River into Words

He does indeed!

They say everyone has a type. Cough Cough, I know I do! That said, whether or not I have a type is utterly irrelevant. What’s more important is that God has a type – people He finds very attractive, eye-catching, and worthy of His attention.

How do I know God has a type? He told me … well, He told all of us 😁.

InIsaiah 66:1God asks what mankind could possible give to Him or do for Him that would be note-worthy to Him?

Relative to all that He has done for and given to Himself, God explicitly reveals to us that there’s NOTHING we can do or give to Him that would be eye-catching (attractive) to Him – not even a flawless performance!

… BUT inIsaiah 66:2God goes on to point out to us what who catches His eye …

The first thing I noticed as I connected withIsaiah 66:2is that these (being needy, weak, inadequate, incapable in any way, shape, or form) are the very things I naturally want to avoid experiencing and being – I naturally don’t want to be needy, I naturally don’t want to feel weak, inadequate, or incapable … most of life on earth is naturally spent trying to prevent, avoid, overcome, master, remove, even FIX these things.

You’d think that I would have learnt a little something from our very own saying: “opposites attract“, and thus would simply be the emptiness that attracts God’s abundance, the weakness that attracts God’s strength(2 Corinthians 12:9)… the need for Who God IS. Naaah, the Israel that I am naturally wrestles with this. Nevertheless, God is faithfully invested in making me attractive/beautiful to Him – His every word evokes my beautyEphesians 5:26(MSG). For this, I am grateful.

… Isaiah 61:10expresses my sentiment of gratitude, exactly! 🥰

Soooo, thus far, we’ve established that God has a type. We’ve also seen what some of the features of His said type are. What’s the point in sharing all this?

Point #1 – IF you found at least one of the features in you, THEN you are God’s type. He finds you quite attractive and can’t (won’t) take His eyes off you. This is one part of the point – to let you know that God finds you very attractive.

Point #2 – To encourage you to STOP trying to make yourself unattractive to God. Embrace your attractiveness (all that makes you attractive to Him). The KING is wild for you and He desires your beauty.

Present it all to Him as a living sacrifice – it is good, acceptable, perfect!

STOP trying to make yourself not His type by attempting to be what you consider to be worthy in His eyes and of His affection (1) through your lenses and (2) in your own strength – the inevitable outcome of doing this is failure on both accounts. To mean …

Regarding what you “do” for God (i.e. ministry, your service to God, “doing” good deeds), always keep in mind that God is The One Who does it for and through you – more to come on this in a different blog #Sabbath 💖- Yes, God does it and then rewards you for it.

Also keep in mind that what you “do” for God (what God does for and through you for Him) is NOT what makes you attractive to Him.

I never knew you WOW! These words are similar (in meaning) to the words Jesus said to the five foolish virgins: I know you not … Matthew 25:1-12 (verse 12).

I currently don’t have the words in English (or any earthly language known to me) to use to adequately describe what I hear and experience when God says: I know you or I know you not. It has a deep and weighty meaning that I connect with but currently don’t (and may never) have the words to accurately articulate. For those He makes willing to know, I trustingly ask God to aid and give the needed understanding. Furthermore, I faith-FULLY pray that He (God) NEVER not know us.

For my lack of a better way of describing the weight and the meaning of God saying: I know you, I’ll use my watered-down version of a translation to express what I hear/experience when God says to meI know youorI will NOT forget you:

Isaiah 41says it waaaay better …

All the holding hands and whispers … told ya! God has a type indeed!

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What a LOVER GOD IS – The MOST beautiful among tens of thousands … even to infinity and beyond! His Love (the very essence of His Heart) is the Beauty of His Holiness!💖 This unequivocally is what I want in every moment, now and for all of eternity!

What a breath-taking, life-giving LOVER GOD is!

A God Who would humble Himself (bring Himself down, low enough to our level) just to whisper into our ears His Words of Love and assurance. He could have thundered it all the way up from Heaven above like He did in Matthew 3:17– a very effective and fit-for-purpose approach, especially considering that the message was for the masses, and not Jesus specifically. Jesus knew Who He was to the Father – the bond of attraction between them made them ONE. Jesus was confident in the certitude of the Father’s Love so much so that He embraced being needy of the Father, whole-heartedly and God-fearingly(Hebrews 5:7AMPC).

In our currently-being-described case, while the attraction of being God’s type is evident, the series of one-on-one connections that transform us into being ONE with Him is needed. Hence, the different yet equally effective and fit-for-purpose approach … it’s intimate, it’s personal, and tends to take place in the secret place of the MOST HIGH (your heart – His garden, and ultimately His Heart). This one-to-one connection is literally Heart-to-Heart! 💖

Undeterred by our many weaknesses, God comes for us – our neediness (of Him) moves Him toward us – wherever we are. Even amidst the multitude, He notices us, He notices our touch (our need for Him, for Who He IS) – Luke 8:43-48 (AMPC). Even in the fire (Zechariah 3:1-4) … even in the miry clay (Psalm 40:2) – He doesn’t mind that we are filthy …

… He whispers into our ears and His words (His response of Love) make us clean – John 15:3💖.

He holds our right hand – there’s a significance to this, one that I’m hoping (in addition to points #1 and #2 mentioned above) will reinforcingly encourage you to NOT despise your weakness.

By earthly (need I say flawed) standards, the right hand is (more often than not) considered to be the strong or stronger hand. We (earth folk) really do have a down-side-up way of seeing things with our not-so “20/20” vision, and in some cases 3D glasses! God continue to help us all! 🙂

By God’s standard, man’s right hand represents our weaknesses and limitations. The image below connects the dots that revealed this truth to me …

A withered hand is not attractive … yet, unlike most (even the “best”) of us, God not only stands by (and close to) our right hand – Psalm 16:8 (VOICE), He holds our seemingly unattractive, weak hand!

Do NOT despise your weakness…God does NOT. On the contrary, He finds you very attractive because of it.

Be weak, be needy of God, be the need for Who He IS, be His type!💖

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In an attempt to keep things PG 😁, as well as leave no room for unintended interpretations, here’s an explicit contextual definition of the term nakedness as it applies to the scope and entirety of this blog.

Nakedness – to be weak or weakened as a result of a lack (or lacking something); the state of being vulnerable or insecure (having no covering); to be poor (lacking in one way, shape, or form) and thus needy – in need of a type of covering. To lack and thus need God.

