“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2:6, 7 NKJV)
Jesus...Prophet, Priest and King and Desire of All Nations!
Often I have been ruled by the wants, passion and desire of my flesh. And I am still amazed that the God-man Jesus loves me and calls me unto Himself; loved, washed, forgiven.
He is shaking the ground of my heart, unto deeper levels. Breaking off the chains of despair, the agony of rejection, the suffering of self-inflicted sin and bringing me out of my loathsome isolation.
And I feel, being birthed in me....a love, a desire for this One. It is a result of the shaking in my life. And yep, I'm even coming to love the shaking.
John 17 so perfectly clarifies Haggai 2:6-7, as Jesus prays for us, interceding to the Father.
....His Glory shinning out in us bringing unity to the members, being made perfect, being LOVED as the Father has loved Jesus.
And right in the middle, Jesus says, "I Desire..." The Desire of All Nations, desires us! He desires us to behold His Glory! Wow!!! We the living temple of the Lord, beholding His glory. Being filled with desire for Him...greater than all that we hold dear.
The zeal of the Lord will do this.
Proverbs 8 takes all of this a bit deeper by showing the passion behind the desire; Jesus, as Wisdom, is seen as the delight of His Father's heart, rejoicing in the Father's creation and taking GREAT DELIGHT in us. AMAZING!!!
I am blown away and amazed! How Great is this abiding love...that we should be called and loved...
Father's love, Jesus Desire strip away all my selfishness, idolatry, shame. And all I have left is Him.
I AM HIS DESIRE!
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 17:20-26 NKJV)
"Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him, rejoicing in His inhabited world, and my delight was with the sons of man." (Proverbs 8: 30-31 NKJV)
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Beauty of the King
"Your eyes will see the King in His beauty..." (Isaiah 33:17a NKJV)
Jesus...desire of my heart...Desire of Nations. You are the Beautiful One!
How can I perceive your beauty?
Help me to see the truth of who you are.
How can I remain in this knowledge of you, Beautiful Savior?
I wait....I wait....until it is birthed in me.
A desire to KNOW you, to GAZE upon your beauty.
More of you, less of me!
Lily of the Valley, Bright and Morning Star, Fairest of Ten-Thousand
I long to see you face to face!
How long must I wait to be transformed by your beauty?
I wait....I wait....until it becomes who I am,
Until I see none other than you, I gaze until...
...I am delighted!
Beautiful One!
Jesus...desire of my heart...Desire of Nations. You are the Beautiful One!
How can I perceive your beauty?
Help me to see the truth of who you are.
How can I remain in this knowledge of you, Beautiful Savior?
I wait....I wait....until it is birthed in me.
A desire to KNOW you, to GAZE upon your beauty.
More of you, less of me!
Lily of the Valley, Bright and Morning Star, Fairest of Ten-Thousand
I long to see you face to face!
How long must I wait to be transformed by your beauty?
I wait....I wait....until it becomes who I am,
Until I see none other than you, I gaze until...
...I am delighted!
Beautiful One!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Steps toward fruitfulness
Can I tell you a story
As we dance while the sun starts to bleed,
Song of songs love is calling
Daughter wake up from your sleep
Refined I’ll become the most dazzling precious treasure
I’ll be treasured over all the earth
Bearing the gift of a new heart
Patience ablaze
I’m slowly burning
Refined I'll become the most dazzling precious treasure
I'll be treasured over all the earth.
Refined I'll become the most dazzling precious treasure
I'll be treasured over all the earth
I am in awe and in shock
I’m in love and given away
I’m reserved with these words
Can I tell you a story
As we dance while the Son starts to bleed
Trees rejoice with the wind here
Hallelujah, Yeshua
Tonight I’ve become the most dazzling precious
I am treasured over all the earth
Just look at what he’s done
How he’s laying down his life
Take this life
oh most dazzling precious treasure
Tonight I’ve become the most dazzling precious treasure
I am treasured over all the earth
“Treasure” lyrics by Flyleaf
We are called to be refined and beautiful, bearing the image of the Creator...passionate and full of desire for the One who desires us completely.
Yes Lord....let it be done in me according to your word!
As we dance while the sun starts to bleed,
Song of songs love is calling
Daughter wake up from your sleep
Refined I’ll become the most dazzling precious treasure
I’ll be treasured over all the earth
Bearing the gift of a new heart
Patience ablaze
I’m slowly burning
Refined I'll become the most dazzling precious treasure
I'll be treasured over all the earth.
Refined I'll become the most dazzling precious treasure
I'll be treasured over all the earth
I am in awe and in shock
I’m in love and given away
I’m reserved with these words
Can I tell you a story
As we dance while the Son starts to bleed
Trees rejoice with the wind here
Hallelujah, Yeshua
Tonight I’ve become the most dazzling precious
I am treasured over all the earth
Just look at what he’s done
How he’s laying down his life
Take this life
oh most dazzling precious treasure
Tonight I’ve become the most dazzling precious treasure
I am treasured over all the earth
“Treasure” lyrics by Flyleaf
We are called to be refined and beautiful, bearing the image of the Creator...passionate and full of desire for the One who desires us completely.
Yes Lord....let it be done in me according to your word!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Perspecitve...beauty in the broken
So one of the issues that has been on my heart is "forgiveness".
Particularly forgiving myself. This is something I have always struggled with. I heard a radio host give a blurb on this during the first week of the year. And during the next few days I was nailed again and again.
