Psalm 24:1
The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof;
the world, and they that dwell therein.
Today, for the first time here (Sealy, TX), I took my morning tea out on our little balcony at the prompting of a still, small voice within. I'm so glad and thankful that I listened! It was the loveliest morning of its kind I've experienced in a very long while. A gentle intermittent breeze with spring flowers in bloom mixed with the sound of birds singing songs of thanksgiving to God made a lovely start to a beautiful day! It was transporting! And how do I know they were singing songs of praise and thanksgiving? I asked Holy Spirit what they were saying. I wasn't certain I'd get an answer, and laughed at the thought that I actually asked. Not surprisingly though, He answered, and with the words He spoke came a revelation of His heart: He delights in their songs of pure, innocent praise unhindered by the guilt of the knowledge of sin--because they didn't, Adam did...that's the reason certain birds and animals could be offered to atone for man's sin until Jesus paid the ultimate price for all who would receive Him.
Yielding to spending my morning in a different way wasn't as easy as it should have been because I'd fallen into a routine, actually a rut. I had become entangled in a routine that had become as much work as it was pleasure and I didn't know how to change it even though I desired to. I missed the more intimate times we once shared and yielding to the simple suggestion of sitting outside on the balcony was a breakthrough indeed for me. Surely Jesus Himself released a sigh of relief as I let go of my Martha attitude!
The first step to the breakthrough came by hearing what was softly said on the inside and deciding to follow it through. Once I was outside I was focused on hearing anything He had to say, so when He started speaking, I listened. The rest of the conversation just flowed naturally. It was so lovely! And because we both were freely sharing with each other, He was free to share His heart which was to my great delight. When hearts are not shared, the conversation is not intimate.
At this point, I want to share the steps which made it possible. It was only afterward while I was giving thought to the whole scenario that the steps became crystal clear. He made it so plain...and it's so simple! Here they are:
- I heard the still, small voice within and acted on it.
- When He started speaking, I gave my full attention to listening to Him.
- Because I listened, I was able to hear not only His words but His heart.
This is simplicity itself. No wonder Jesus said a number of times, "He who has ears to ear, let him hear." We just need to have our spiritual ears on and activated!
I must let you know now, too, that the Holy Spirit has been specifically working with me for a number of months to bring me back to this place. AND In order to hear a "still" small, quiet, voice you have to have a measure of peace and stillness within. Thank God for His faithfulness in bringing me to a new beginning in this most important area. Actually, did I say months? Well, uh...that's not exactly correct. My last 3 journals were given names by the Spirit: The first: Uncomplicated, then Uncomplicated with the addition of "uncluttered", and the 3rd named Uncomplicated, uncluttered=the simplicity that is in Christ. The last 7 months have been intensive training, and I trust it's finally becoming part of me in a practical way!
And now, the rest of the story which was the precursor to all that I'm writing about today happened about 2 months ago. I wrote about it on this blog, but I had no idea of the part it would play in my heavenly Father's plan of restoring my soul by introducing me to true beauty again after enduring such harshness and loss. I'll let the first paragraph of my, March 12, 2022, post titled, "What Manner of Men Are These?..." tell this part of the story. *(To hear the song, click the above link, then the click on the photo on the page)
I just listened to something so very beautiful, something that touched my heart so deeply, it brought me to a depth of tears I've never experienced before. Not that I haven't been significantly affected by beauty in the past, but this was different, uniquely different. It was spiritual. Spiritual in the way I was overcome with a praiseworthy thankfulness to the Most High God for having created men with such creative ability, men created in His own image. Actually in this case, by creating men to be the very instruments themselves that praised Him, intentionally or not, because it was He who freely gave the gifts which enabled men to become such! My spirit's recognition of this caused my heart to burst forth in thanksgiving that could only be released in a healing flow of tears.
I didn't fully understand what happened to me that day, all I knew was that it had been unique in quality with a depth of spirituality that I hadn't experienced before, at least in that way. I thought for a while it was only to reintroduce me to a form of beauty that I'd loved since I was a child to help heal my frazzled soul. Though no one in my family was accustomed to listening to that kind of music, I just "happened" onto it one day and was captured by it. It awakened a part of me that I didn't know existed before that moment. And the day I heard Il Divo perform "Unchained Melody", I was drawn into a depth of awe inspiring beauty I hadn't experienced before. It was only later when I yielded to the gentle voice of the Spirit calling me outside on the patio for a visit did I began to realize He had begun wooing me back to Himself, but far better, and deeper, and higher and far lovelier than before, and indescribably exquisite.
Are all the times I visit Him like this? No. But all my times with Him are far better than they've ever been before. It's what I believe He's calling us all to so we'll be strengthened and renewed to finish the work He's called us to. He's bringing us all into a realm of living in a heightened awareness of His Presence within. It's a place where we'll not only rely on reason and logic as we have in the past, but on revelation from Him which gives us great advantage, and I mean GREAT ADVANTAGE over our adversary. This can only be accomplished by living more out of our renewed spirit which has a hotline to the Spirit of God, rather than our own natural reason and logic regardless of our brilliance, or perhaps, even our lack of it. This advantage can and will sustain us even through surprise attacks as we simply remind ourselves that the Greater One is with us even though turmoil and uncertainty may suddenly surround us. I'm discovering more and more the wonderful benefits of getting to know Him more intimately--and actually, that alone to me, is the greatest benefit of all!
I'll close with one last reminder. God will NEVER force His will on us, that's the tactic of the enemy of our souls. He has given us the privilege to choose to rely on Him or not. Personally, I believe anyone who chooses Him over their own reason and logic is quite brilliant indeed!
* (to hear the part of the song that especially "got me", listen for the increased presence of the baritone voice at about the last quarter of their performance)
2 Corinthians 4:7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,
that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.