Now that we’ve covered that, I’m just going to flat-out say it: we are all naked

There … I said it! BUT guess what? As shameful and uncomfortable as it feels, God intends our nakedness for good – one involving an exchange in which God gives us beauty (His Glory) for our ashes (the uncomeliness of self) .

Prior to the revelation that inspired this write-up, the last conversation I recall having with God about nakedness took place last year. It was one in which He encouraged me to come to Him as I was (and still am) – naked and vulnerable. I had seen something about me that was un-God-like … putting it plainly, I saw my nakedness. Before my natural inclination to hide from God could set in, using the story of Adam and Eve, God helped me understand that He saw me before I saw me. Same as with Adam and Eve, He always knew that I was naked. He never didn’t know. Matter of fact truth, He created me, Adam and Eve, all of us (we – the people) that exact way!

The intent of this blog is to share what God recently taught me about nakedness – particularly, what our response to it should be, and a few related illustrations indicating the importance of this response.

I’d like to start from one of my key take-aways from last year’s conversation with God on the subject: God created us naked and He called it good! Genesis 1:31

Translation: God created us weak, lacking, and needy. This is a VERY good thing.

Here’s one set of Words out of God’s mouth that underpins this truth:

As with all things that God created, our nakedness serves a function – to display the glory of God and, with it, the privilege to KNOW GOD.

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While God’s glory is intended for ALL to see, know, and experience,our nakedness was/is intended for God’s eyes only(as is the case between a man and his bride). ONLY God’s eyes can see the beauty of the perfect sacrifice that our nakedness (weakness, need) really is. ONLY His heart can respond with the LOVE that evokes the beauty within – The Glory of God is our beauty. Isaiah 60:19(AMPC)

As enabled by the HolySpirit, I’ve come to learn that: by design,mankind was NOT intended to see nakedness(ours as well as those of others). To elaborate more on this, I’ll be sharing two supporting events, and a third one to emphasize how we should respond to nakedness if and when we see it.

Keep in mind that although these events refer to a physical (bodily) form of nakedness, they each translate to the contextual definition mentioned above.

EVENT #1: Genesis 2:15 – 3:7
Adam and Eve did NOT know that they were naked UNTIL they (we) disobeyed God (sinned) by eating the forbidden fruit. Prior to this point, we were covered by God’s glory and had not yet fallen short of it –Romans 3:23. We became aware of our nakedness AFTER we sinned. That we initially did NOT know about or see our nakedness is an indication that we were not meant to see it.

EVENT #2: Genesis 9:18-27
Noah had too much to drink. Yup, the very same Noah who walked closely with God (Genesis 6:9VOICE), the very same man God would not let go of and as such didn’t completely destroy all living thing on earth (Genesis 6:8VOICE) – this very same Noah was drunk and passed out naked. Ham (his second son) saw Noah in his naked (vulnerable) state and told his brothers (Shem and Japheth) about it. In response to this, Shem and Japheth covered their father’s nakedness. It is important to note that Shem and Japheth did this by deliberately positioning themselves in a way that prevented them from seeing their father’s nakedness (Genesis 9:23 VOICE).

This event reinforces that mankind isn’t meant to see nakedness, not only because of how Shem and Japheth positioned themselves but also (and more so) because of the series of subsequent events – (A) Noah prayed that Canaan (Ham’s son) will be a slave to Shem (and Japheth under Shem’s tent) – Genesis 9:24-27 … (B) God honored the prayer.

The latter (B) part is what I want to emphasize … you’ll see why in a minute.

In praying that Canaan will be a slave to Shem, Noah indeed prayed that Shem will own Canaan (a slave owner owns the slave) – this very prayer translates into the same eternal promise that God unrelentingly commits Himself to (even now). Let me quickly explain with a family tree …

Canaan became and is the people/land of Canaan that God promised to give to Abraham and his descendants – Genesis 10:15-17, Genesis 15:19-21– yup, the very same Canaan! A promise that God has bound Himself to and intends to continually keep in every iteration there is and ever will be!

That God eternally and fully backs (honors) Noah’s prayer, which resulted from how his sons responded to his nakedness, is another indication that we were not meant to see nakedness … we naturally can NOT handle it with the required care.

Sooooo … here we are,having sinned(since and many moons after the forbidden fruit was barely digested), we consequently see nakedness–What then are we to do now?

The answer lies in the above two events, as well as a third. #TwoandaThird 🥰💖

EVENT #1 – God covered Adam and Eve’s nakednessGenesis 3:21

EVENT #2 – Shem and Japheth covered Noah’s nakedness Genesis 9:23

Let’s take a quick look at EVENT #3, after which we’ll go into why we should cover/clothe the naked (along with a couple practical examples).

EVENT #3: Ruth 3:1-4:22
Ruth was a widow and a foreigner – she had no right and as such no claim to the land she was in. She was poor, needy, vulnerable – essentially, she was naked.

Here’s another person who was naked (vulnerable) – Boaz. He, like Noah, was drunk and passed out outside (he was not in the security of his room or house). Unlike Noah, Boaz was covered but no less vulnerable – his nakedness could very well have been exposed (Ruth 3:7). Yet, Ruth did not expose his nakedness. Uncovering just his feet indicates (among other possible things) that she was in a position to take advantage of Boaz’s vulnerable state and capitalize on it – she was in a position to expose Boaz’s nakedness but she didn’t.

In turn, Boaz covered Ruth’s nakedness by marrying her. More importantly, God honored her by making her the great great great great great (many more great) grandmother of Jesus – The Redeemer and Glory of God Who lovingly covers the naked!

Considering the monumental and eternally binding way God responds to how we deal with those who are naked, it is apt to say that how we respond to those who are naked is a big deal to God, one that should not be taken lightly – this is what inspired me to write this blog. In sharing it with you, I pray asking for grace (for everyone who needs it, starting with myself) – grace tocover/clothe the naked with God’s Love (His Strength, His Glory)just as God does with and for us.

Practical Applications
Like me, have you been wronged by someone whom You’ve forgiven for the wrong they did to you but when conversations lead back to them or to a similar experience of what they did to you, (without any malicious intent) you still narrate the story or tell others about the person and the wrong they did to you?

I did … BUT God in His merciful love, showed me how this is no different than what Ham did after seeing Noah’s nakedness – telling others about it. He encouraged me by primarily showing me how He responds to the naked (even and especially me) – See Ezekiel 16:1-13. Same as He did for Adam and Eve, God clothes the naked.

