Loving God

     Our home fellowship group is working through the DVD series and workbook, 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice, by Mark Virkler. It is an excellent study! Mark is encouraging us to find a time and place to be still, envision ourselves in God's presence, fix our eyes on Jesus, listen to what He wants to say to us, and then journal our thoughts. He says it is often helpful to start by asking a question.
      A few weeks ago when we began the course, I was meditating on “What does it mean to be a bride?” Since Jesus calls us His bride, I thought it would be good to ask Him about what that relationship would look like if we really understood.
      I began thinking about how a bride and bridegroom relate in the natural. They treasure each other. They can hardly wait for the consummation of their marriage. They have chosen to spend their life loving each other, treasuring each other. They long to spend time together, getting to know each other intimately, speaking words of love to one another. Their every thought is of the other. Every available moment is spent together. They look for ways to let each other know of their love. I asked myself, "Do I feel this way about Jesus?"
      I began to write the thoughts that came to me as if God were speaking directly to me. Mark calls this ‘tuning to flow’ and says to write--not questioning what you are writing until you are through writing. (Of course, the prerequisite is that you have your eyes fixed on Jesus.)
      The thoughts began to flow. “A bride is not complete without her bridegroom. She desires to pour out her love upon her beloved. Because I know how much you desire to do this, I have given you physical representatives of Myself in your spouse, and others I bring into your life, so that you will have someone to physically pour your love for Me upon. Remember how I have said that what you do to the least of these you’ve done to Me?
      You have forgotten and not understood. You have looked for response and have been disappointed. You have made decisions and judgments based on response. I have not said to love if someone returns that love the way you want. I have said to love because in loving you are showing Me how much you love Me.
       You have had glimpses of this before—that each person is gift—but you haven’t understood how each person is an opportunity for you to pour your love back to Me—that you express your love for Me through expressing it on others. Each person is a little piece of Me to love and to cherish. As you ask to love Me more, I send more difficult people for you to love so that you can practice loving with more of My love.
        As you’ve done it to the least of these you’ve done it to Me. That works in everything. As you have scorned and rejected those around you, so, too, you’ve done it to Me. See Me in all that you meet. Love Me in each of them. As you do, you are lavishing your love on Me. I am receiving the love you have for Me through them. Do you really want to express your love for Me? Then feed My sheep. My sheep are starving for My love.”

As I look back over what I have written I believe it had to be God speaking because it was a new revelation to me of how He receives love and the way He sees how I love. His words to Peter in John 21:16-18, came to life in my heart.

I have posted the link to Mark Virkler’s website, Communion With God Ministries, in the Links tab at the top.   He has some interesting material in the “Free Books and Articles” listed along the side of the site.  I especially have enjoyed taking (and getting my family to take) the Brain Indicator Test.  Try it and see what you think.