Draw Me After You

“Draw me after You, and we will run together.” - Song of Songs 1:4

Reading time: 2 mins 21 secs

Yeshua, I have known the kiss of Your tender words spoken to my heart, and I have delighted in the fragrance of Your Anointing that binds up the brokenhearted and delivers the oppressed and needy. You have captured my affection.

Draw me away with You into Your chambers, my King of Glory, into the tabernacle of the Most High God where streams of Your Anointed Presence make my heart glad. (Psalm 46:4) Your nearness is my good. (Psalm 73:28)

The high vision of my life is to love You with all I am and to pour forth love into others as I deepen in my union with You. (Matthew 22:37-40, John 15:4) In light of this, make me Your extravagant worshipper who is drawn by Your cords of affectionate lovingkindness. And make me Your anointed partner who can run with You in intercession and shepherding Your people with Your heart. (John 4:23, Hosea 11:4, Hebrews 7:25, Jeremiah 3:15)

Give me the grace to fulfill the vision of the Two Great Commandments, to love You and others, and the Great Commission, to disciple the nations. (Matthew 22:37-39, Matthew 28:19-20) Grant me comprehension of how You love me with all Your heart, soul, mind, and strength so that I may love and worship You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. (I John 4:19, Matthew 22:37)

Draw me away into Your secret place, oh Lover of my soul, that I may abide under the shadow of Your wing. My God in Whom I trust, cover me with Your feathers that I may take shelter in Your presence. (Psalm 91)

Yeshua, I cannot come unless You draw me. (John 6:44) So I set my face like flint and cry for You to pull me towards You with Your kindness and the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 50:7) I seek Your face and will not let go until You bless me. (Psalm 24:6, Genesis 32:26) As a deer pants for water, my soul pants for You! Draw me away!

My soul thirsts for You, for You, the only Living God. (Psalm 42:1) The nations' idols made by human hands have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see, and ears, but cannot hear. They cannot breathe. (Psalm 135:15-17) Yeshua, breathe on me and allow Your Good Spirit to enter the recesses of my being. (John 20:22)

You Who has the voice of many waters, deep calls unto deep at the thundering sound of Your songs within me and Your words of life like the torrents of Niagara waterfalls crashing over my soul. (Ezekiel 43:2, Psalm 42:7) All Your words like roaring waves and white-tipped billows are utterly consuming me. (Psalm 42:7) Yah the Lord, You command Your lovingkindness in the daytime, and Your songs of deliverance will be with me in the night. (Psalm 118:14; 42:8 & 32:7)

When shall I come and appear before You, my Beautiful God? My tears have been my food day and night. Be that as it may, I look up to You, Yeshua, and am not cast down within. (Psalm 42:2-6) Lover of my soul, I silence my disquieted soul and allow hope to arise, a hope that You will answer my cry and lift the light of Your countenance upon me. (Numbers 6:26, Psalm 42:5)

I Have Not Forgotten You

Psalm 44

For ones who are suffering or even facing martyrdom.

(Reading time 3.7 minutes)

Within Psalm 44 there are countless, insightful treasures in how to sustain a heart during suffering. These golden nuggets of wisdom direct us into a faithful heart of love that remembers our God Who spoke holy vows to us in an everlasting covenant.

“You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to those all around us. You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples. My dishonor is continually before me, and the shame of my face has covered me, because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, because of the enemy and the avenger.”

“All of this has come upon us and we have not forgotten You and we have not dealt falsely with Your covenant. Our heart has not turned back and our steps are not deviated from Your way. Yet, You have crushed us…and covered us with the shadow of death.”

Psalm 44:13-19

Oh the beauty of a suffering heart that remembers the tender affections and promises of her God. Oh the endearment of the Bridegroom God Who gave His hand to us in an everlasting covenant of compassionate love, justice and faithfulness.

The sons of Korah, the authors of Psalm 44, are not strangers to feeling crushed. Their father Korah, a Levite, led a rebellion and their young eyes saw the earth open and swallow their father and friends alive after Moses prophesied the earth would open and carry them to Sheol. Yet, the Lord spared the sons of Korah. (Numbers 26:11)

These sons knew suffering and loss, yet, while in pain they were magnificently struck with and molded by the fear of the Lord.

