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The King of kings stands on the mountain. In one hand, he holds a sword, and in the other, he holds out life. Which do you take?
We all want life. Very rarely does one claim to want death, and when we do want death, we want it quickly, without suffering or pain. But life comes in the way we least expect it. It comes through surrender, it comes through the sword.
The bible says that the Word of the Lord is a sword. It pierces to the deepest parts of us. It shines light on things we’ve tried to hide, things we are embarrassed of. Our deepest shame.
What do we hide, but cancer and decay and rot? Fungus and evil of every kind. It only kills us, weakens us, and terrifies us. Life comes through the light, light comes from the edge of the sword that we fear. Light comes through the Word.
Think again of the man on the mountain. He looks over the kingdoms of men and judges them rightly, with justice and love and mercy for the ones he created. Time passes like a wind, but it does not affect him. You are seated on the grass by his side, safe in the shelter of his shadow. There is no enemy that can reach the point where you are. There is no danger, only peace.
You are as safe and secure as you could be in his presence. Your position of honor is real, more real than the room around you. In this world, our senses dim the reality of our position, but it is still real. The delusion of the physical world distracts us from the real, but it is still there. Close your eyes and you can feel it- the grass by your feet, the wind in his mane. The Lion stands over you, and the Lamb grazes nearby.
There is only one Truth, and that is Him. He is the Beginning and the End, He is all knowledge and wisdom and understanding.
When He speaks, everything is still.
When He looks at you, you are fully known, and fully loved.
He sees to the deepest parts of you, even to the parts you wish you could hide, and He loves you. With one hand he cradles you, and with the other He cleans and heals those inner parts.
The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost, and you were the lost. Broken and cast aside, you wallowed in filth and agony until He found you, picked you up, and rescued you. Now He calls you to come higher, to look on the cross and climb, to enter the mountain and find the riches of salvation where there is no shame, only glory. Where suffering is a joy and shame is no more. Will you enter? Will you take his hand and look upwards, forgetting what is behind and pressing on towards what is ahead?
The King of kings is on his throne, and in his hand is the reward for your labor. On either side he upholds you, and angels usher you into his presence. Will you come? Will you step into the light, and let all be revealed, and be transformed into the image of his glory, the image of who you were created to be?
Only a little while, and this will all be past. Only a little while, and every eye will see him. The trumpet will sound, the heavens will be swept away, and every knee will bow at his glory. Will you be one of his, found in righteousness and beloved, or will you tremble and shrink at the sound of his voice? The King calls you now, The King bids you come.
Will you come?
I have not lived many years, but I am learning that everything I have done that is not seeking Him is loss. He is the only true joy, He is the light and the Way and the Hope. When I think of Him, I think that I only wish I knew Him more. Every experience I have of the Lord has filled me with peace and perfect love, and I regret that I have not gone after Him more.
When I picture the Lord, I see him standing in a doorway, with light coming from behind so that I can see his outline but not his face. This is the way it is for me now. I recognize him but I want to draw closer, I want more. I want to get up and run to the doorway, run to the light, and look Him full in the face.
I used to hate being a woman. Women are so powerless here on the earth. I know, I’ve heard the pithy sayings, men are the head but we are the neck. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. But in truth, women are second, and we know it. We talk loud about our influence, but we don’t hold the power, we don’t have the authority that men do, at least very rarely. A queen may have it, but even she has to fight for it.
I used to hate being a woman. I saw it as a sign that I was less. Loved less, honored less, given less. Less potential, less opportunity, less… everything. But now I know something I did not know. I know that as a woman, I have the opportunity to know love the way men wish they could. I can look at the Lord and know Him as my bridegroom. I know what it is to be wrapped in his arms and feel safe and secure and protected. I know what it is to be looked at and found lovely, to be prized and cherished. This blessing is far more to me than any position on earth, though I have only recently changed to understand that.
I bless the Lord for making me a woman, so that I might know this, and I only look forward to the day when men can pass to the other side of the veil and experience how wonderful it is.
In knowing the Lord, I find peace and understanding. I understand Him, and I understand myself, and I understand those around me. Not that I fully understand, but each time I meet with Him, I find another measure of it. Another measure of goodness, as far as I am capable of receiving without bursting. One day I may be overfull, and my body will not be able to withstand it, and on that day I’ll reach glory. I think this is the way of the martyrs.
He is peace. He radiates peace, even while he gives judgement and punishes the wicked. But for us, his children, even the heaviest judgement is as sweet as a kiss, as light as a blessing on the head of a child. This is how it is for his children. There is no fear in Him correcting us, only perfect love and joy.
Won’t you come to the Father, won’t you turn your face to see Him? He stands even now at the mountain, with one hand extended, His eyes turned full on you. Won’t you take it?
In order to find Jesus more, I’m starting a new series going through the book of John. This is your invitation! Follow along here.
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