What a loving encourager God is! He doesn’t just tell us what to do. He encourages us by showing us what to do … by showing us how He does it. He also empowers us by doing it for us and through us (I’m so excited to share more about this God-doing-it-for-and-through-us truth! Hopefully soon … the beauty of it lies in the Sabbath! Another blog for another day).

As the conversation continued, God also showed me how He has and continues to cover my nakedness with His Love. He encouraged me to mirror Him – that I do what I see Him do. Using my cousin’s (Midas’) words, I thank God so much for His response of grace and mercy to me – Ham had a different (even yet merciful) fate. PS: God is merciful, everything He does is merciful. It just might not fit into our limited (boxed-in) understanding of mercy.

Here’s a slightly different experience from mine – in this scenario, you weren’t wronged but (instead) the person in question did something wrong – something unjust or unbecoming. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT covering the person’s nakedness in this case is NOT to mean that you ignore it, condone it, or sweep it under the rug. Absolutely not! Like Shem and Japheth, when a person acts nakedly or is naked, we are to address it. However, we are to do so gracefully, mercifully, compassionately … Godlikely (same as how God does it)! Respond with grace, mercy, compassion based on the wisdom God gives you. If you don’t know how, ask Him for wisdom.

WHY is this important?
Well, there’s the part thatGod takes it to heart and seriously. Also (and equally important), there’s a link between the naked and God – whatever we do to the naked is the same as doing it to God!

Finally (and MOST important), there’s the incomparably priceless privilege of knowing God– the WHY behind everything God does! The seed, root, and fruit of everything God does – that we may know Him. He is our greatest and ONLY true GAIN. Oh that we would press in to and be eager for God-Knowledge!Hosea 6:3

God does not despise our nakedness – He made it exactly as it is for His glory. When we cross paths with a naked person – someone in need either by way of lacking sustenance (i.e. food, shelter, means of well-being etc.) or by way of lacking godly judgement (i.e. wrong-doing, short-coming, etc.), do NOT look at the person or situation through the lens of yournaked eye… do NOT disclose or expose their nakedness. Instead, look at the person and situation throughGod’s eyes… apply God-given wisdom and respond with Grace – the Strength of God’s Love …

… cover their nakedness with God’s Glory (LOVE) – His Glory is our greatest good.

The same is true when we see our own nakedness – our shortfalls, flaws, weakness, incapability, any form of lack. Do not hide from God like Adam and Eve did. Remember, God saw you before you saw you. Go to him and let Him cover (clothe) you with His Strong Love (His glory).

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The Breath of God has been teaching me about the one God loves. The class is still in session, and I must say, it’s been a delight! Interestingly, in a joy-filled and targeted way, the HolySpirit picked Jacob (Israel) as the focus of study.

The aspect of what the HolySpirit continues to teach me that I’m excited to share with you stems from and is related to these words: “Jacob I loved, Esau I hated“. See Romans 9:13 and then Malachi 1:2B, 3A

God is LOVE … how could He possibly hate Esau?

As I pondered on this, the HolySpirit helped me see that the definition of love/hate in this context is NOT limited to the earthly definitions and use of these words. With this in mind, let’s take a look at the first in the series of heavenly definitions of key terms: LOVE.

In order to give God, one must first have God. To have God, one must first RECEIVE God. It is important to note that being given a thing is NOT equal to receiving what was given. God loving us is NOT the same as us being loved by God– think of it as a two-sided coin.

God ALWAYS gives us God however, we must receive God in order to be loved.

Going by the above definition, Receiving God = Loved. Conversely, NOT Receiving God = NOT Loved (aka hate). Applying this definition and translations to Malachi 1:2B,3A, it would read:

What this means then is thatit is in receiving God that we are loved by God.

A similar but differently worded reference can be seen inJohn 14:21

Translation: whoever receivesand then gives God to Mewill be loved by God(My Father). To mean then thatthe one God loves is the one who receives Godand is thus loved by God.

God loves us sooooooo very (infinitely) much. In the exact same way that He loves us, God wants us to be loved. He wants us to be the one He loves – the one who receives Him.

Why does God want us to be loved?

So that we may live – truly, fully, and abundantly. This matters greatly to God.

Let’s take a look at two connecting scriptures under which this truth stands (#UnderStanding 🙂): Matthew 22:37-38 and Deuteronomy 30:20.

Based on the earlier definition of LOVE, it will be accurate to say that: loving God means giving God to God, rightly so too! God is the ONLY befitting offering (gift) we can give God. Moreover, God ONLY recognizes (acknowledges) God – the gist of this can be seen in Matthew 25:1-12 (specifically verse 12) – a different story for a different day blog 🙂.

In order to love God (in order to give God to God) we must first have God to then give to Him. In order to have God to give to God, we must first be loved (receive God). Receiving God can NOT happen unless we first are given God. To mean we can NOT be loved IF God does not first love us –1 John 4:19– we love Him (ONLY) because He first loved us. It’s impossible otherwise. Thankfully, God gives, gives, and gives us God!

Based on the understanding outlined so far, we see that there is a sequential connection between (1) being loved – receiving God, (2) loving God – giving God to God, and (3) living, all of which is possible solely because God loves us.

From the above illustration, we see also that there are two prerequisites to loving God (RE: two-sided coin):

The first is God loving us. As mentioned earlier, this is an eternal certainty. God assures us of this truth by speaking from the perspective of what’s already done – a done deal, better put, a forever (sure, solid, unchangeable, unshakable) done deal – no take backs! Surely, God does NOT give like the world gives (John 14:27)

The second prerequisite to loving God is being loved – being the one God loves. THIS, as mentioned earlier, is a function of whether or not we receive God.

Receiving God, as simple as it seems, is a HARD nut to crack on our own – we can’t crack it. It requires active participation and partnership with God.

What does it mean to receive God?

How does one receive (believe) God?

It is evident (from all of the above) that God wants us to live. He has made available to us all things requisite/suited to life (2 Peter 1:3) – LOVE, God Himself. What stands in our way is UNBELIEF – the sin that easily besets us! Through the knowledge of God and in partnering with Him, we can and will be receptive to the Word of God (the Voice of LOVE) – the result of which is the translation from death to life.

God wants us to live. We live by Faith which comes only by hearing (being receptive to, NOT rejecting BUT receiving) the Word of God – Romans 1:17

God wants us to live. We live by the Word of God – by every Word that proceeds out of God’s mouth – Matthew 4:4B

God wants us to live, it is for this reason that He loves us – it is for this reason that God gave us God –John 3:16– and continues to do so by pouring His Love (Himself) into our hearts – Romans 5:5

To summarize …

Therefore, be loved as God loves you. Rest and live in the certitude of God’s Love.

