Intimacy with GOD, Esher Shoshannah [red queen free ebook .txt] 📗

total spiritual satisfaction flowing between them! Lord, I am so sorry! Thank You for allowing me to see all of this before it was too late and have spent my life totally on the wasteful, meaningless and temporal."

At this very moment the gentle, Holy Comforter fills you totally with Himself and tells you to, "Turn your eyes away from this scene of emptiness, this wilderness of stony waste (Jer.17:6), this desolate and parched land (Jer.12:10; 50:12) where the enemy readies himself to ambush the lovely bride of Jesus (Lam.4:19)! You’re forgiven by the blood of your Bridegroom! Be filled with Me! Be filled with glory! Be filled with heartfelt surrender. It is done!"

Your heart breathes a quieting sigh of relief. You know it has happened! A phenomenal peace floods your soul! As you gaze upon this couple coming up out of the wilderness, you see yourself in them. Joy floods your soul looking at this narrow path, full of light and glory. The misery of the wilderness scene disappears from your mind. The Holy Spirit takes your hand once again and draws you right next to them. You now are able to observe every detail of their walk.

In a gentle voice the Spirit says, "Look how completely she leans upon her Beloved. Draw closer to listen to the peaceful Words whispered between them. Learn from them." You notice that the bride’s arm is interlocked with His arm, held ever so tightly against her side. As she looks up at Him she says, "My love, I was so weak in myself, but now I feel Your strength flowing through me. O my Husband, I love You so much! Your arms feel so good to me my Love, there is so much strength in them (Isa. 41:11)!"

Jesus looks at her with eyes filled with joy and says, "Just to hear you say that brings such satisfaction to My heart. I'm so glad My Father gave you to Me (John 10:29)!" Their steps are so unhurried, so steady, so restful in a purposeful pace, leading them up to the many dwelling places (John 14:2,3) where they will live together forever! When the bride becomes a little weary on this journey, her Beloved just gives her a hug and reminds her that it won't be long 'till they wil l be home! That spiritual hug imparts a renewed strength and refreshing vigor for her to continue on.

She leans her head upon His strong shoulders and shares, "I used to get so confused, not really knowing the right pathway which would please You, my Beloved! It was awful. Sometimes I felt I was doing OK as Your child and then I would find myself way off the true path. It was terrible. I was so empty. I wanted to do what was right for You but seemed to always miss the mark. But now I am filled with You! Even though the enemy of my mind attacks, I simply turn the eyes of my heart and look at You, speaking a Word of promise and immediate peace comes. O how secure I feel leaning upon You my dear Bridegroom!" Jesus glances at her eyes and His heart is ravished. He quickly turns away as a tear of joy falls onto His cheek (Song of Solomon 4:9; 6:5).

As Jesus points to a pleasant green pasture, He says, "Let's stop here for awhile and sit together. I want to share a few things with you. I have always been the 'Way.' I am so thankful you responded to My Spirit as He drew you into deeper truths concerning My heart toward you. I am leading you to our home, My love, My sister, My spouse. O how happy you and I will be for eternity! Be encouraged, there are just a few more miles to go and a few more stops on the way to pick up other lilies to go with us. I'm so thankful that you will never refuse to go with Me again." He pauses and puts both of His hands on her cheeks. Looking into her eyes with admiration, He says, "It was worth every single stroke of the whip, every nail driven into My body for what I see in Your eyes right now My dear wife!" She could see tears of joy well up in His eyes. For a long while they sat together in the green grass under the shade of the apple tree (SofS 2:13). Then, taking her by the hand they continued to go up out of the wilderness. They walked from village to village and through the countryside ministering, caring and loving others. All the while she snuggled up leaning upon His everlasting arms (Deut.33:27).

The bride speaks very little. Her eyes stay riveted on His loving gaze. There is much being said with her eyes making Words unnecessary. He was guiding her with His eye (Psa. 33:18; 34:15)! She feels so encouraged and confident about the direction in which He is leading. She places her left arm around His side knowing that this is the only place she ever wants to be. He is so blessed by these loving acts. His glory bursts out all over the pathway!

