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

to be a godly woman. I'm not meaning to be rude at all, you know me better than that, but I don't need another tape, another book, another ministry. All I know is that what is written here in our Bible study tonight, I truly don't have, but I desperately want it. I long for it but I don't know how to receive it. I have never felt this way before." One of her friends replied, "I have to admit that your spiritual experience sounds like mine and probably, if the truth were known, that's exactly how we all feel right now. I want what this passage is saying too." All silently nodded their heads in agreement.

Then a stranger in their midst, a relative of one of the young ladies, who was visiting from out of town, was asked what she thought. Everybody in the group had fallen in love with her right away during the fellowship time just before Bible study. There was a quiet joy about her. Her name, well I'll call her Marybeth. She said, "I don't want to intrude, I'm only a visitor, but I will share my heart for a moment." The discussion leader responded, "Feel free to speak, concerning our dilemma." Marybeth said politely, "You're very gracious, thank you so much. At one time I struggled as all of you are tonight. Then one day the Holy Spirit revealed to me the simple way in which He would fill me. I too used to look at this passage in Ephesians and longed for what it said was possible. The Holy Spirit is commanding us here to be continually filled with Him. I realized that this was not talking about the time when He came into my spirit at salvation. That was forever. However, I was puzzled with these verses. How can I be continually filled with Him as this scripture teaches?"

Marybeth paused, slightly bowing her head as if she were listening to someone prompting her. Everybody in that room was on the edge of their seats. Something was happening. There was a holy presence, an expectancy so strong that it felt as if the Lord Himself was speaking, and He was! Marybeth lifted her head and looked at each one. There was a far away look as if she were thinking about someone very, very special. She spoke gently, "What you are looking for is not in more ministries, programs, prayer, Bible studies or church meetings. All of these are absolutely important but when you enter into what the Holy Spirit is talking about it will make all those things greater than you ever imagined. Look at that passage again, it says, '...making melody in your heart to the Lord....' Doesn't this sound like cherished intimacy with someone?"

Ruth broke in excitedly, "Yes, yes, that's right! I want to be more intimate with Jesus but I don't know how!" Marybeth was as excited as Ruth. "You know, it's as fresh today as it was the very moment when I learned the simple secret. Actually it's fresher. It's so precious. O my dear friends, you need a melody! God's song!" A bewildered Ruth asked, "But what song Marybeth? I sing beautiful hymns and chorus' here and at church but I don't have that intimacy you are talking about. What song? Tell me, please!"

Marybeth chuckled, "Pardon me for being tickled, but I see the Holy Spirit working all over you. He's making you spiritually hungry. That happened to me and it's grown deeper ever since! Ruth, it's not a song like you mentioned. And they are all wonderful. When you have God's special song all these others will have meaning you were never aware of! God's going to give it to you. Can you imagine that? It's given to you! You don't have to do a thing except deeply long for it and you certainly have that. Look at Psa. 40:3, 'And he has put a new song in my mouth, even praise to our God....'"

"Ruth, what you and everyone here longs for cannot be achieved. It is like salvation, given to us. You're not the only ones who have sought this wondrous filling. Men and women of spiritual renown who were already in ministry found this secret and it dramatically changed them. They finally heard His song, missionaries such as Hudson Taylor the missionary to China, Dwight L. Moody the great evangelist, Charles Finney the amazing revivalist, Amy Carmichael, Oswald Chambers, Eugenia Price, John Bunyon of 'Pilgrim's Progress' fame and others to name a few. The filling came, their ministries overflowed with power and a personal strength for endurance."

Marybeth paused and then asked, "Before a container can be filled, what must first take place?" All of them answered at the same moment, "It has to be empty!" She responded excitedly, "Yes, yes, that’s it, that's the secret! There's an old hymn which some of you might remember, it expresses it so beautifully. '

 

Emptied that Thou shouldest fill me, a clean vessel in Thy hand;

With no power but as Thou givest graciously with each command.

Jesus, fill now with Thy Spirit hearts that full surrender know;

That the streams of living water from our inner man may flow.'

 

Isn't that the cry of your hearts?" In an almost imperceptible holy whisper Ruth spoke for everyone, "Yes, Marybeth, that is the hunger of our hearts. By giving Him all the rights to your life your loving Bridegroom will draw closer to you revealing His song of intimacy to your heart. Why don't you ask Him? It's obviously His will for you. Didn't He say, 'Ask and it will be given to you'? Ask, then wait. Let me tell you a little secret, the Song is already in His Book. Why don't you read it? Ask Him to spiritually kiss you and He will." At that very moment everyone in that room felt completely overpowered by a heavenly love flowing into the depths of their souls. Ruth thought she would burst. The presence of God filled the room as they all began to quietly praise the One who was baptizing them in His first love, love! Time stood still in their adoration of Him. Then Ruth (now the bride of the Song) spoke quietly and asked...