Beloved … be loved. let yourself be the one God loves that you may love God and truly live.

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Heavenly Father, The One Who is LOVE, The One Who loves me, The One Whose love will NOT give up on me (Isaiah 54:10B VOICE). Thank You for the gift of You (LOVE) … Thank You for God-ing me, thank You for loving me with all You’ve got (Psalm 33:20 MSG), with all that You are. Thank You for the privilege to believe You (Philippians 1:29) and thus live. You are my livelihood. Thank You for giving me the capacity to hear and keep Your words as You speak deeply to me (Psalm 40:6 AMPC, TPT). Thank You for helping me rest in the certitude of Your Love through the knowledge of You – to know You is to love You, to love You is to live. Thank You for the matchless privilege to be the one You love.

Ever wonder what’s on God’s mind?

I do … and while I recognize that there are varied expressions of what’s on God’s Mind, the answer to the question is the exact same: God.God is on God’s Mind

In this blog, I’d like to call attention to one expression of God that’s on God’s Mind.

First, how can one possibly know what’s on God’s Mind?

I asked the same question when I read David’s description of what’s on God’s Mind:

I remember readingPsalm 139:17-18and wondering (1) how did David know this? (2) every grain of sand on every shore – that’s a lot! Countless!

I suspect David caught a glimpse of what God was talking about inJeremiah 29:11

Perhaps he saw a faint shadow of the reality and plethora of good things God has in store for him/us. Hence, his words …

… MORE than the grains of sand on every shore!

My human mind still can’t process it … it never will. Only the Mind of Christ can! What a delight it is to have the Mind of Christ! To think what God thinks!

It is true that God’s thoughts are infinitely higher than ours(Isaiah 55:8-9). That said, God has a thing for telling His friends what’s on His Mind 💖. As He did with Abraham(Genesis 18:1-5,16-17,20-33), same as with David, and others alike, God continues to reveal His heart (what’s on His Mind) to His friends …

…1 Corinthians 2:9-10, 11-12, 16B

The Holy Spirit tells us what’s on God’s Mind – THIS, is how we know what’s on God’s Mind. The HolySpirit tells us what He hears the Father say(John 16:13)… what a privilege! Especially considering that we live (and can only live) by every word proceeding out of God’s mouth –Matthew 4:4

“Out of the heart (what’s on a person’s mind), the mouth speaks.“

The same is true with God. Thankfully, the One Who speaks over and concerning us – the One Who has the last word speaks better things than the blood of Abel … … He speaks what’s on His Mind, and what’s on His Mind isSALVATION.

Yep, SALVATION is on God’s Mind!

Who’s Salvation? Ours – His people’s Salvation.

Salvation from what? Wickedness.

WICKEDNESS = un-God-Likeness (simply and accurately put)

FROM every form of un-God-likeness i.e. death, the sting of death (sin), the wages of sin (death), the futility and corruption of this world (Romans 8:20-21 VOICE), fear, lies … TO God-likeness, exactly how we were created to be(Genesis 1:26A, 27 AMPC)

Not only is Salvation on God’s Mind, He wants it to be on ours too! Here’s the faith (the truth-based evidence) that(1)Salvation is on God’s Mind, and that(2)He wants Salvation to be on our minds too:

As we gird our loins with the above truths, let’s deep-dive into the following:

The short and ultimate answer to the question –What is Salvation?– is:God is Salvation. That said, the expression of this answer that I’d like to call your attention to is this: Salvation is God setting things right for us.

Why is it important that we have salvation on our mind?

The Mind of Christ is the mind that focuses on God (Salvation). Jesus had Salvation on His Mind while He lived on earth as a man …

The Mind of Christ is the mind that minds God’s business. Jesus was all about God’s business –Luke 2:49 (AMPC). He still very much is –John 17:26.

His Name, Jesus, means The LORD is Salvation, Savior, God Saves –Matthew 1:21(AMP, TPT, VOICE) – a Name indicating what’s on the Father’s Mind and what He came to do: the Father’s Will –John 6:38.

Jesus did ONLY the Will of the Father (what’s on God’s Mind) – He did what He saw God do – John 5:19. He continues to do exactly this – truly, He is a “man” after God’s heart! Our perfect example.

The Mind of Christ is the Mind of the Holy Spirit …

God gives us what we really need: a long drink of Salvation – Psalm 91:15-16

Mankind needs and thus desires Salvation – over and over we’ve tried and still attempt to save ourselves, over and over we’ve failed at every turn. Salvation comes only from God and He is ready to continue to give it – He was ready even before time began. I know this because the Lamb was slain from before the foundation of the world.

Salvation is coming … The Day of Salvation is here and NOW – Isaiah 49:8

God is coming – He comes with Salvation.

Think on these things, with expectant, confident Godfident, Living Hope.

So rest and see the Salvation God will wrought for us this day (every day that is called today). Of a truth, we will see the goodness of God in the land of the living and taste joy with/in every breakthrough and good thing that He brings to us!

Indeed, we are saved in this hope and for this future –Romans 8:24(VOICE).

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… such is the nature of God’s love.

Every God-lover all over the world will attest to the truth that God’s Love is beyond human comprehension. It is indescribable – to mean that it can NOT be entirely or fully described – not accurately, not exactly.

What I’m about to highlight (as powerful and substantive as it is) is only but a glimpse into aspects of God’s Love. I share it as an expression of praise, and in celebration of the finished work of Christ – the basis, essence, and entirety of which is God’s Love … a love that is deep,infinite, andpersonal.

Isaiah 54:8 very well articulates all three characteristic attributes of God’s Love.

Before going into each of these attributes, I’d like to quickly call out that:

God’s Love is DEEP

This can be translated to mean that …

God’s Love is INFINITE

God’s Love is PERSONAL

To mean that …

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… simply put, ASK.

ASK boldly, importunately, continually … ASK faithfully.

ASK solely based on Who God IS.

One of the lovely things I experience in God and thoroughly enjoy about Him is Him telling me to ask … then He tells me what to ask … then He asks for me (enables me to ask) … after which I experientially have it. Every part of this experience blesses me greatly.

More and more, I experience Him tenderly caring for me … the zeal of His love is breath-taking!

We see God express His passionate love when He tells us to ASK. Him telling us to ASK is Him saying: Let ME love you, that’s at least how I’ve come to experience it!

