psalm 43

psalm 43

You set me on a high place

solid, stable, sure

my feet, heart, my mind

so prone to wander fixed 

where no enemy

can move me, Your hand

open, awaiting my grasp

all else may crumble

everyone else may turn away

reject me, despise me

push me toward dismay

or faltering faith

while You wait, hand open still

to move me higher

where the air grows thin

but thick with Your presence

inhaling deeply all that is You

and all that I need

psalm 37

psalm 37

nowhere can I turn

run or hide, around every corner

I find You again

and my soul is stirred

You surround me

I am sheltered, shadowed

still, softened in Your presence

even as I often strain the leash

to think I would find freedom

anywhere but with You, in You

is foolishness, now

even Your laugh comforts me

psalm 27

psalm 27

why do I hesitate to linger

in Your presence, the place of fullness

where submitted, surrendered

I am surrounded, filled

with peace, contentment

joy unspeakable

why would I choose to turn

in any other direction?

teach me, my Lord, Master

to run only to You

wait

When you feel lost, little one

think of how much time 

you have wandered from My presence

you have no sense of direction 

without Me

you have no strength

without Me

for this is how I created you

to need me for every step

walking alone, in your own power

you wither and fade

faint in body, mind and spirit

I Am calling you back

to My Word

to My heart

stop trying to run

trying to walk

trying to crawl

before first being still

in Me

wait…

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding. He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted; But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.  
Isaiah 40:28-31 Amplified

 

living water

the bathroom renovation is nearing completion

things at first only imagined are becoming real

fixtures are in place

lines are connected

and water flows

there is a finish line

we will cross it

and the work will be over

the renovation of my heart

mind and spirit

continues and continues

no perfection until I stand

in His presence

drenched in living water

flow fast

flow free

drench me

Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, 

that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Romans 12:2 RSV

walking with the imperfect but redeemed at Emily's

 

just for the love of Him

Men invent means and methods 

of coming at God's love, 

they learn rules and set up devices 

to remind them of that love, 

and it seems like a world of trouble 

to bring oneself into 

the consciousness of God's presence. 

Yet it might be so simple. 

Is it not quicker and easier 

just to do our common business 

wholly for the love of him? 

Brother Lawrence

 

in the stillness with Sandy

abiding with Cheryl

 

Simplicity

That we might accustom ourselves 

to a continual conversation with Him, 

with freedom and simplicity. 

That we need only to recognize 

God intimately present with us, 

to address ourselves to Him every moment, 

that we may beg His assistance 

for knowing His will in things doubtful, 

and for rightly performing 

those which we plainly see He requires of us, 

offering them to Him before we do them, 

and giving Him thanks when we have done.  

Brother Lawrence

 

seeking that quiet place with Sandy

 

Nearer than we think

He does not ask much of us, 

merely a thought of Him from time to time, 

a little act of adoration, sometimes to ask for His grace, 

sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, 

at other times to thank Him for the graces, past and present,

He has bestowed on you, in the midst of your troubles 

to take solace in Him as often as you can.

 Lift up your heart to Him during your meals and in company; 

the least little remembrance 

will always be the most pleasing to Him. 

One need not cry out very loudly; 

He is nearer to us than we think. 

Brother Lawrence The Practice of the Presence of God

linking with Sandy as I pray for her rapid healing and recovery

abiding with Cheryl

 

His furious longing displayed

In the last chapter of his book The Furious Longing of God, Brennan Manning writes:

These are moments of truth. You are alone with The Alone. God’s tender feelings for you are no longer dry knowledge. You experience a certainty of God’s longing for intimacy unlike anything you’ve felt in hand-clapping worship or anointed Scripture studies.

I have known such moments and I hold fast to them in memory.

I had been praying one night about ten years ago, asking the Lord to show me His love in a tangible way. The next morning, while still in bed, again during my quiet time of prayer, with one of my cats curled up beside me, I could feel God’s arm around me. I remember telling the cat “We’re not going to move, God is holding us.” Some years later I was talking with the Lord and reminded Him about how He put His arm around me. I could sense Him laughing as He replied “My arm? My child, that was just my little finger.” I thought, of course, He is so very big, I would fit in the palm of His hand.

His love is vast, unimaginable, an ocean I will gladly surrender to and drown in.

linking with the gang at Sarah's place

also walking with the broken, imperfect redeemed at Emily's


 

a moment

Stopping for a moment

to bathe in the water of His presence

cool, still

my centre

my peace

my all in all

 

seeking the quiet with Sandy

 

Path...

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy,

 at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore 

Psalm 16:11 Amplified

In community with Deidra and the Sunday God seekers

 

Ordered steps

Day begins
a slice of light
mornings wake earlier now
time not just rolling on
no, but spinning
faster than breath can catch

In the quiet dawn
He speaks truth, promises

Ask of Me and I will order your days.  Those things that weight heavy in your estimation may be totally unnecessary to Me. Let me show you how to choose the better part as you linger with Me - more will be accomplished than you can comprehend.

