Forgiven Much

"Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” - Luke 7:47

I was contemplating this verse, and a quote came to mind: An old man, barefoot, torn and battered, having escaped with barely his life from a civil war in the depths of Africa, was sitting down beaming, waiting to be served by the overworked relief workers. One young lady asked him how he could be so happy, so at peace when he had gone through so much, and had nothing, with not much more to look forward to. He said to her, "My dear lady, I never knew that Jesus Christ was all I needed until He was all I had." (Or words to the same extent). I can't put into words very well why those two concepts are related in my mind. I guess it's where desperation and hunger meets the overwhelming love of God. I have been in a place where I've felt like my world has totally fallen apart, and seen and felt God come meet me where I was and totally envelope me. There have been times when my love for Him poured out, so that nothing else mattered. I understand how little love and many possessions or "blessings" can hinder my own understanding and experience of the Great I AM. My thoughts are all mixed up and random, but I guess the bottom line is that I know I've been through much, I've been forgiven much, and I love so very much!!!

The winter is past

I was in the prayer room at Campus house of prayer, yesterday I think. I was with someone who read Joel 2:18 - 3:?, that passage about restoration, the years that the locust has stolen. There was a song from Misty Edwards that really spoke to me about how God feels about me. I decided to read Song of Solomon with the mindset to really put myself in the role of the Shulamite and God in the Beloved's. I immediately began to feel... drunk with the passion of His love, overwhelmed by an amazing sensuality. Over the past year, I have felt moments of being purely loved by God, and was very content in that, but this was magnified, more than I can even begin to explain. Pretty consistently in the last month or so, God has told me how much He enjoys, values, desires, looks forward to our intimacy. I knew it in my head, but the fact that He has specifically said it changes everything somewhat. It's not only just something I do because I desperately need to feel God. I go now because I feel and expectation, not just from me, but also from Him. I feel wrapped up in His love, I feel a deeper intimacy, a deeper and more steadfast contentment. How do I put words to it? I can't I just can't. All I can say is that I'm loved and desired and He wants me, He really wants me.

Anyway, reading Song of Solomon, and this passage popped right out at me - S.S. 2:10-13:

My Beloved spoke, and said to me:
"Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away.
For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grapes
Give a good smell.
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away!"

The winter has past. I could relate to the Chronicles of Narnia when Tumnus says, "Always winter and never Christmas-" This year, I feel like I came out of a long winter, and God totally took me hand, lead me out of the valley of the shadow of death and reassured me - the winter is past and the rain is gone...

Afflictions Eclipsed by Glory

I heard this line in a song, and it realy made me stop and think. Yes, the afflictions are there, but the Glory of God is so amazing anything bad begins to fade in comparison. Simple, I know, but it realy helped me with my perspective.

Lord, let Your glory eclipse all my afflictions...