heart friends:
ones that have seen you laid bare- ones that you literally have shared your heart with and feel that they have a piece of you and you have a piece of them. I was in a small group about 5 years ago with people that I have a type of bond with like no other- it was so ordained by father as we were not only sharing the same passion but it felt like we were even on the same page- on the same narrow rocky road together. We watched the Lord breathe life into us in such a refreshing way.
well, we had a small reunion of this group (plus some new additions!- aren't the beautiful!?) this past weekend at the encounter retreat... One of the many ways to describe that small group would be "united"- our hearts beat for Jesus in sync with each other and we cant really put to words exactly what happened that year but we knew Jesus was there in a unique way ... There is no doubt that we tasted and saw that the Lord is good. I think it's an earthly example of exactly what God does when He unites himself with us. When he gives us a new heart and places a new spirit within us and we share that "God-heart" with others there is a spiritual bond created. Ezekiel 36:26-27 talks about how He removes our heart of stone and replaces it with a heart of flesh. He gives us a new heart and put a new Spirit in us. He actually puts HIS Spirit in us and moves us to follow His decrees and be careful to keep his laws because of this new nature. No wonder we are all in sync when we are all abiding in the Lord and going hard after Him. This heart is a gift but it's also His heart... Like a heart transplant... It was once someone else's, but now it's mine...But it's someone else's...But it's MINE! And it's the driving power force of my life blood. Or shall we say His life blood... Oh I want to welcome the flow of His life through me otherwise I am dry and lifeless.
I asked the Lord to reveal a little more about how He thinks of me and how he pursues me and here's where it ties in and he was faithful to answer:
Knowing what it feels like to "share hearts" with some or like my dear dear friend prayed to "see my heart in another body" and feel that strongly tied to someone, imagine how our Abba feels tied to us!!!! When your "heart friend" is in the room you don't play around aimlessly but you do spend your precious time with them while you have the chance... knowing that HE lives in me and is hearing all my most intimate thoughts. There's no way any other human could know me that well!
you know all my thoughts
you see through my ways
and still you come to me...
and He sees me as a valuable possession- HIS heart of hearts- not just because He calls me that and not just because we wants to woo me but literally because we carry around in us His spirit-I would venture to say His heart a part of Him that UNITES us to Him ... His desires become ours and His thoughts and His ways become more ours as we are sanctified and as we are changed from glory to glory. And like we heard from Matt this weekend, we want to be nestled into His chest, hearing His heartbeat (think Charlie Hall: suddenly I feel your heart in mine...Sweep me away!) It's in us... The question is will we rest in what we hear Him saying, believe it, and live like it's true to us.
and I'll sing a love song to you, and I'll sing a love song to you! and my life is a love song...
I cannot deny the love of my Savior! If I feel this strongly about my 'heart friends" I cant imagine how the God of the universe feels about His children, whom he formed for His pleasure and then bought back by His own blood, and not only that but gave himself up for you and me placing HIS very Spirit inside us.
wow! Is he connected to us in an intimate way? Oh yeah. We share hearts- we are united- we are part of the intimacy that always was and is and is to come. That is a degree of pursuit that I can only hope to fully understand until the good work is finished on the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6). You, my friend, are His Heart of Hearts. He thinks well of you. He does not see you by what you do but as a new creation, thanks to the finished work of the cross. It's finished. Live in the grace that He's given you. Yes, it's too good to be true so it's ok to walk around stunned, but pick that jaw up and dance to the new song with that heartbeat that is His. He is IN you... Your Hope of Glory.
If you find yourself doubting that this could possible be true, well, that's the nature of the gospel. If you think there's no way you could hear the heart of God, tell Satan to get behind you while to rest in the arms of your Abba. He's here and asks nothing of you but faith- if you just trust it opens the door to experience a world like no other. Life in Christ.
i leave you with some awesome lyrics by the coolest girl band ever:
i need You to love me, and I...
I won't keep my heart from you this time
and I'll stop this pretending that I can somehow deserve what I already have
i need you to love me...
I challenge you and me to stop what were doing and let Him love... that's who He is: Love! That's His nature and that's what He will do for all eternity. let Him break down the walls and bring light to the dark parts of your heart - let Him transform it because you already have His heart! Stop trying to earn/deserve this incredible give and just receive it. It's yours in Christ.
