Intimacy with GOD by Esher Shoshannah (e book reading free .txt) 📕

A BIBLICAL OVERVIEW OF OUR LORD’S BRIDEGROOM LOVE FOR US

 

THE BRIDE HAS MADE HERSELF READY - REVELATION 19:7

How much does the Lord love His people? Let the following verses declare it: "The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.'" Jeremiah. 31:3

"And it shall be, in that day," says the LORD, "That you will call Me 'My Husband,' And no longer call Me 'My Master,'” Hosea 2:16. Because of this infinite love for us John 14:23 proclaims what our love in response to His heart should produce: “Jesus said “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word….”!

When LADIES read the Word of God they must become accustomed to being called "sons of God". This has nothing to do with the masculine gender, it is about the FAMILY RELATIONSHIP with their Abba, Father (Rom.8:15; Gal.4:6). Can you imagine being given to Jesus as a bride by His Abba Father? It's absolutely true. Jesus said clearly that we are a gift to Him from His Father in John 10:29, "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand."

For MEN, they need to understand that being the bride of Christ is not a gender issue. It is a heartfelt SURRENDER issue. Read Rom.12:1,2. It is sad that so few men are able to enter into the glories of the Song of Songs because they think it is feminine. God's Word teaches clearly in Gal.3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." Online go to page 12 and see what three well known men and one well known lady had to say. Women and men who have received Christ as their Lord and Savior will be living in that relationship in eternity. Why not now?

Our Bridegroom Jesus asks, "And why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" Luke 6:46. Your Bridegroom didn't die simply to be just your Savior. He became your Savior that He might be Lord of your life. "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living." Romans 14:9.

The theme of this wonderful Song is about a believer who desires a deeper more intimate relationship with her Bridegroom through daily surrendering her/his will to Him in all the daily issues to Him in whom are "hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" Colossians 2:3.

All of us in the body of Christ need to be very submissive to our Lord, our Husband. It is an act of being humble before our eternal Husband - wasn't that a characteristic of Jesus as He walked this earth? He declared of Himself in Matt. 11:29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” His yoke is easy and His burden is light because we are drawn so close to Him in that yoke and He is carrying all the weight of that yoke. Isn’t that what a real husband is supposed to be like?

Jesus, your Bridegroom humbled Himself for you, His bride (Phil.2:5-9) and did this for you, Eph. 5:25-26, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word.”

He still is giving Himself for you, Heb. 7:25, “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” WHAT A HUSBAND!

Imagine Jesus, with great joy, looking closely at this precious gift of you to Him and saying, "Thank You my Father, thank You so much, she looks terrible right now, but I'll die for her! She will become my beautiful, perfect, spotless, glorious bride forever and ever!" (Heb.12:2). This is part of the great joy that was set before Jesus causing Him to endure the cross and despising the shame!

Oh the precious oneness you have as a bride with your heavenly Bridegroom who came to live in your heart (Eph.1:13; Col.1:27; John 17:22)! Yes, He lives intimately in you. That is spiritual oneness.

This spiritual oneness is what real marriage is all about. Jesus loves you, His blood-bought bride so much, that at the moment of salvation He had to indwell you immediately by His Spirit. That's oneness! He would not leave His bride alone in this sinful wilderness but would stay with her until He escorts her to their permanent home (John 14:2-3).

The devotional is to be read slowly. Each time it is simply sitting privately with your most intimate spiritual Friend (John 15:15, 17:26), the Lord Jesus Christ, having Him reveal to you the deepest thoughts about you, His blood bought bride. Many, many times you will just sit and savor in your heart the joys of Him who is your Bridegroom/Friend.

May the Holy Spirit touch your heart while reading the following verses:

Isa 54:5; "For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the LORD of hosts; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth."

2 Corinthians 11:2; "For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin."

Hosea 2:19-20; The Lord speaking about His people, "I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In lovingkindness and in compassion, and I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know the LORD."

John the Baptist speaking about Jesus, John 3:29, "He who has the bride is the Bridegroom…”

Revelation 19:7, 9; "Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. Then he said to me, 'Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, 'These are true words of God."

Revelation 21:9; "Then one of the seven angels...spoke with me, saying, 'Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.'"

The Lord even uses the analogy of a bride and bridegroom in giving us the garments for salvation. What a gift!!! Isaiah 61:10; "I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."

 

Always for His Name's sake alone,

Esher Shoshannah   Psalms 106:8; 109:21; 143:11

  

THREE BOOKS IN ONE!

 

1. A PRAYER - PRAISE BOOK

The author becomes so moved while meditating upon certain verses that he must stop and pray. The prayer of the writer's heart is written out and he asks you to pray with him. This happens over ninety-five times. There are over 350 praises for our Beloved from A to Z to be used after reading each chapter. They appear at the end of the last chapter.

 

2. A VERSE BY VERSE DEVOTIONAL COMMENTARY

The heart of this study is life application and a love adoration for God. The Holy Spirit will reach into your heart. You will reach up to the Lord and reach out to others. The thoughts presented in each verse are to lead you into a deeper, more intimate relationship with the Lord and His people.

 

3. A SPIRITUAL SHORT STORY

Woven throughout this book is a hypothetical short story of the bride, her friends and the Lord. The purpose is to spiritually illustrate what a particular verse is teaching. In this short story you will be allowed to hear the Beloved Bridegroom and the Holy Spirit speak to the bride. You will listen to her heart speak through many circumstances.

 

 

THIS IS ALL ABOUT SURRENDERED LOVE TO HIM!

 

 

You become so completely in love with the Lord causing you to trust your whole being to Him including all your circumstances!

"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name."

Psalm 103:1

 

Because of this Holy Spirit filling of love for your Bridegroom you will actively believe with your whole heart that He keeps His promises. You will wholeheartedly rest your daily life on Rom. 8:28,32; II Cor.1:20 and Isa.63:9! Without hesitation you will actively do what the Holy Spirit declares in Prov.3:5,6. With that you will completely rest in Phil. 4:6 and experience v.7!

 

If you find yourself attacked with doubts, then continually be reminded of the above scriptures and rest in your Bridegroom’s heart Who will absolutely keep Deut. 31:6,8! Pray for the true filling of your Bridegroom’s Spirit where He will develop this private, intimate love relationship between you and He, your heavenly Husband. You will begin to say, "I am consumed with love for You dear Lord, increase my capacity to love You more!"

 

 

LORD JESUS, HOW CAN I NOT LOVE AND OBEY YOU WHEN…

 …You looked inside of my heart and saw what was absolutely repulsive to Your pure soul, my sin nature which was dead in trespasses and sins (Eph.2:1) - DEAD! DEAD! DEAD? These dead things were spiritually decaying and putrid smelling! Only God could handle that horrible, eternal stench. Jesus, You saw all of my filthy deadness in the cup You were offered by Your Father in the Garden of Gethsemane and in tears began to sweat great drops of blood. You willingly took that horrifying cup and drank it up fully for me! OH MY SOUL THAT IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE, INFINITE, GLORIOUS LOVE!

 

HOW CAN I NOT LOVE AND OBEY YOU LORD WHEN…

…You saw