What struck me the most about this was how quickly I seem to be able to forgive the grievances against me by someone else.
But when it comes to dealing with myself...I am ruthless. I guess that makes me my own worst enemy. It kind of reminds me of a character from the movie "The Secret Garden". Archibald Craven, father of Colin a sickly child, was very aloof and hidden away. He neglected his child and pulled away from everyone. He had been so wounded by his own regret and ineffectiveness that he acted in the only way he could: Neglect for himself and others.
And in much the same way, I have acted callously toward myself, effecting others out of that hurt. My own lack of self-forgiveness has blocked my interactions with others many times.
A few weeks ago, I was spending time in quiet, listening prayer. I was praying through a few things that were on my heart. And there it was. I was faced with forgiving myself. As I prayed for God to release me and begin to free my heart from this pain, I saw, what I'd describe as a vision (for those not comfortable with that word...a colorful picture in my mind...ha,ha).
I was standing in front of a large, roaring bonfire (kind of like the bonfire from The Secret Garden). Across from me was the figure of a man, adorned in the costume of a Indian warrior. He was wearing a beautiful garment of eagle feathers. It reminded me of an "Eagle Warrior" outfit that Native Americans wear. His chest was guarded with a handmade vest, that appeared to be made of wooden beads. From the waist down he was wearing leather trousers, but what captivated me was the feathers. His back and arms were full of these beautiful eagle feathers. And crowning his head was a beautifully crested cap that resembled an eagles face.
This Eagle Dancer was beautiful to watch as he fanned his feathery arms high then low in a twirling dance, imitating an eagle's flight.
I then saw a sorely isolated eagle perched high on a cliff. His feathers were ruffled and he looked tired. I somehow knew this majestic bird was molting and at the moment, unqualified to take to the skies. And there it sat...hidden away with it's tattered plumage. I felt like that eagle symboized me.
I was then transported back to the fire and continued to watch the Eagle Dancer. But now I was more aware of the feathers that he wore. I knew those feathers were from the "unqualified" eagle. And yet, they looked very regal and beautiful. Even though I thought they were unfit to adorn this amazing dancer, they were not. It was then that the Eagle Dancer looked up and stared me directly in the face. It was powerful! I came face to face with this warrior. Our eyes locked. And as he looked at me I realized who he was. He was Jesus! He was my Eagle Dancer and he was dancing over me. He had taken the thing that I thought had failed me and made it beautiful. He was using what I called weakness and gave me "beauty for ashes".
The cry of my heart in that moment was Yes, Lord...I forgive myself. I want to know you in this way.
It's still tough for me to think in those terms, but I still cry out to see the beauty in the broken.
Zephaniah 3:17
17 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.”
Particularly forgiving myself. This is something I have always struggled with. I heard a radio host give a blurb on this during the first week of the year. And during the next few days I was nailed again and again.
What struck me the most about this was how quickly I seem to be able to forgive the grievances against me by someone else.
But when it comes to dealing with myself...I am ruthless. I guess that makes me my own worst enemy. It kind of reminds me of a character from the movie "The Secret Garden". Archibald Craven, father of Colin a sickly child, was very aloof and hidden away. He neglected his child and pulled away from everyone. He had been so wounded by his own regret and ineffectiveness that he acted in the only way he could: Neglect for himself and others.
And in much the same way, I have acted callously toward myself, effecting others out of that hurt. My own lack of self-forgiveness has blocked my interactions with others many times.
A few weeks ago, I was spending time in quiet, listening prayer. I was praying through a few things that were on my heart. And there it was. I was faced with forgiving myself. As I prayed for God to release me and begin to free my heart from this pain, I saw, what I'd describe as a vision (for those not comfortable with that word...a colorful picture in my mind...ha,ha).
I was standing in front of a large, roaring bonfire (kind of like the bonfire from The Secret Garden). Across from me was the figure of a man, adorned in the costume of a Indian warrior. He was wearing a beautiful garment of eagle feathers. It reminded me of an "Eagle Warrior" outfit that Native Americans wear. His chest was guarded with a handmade vest, that appeared to be made of wooden beads. From the waist down he was wearing leather trousers, but what captivated me was the feathers. His back and arms were full of these beautiful eagle feathers. And crowning his head was a beautifully crested cap that resembled an eagles face.
This Eagle Dancer was beautiful to watch as he fanned his feathery arms high then low in a twirling dance, imitating an eagle's flight.
I then saw a sorely isolated eagle perched high on a cliff. His feathers were ruffled and he looked tired. I somehow knew this majestic bird was molting and at the moment, unqualified to take to the skies. And there it sat...hidden away with it's tattered plumage. I felt like that eagle symboized me.
I was then transported back to the fire and continued to watch the Eagle Dancer. But now I was more aware of the feathers that he wore. I knew those feathers were from the "unqualified" eagle. And yet, they looked very regal and beautiful. Even though I thought they were unfit to adorn this amazing dancer, they were not. It was then that the Eagle Dancer looked up and stared me directly in the face. It was powerful! I came face to face with this warrior. Our eyes locked. And as he looked at me I realized who he was. He was Jesus! He was my Eagle Dancer and he was dancing over me. He had taken the thing that I thought had failed me and made it beautiful. He was using what I called weakness and gave me "beauty for ashes".
The cry of my heart in that moment was Yes, Lord...I forgive myself. I want to know you in this way.
It's still tough for me to think in those terms, but I still cry out to see the beauty in the broken.
Zephaniah 3:17
17 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.”
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