Below are few things to consider in relation and response to God saying “ASK”. I excitedly hope they strengthen your resolve to ask unreservedly!

… one more for the road. I saved the best for the last! #TheHiddenTreasure 🥰

It’s a win-win-win-win setup!

When we ask … we please God (win), our JOY is FULL to overflowing (win), we reinforcingly know God (win), God is glorified (win).

We have everything to gain and nothing to lose in asking God!

Sooooo … ask away! Ask faithfully.

ASK … NOT based on what we think we’ve done for Him lately.

ASK in a manner that is representative of Who God IS – His Word, His Name, LOVE.

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El Shaddai, You are MORE than I can dare, desire, or think to ask. You satisfy my mouth, my necessity, my desire … the greatest of which is YOU.

According to Your heart, fill me FULL of YOU. Hold nothing back.

Do you find yourself reading the bible and wondering if God’s word of love to someone or regarding a group of people applies to you too? Are you tempted to dismiss it because you don’t see how it could apply to you?

My hope is that after reading this blog you’ll not only have a truth-based answer, you’ll also embrace every treasure of the word of God that you find … and that you will begin (or continue) to actively experience them. That in experience, the Word of God will be your perpetual delight!

In response to God’s outrageous words and expressions of love (Himself), we might find ourselves say, think, or feel …

“that was then … this is now, it might not apply now”

“that was for Jeremiah … or Mary, not me”

“it’s too good to be true, can it be real”

… well, let’s start with the first and we’ll make our way through the rest.

………………………………….

“That was THEN … this is NOW”.

Ehmmm … not exactly. THEN is NOW.

Explicitly put, The Word of God is THEN, NOW, and ALWAYS.

The Word of God is not limited to time. It goes beyond any timeline.

It is undiminished – no reduction in potency or efficacy. It is applicable very much so now as it was when God spoke it … It is everlasting!

What He said THEN is NOW … ALWAYS NOW.

………………………………….

“Well, that was for Jeremiah … I’m not Jeremiah or at least not that Jeremiah.”

Those words of love to Jeremiah was for the people of Israel (Jeremiah included). Today, these exact words extend to whoever God has chosen to love … whoever believes (receives) God and His Love – Jesus is the Love of God.

The Word of God – His word of love – is no respecter of person(s).

Mercy is an expression of His love and this is what God says …

Something to keep in mind: having access to God’s word is mercy in and of itself. So is the revelation of His words by His Spirit – SeLaH.

………………………………….

“It’s too good to be true.”

I remember feeling this way when the HolySpirit opened up the Songs of Solomon (Song of Songs) to me … it felt so unreal yet it was undoubtedly real!

Yes, it is soooo very good … solely BECAUSE that is the very nature of God.

God is good – He is goodness itself. As a result, His word of love is good.

Yes, it is beyond anything we’ve ever experienced before … and that’s BECAUSE we haven’t experienced it … at least not fully and completely.

Nothing we’ve seen, heard, or experienced remotely comes close …

… yet, it is ALL very true, very real. I dare say even more real and prevalent than the air we breathe … and it’s ours for the taking!

………………………………….

“but it says for those who love Him … I don’t know if I love Him so this might not apply to me”

There was a time when I was somewhat (significantly) convinced that I did not or must not love God. Back then, I would read Romans 8:28 and immediately my response (mostly in thought and/or feelings) would be:

“This very likely doesn’t apply to me … it says very clearly “those who love God” …”

… I tell you, those times were rough!

Thankfully, the HolySpirit has since made me receptive to the love of God that He continues to pour into my heart. He also taught me that believing God is loving God … He assured me that He enables (and will continue to enable) me to love God. An even deeper truth is that He loves God for me – God loves God for me! … another story for another day.

The take-away for now (and in today’s story blog 🙂) is that Believers of God are Lovers of God. IF you believe that God IS … and you believe in His ONLY begotten Son – Jesus, THEN you love God and His words of love fully apply to you.

………………………………….

In learning that I will always be the need for Who God IS. I also understood that ALL God IS apply to me. God is Love and His word. Hence, His words of love apply to me.

BUT don’t take my personal resolve for it, let’s take a look at Jesus’ narration of this truth. In Matthew 13:44, Jesus told a parable about the Kingdom of God.

The parable goes thus …

One very lucky orchestratedly blessed man this man!

He found the hidden treasure – the Kingdom of God. In essence, he found God.

The treasure was there … so is God – Jehovah Shammah (The LORD is there) 💖

The treasure was there … available for grabs! It was there for whoever found it. It could have been anyone … the treasure wasn’t there for any one/specific person.

So is the Word of God – His words of love are available for grabs to whoever will seek them out, thus find them, and then claim them as theirs … in other words, Finders Keepers.

The bible can be likened to that field in the parable – the field with hidden gems available to those who (like the man in the parable) go looking … those who seek.

The treasure was NOT lying on the ground – on the surface of this field. It was hidden, buried … to mean some digging (seeking) was involved. He sought and (according to the infallible, self-fulfilling Word of God) he found them!

The good news is God wants to be found! He wants to be found by us …

WHY the hide and seek?

Apparently, God loves this game principle! I’m convinced that He invented it and that His version is called: Hide-Seek-Find … ecstatic JOY!

… and that’s (in part) WHY. The ecstatic JOY that comes with the find!

God is passionately and unyieldingly committed to filling us FULL to overflowing with JOY. The man in the parable experienced this JOY … a JOY that made him give up everything else for the treasure he found.

Another part of the WHY is the personal involvement or active participation on our end. God wants us to know and experience Him fully and personally, hence the invitation to seek Him.

Our personal experience of, and walk with, God is a priceless gem that no enemy can take away! It’s the greatest JOY there is and God wants us to have it.

It’s no wonder we see Him express this in many ways throughout the bible … Proverbs 2:4 is one of such verses that echo God’s heart regarding seeking Him (Wisdom) – the Word of God is Wisdom.

The bible has hidden in it precious treasures – God’s words of love, promise, wisdom, blessings, … and everything we need.

Finding these treasures is NOT happenstance, which is why I don’t think the man in the parable was lucky or that the find was a lucky find. We find these hidden treasures because God (by His Spirit) reveals them to us.

I don’t take these finds lightly … so far, each one has been to me an indication of what God wants to bring to live in my life – what He wants me to have, experience, and ultimately enjoy!

The next time you find a hidden treasure in the bible … It’s yours! Claim it!