 

V.2 "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine."

Tired of seeking after fleeting joys in everything else, this bride of the Lord hears the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit deep within her heart saying, "Give yourself completely to the One who is your Savior and allow Him to have full rights to your life. You will begin to experience the joy and satisfaction you have so long sought after. You will be filled with Me and as you walk deeper and deeper in surrender, this glorious filling will grow and grow." She knew, positively knew, that in one brief moment giving everything concerning her life to Him would begin a new spiritual walk never experienced before.

A holy, intensive expectation filled her soul 'till she thought she was going to burst just as the Psalmist himself had experienced (Psa. 42:1,2). Her lips opened and from the depths of her heart she declared to her Lord, "I am ready, Oh I am ready dear Lord Jesus. Take all the rights to my life. Do what You must! For You are what matters to me now!" Then she asks...

 

"Let him..."

Here is the true beginning of the surrendered life; she requests, He is to fulfill. She longs for approval. A spiritual kiss from Him will do just that. She wants to be filled with Him alone and no longer is satisfied with just religious activities anymore. Notice that she does not make a move toward Him to initiate the relationship. She invites Him. He must be satisfied that she is ready for this kind of spiritual intimacy. Are you dear believer? A truly surrendered heart always waits for Him to move in whatever circumstances. She asked and with great joy of assurance she knew He would answer!

Listen to her pray: "Lord, I am ready to surrender my heart to You! I have been focused on things, thinking they would give me happiness. Even ministries Lord have not satisfied but now I know the secret, it is Your love that is so much better than those things. O how I long to be in total communion with You alone! A spiritual kiss from You will assure my heart that You consider me ready for this surrendered relationship!" Is this your prayer request? He will come and spiritually kiss your heart and soul. How can you know when you have been kissed by Your Heavenly Beloved? The answer is coming.

 

 

"...with the kisses of his mouth..."

What does it mean to be spiritually kissed by the Lord? Your Beloved Jesus is the living Word itself. He spoke and the heavens and the earth were created (John 1:1,10,14; Gen. 1:3,6,9). The very Bible you hold in your hands is the mouth of the living God. Your Bridegroom said, "...the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63). His mouth is the Word; "And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword...." (Rev. 19:15; Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12). As He "kisses" you with His Word you will receive it in your spirit.

But how can you know a "kiss" has been given to you? As you meditate upon His holy Word, the Holy Spirit will reveal some special truth to you, some beautiful word of revelation about your Beloved. It will instantly fill you with His joy! Your response should be, “Wow! I never saw that before!” or "Lord that was so wonderful, let me have more! O how I long after Your heart and all of its secrets."

Your response will be the same as the Psalmist who said, "How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great the sum of them!" (Psa. 139:17). A kiss from your Bridegroom is having Him open your eyes and seeing wonderful things from His Word! (Psa. 119:18; See also Psa. 40:5).

That very moment, when something new has been revealed to you, is the moment He places a heavenly spiritual kiss of His love on your heart. You then must respond. Your Beloved beckons to you saying, "Let me have your love once again! My heart longs for your 'first love' love. I kissed your heart with My Word. Will you respond to Me? Take a spiritual journey with Me into My heart, filled with love that you never dreamed possible, greater than your greatest thought about Me. We will be gloriously one!"

 

PRAY WITH ME: "O my Beloved, Your mouth is life; Your words melt my heart with full satisfaction; O to be kissed by You; to have Your Word of love permeate my whole being; to feel at complete rest; complete peace; complete protection; O how good it is to be complete in You (Col. 2:10)! I open my heart totally to You. In Your glorious name Lord Jesus, amen."

 

That wonderful kiss assures you of His total approval! Emptying out all of your rights to Him gives you the filling for which you have so longed. You ask, "How may I know that I am totally surrendered to Jesus?"

Surrender is simply saying to the Lord, "I trust You completely and I give You the right to do whatever You want with my life." Surrender is not giving up things but giving up your rights to Him alone. It is doing what Prov. 3:5,6 instructs, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Little does this bride realize what spiritual changes will begin to take place throughout her life because she asked to be kissed by Him.