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"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me..to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness"

-Isaiah 61:1-3

What a gloriously inequitable exchange, one which could only come from the "foolishness of God"*, one which makes no sense whatsoever in man's economy (although we see where that's gotten us). 

In First Love's fashion He lavishes us with laughter for tears, joy for mourning, praise for heaviness, seemingly oblivious to the less than comensurate compensation offered in return.

He takes our toil and gives us rest, He trades serenity for the storm, He gives amazing grace for our guilt, and, as if that weren't enough, He laid down His life and died our death.

You see we serve a God who took into account, not what we could do for Him, but all that He could do for us.

"...that you may be able to comprehend what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

-Ephesians 3:17-19

*1 Corinthians 1:25

Wait

"Wait"

-Psalm 37:7

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wait.

Wait.

What a hard thing to hear from the Almighty, especially in answer to some seemingly earnest request; something we perceive to be of considerable portent and requiring immediate action on the part of Providence. 

When we find ourselves in the fiery furnace of the eleventh hour, our endurance all but spent, it can be tempting to take matters into our own hands, rushing ahead to rectify the situation, right the wrong, resolve the problem pressing us...

...but the still small voice persists; the Lord's love constrains us; the counter-intuitive call of Christ bids us be still, let go, and let Him be God.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

" For since the beginning of the world, men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him."

-Isaiah 64:4

Prayer....

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth,

for his love is better than wine."

-Song of Solomon 1:2

~*~*~*

without a word, through silence shared

through faraway and forever

my heart rises to meet Yours

and I am Home

baring whimsy and wishes

buds waiting to blossom

dreams defying the passage of time

I lay myself open to quintessence of light

finding First Love's fulfillment

sipping Solomon's wine...

...sacred simplicity
secret things shown
in solitude's bounty
my cup overflows...

~*~*~*

"I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine"
-Song of Solomon 6:3

Beacon...

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

-Psalm 119:105

Plodding along this path I'm on, feeling my way through the darkness, my eyes strain to see signs, signals, anything that lends meaning to the maze, any reassurance that I'm on the right track and headed in the direction of Home. 

The way seems winding and endless at times, looming beyond my limited scope, underscoring my smallness in the scheme of things...

That's when the gentle reminder comes...I am sheep, and not Shepherd, follower, not Forerunner.  My feet have but to follow in Your footsteps...

If my eyes can see You, then I see far enough. 

"He made His own people go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock; He led them on safely, so that they did not fear...He shepherded them according to the integrity of His heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of His hands."

-Psalm 78:52,53,72

Free

"Whom the Son sets free is free indeed."

-John 8:36

~*~*~*

Wings flooded with Genesis light

Spirit unfettered

Finally free

Promises kept

Destinies Dawning

Divinity's Authorship Finished in Flight

And so we soar beyond wildest dreams

mouths filled with laughter

cocoons left behind

Out of confinement

And devil's dark night

Into Land of the Living, Into Faith become Sight

~*~*~*

E.A.A. "Hindsfeet" 6/10/10

"Those sho sow in tears shall reap in joy."

-Psalm 126:5

Blessing...

http://danieldenardo.blogspot.com/2010/06/god-beams.html

“The LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

-Numbers 6:24-26

What a beautiful benediction breathed from the heart of our God over His children.  Almost lyrical in it's prose, presented to Moses from our Maker Himself to be spoken over His posterity.

If there was ever any doubt concerning the posture of Providence toward us, these words clarify His stance resolutely and settle forever every argument against a benevolent Sovereign, depicting our Creator's deep desire to drench His beloved in His goodness.  These words are not just inkblots on a page, but a powerful invocation, meant to impart Christ's love to you and me.

As such, may these words wash over you, and fill you to overflowing; may they bless you, and keep you, and give you peace.

"Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine..."
-Daniel 9:17

~*~*~*

Thief

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy."

-John 10:10

Jesus came that we might have life and that more abundantly: Our Father floods us with good and perfect gifts and fills our cup to overflowing; the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts the love of God; the windows of Heaven pour out more than we can pack in...

Our Lord is all about blessing His children; 

our enemy is all about robbing that blessing from us.

If he can convince us that our gifts our garbage, cause us to take God's goodness for granted, or corner us into believing our abundance to be base, he wont even have to take it away; we'll throw it away ourselves.

If he can trump an entire garden with one fruit tree, a birthright with a bowl of soup, a man's soul with thirty pieces of silver, what will it take to obscure your all?  What dainty is he dangling in front of your face?  What empty promise is playing at your mind?  What tantalizing trifle is turning your head?   

Our blessing lies in the balance of obedience to a Father who has our best and highest at heart.  When the God who didn't say "no" to being nailed to a cross says "no" to us, we can trust that He has our wellbeing in mind, that He is not trying to plunder us, that He is trying to protect us.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

-1 Peter 5:8

Chrysalis....

"He who has begun a good work in you will complete it"

-Phillipians 1:6

Chrysalid creation

veiled from view

A cosmos concealed in His keeping

His best and His highest

hanging by a thread

awaiting the culmination of wings

Out of this place

New life will emerge

the substance of faith's vested vision

And what has been formed

will unfurl and rise

captive soul set free

one day

we will fly...

~*~*~*

-E.A.A. "Hindsfeet" 6/1/10