My usually quiet week has filled with lunch dates and other things to do I had not expected.
But I listened.
And I asked.
And I will allow Him to order my days.
I will go where He sends me, do what He requests.
And I will come back to His feet.
The better part indeed.
Grace runs wild. Free.

The very steps we take come from God; otherwise how would we know where we're going? Proverbs 20:24 The Message 

 

Joining Jennifer and others as we cherish His presence.

and sharing also with Emily and the broken beloved ones.

 

Let striving cease

In my time of journaling this morning, this is what the Lord shared:

Whether you look at Me or turn away, I Am still here.  I know its difficult for you to comprehend, for you think in natural terms and imagine Me with the same capabilities as a man.

You know the words, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, yet they are indeed hard to grasp when you have no frame of reference, for truly there is nothing like Me.

Rest your spirit, little one, I do not condemn you for this, for I created you, I know the limits of My creation.  This leaves you always reaching, expanding, searching Me with wonder and awe.

What I would and have condemned is those who would take Me for granted.  Those who act as if I Am a possession of theirs, as if I was a trump card or a trick up their sleeves.  Just a relic to pull out to impress others.

I will not be possessed and I will not be ignored.  Let history stand as a reminder of what happens to those who have tried to live thier own ways, without Me.

Come sit with Me.  Search for My heart.  Look for My eyes, eyes that are gazing upon you even now with more love than you can hold.

In this place, let striving cease, for there is nothing more you need.

In this place
let striving cease
There is nothing
you can earn
or bargain for.
All that you need
is all that I Am.
The world sifts
like grains of sand
through fingertips
as you try to grasp
what is nothing.
In this place
let striving cease
this upside down
Kingdom
where less is more
lost is found
last is first
and the only way
to hold on
is to release.

Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat—I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?  Luke 9:23-25 The Message

Stop by Jason's to read more from other warriors

Beyond my grasp

What kind of love can this be, far beyond my ache to comprehend?

It is beyond my knowing, this One Who says here that yes, He counted the cost and I was worth the price.

My blood beats fast in thrills and rushes as He calls me to set myself apart, for who am I to be beckoned with such fervency?

My lover said to me, “Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one!
 Song of Solomon 2:10

I sit, I wait, I linger in His presence.  He asks me to remain prepared, for surely a wedding approaches, and I begin to sing a song He gave to me years ago:

In the garden, in the spice grove,
I am waiting for you there

In the garden, I will linger
I am waiting for you, My bride to prepare

Make yourself ready, make yourself ready,
Make yourself ready for Me
And for all you cannot do
My Spirit I send you
Make yourself ready for Me

Oh the fragrance of the garden
Love everlasting and free
I will give riches of heaven
To the one who surrenders all unto Me

Make yourself ready, it's time to get ready
Make yourself ready for Me
For My bride must be pure
And My bride must be holy
Will you be ready for Me?

I am calling, from the garden
I am waiting for you here
But the time is growing shorter
And My message to you right now must be clear

Make yourself ready, make yourself ready
Make yourself ready for Me
Make yourself ready, you need to be ready
Make yourself ready for Me.

What kind of love is this, that asks me to surrender all that I am, yet gives me more than I can hold? What kind of love, that swallows me yet leaves me freer than the world's captivity?

Will you hurry with me to the garden?  He waits there, rejoicing over us in song, loving with the love that never falters, never fails, beyond what our earthly minds can embrace but our spirits thirst to taste.

The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing  Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV

Bonnie asks us this week to write about the love of God - stop by and see what others have shared.

also joining Emily and more writers of imperfect prose here.

Revealed glory

The camera catches what I can not. All I could see when I ran outside in the chill of the morning was a deep vibrant pink stretching across the yet dark sky. The spreading of the light, in brilliant streaks of gold, was hidden from my natural eyes.

So too, is His glory invisible to those who do not yet have eyes to see.

And His brightness was like the sunlight; rays streamed from His hand, and there [in the sunlike splendor] was the hiding place of His power.
Habakkuk 3:4 Amplified

Altar of Incense - a Magpie Tale

As I looked upon this bottle of fragrance, I was reminded of a journey I took through the outer courts, inner court and into the holy of holies to meet with my Lord.

I presented myself before each piece of tabernacle furniture –

in the Outer court:
brazen altar = cross
brazen laver = God’s Word (washing of the Word)

in the Inner Court the Holy place:
table of showbread = our will (ground to His will, like the flour for the bread)
golden lampstand = our mind illumined by Holy Spirit
altar of incense = our emotions aligned by worship

and in the Holy of Holies:
Ark of the Covenant = direct Spirit to spirit revelation

What would I sacrifice on this altar Lord, where the fire rages and the heat is more intense than any I have known? What would I hold back? You gave all You had and all You were and You ask for nothing less from me. I cannot be cleansed at the brazen laver, cannot be cleansed by the washing of Your Word until I am reconciled to this altar of sacrifice. So here I am, offering all that’s good and all that’s bad, all that is me. The scent of my flesh as it burns is sour. The pain is unspeakable, as the fire cuts in, hungrily consuming all that it wants. I don’t know if I am moaning or screaming or silent. I wait for the end with the taste of smoke everywhere.

