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

They are held close to the mother's heart as they feed and feel the security of that young mother's embrace. How does this happen spiritually? The bride is now ready to feed others with Holy Spirit filled faith and love. The Holy Spirit will lead younger ones into her life and they will simply snuggle up to the Word of God that is in her. Then the Holy Spirit releases the nourishment of His faith and love from the Word into their spirit . She is filled with that which only pleases God, faith (Heb. 11:6) and she is filled with God's character, love (I John 4:8). How could Jesus, her Beloved Bridegroom, not be pleased?

 

PRAY WITH ME: "Dear Father, may there be a spirit filled balance in my walk. May faith-filled streams of living water of love flow through me, first to Your throne and then to those around me. Use me to do the works that my Bridegroom did and even greater works for Your glory (John 14:12)! I love You and You alone. Thank You for the faith and love which You have given to me (Rom. 12:3; 5:6)! In Jesus' wonderful and blessed name amen!"

 

"...which feed among the lilies."

Surrendered believers long to be with other surrendered believers. Glory breaks out! The presence of God Almighty is felt and those who experience this are filled beyond human words! The bride had experienced this kind of glory when she fellowshipped with her friends the virgins. The Holy Spirit spoke to her heart, "Don't you remember how your heart was filled when you were listening to your friends speak about Him?" In her heart she answered "Yes, and I could never get enough! How could I have missed it?" The Holy Spirit responded, "This is what it means to feed among the lilies. Your Beloved wants you to have more and it comes through gathering with those of a virgin heart and who feed upon His bread! Remember, He said that His spiritual body is true food and His spiritual blood is true drink (John 6:53-58)."

Gathering with those who love Him is absolutely essential. Together, we feast upon testimonies of His heart and power in our lives. Together we drink from His cup of praise and worship. Together we feed upon His sweet Word (Jer. 15:16). This is true communion, true fellowship ("koinonia") (I Cor. 10:16,17). This is when we begin to "comprehend with all saints what is the length and breadth and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fulness of God!" (Eph. 3:18-19).

Listen in again to fullness of His heart being poured out to her. "O how you deeply touch My heart. In all of your submissiveness, your love for Me flows. The spiritual beauty that is in you brings so much glory to Me. My beautiful bride, your heart is all Mine. What joy it is for Me to bring My angels and bid them to gaze at you (Eph. 3:10). You are so filled up with My beauty, My goodness and mercy. My glory shines so much brighter when it is combined with other lilies as you, My love. You long to care for others who belong to Me. I love you so much for it! You are the joy that was set before Me at the cross (Heb. 12:2). There is still work to be done in you. I must increase and you must decrease. Soon, My lovely bride, you will climb the "mountain of myrrh" and begin to walk in a holiness you never thought possible. Trust in My love My beautiful dove!"

There is nothing more beautiful, no image more endearing, no sight so captivating as Jesus seen in the walk and ways of a spiritual lily! Eternal love flows and flows back and forth from their hearts to each other and to those around them! She is now prepared to go through one of the most difficult spiritual experiences in her Christian walk, crucifixion of the selflife. Listen to her response...

 

V.6 "Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense."

You know, myrrh (1:13) represents the work of the Beloved on the cross for her and in 3:6 she had been reminded, through the dream, that He provides the myrrh and frankincense for her! Hallelujah! He is the great provider, Jehovah-Jireh! He, the spiritual myrrh, was crushed in crucifixion and His blood came forth! It is the power of the blood that dispels the shadows (Rev. 12:11)! We must be willing to go to the mountain of crucifixion with Him. It will be painful, but oh the resulting power and presence of God in your life! We cry out for the blessings of the abundant life and the Holy Spirit directs us to go up to the mountain of crucifixion. We struggle, resist, whine and hesitate! Find out if there is anything you are not aware of by praying Psa. 139:23,24. Ask God to search you. If nothing comes to mind then you are okay. If there is something, then listen to the following:

In her heart the Holy Spirit quietly speaks, "You are unaware of the bondages present in your life. Your heart yearns to please your Beloved. I have filled you with faith and love, now it's time to deal with the real problem - self which rises up and snares your spiritual feet in subtle, sinful traps. Look in the distance and you will see a mountain and a hill. One is the Mountain of Myrrh and the other the hill of Frankincense. To truly please your Heavenly Husband you must climb that mountain!"

