be using NKJV, unless otherwise specified)

Matthew 10:27 says, "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops."   When I came across this verse, I knew the Lord was not wanting me to keep to myself  the glorious treasure He was showing me from His Word, but to share with as many as possible.  I've been sharing for a while by emails with close friends and family, but I feel called to share with as many as will "listen". 

And then everywhere I turn in God's Word, I seem to keep hearing Him asking me to start doing it.  

Jesus says in John 8:26 "I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."  If Jesus spoke to the world the things He heard from the Father, I am called to do the same.

Ruth 2:14 "eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” ...he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back."  and v.18 "she brought out and gave to her [mother-in-law] what she had kept back after she had been satisfied."  When I've been spiritually well fed and satisfied, I'm to also think of and share with those who otherwise would go without.

Esther 4:14 "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”"

Isaiah 13:2 "Lift up a banner on the high mountain, Raise your voice to them; Wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles."

Isaiah 40:9 "O Zion, You who bring good tidings, Get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings, Lift up your voice with strength, Lift it up, be not afraid; Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”"

Isaiah 58:1 "Cry aloud... Lift up your voice like a trumpet".

Isaiah 58:7 "share your bread with the hungry".....He is the Bread that came from heaven.

Isaiah 59:21 "My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth".

2 Timothy 2:2 "the things that you have heard from me..., commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

Revelation 1:11 "What you see, write in a book".  And v.19 "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this."

I will eventually share a few things from my personal life, as the Lord will show me to be useful to my readers.  And maybe some facts about me will indeed be useful so the reader will have a better understanding of where I'm coming from and the angle I'm seeing things from.  Hopefully some will identify and the light of Jesus will permeate their lives as it's done mine.

Till next time, Seek Him!

Natalia in Idaho