Watching them intently you speak within your heart to the Holy Spirit, "Even though this wilderness is so horrible, it is as if it did not exist to them. What an 'up' experience this is for both of them. My eyes have been so focused on the wilderness itself, I have missed the joy of Jesus (John 15:11)! Jesus is so sure footed upon this pathway and knows exactly where it is leading. That is what I want for my life dear Holy Spirit."

For this bride, it was a walk of grace upon grace; His grace alone (John 1:16). The more she leans upon her Beloved, the more she realizes that all of this is so undeserved! She proclaims with joy, "I have 'found grace in the wilderness.' " (Jer. 31:2).

As you watch them, you point out to the Holy Spirit, "At times it was difficult for me to distinguish just how many were walking, one or two." The Holy Spirit responds, "Yes, she has become so much like her Beloved. She is entering into the oneness her Beloved had prayed to the Father for her (Jn.17:22,23). It actually makes her look like Him (Rom.8:29). Isn't it wonderful? This can be the same for you, as you in loving surrender lean upon your Beloved in this wilderness-. Don't ever forget this scene. The bride is so taken up with the Love of her life that she is not aware of the transformation."

The unhurried pace gave her time to whisper to His heart, "Your mouth is most sweet...my Beloved!" He responded by saying, "How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! How much better is thy love than wine!" He held her close to His side as they continued to walk. She felt so safe. He knew her heart was fully His! She leaned upon Him to hear that still small voice. She leaned upon Him for she had no strength of her own. She leaned upon Him because He alone was the Way up out of the wilderness! As her heart is filled with overflowing love, she holds His hand even tighter, overwhelmed with unspeakable joy singing quietly to her Beloved:

 

"What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the everlasting arms!

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, leaning on the everlasting arms!

Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way, leaning on the everlasting arms;

What have I to dread, what have I to fear, leaning on the everlasting arms?

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, leaning on the everlasting arms!

Leaning on Jesus, leaning on Jesus, safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning on Jesus, leaning on Jesus, leaning on the everlasting arms!"

Elisha Hoffman

 

As they walk up out of this wilderness the Beloved reminds her of a blessed secret shared with her earlier. Knowing these things will keep her ever leaning upon Him who has become her wisdom, purpose, protection and strength. "Don’t forget that..."

 

V.5 "...I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee."

 O the infinite purposes of an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent God! Praise His holy name! Was there ever any doubt in the mind of God that His plans to have a bride for His Son would go unfulfilled? O the glories of the purposes of God, to know that I was on His heart before I was born and then raised up under the protection of the apple tree which is none other than Jesus Himself, (see 2:3) listen:

"But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth." (II Thess. 2:13).

Paul testified to this glorious truth in Gal. 1:15-16, "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood."

Listen to Isaiah concerning this wonderful truth when He states, "And now, saith the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant." Isa. 49:5

Jeremiah confirms the thought of God dealing with us even before we were born when He makes this astounding pronouncement, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou came forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations." Jer. 1:5

The Psalmist knew about this when he wrote by the Holy Spirit, "Upon thee I have leaned from my birth; thou art he who took me from my mother's womb. My praise is continually of thee." Psa. 71:6

And again, "Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them." Psa. 139:15

Our glorious God does not leave things to happenstance! It’s true concerning His prophecies! Were they not written as absolute certainties? Praise the name of Jesus for the following Words of comfort and purpose for your life and mine, "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it." (Isa. 46:10-11).

Praise His holy Name, the bride was loved by Him before the world was ever created! Again, what a thought, you were on God's heart before you were born! Listen to the Words in v.5 once again.

"...I raised thee up under the apple tree: there thy mother brought thee forth: there she brought thee forth that bare thee."

God our Father planned a bride for His Son before the worlds were created. Doesn't that comfort you dear Christian? He cared so much that He brought you up, nurtured you and lavished His protective love for you under the apple tree!

She had exclaimed in 2:3, "As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons..." Praise God we have always been under His watchful care and protection. So important are you that He has a host of angels ministering to His bride (Heb. 1:13,14). Dear surrendered reader, listen to your Beloved whisper into your ear, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love" (Jer. 31:3). "...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." (Heb. 13:5).

She meditates in her heart, "O may this never, never change! There is no other place