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

carried me away...and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal (read the rest: vs. 11-27)." The angel showed John the bride of Christ, and in so doing he showed him the new Jerusalem!

 

"...terrible (fearful) as an army with banners."

There is nothing more awesome then an army marching triumphantly with its banners and flags flying, celebrating the defeat of the enemy resulting in peace for the nation. He sees this in her. His conquering power has overcome her enemies! The enemies of guilt, doubt, fear, hesitation, coldness, misunderstanding, etc.! His victorious power emanates from her very demeanor. Our enemy attacks us as a roaring lion and at that very moment the Holy Spirit makes us aware that the old serpent has shown up again! He tells us to lift up our banners! It defeats the old dragon every time. What is written on that banner is this, "His banner over me is love" (2:4). God's perfect love for me casts out my fear (I John 5:18)! His love is none other than He Himself (I John 4:8). Why is His love so fearful? It’s a parents’ love and a parents’ love will do anything to protect their children! He is our banner with many faceted smaller ones. What was written on the myriad of banners flying in the breeze? They are written in I Cor. 13:4-7 for you to see. Love conquers all things! Jesus' love conquered sin, Satan, death, hell and the grave! And we have that victory living inside of us (2Cor.4:7): Himself, His Word and the Holy Spirit! Glory to God! Dear surrendered reader, fling out the banners of: faith, God's promises, Jesus' name, His blood, your position - seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Eph. 2:6), the sword of the Spirit, the Spirit filled life!

Note that the Holy Spirit did not say the bride looked like an individual soldier. Rather, she is seen as part of an awesome army! She is with other lilies in the unity of the Spirit! That makes an awesome army and puts bondages and the devil to flight! Dear Christian reader, are you seen as an army in the spirit world? You need to meet regularly with your regiment (Heb.10:25) for a review of your orders and the "how to" in defeating the enemy from the training manual (II Tim. 3:16,17). Get with a few other lilies as they did in Mal.3:16,17.

Meet together to praise, worship, adore and learn from our Commander. That’s where the power is! One day the Commander-in-Chief will return claiming what is already His, the final victory. Each soldier will stand before Him for rewards (I Cor. 3:11-16). Will He have to ask you why you went AWOL so often and seldom showed up to review instructions for the daily battles? What excuse will you use for not staying with your regiment? Did He not say to you, "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." (II Tim. 2:3)? He has provided the whole armor (Eph. 6:10-19). If you look closely at v.19 it is what activates the armor!

The daughters stood there overwhelmed, riveted on what had just transpired. They had never seen such infinite, intimate, forgiving love before. They themselves longed for this kind of relationship. Then the Holy Spirit brought to remembrance the process that lifted the bride into the arms of her Beloved. The Holy Spirit said, "You remember the words of the bride, 'He is altogether lovely!' and 'I am my Beloved's!' Look at her, dear daughters, she is consumed with love for Him. She desires nothing more than His fellowship! His plans! His perfect will for her life! If that is your desire, express it to Him and to others. His heart will fill your soul!" The Bridegroom looked over in their direction knowing just what the Holy Spirit was proposing to their spirit! His look melted their heart!

 

PRAY WITH ME: "Dear Lord Jesus, dear Abba Father, dear precious Holy Spirit - Holy! Holy! Holy! My soul doth magnify the Lord! I am fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of my Bridegroom and I give Him the glory! I adore You! You are my whole life! Never again will I move to the right or the left from the path You have set out for me. I will follow the nudge of Your arm in mine. HALLELUJAH, THE LORD MY GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, REIGNS IN MY HEART! In Your glorious name Lord Jesus, amen."

 

He takes her by the hand and says, "Come with Me and meet My other spiritual lilies who love Me as deeply as you do. They have been anxiously waiting to fellowship with you. I have told them so much about you and what you mean to My heart!" Then He leans over and whispers quietly to her, "O how I've missed you My Bride, My love! I missed your surrendered eyes and your beautiful voice! I have longed to share so much from My heart with you. Remember how we would meet in the morning and talk with each other? It was so difficult for Me, especially that first morning you weren't there! I waited and waited but you did not come! But now, O it is so good to have you in My arms once again!"

As He spoke she laid her head on His breast. Tears of relief and restoration filled her eyes. The other lilies rejoiced for they had experienced the same blessed cleansing. O how wonderful did the strength and peace of His arms feel!

Something strange and wonderful was happening inside of her, she knew that she would never say "no" to Him again, never leave His side. The daughters standing there were still filled with holy wonder and amazement. She beckoned them to come near and meet the Beloved of her heart. He opened His arms to them and was so pleased that they had made the decision to surrender their all to Him also.

