Intimacy with GOD by Esher Shoshannah (the unexpected everything txt) 📖

thinking, "Why don't we just stay home, its more convenient and comfortable? I'll pray to You, listen to You, meditate upon Your word. We can watch Christian television together. I'll even let You choose what Christian teaching tape or music tape to listen to. We don't need to go out and be with other lilies. Let's keep it just the same with no changes. Why spoil something that is so good? It will be just You and me together only, my Love."

Where is He going to take her? Her Beloved wants to meet her family. She needs to forgive her brothers for all that they did to her (1:6). She had retaliated with harsh words of bitterness and she needs to ask them to forgive her. The Beloved also longed to take His beautiful bride to fellowship with other surrendered lilies (6:3)! What joy she will experience! What fellowship! What an amazing presence of His that will be felt! There are attacks and great spiritual battles coming, especially because of her love and surrender to Jesus. She needs the other lilies! She needs other members of the body of Christ (Eph.4:15,16). This will only come through unity with other surrendered believers. Satan will do anything to keep us divided in heart and from other members of the body of Christ. He doesn't mind us being faithful to church so long as we are at odds with something, someone or some group in the body of Christ. THERE IS TREMENDOUS POWER IN UNITY and the enemy knows it!

The Bridegroom wants to take her to be in unity with other believers. How do I know that this is where He desires to take her? Look at 6:2. She finds Him feeding among the lilies. If she would only go with Him, then all of the pain and suffering of chapters three and five would be avoided! O how unnecessary! If only we would simply step out in full love for Him and walk in faith with Him. Did she not ask Him in 1:7 "...where thou feedest...?"

How often we ask the Lord to fulfill a need and then we do not recognize the way He is answering the request due to our lack of faith to step out into some area into which He is leading! Listen in your heart as the Bridegroom speaks to you O so gently, O so longingly, O so patiently!

The Lord works through His body. He gives each member gifts in order to minister to one another. The Holy Spirit declares to us, "...know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. And be at peace among yourselves." (read I Thess.5:12-18).

There was power over the enemy in the Book of Acts. Why? Because they were unified! Then Satan began to attack the church to divide and conquer to render them powerless over him and his evil army. God hates disunity! "These six things does the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto him....he that soweth discord (division, strife) among brethren." (Prov. 6:16,19). If the bride does not go with Him, then she is causing an unintentional but dangerous division in the body.

Concerning how important unity is to the Lord's heart read Acts 1:14; 2:46; 4:24; 5:12; 8:6; 15:25; Eph.4:3; Phil. 2:2! The Lord teaches us that we are His body. The body must function together properly or it will be weak failing in the tests and battles to come. Please take time to read I Cor. 12:4-31 to get the big picture of the body of Christ. Then read I Cor.13:1-7 to see the individual bride's responsibility to the body of Christ. Read Eph. 4:14-16; Col. 3:14-17!

Knowing her thoughts the Beloved responds, "You must fellowship with other lilies so you can experience the joy of sharing and giving with each other (Gal. 6:10)! I have given you spiritual gifts to help them grow. Likewise you will grow because of their gifts shared with you! My joy is to live and minister through each member of my body fulfilling Eph. 4:15,16. My beautiful one, this is how you will grow into spiritual maturity and experience Me in ways you never dreamed of before. My love, only in this way will you experience the breadth, length, depth and height of My love (Eph.3:14-21). Here, take My hand and come."

 

"...Rise up..."

Here is the first test of practical surrender. How sad that there is no response. Again, He draws her heart...

 

V.11 "For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;"

To activate her faith the Lord now reminds her of the transformation that has taken place in her since that first cry of her heart in chapter 1. It was almost always winter in her Christian walk before total surrender. There is no more winter or rain to be feared. They are past. The devil has been defeated (Heb. 2:14; I John 3:8)! There is no place for gray clouds of gloom anymore. Continual resurrection victory can be hers (II Cor. 2:14).

 The Beloved speaks to her, "O My darling, do you not realize that the past frustrations in struggling and failing to quit bad habits in your own strength are over? Gone is the chill of your unsatisfied soul thinking you never do enough for Me. The cold, cold wind of religious burnout is over! The winter storms flooding your soul with doubt and fear are past! The enemy will attack but be encouraged, I have overcome him and the world (I John 3:8; John 16:33)! I will be fighting your battles. As you lift up the sword and speak it (Eph. 6:17,18), it will be My strength and My voice! Come My special one, rest and be content with the other lilies whom I love so deeply. You think the love you have experienced now is great, it is only a trickle compared to the flood you will experience together with other lilies. You will fight the battles together. You will be given glorious revelations of My heart together. Rise up My beautiful bride and come with Me!" Surely there will be an immediate response to these new revelations, but alas, there is none! O how patient is the Bridegroom. He continues to woo her heart by directing her attention to a scene of refreshment, renewal and new life:

 

V.12 "The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle (turtledove) is heard in our land."