I have passed through the fire, and ashes are falling off the charred remains of who I once was. Now I approach the brazen laver. The water looks like liquid silver, and as I dip my hands in there is no more pain, just a deep soothing refreshment. I splash the water onto every part of me. If this is truth every other part of me was lies. My self was left at the altar and this new skin seems to soak up every drop. Washed, cleansed and revived by Your Word, Your life, I am ready to enter the Holy Place.

As I come before the table of showbread I am amazed that there is so much of “me” left, that I still have a will after my time on the altar. I have been soaked in Your truth and my will transformed, but it remains never-the-less. You didn’t want to destroy my will, You just want to know I will bend my will to Yours. Surrender, submission and obedience, these You desire and would not be possible if I had no will at all. This seems surprising to me, yet You desire for me to be all You created me to be.

The lights from the lampstand may burn continually but not consistently, for they flicker and flare, at times the light much brighter than others. Even though Your Holy Spirit fuels the lamps, my very human nature filters the light, and so it is not pure.

I move on to the altar of incense, desiring to be a sweet fragrant offering to You, Lord. This is the last stop, the final door to the Holy of Holies, and I am not sure I have ever passed through. I do not know if I have ever abandoned myself in worship, there is still too much of me and this altar is much smaller than the brazen altar. Yet, I am so close, so close, let me be devoured again, but this time in awe and in reverent fear. It is not holy fear that has kept me from this place, but fear of man. I am drawn to my knees now, and I say “enough!” I need to know what is behind the curtain. I know You are waiting there and long for me to come. As I offer words of love, words of adoration, indeed I do now grow smaller as You increase. Is this the fragrance You long for?

And I find myself stepping in behind the veil and I cannot stand. The weight of Your presence compels me to prostrate myself before the Ark that holds Your covenant with Your people. And I, I am numbered among them and do not feel worthy. Perhaps that is why I have not come. I have doubted that You would want me. Who am I to come before You? Who am I that You are mindful of me? It is silent in this place, silent in the natural. But in the spirit there is rejoicing, for here we become one.

This is what I envision Lord, and yearn to know what You would say to me about going through this experience at this time.

You are learning so very much My curious child. You were not ready to take this journey until this very time in your life. You are strong enough now to be able to see how little strength you have, and wise enough to know how little strength you need. You have learned that to walk My road your strength must rest in Me alone. As you moved through the tabernacle your eyes were opened in new ways, to see Me and to see yourself. Yes, you saw flaws, but I am so happy that you pressed through. All of those imperfections and rough edges are simply the parts I am still working on. Thank you for offering them to Me.

When you feel unworthy, remember it is not yourself that makes you worthy, but I do. You are and always will be My creation, even when you were not yielded to Me. How much more so now? You will take this journey many times, but always remember the sweetness of this first entrance and how precious it is to Me.

Come read more tales based on Mag33 HERE

One Word Carnival - Laughter

I was having a bit of brain freeze thinking about this week's word "laughter" so I did what I have learned to do when I feel stuck. When journaling this morning, I asked the Lord what He would like to share.

Not just giggles that scratch the surface; more than mere chuckles; but deep, soul restoring laughter; like living water flowing from your very core - this comes from fullness of joy - joy in Me.

Come let Me open the joy gate. Step into Me where mere happiness grows thin and pale. For here, in Me, even in pain, even in mourning, joy will find you.

And your lips curl upward at the corners.

And your mouth opens.

And the sound comes

a tremble that builds upon itself

and becomes a roar.

Waves crashing upon the shores of sorrow.

Waterfalls of rain pouring hard upon your thirsty soul.

Step into Me for a drenching.

Be refreshed in My peace

Stop by at Bridget Chumbley's for more words on laughter!

Hearing His call

Some years ago, I began to hear a quiet, gentle, metallic tinkling sound like wind chimes. This could happen anywhere, and there were no chimes present. After the chimes I would sense a thought from God, a short word of comfort, encouragement or direction. This happened so often that I began to realize that He had gifted me with the sound of chimes as a sign that He wanted to speak to me, so each time I heard the sound I would become silent and still, waiting in faith for Him to speak.

He has never disappointed me. I regret that in the business of life I often miss hearing and have even totally forgotten the chimes for long periods of time. When I remember and mention to the Lord in prayer that I have not heard the chimes or His voice, I sense Him simply saying

“You have not been listening”.

"This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:2-3 NIV

I am listening
as I breathe in the fragrance

of all His hand has made

Silenced
by the steady hum

one of His messengers

and He is calling

ever calling

writing His love

boldly displayed

for eyes willing to see

Join us as this week at Ann Voskamp's A Holy Experience we continue to share about listening to the voice of God.