Saturday, October 29, 2005

Would love to share with each of you something the Lord used to encourage me...

With a big test fast approaching, I finally made myself take action to study about 8 hours before the actual test. All the preparations in tact (my own table at a coffee shop, warm caffienated latte, highlighter in hand, notebook open, and fully charged IPOD playing) I was ready to commence my quest to study. Surely nothing would distract me now!

Not.

If you've never experienced what it feels like to be allured and romanced by our God, I pray you would ask Him to do that for you. I began to read my notes in an effort to focus, when I felt a soft tug at my heart and affections. The Lord began to allure me into His presence. Like when someone you love distracts you when you need most to focus. I caught myself laughing inside and saying, "Quit it. I need to study Lord!" You know what I mean, that flirty, giggly, "you're so cute - but I gotta focus" laugh. We girls love that. It's even more alluring and romantic when our Creator does it. I wanted so bad to run away with Him but I kept thinking about how my school is an act of worship and how I should just remain focused and glorify Him by my obedience to test taking. However, I remembered Isaiah 55:6 "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near." Whoa - duh. I gave in! He was near so I forsook (is that a word?) my studying and spent the remainder of my time basking in Him.

I've shared with some of you one of my favorite verses, Song of Songs 2:14 "My dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet and your face is lovely."

I love this verse because it's such a sweet and vivid picture of God's heart toward me. How he delights to see my face and hear my voice, when all I want to do is hide in the mountainside, or become engrossed with whatever cleft I'm hiding in (school, relationships, busyness...) In the same light, may that be our cry to the Father. That we would crave his lovely face and sweet voice. The voice that bends the cedars, twists the oaks, shakes the forests, strikes with flashes of lightning (Psalm 29) - that voice at the same time is gentle enough to allure our hearts into His presence. I pray that you would experience that this week as you meet with Him. Let Him distract you, and entice you away.

Shane and Shane wrote a song about this verse, thought I would share the lyrics with you to paint an even clearer picture of your sweet heart, voice, and face our Lord is dying to see.

"she hides her face, it seems too good
for Your embrace to find her
and say, "my dove, your voice is sweet
show me your form... your form is lovely

"Your mercy reigns
Your mercy comes
Your mecy falls
and rises with the sun
its new every morning
its good enough for me

no ear has heard a melody
as sweet as yours for her
it seems too good,
so undeserved
my heart faints now,
for we are her

Your mercy reigns
Your mercy comes
Your mercy falls
and rises with the sun
i will abide in Your love, YOUR love!"

Enjoy your sweet romancer today. Praying that He will draw you into His awesome prsence and captivate and distract your heart like He did mine. His love will always be more romancing and perfect than any of an earthly companion. To think that He would delight to give us an earthly picture of His love for us, is unbelievable and wonderful, but He still will continually in and of Himself be enough. So whether you're married, dating, or just plain waiting, find your sufficiency in HIS voice and HIS face!Praying that His powerful voice (that voice which breaks cedars, twists oaks, lays the forests bare, is powerful, majestic, calms the waters, speaks things into existence) will be gentle enough today to touch your heart and draw you close. That you might feel his heartbeat as you rest at His chest.
ps.16:11.