“If we had forgotten the name of our God or extended our hands to a strange god, would not God find this out? For He knows the secrets of the hearts. But for Your sake we are killed all day long.” Psalm 44:20-21

God is able to discern the desires and intentions of each heart. We can deceive ourselves and others, but Yeshua, Who is Truth, knows our hearts and cannot be manipulated to believe anything less than what is real.

The sons of Korah grasped God’s omniscience, knowing even the secrets of their hearts. Through the Spirit of the fear of the LORD this knowledge hedged them in to only seek after Elohim and love Him wholeheartedly.

Making known His unfailing love, they grew to be consumed with yearning for God. Their “tongues were pens of a ready writer.” (Psalm 45) As they sang prophetic songs of God’s beauty and of their desire for Him, verses were brilliantly composed that have gone on to transcend ages and generations.

“As the deer pants for water so my soul longs for You, O God. …When can I come and appear before God?” Psalm 42:1 -2

“My heart overflows with a good theme… You are fairer than the sons of men. Grace is poured upon Your lips.” Psalm 45:1-2

“My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.” Psalm 84:2

The pleasures of the Presence of God awakened a determination to be close to Him and an unadulterated desire for Him that churned within. Yearning for God shined brightly, and this light was not diminished when they were “crushed.”

Being crushed like a rose, the sweet-smelling incense of worship was drawn out of them “delighting the heart” of God. (Proverbs 27:9) This aroma of love as strong as death permeates through the firmament, satiates the courtroom of God and delights God’s soul.

Prayer

Yeshua, strengthen the hearts of those who are suffering or even facing martyrdom. Help them remember You. Fill them with the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. In Your mercy capture their desires and ignite the flame of Love within them, the love as strong as death, unyielding as the grave, the very flame of Yah that cannot be quenched.

My Revelation on the Island of Patmos: Part 5 of 5

Thankful

”Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!” Psalm 107

The debilitating electrical pain from Trigeminal Neuralgia caused me to gradually lose function of my limbs. Any hint of movement would release shocks of pain through the left side of my face, so I lay on my right side as still as possible for days on end. The blinding beams of pain and suffering were all-consuming.

Then God brought beauty from the ashes I was covered in. The pain diminished and an adequate amount of relief enabled me to sit up in bed. With tears filling my eyes, I found no other words except a continual “Thank You God, thank You God, thank You God.”

As I write this today, my eyes become misty at the sheer memory of that day.

Supernaturally, my soul was transformed in a mere moment. Instead of being dominated by despair and grief, simple things that I typically overlooked and took for granted came to mind, like the ability to lift my head, move my arms, sit up in bed, and walk.

As I considered these things, my heart was overcome with gratitude. Simple prayers welled-up within within me, “God, thank You for arms and legs that move. Thank You for lungs that breathe. Thank You for eyes that see and a heart that beats.”

Being a nurse I reflected on the intricacies of the body’s anatomy and physiology and was thankful for my Glorious Maker Who created my fascinating and complex frame.

The simple movement of sitting up in bed without pain inundated my heart with more thankfulness than I was accustomed to experiencing.

Recalling the harshly agonizing days and the sincere gratitude I felt during the moments of respite gives me pause to consider and measure how appreciative I am today.

Oh the hideous nature of man to forget so easily all that we have to be genuinely grateful for! Regardless of the situation or pain, there is always beauty to be seen if we but have eyes to see. God have mercy and help us see the beauty.

There is a song of gratitude that we sing during Pesach (Passover) called “דיינו” (Dayenu) meaning, “That alone would have been enough for us.”

The song describes what the Lord has done to be good to Israel. After each description we sing, “that alone would have been enough for us,” as an expression of our thankfulness.

Here are a few lines from the “Dayenu” lyrics:
If God had only brought us out of Egypt… that alone would have been enough for us.

If God had only taken us through the Sea on dry land… that alone would have been enough for us.

If God had only given us the Torah… that alone would have been enough for us.

If God had only brought us to Israel… that alone would have been enough for us.

If God had only built us the Holy Temple… that alone would have been enough for us.

In times of suffering I am learning that I can continue to be thankful for things great and small.

From the beauty of a sunrise, to food, housing and clothing;

To my family who loves me and a tiny, pinky finger working.

God is good and His mercy endures, and this I do believe.

There’s something to be thankful for if we but open our eyes and see.

Abba, in Heaven, thank You for prayer and for wanting to communicate with me. Thank You for intimacy with You Who are Holy.