Claim it with your version of the same tenacity that the man in the parable had.

Whatever your version may be, lay hold of and tightly to God’s words of love to you.

Don’t lose your grip on them … Let no one take them from you. Revelation 3:11

Let your response to God’s words of love, as revealed to you by the Holy Spirit, be Jesus. Jesus is God’s Yes … He is the Amen. Revelation 3:14. Let your response be Yes and Amen (it is so)!

PS: Seek, keep seeking … there is MORE. When you find it … it’s yours! It definitely applies you. Claim it (receive it) by actively and wholeheartedly believing it … and enjoy it with humility and thanksgiving.

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Thank You Abba for making available to us ALL things pertaining to life and godliness … thank You for Your words of love to me – I receive them, I claim them, they are mine according to Your heart and according to Your Yes … AMEN!

The entirety of this blog is an attempt to call out the importance of God’s Love and why we most definitely need it.

Recently, and somewhat casually, the HolySpirit said to me: Ask Abba to love you with all He’s got. It took me a minute to process what I had just been told … even the possibility of it made my brain pause! …

… what doesALLmean for a God Who is inexhaustible!

The anticipation of it made my heart skip several beats leap!

In obedience and with sheer excitement, I asked God to love me with ALL He’s got!

Full disclosure … I was almost certain I’d explode BUT I asked anyway because I was (still am) absolutely confident that the HolySpirit will put me back together again should it happen!

Back to the topic at hand …

… with the understanding that no one can take on ALL of God, the HolySpirit assured me that He’ll help me bear it. 🥰

In Ephesians 3, Paul prayed saying …

For a long time (until maybe last year), I read this wondering why I need Strength … why do I need to be empowered to know and experience the Love of God.

This brings me to Romans 5:5– a bible verse that I’ve come to thoroughly relish!

With the revelation that (1) the HolySpirit is the Grace of God and that (2) the Grace of God is sufficient,Romans 5:5could have stopped at because God has given us the HolySpirit … but it didn’t.

Also, it could have said because God loves us – this by the way is the foundation and essence of the gospel of Christ:God does love us sooooo very much. While this is undeniably true, Romans 5:5 doesn’t say this either. John 3:16 does 🥰.

It appears then that the use of language/words in Romans 5:5 was purposefully and deliberately structured to lay emphasis on the pouring of God’s Love and the filling of our hearts with God’s Love by the HolySpirit. To mean that, in addition to being passionately loved by God, we need God’s love in us <—— THIS is primarily what I’d like to call attention to.

Having learnt that if God gives it, we most definitely need it, it is apt to say that the pouring of God’s Love in our hearts is imperative. In other words, God’s Love in our hearts is a must-have!

WHY should we make it our highest goal to have God’s Love in us?

HOW do our lives depend on it?

Let’s get the ball rolling …

The Love of God in us is God’s power at work in us and it avails much!

El Shaddai!🥰 The Inexhaustible One! The All-Sufficient One!

He IS EVERYTHING we need and infinitely MORE! He IS The MORE!

The riches of His abundance are without borders … unending and bottomless!

With Him, there is NO WHAT IF there isn’t enough to go round or enough left for me.

He IS undepletable – impossible to deplete! El Shaddai is His Name! 💖

In addition to this MORE-than-ANYTHING-you-can-DARE-to-ask-or-think blank cheque or black card,the Love of God leads to HOPE– one of the three must-haves called out in 1 Corinthians 13:13…

… because of this Love-based Hope, we are never left feeling short-changed. On the contrary, we can NOT round up enough containers to hold everything God so generously pours into our lives through the HolySpirit –Romans 5:5 (MSG).

By extension, this means that if all 7+ billion of us were to let God pour Himself (LOVE) into us … that’s 7+ billion containers … it still will NOT be enough to hold everything God wants us to have!

Here’s an outline of the connection between God’s Love and a few other must-haves.

From the above depiction, we see thatGod’s LOVE leads to PEACE which in turn leads to and is STRENGTH and COURAGE (the absence of fear).

If we pause to consider the extensive benefits of peace, strength, courage, and hope in our lives, we’ll catch a glimpse of the truth that the Love of God leads to all the must-haves we need and as such it is the greatest must-have of ALL.

Thankfully, God has made it ALL available to us …

How has God made all the must-haves (including His Love) available to us?

How does the HolySpirit pour God’s Love into our hearts?

Depicted below is anotherLove Connectionthat shows the link between LOVE (God),THE WORD OF GOD (God), andLIFE (God).

In other words, God’s Love is LIFE … this Life is the Light of all mankind. John 1:4

By telling and reminding us of God’s Word to, for, and regarding us, the HolySpirit reveals God’s heart to us and (in essence) pours God’s Love into our hearts.

How do we receive the inpouring of God’s Love into our hearts?

What does it mean to receive with humility?

From a recent personal experience, I learnt and can unreservedly say that Adam and Eve were naked yet unafraid and unashamed BECAUSE of God’s Love – they lived and basked in it. It was poured into their hearts and they received it with all humility.

How so?

BEFORE eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they did NOT know that they were naked (knowing that one is naked involves some level of self orientation). All they knew and received was God (LOVE) – this in turn cast out all fears hence, they were unafraid.

In my somewhat similar experience, I saw a side of me that was not … God-like. Thanks to the Love of God that the HolySpirit continues to pour into my heart, I heard the whisper:

“Let yourself be vulnerable with God.“

I went to God and laid my heart bare before Him. I was vulnerable – admitting my weakness and exposing it to the Light, yet I was unashamed. Like Adam and Eve (in Genesis 2:25), I was naked and exposed yet unafraid or unashamed solely because of the Love of God … a LOVE that results in a PEACE that truly is beyond all natural understanding.

Our natural understanding, which represents a form of darkness or blindness, can NOT comprehend or make sense of the Love of God (Light). Thankfully, the Word of God is the Voice of Love – the Voice that pierces through all forms of darkness.

Our natural understanding, similar to that of Adam and Eve after eating of the tree, is self-oriented and tends to fear i.e. the fear of being punished, being rejected, or any number of WHAT-IFs … it also results in fear-based responses or actions including being fearfully responsible – SeLaH.

Nevertheless, the Love of God encourages us to BELIEVE and NOT give in to fear.

Believing God is a practical example of receiving with humility.

ONLY the truth of God’s Love for and in us can utterly dispel all fears and fear-based responses. It’s a LOVE that choses MERCYover (and in) judgement.