Flowers are signs of the resurrected life! Jesus prayed in a garden (John 18:1); He died in a garden; was buried in a garden; and rose in a garden (John 19:41). Mary Magdalene mistook the resurrected Jesus for a gardener. In reality, He is a spiritual gardener of our heart (in chapter 4 you will see the beauty of His garden in detail). He wants to have produced in us, from His Abba Father and the Holy Spirit, spiritual flowers that will display to the world various facets of His character! Will His resurrected flowers appear in her manner of living? In yours? The answer will be a resounding "yes" if you rise up and come away with Him! You will, little by little, "appear" more like Him in your manner of living (Gal.5:22,23).

Listen to your Beloved, "O my love, put your hand in Mine. Allow My heart to make the beauty I have placed within you more visible. I want others to see you by My side. O first love of My heart, 'The flowers appear...' and it is time for beauty. Don't you realize, My precious bride, that you are one of those flowers, one of those very, very special lilies? O come walk with Me so that My fragrance may permeate your life. Others will be touched as they see how beautiful your submission to Me has made you! You will be continually filled with the Holy Spirit’s voice (turtledove or dove), '...singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord' (Eph.5:18,19). The voice of the Holy Spirit, the heavenly Dove, will be heard from you throughout the land. Come with Me, come my darling bride! I’m not asking you to go alone. You will be with me all the way. Trust Me My bride!"

He waits expectantly! She bows her head in silence. He then whispers in a sad tone, "Why do you hesitate? Do you not trust Me? Is My full love for you not enough? Pleading and urging her (Rom. 12:1-2) He says, "Just take one step and I will do the rest. Experience my good and perfect will for your life! I will do the leading and you will do the leaning! Come with Me my love!"

 

"...the time of the singing of birds is come..."

As the birds sing out their joyful songs near where they are, Jesus speaks through the lattice work, "My Father cares about all the birds and watches over them. No wonder they sing. They know they are protected and bring joy to His heart (Luke 12:6). O My beautiful bride, My Abba Father and the Holy Spirit love you the same way as I do. Don't hesitate, most intimate companion of My heart, if you wait upon Me as we travel together, when tiredness sweeps over your body and soul, I will make sure your strength is renewed like the eagles! (Isa.40:31) Come, take My hand, and become more like Me."

He pauses for a moment waiting for any kind of positive response. There is only silence as she keeps her head bowed looking down at the green grass. The Beloved continues to pull at her heart strings, "Both the sparrow and the swallow have found a place near My Father's altar (Psa. 84:3). You, My dove, have found a place right inside His heart and My heart. How can you hesitate? Think of this My love, My Father did not spare Me, His only Son, but delivered Me up to be crucified for you. Since He went that far, don't you know that your Abba Father will provide everything for Our journey together until you meet Him in glory (Rom. 8:32)?" Here, take My hand and walk in the resurrected life with Me!"

 

PRAY WITH ME: "O my loving Lord, may my heart always hear the voice of Your Dove. May the eyes of my heart be fixed upon You alone. I now respond to Your loving invitation to walk with You arm in arm into a deeper move of Your Spirit; into deeper revelations of Your wonder filled person. O may I be in such a spiritual condition that I am able to receive what You so much want for me to have! I love You Lord Jesus! Dear Bridegroom, I love Your voice! I love Your Word! O Lord, may I not be like this bride who does not initially respond to Your pleadings! Wonderful Lord, I do see the flowers; I do hear the birds; I do hear the voice of Your Spirit! Thank You for taking me by the hand! I am truly ready! In Your Holy name Lord Jesus, Amen!"

 

The Bridegroom continues to tug at her heart:

V.13 "The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair (beautiful) one, and come away."

What is the significance of the fig tree's fruit and fragrance? The fig tree is unusual in that it seems to have no flower, yet within each fruit there are hundreds of tiny flowers. As a believer, when we surrender all to Him, spiritual fruit is produced in us for others to be blessed by. Within that spiritual fruit are inwardly hidden, very lovely flowers of holiness known only by us and totally enjoyed by our King. There are the