Having spoken to the daughters He turned and His eyes met the riveted gaze of the bride. It was almost too much for Him. He was seeing a pure reflection of Himself coming from the windows of her soul, her eyes! Streams of living water flowed from her heart through the windows of her gaze, wave upon wave of love for Him alone. The Bridegroom lovingly commands her to...

 

V.5 "Turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome (Heb. to behave proudly, to act boisterously) me:..."

Place yourself in this scene. The Lord, the Bridegroom of your heart, has just lifted your head and spoken these words to you. All doubt, guilt, depression and self-deprecation have been swept away. Your entire being has been immersed wholly in the Holy Spirit! You just stand there with your eyes fastened to His. Every ounce of love in your heart passes to His heart through your gaze! It is His strong love returning to Him, that love which had been lavished upon her by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5).

Can it be that He is affected so deeply by her gaze? This is not a scene of weakness on the part of our Beloved but of being overwhelmed by her deep responsive, repentive, transformed gaze of "first love" love! The language of her eyes filled Him with overwhelming joy! It is as if He were saying, "You make My head swim; you take Me by storm!" He was seeing eternal beauty, love, care, compassion, longsuffering, joy, submissiveness, peace, kindness, faith and so much more! Think of it, an infinite God experiences unexplainable infinite joy from His bride. He is consumed with "first love", love. The Beloved saw her future, together with Him as if it were now! He saw her ministering with Him in the fields, villages, vineyards and witnessing to her little sisters (all coming in chapters 7 and 8)! What does the Lord Jesus Christ see in your eyes dear surrendered believer?

When you say in your heart, "Lord, I belong to You forever. Do whatever You want in my life!" an exhilarating joy sweeps over His soul. He sees in your loving, surrendered gaze all that the Holy Spirit will accomplish through you: an intimate love for Him and His beautiful image revealed in your walk. Each one will walk a different path but it will be His steps. Many will be drawn to Him because of His presence in you – drawn to repentance and to an intimate relationship with Him!

 

V.5 - 7 "...thy hair is as a flock of goats that appear from Gilead. Thy teeth are as a flock of sheep which go up from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren among them. As a piece of a pomegranate are thy temples within thy locks." (a repeat of 4:1-3 see comments)

He lovingly reassures her that He sees her glory (hair) submitted to Him as before. It has not lost its submissive beauty. Her teeth are as strong as ever. He will now be able to share with her the deep things of His heart to feast upon. Praise God there is the pomegranate, again saying to Him that her deepest thoughts are of His blood that brought to her soul: grace, mercy, and life filled with worship and praise. Why did He repeat the words from 4:1-3? This was His loving assurance that the fervency of His love had not changed in the slightest degree toward her! Praise God our Bridegroom never changes!

Jesus, the Bridegroom, looks at her beautiful smile and gleaming teeth and says, "Look at those spiritual teeth. You, My bride will bring life to others with the Words I will put in your heart. My dove, you will teach others My ways and My wisdom. The words of your mouth will bring glory to Me. The love you have for Me will become the sword of My Word against the enemy."

 

"...from the washing, whereof every one beareth twins, and there is not one barren..."

Dear reader, each day we need a spiritual washing and refreshing. Unsurrendered believers seldom bother, or it is just half-hearted. If you sin, confess it and have it washed once again in the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (I John 1:7). Sit quietly with your Lord and allow Him to wash your feet with His Word (John 15:3). Your daily walk may step out of His will and become dirty. O how refreshing to have His spiritual hands take our feet and wash them with the water of the Word (Eph. 5:25,26). Have your conscience cleansed by the precious blood and your spiritual body cleansed with the pure water of the Word (Heb. 10:22).

What joy it is to Him to see purity restored in your soul. What beauty it is for Him to behold! Glory to His name, our Bridegroom has provided all we need to stay clean and pure before Him in love. "Bearing twins" speaks of balance. You posses a balanced spiritual mouth to: chew on His Word, utter praise, intercede for others, submit to authority and encourage others. You will not be "barren" but you'll be filled to all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19). The precious fruit of His Spirit will be produced in your character and daily walk!

Remember, from the beginning of this Song the bride has been surrendered in heart to Him. The training time is over and the active serving time is about to begin. She has proclaimed His lordship over her life (6:3). As a result she has lovingly submitted to an important process in order to be made more beautiful for Him. Note the order in these verses, her eyes riveted on Him. Next, she "eats" the Word and is cleansed by it ("washed"). As a