It’s a LOVE that says: Let ME love you

In other words, “Let ME in and I will show you ME. To know ME is to know LOVE“

The Love of God in us is God’s action in us. His action in us is what leads to actively and interactively knowing Him <——THIS is LIFE …

… a Life that can ONLY be experienced by knowing Him (God, LOVE) personally.

God wants us to have and enjoy Him (Life) hence the outpouring of His Love – better put, the outpouring of Himself (Love) – into our hearts.

For everyone who is willing, you wanting to let God’s Love in your heart is evidence that God put the desire there. This reinforces the truth that He wants you to have and enjoy Him (Love, Life).

In alignment with God’s heart, I echo Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:19that you come to know the Love of God personally and that you become fully filled with Love (God).

In other words, I pray that you become God-FULL … Love-FULL … FULL of Life!

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I’ll wrap up this 3-part series with two additional lessons learned from the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

First … a quick recount from Part 1 and Part 2.

The truth is: they died!

They were still breathing, talking, moving around …

… dead nonetheless. Think of it as a case ofThe Walking Dead.

Lessons Learned #9: Our human (natural) mechanisms can NOT accurately comprehend the Ways and Word of God be it written, spoken, or personified.

When God said  the day that you eat from it, you most certainly will die … it is natural to think of this from the perspective of physical death.

Beyond the physical death is a form of death that I (still) can’t accurately describe, but I deduce that it is terrible solely based on the truth that God does NOT want us to experience the full extent of it – John 3:16-17 reveals this truth and God’s heart.

Without the HolySpirit, we can NOT accurately make sense of the Word of God, much less translate it appropriately. Case in point: John 3:1-10 …

Jesus was talking to a renowned expert/teacher (Nicodemus) about being born again. Nicodemus’ mind could not conceive of the premise, hence his response to Jesus: how can a grown man be re-born? It’s impossible for a man to go back into the womb a second time and be re-born!

How limiting are our natural senses! What full lives we would live if we lay our simple thoughts aside …

In relation to the things of God, our natural eyes (including the eyes of our mind/understanding) are limited – they are eyes that don’t see (Mark 8:18) … they caN’T make sense of the things of God – this (in part) is why we need the HolySpirit.

Thankfully, God gives us His Spirit … without limit! –John 3:34. Jehovah Jireh in action – always providing for our needs. 🥰

Interacting with the Word of God without a HolySpirit-enabled understanding is detrimental and ill-advised. Besides, why would we? The HolySpirit – the Spirit of God – is the ONLY One Who knows the heart of God (what He means and intends).

The HolySpirit knows all the juicy secrets that God Himself joyfully wants to reveal to us per time. John 16:13 – He speaks what He hears God say. In other words, we getFirst Hand Informationwith the must-have understanding required.

This is the Way of Peace (Luke 1:79) – living by Faith (the Word of God) through Grace (the Spirit of God), and NOT by sight (our human mechanisms/wherewithal).

Lessons Learned #10: God’s Word is inescapable. If He said it, it will surely come to be.

WHEN Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, true to the Word of God, they died … we all did!

It’s important to note that, in addition to the death being one that transcends physical death, the extent of its scope applied to all of mankind. In essence, we were born dead.

Thankfully, out of the abundance of His love and mercy … and true to His nature, God came for us and redeemed us – Isaiah 53

God paid the wages of our sin (unbelief) – the unbelief which led us to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, the same unbelief that has since led us to rely on our own understanding and mechanisms (cisterns that do NOT hold water – Jeremiah 2:13), as opposed to relying solely on God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 – Jesus (God personified) knew no sin yet, He took on the consequences of our sins and paid the price for us – a price we could NEVER pay.

No amount of “good” works on our part could ever result in salvation (Isaiah 64:6)

We are saved by GRACE (the Spirit of God) through FAITH (the Word of God).

In other words, we are saved by the HolySpirit through Jesus.

The same Word-and-Spirit combo that created all of creation.

The Word of God became flesh – Jesus.

He came to earth to do and (in conjunction with the HolySpirit) did the needful, that we may have renewed life –Eternal (unshakable) Life #TheForeverDeal.

A life born not of flesh and blood but by The Word-and-Spirit Combosame as in the Valley of Dry Bones –Ezekiel 37:1-14.

A life obtained and sustained not by works (“good” deeds) or human effort but simply by believing God – His Word, His Love … Who He IS.

How can we believe God without first knowing Him?

Well, that (I believe) is the essence of all God wants for us … I dare say that the cumulation of ALL that God has done from at least the foundation of the world till now and for all eternity sums up to thisONE THING– that we know Him.

Think about it … why have acompletedplan to save us from the foundation of the world? … BEFORE the creation of the tree that we ate and the death that ensued.

In many words …

Why create a tree that results in death … have the tree be put within our reach … allow us be tricked into eating it … allow us eat it.

PS: I use the word allow NOT to mean that God made us do it or that He tempted us into eating of the tree – James 1:13 God does NOT tempt us to sin. I specifically and explicitly mean that (in His sovereignty) He could have prevented all of it but didn’t. He let it be …

… we died. We were given enough time to prove (by ourselves) the futility of our ways, all the while being the proof of the need for salvation AND our inability to save ourselves.

THEN at the right time, God subjected Himself to a mediocre life on earth and went through a visible, somewhat relatable ordeal by choosing to die a gruesome death.

He could very well have raised an eyebrow or tapped His finger. My point is, of the multitude of options He could have chosen from to save us from sin and death, He chose the most personal and humbling path!Hechosethe most sacrificial expression of Love known to mankind(John 15:13).

Why go through this VERY elaborate plan?

That we may know Him … That we may know …

To know God is eternal LIFE (John 17:3). To know Him is the essence and fullness of life … To know Him is our greatest satisfaction … To know Him is MERCY … JOY … and PEACE … To know Him is the TRUTH that sets us free (John 8:32).

In truth, knowing God is the ONLY knowledge worth having …

To know Him is the beginning and the choice part of Wisdom– Proverbs 9:10

To know Him is the Fear of God 🥰💖 – Proverbs 2:1-6

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Part 1 of this 3-part series started with a focus on one of the questions asked in the Garden of Eden: Did God really say?

The other note-worthy question that stuck with me is: Who told you that you were naked?

This was God’s response to Adam – see Genesis 3:6-11.

God knew they were naked – He created them that way. This means then that His question was not one of surprise, nor was it as a result of shock.

