I woke Sunday morning to this message from God,
“The king is enthralled
by your beauty;” Psalm 45:11, NIV
To say, those words were like the snow flurries blowing in
the brisk November wind outside my sliding glass door is an understatement! The king is
enthralled by MY beauty????
I
too was blown away.
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| Thanksgiving week sky in Colorado |
This passage used to be on my UN-favorite list. Really. The
verse before instructed, forget your people, forget your father’s house. Because
someone better (the king) is enthralled with my beauty. I didn’t feel
beautiful; and I didn’t want to forget my family.
Although those scriptures stuck in my mind, I paid them
little heed over the years.
But four days ago, God whispered a different understanding.
Sue, what if God is saying, be present to me. Listen to me. Give space in your life for my truth.
I am enthralled with you; I desire (ESV translation) you.
God created me; knit me together in my mother’s womb. Should
he not be pleased with his work?
God called me; I am born of God. That birth was not a human
decision or a self-willed idea. God initiated.
God consecrated me—before I was born. Amazing!
These scripture truths rushed from my heart to my head as I
pondered Psalm 45:11. I could hardly wait to share it with Sue, and Susan, and
Janet, and Kara, and Lynea, and Laura Beth, and, and, and.
This is GOOD News.
The king is enthralled with who he created me to be. The
Message says, “the king is wild FOR you.” (Emphasis mine) God is wild for the person he created me to
be. And that precedes my physical birth or any ladder I climbed (and I climbed
a few) to try and be someone.
Why did I hear those words so differently a few days ago?
Why on that morning did it bolster my child-of-God identity?
Because of the journey I’ve been on the last 20 years.
Twelve of those years reviewing scriptures that speak of God’s love for me have under-girded my personal devotional times. I’m listening intently to God’s truth. My prayers include asking God what it would look like to trust him with that truth that day.
Twelve of those years reviewing scriptures that speak of God’s love for me have under-girded my personal devotional times. I’m listening intently to God’s truth. My prayers include asking God what it would look like to trust him with that truth that day.
Interesting, there is a research study that claims that
contemplatively meditating on the love of God has more healing influence on the
brain than any other practice or effort we put forth to reach a goal of
identity wholeness. The God-Shaped Brain:
How Changing Your View of God Transforms Your Life.
“Contemplatively meditating”, I call it making space for
God. When I make that space, he faithfully fills it with his truth, and I am
understanding scripture differently. I’m hearing that God is enthralled with my beauty.
And that is something to be thankful for!
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| from A Holy Experience, Ann Voskamp |
Another one of my blessings is YOU! Thank you for sharing
this journey with me.
“Yet to all who
received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become
children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a
husband’s will but born of God. John 1:12 and 13, NIV
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