Conviction swept through her soul. Sinful attitudes and actions long buried and forgotten came to mind: a bitter, unforgiving spirit concerning an abuse in her childhood and a lie that had gone unconfessed to mention a few. She felt so dirty. She cried out in her soul, "He will never love me knowing these things about me! What can I do to get rid of them?" The Holy Spirit said to her heart, "Look to the mountain! The answer is there!" She said, "I am willing to go. Tell me, what is on that mountain?" The Holy Spirit replied, "Only when you arrive there will it be revealed to you." In strong words of faith she spoke, "Yes, I must go if this is the only way to deal with my sinful self-will." A peace filled her heart. It was a gift from the Holy Spirit. In her mind the precious Holy Spirit caused her to hear the voice of her Beloved, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you: not as the world gives, give I to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27).

Here was a crucial test of faith. The Lord's bride is going to a place where she had never been before! Why would she go? She knows just how important "myrrh" and "frankincense" are because of the dream-vision just experienced.

Already, she could feel godly sorrow working repentance in her heart. She had received eternal forgiveness from Him when she received Her Beloved as Savior and Lord. But lingering deep inside her soul was an uncrucified will. Although she had peace to proceed up this difficult mountain, painful things of her past - the unforgiveness, hurtful things said about others, hidden bitterness and pride all rose up in her to be dealt with. She knew in her heart that unless her will was dealt with there would be no real intimacy, no real walk in ministry with her Beloved. The Holy Spirit spoke gently into her soul, "Have you forgotten the awful separation you endured not long ago?" A dreadful emptiness swept through her soul. Just the thought of separation from Him again gave her new strength to climb. The Holy Spirit continued, "Victory is at the top of this mountain. When you reach the peak you will begin to walk in beautiful, loving holiness. A new and deeper relationship with the One whom you love with all of your heart will result." With that word, the bride took another giant step upward!

 

"Until..."

Praise God for the word "until"! To her it was a word of faith anticipating victory. The "how" of victory will be revealed to her on the "mountain of myrrh". The Holy Spirit now reassures her heart as she climbs step by step, "Because of your words of intensive expectation (faith), victory is coming into your life." David knew about this, when all seemed hopeless in that cave. The devil hammered him with this thought, "You will be dead by morning by the hands of Saul!" but David spoke faith words in Psa. 57:1. "Be merciful unto me, God...for my soul trusteth in thee...until these calamities be overpast."

In those first steps up this imposing mountain severe attacks of discouragement race through her mind. There is no beauty on this mountain. It is foreboding and threatening. The higher she climbs the darker it becomes. Fearful sounds of thunder come crashing into her ears. The prince of darkness sends a chilling wind of no hope through her soul. No weapon is spared by the enemy to hinder her from making this ascent. Satan knows that if the Lord's bride makes it to the top she will have daily victory and the shadows of the little foxes will begin to disappear having no effect on her! She cringes and begins to turn away. The Holy Spirit reminds her, "You must climb this mountain. What you will learn at the top will change and empower you to have healing and victory over bondages and the controlling self-life! You will feel your Beloved’s love as never before!"

Fear once again grips her soul. But all of a sudden her Beloved appears to her and whispers, "Bride of My heart, you know how much I love you, your willingness to go to the mountain of myrrh pleases Me beyond all that you can imagine. The Holy Spirit will be with you through the whole process. He will give you My strength. (Deut. 31:6; Heb. 13:5)." With this blessed assurance she continues and all the time saying to herself, "I am pleasing the Love of my heart!" As she continues upward onto this mountain of darkness and evil she hears the Holy Spirit say to her heart, "Keep your spiritual eyes on your Beloved. Think about Him. Meditate on His Words given especially for you. Worship Him. The darkness and evil will not have power over you as you climb." (I Cor. 15:57; Rev. 12:11).

The dreadful darkness and diabolical coldness of self-will surrounded her. Winds of unspeakable shame and guilt struck at her trying to force her off the mountain. But each time, she did exactly as the Holy Spirit directed her. He reminded her of Psa. 119:105. All of a sudden in the darkness there was a lamp for her feet and a light for her path. She thought, "It is amazing how one look at my Beloved takes the fear out of the evil surrounding me."

She reached the top and what seemed to be an eternity was but a moment in time. The Holy Spirit asked her to walk into the darkness with all the fearful peals of thunder around her. With hesitant steps she enters. What she saw there was repulsive to her soul. She shrank back in horror. It was her Beloved on the cross. Tears running down her cheeks she heard Him speak in tones of excruciating pain from the cross. "Come closer, consider the cost of making you My bride." Gazing at Her Beloved's torn and mangled body caused her to turn back in horror. At that very moment her Beloved cried out in anguish, "My God, My