God is El Roi (all-knowing). He knew everything that had transpired earlier that day. This also means then that His question was not as a result of lack of intel.

Soooo … why ask a question to which He already knew the answer? Well … God is intentional and purposeful in all that He does. While there are most likely other reasons, I believe God asked this question so that I (and others) would learn the lessons hidden therein 🙂. #HiddenTreasures

The question ‘who told you that you were naked?’ focuses on the WHO behind what was said …

We see the same kinda question in Zechariah 4:7…

In essence, this great mountain before Zerubbabel said: ‘Impossible‘ and God’s response was ‘Who are you? … Who are you that what you say should matter?‘.

Lesson Learned #5: The WHO behind what was saiddetermines how much credence (if any) should be given to WHAT was said.

Situations have voices – they speak. Like the mountain referenced in Zechariah 4:7, every created thing has a voice – they speak (Psalm 19:1). In addition to what we say, what we see, feel, think, or perceive each have a voice – they speak.

In response to what you hear, before you put any stock in it, consider asking the question: WHO said it?. Alternatively, WHO is the underlying source?

Irrespective of the outlet – be it within (my thoughts, perspectives, feelings, etc.) or without (what people and/or situations say), I’m learning to ask the question: Who is it who speaks? Creator or Created?

It is true that God speaks to us through the created (people, animals, things, situations, etc.). The same is true of the enemy, which is why in response to whatever I hear, I’m learning to ask the question: What is the underlying source: Shakable or Unshakable?

Lesson Learned #6 :If God said it, EXALT it. Exalt God’s Word above ALL else.

In other words, exalt what God says above what your eyes see, what your feelings feel, what your ears hear, what your mind suggests, what others say, the situation before you, and whatever else is there. Exalt God’s Word above all else.

Guess what! God does the exact same! Psalm 138:2B tells us that God exalts His Word (What He says) above all else (including His Names). We see Him do it in Isaiah 59:19B

Who better to emulate than God! If God does it, it is (undoubtedly) prudent that we do the same – that we raise our Standard (Banner) against the enemy.

Putting this in context:

What has God told you? What has He said concerning you?

Lesson Learned #7 : If God did NOT say it, DISCARD it … it matters NOT.

Another way I’ve come to see the question ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ is:

What does it matter if I (Elohim – God your Creator) did not say it or tell you?

God knew they were naked but did not say it or tell them. If it mattered, if it was a need-to-know, God would have told them. I say this solely on the basis of Who God IS – Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, He gives what we need per time #OurDailyBread

He tells us what we need to know if/when we need to know it. In other words, if He does NOT say it or tell you, it is inconsequential. Discard it. #CTRL-ALT-Delete🙂

How do I discard it? I see the great mountain staring right back at me. I hear the roar of the raging tempest … the loud chatter of all these contrary things – things not in alignment with God’s Word to and concerning me. How do I discard them?

By NOT believing them actively nor passively.

What we hear can be likened to a planted seed (seemingly small yet impactful).

In believing it, we accept it as true and it takes root. In believing it, we tend to entertain (accommodate) it … we tend to focus on it (in thought, words, and/or action), we give credence to it … in other words, we exalt it.

Doing this creates a nurturing environment for the planted seed to bloom i.e. the right amount of sunlight, water, the whole nine! Consequently, the planted seed bears fruits!

The inverse is true, not believing what we hear prevents the planted seed from taking root, it creates a non-conducive environment for it, and ultimately causes the planted seed to wither or not bloom – to not find expression in our lives, to not have a say.

In believing, we give permission to whatever we believe (accept as true) to take form and find expressions in our lives – it becomes our experience, for good or bad. What do you accept as true? What do you allow or give permission to?

Who’s report will you believe? SeLaH

Lesson Learned #8: If God does NOT give it, we most definitely do NOT need it.

Going back to the truth that God is Jehovah Jireh, our Provider. He always provides for our every need. What this inherently means then is that IF He doesn’t give it, we don’t need it BECAUSE if we did, He most assuredly will give it.

By extension and in relation to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, in saying not to eat of it, God was implicitly saying we did/do NOT need it.

Retrospectively, I agree. Yeeeaaa 🙂… I’m partial to God and would agree with anything He says nonetheless. That said, putting my partiality partially aside and looking at what we’ve done with the knowledge of good and evil from the time of acquisition, it appears that most (if not all) of what we’ve done with it is misuse it, misappropriate it, or misapply it … the outcome of which has been fear, false and/or flawed judgment, self-righteousness … the list continues.

This then brings me to my first thoughtful response to the story of the Garden of Eden: Why did God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil smack in the middle of the garden if He did not want us to eat of its fruits?

It could very well have been in the back corner somewhere – out of sight, out of mind … Clearly, God’s ways are not our ways.

As to why He put the tree where He put it, I most definitely don’t know and will not presume to know. That said, here’s what the HolySpirit helped me see:

These questions give us reasons to go to God and to inquire of Him.

They are conversation starters – case in point: Zechariah 4. Through these conversations (communion), God reveals His mysteries … He reveals Who He IS, His ways, His heart. #HiddenTreasures🥰

In going to God with these questions (with a seeking heart) we inherently believe Him – Hebrews 11:6. As a result of believing Him, His response to our questions – His Word to us (Who He IS) – takes root in our lives.

His presence makes for the perfect nurturing environment and so by way of active communion with God, the fruits that His presence brings forth (Galatians 5:22-23) bloom and multiply. The fragrance of His presence surrounds us and is released through us – a sweet smelling savor in deed!

His responses to our questions – His Words of Love – become our every moment’s bread. We eat our fill from the pleasures of His presence – Psalm 16:11, 36:8.

This is our design: to truly live and be sustained by every word that proceeds out of God’s mouth – Matthew 4:4B.

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Abba, my Abba, thank You for Your words of love to me and concerning me – I believe you. Thank You for the continuous supply of Oil – Your Word and Your Spirit. I need them thus You give them – thank You Jehovah Jireh for providing for my every need.

Elohim, I am who and what You say. Word of God, reign, rule, and be fully expressed in my life. You birthed me – James 1:18, as such what You say goes. You are my identity, my reputation, my banner. You define me – in You I live, move, and have my being – Acts 17:21.

HolySpirit, Grace of God, You are God’s action in me. I am able to believe the Word of God solely because You enable me to. Help me to always follow in Your footstep – to raise my Banner and my Banner’s Banner always. Thank You for all that You do in me and for me. You are a preciousness like none other! 🥰