Conversation .... Two

As of late I have kept some of my personal practices private and to my own heart.

Too often I have jumped the gun, shared too quickly, about the intimate workings within my relationship with the Spirit, with Father, with Christ.  Too often I took intimate moments with our God and spread them out for all to see instead of letting them do their work and saturate and strengthen my soul.  It was as if I went to all my proverbial girl friends and shared  the intimate details of making love to my husband.

God loves us so personally and intimately and is the Lover of our souls. I have seen how He responds to respecting that relationship. It has caused me to awaken to His desire for close and personal, intimate moments with His own. 

It took me a long time to realize that these precious moments between us, were meant for us... He and I, and at times only He and I. Most times only He and I. A safe practice to have is assume 98% of that which happens between you and God is for and between you and Him.  That is a safe assumption. It will not lead you wrongly.  As I embraced those truths, I put into my life practices and disciplines as to empower me to revel in the beauty that is ours to have with Him.

One such practice that I have done now for 29 days is pray a prayer found in Jeremiah 33:3

Call to Me
 and
 I will answer you,
 and 
I will tell you
 great and mighty things, 
which you do not know.’

But it wasn't things I wanted to know. 

I wanted to know Him. And so when I began I merged that which the Lord spoke forth with a prayer that is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi.  "Lord, who are you?  Lord, who am I?"

It wasn't "things" I wanted to know.... It was Him.  "Show me about yourself," I would pray.  Show me great and mighty things about you which I do not know.

I was driving near my home  and there was much upon my heart and mind.  I had concerns. I wasn't praying.  When that all too familiar beautiful sound filled my heart; His voice... His whispers.. Him.

"I am not punitive, Mims."

and again He would say," I am not punitive, Mims."

Punitive: Intending or inflicting as punishment.

Our God isn't the yin/yang or karma related.  While we do reap that which we have sowed, it isn't vindictive. 

"There is no fear in love;
 but
 perfect love casts out fear, 
because 
fear involves punishment,
 and
 the one who fears is not perfected in love.
 
1 John 4:18 

Those moments were sweet, as if gentling streams of living waters cascaded over my soul healing every raw wound or past infliction.  I've known lots of punishment at the hands of men, inside and outside the church.  There is fear in my heart in regards to relationship at times.  I've all too often seen relationship crumble and ministry take precedence. 

In this moment, He was expressing His heart as if He was saying, "I'm not like that."

"I'm not punitive, Mims."

And in that moment

  I knew 

great and mighty things!