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

I desire to be except listening, talking and walking with my Love! What peace! What strength! What assurance!"

He already knew what she was thinking and immediately responded to her longing. He spoke with passion to His surrendered bride and asked her to do something very, very important. Here is the defining moment for her Christian walk in this wilderness journey. Her Beloved pauses once again, looking down at the pathway. There is an eternal seriousness written over His countenance. Then, He raised His head, looking longingly into her eyes, with a quiet finality in His voice says...

 

V.6 "Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel (severe, unyielding) as the grave: the coals (Heb."flames") thereof are coals (flames) of fire, which hath a most vehement flame ("of the Lord")."

The Word "seal" is the same Hebrew Word for "signet" or "signet ring". The king (or his representative) would affix the royal seal to a document representing His authority, will, ownership, protection or direction. It was to be permanent! Esth. 8:8 is a wonderful example of this: "Write ye...in the king’s name, and seal it with the king's ring: for the writing which is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse."

The seal from King Jesus today is the Holy Spirit (II Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30)! The Holy Spirit is the seal placed within us and assures us that what God promises in His Word He will perform! That "sealing of the Holy Spirit" took place the moment she received her Beloved as her personal Lord and Savior. However, in this verse, He is asking her to set Him as a seal upon her heart and arm because she knew she was already sealed according to His Word!

He smiled, "I placed the seal of My Spirit upon your spirit, but now My darling bride, your heart must have My seal upon it for that is where you make your decisions. Then it must be put on your arm that carries them out. With each decision you must place My seal upon it, then nothing will ever come between us as we walk together up out of this wilderness. It will demonstrate more than anything else the love and surrendered heart you have for Me. My beautiful bride, this is something I will never force upon you. I want you to willingly place Me on your heart and arm. It will be a permanent, eternal seal!" She knew this was the most holy and sacred moment of her life. His desire was her desire. Nothing else mattered!

A powerful presence of the Holy Spirit filled her whole being. Speaking in her spirit the Holy Spirit said, "Dear surrendered bride, this is the ultimate gift of joy you can give to your Beloved." The enemy fought this decision with all the demons of fear and doubt he could bring against her. But it was to no avail because she kept hearing what the Holy Spirit had just revealed to her! Her eyes stayed steadfast upon Jesus. With longing, pleading Words she said, "Please, my Love, I must have this seal. I must give You this joy. I must satisfy Your heart, for nothing else matters to me!"

Her Beloved's eyes sparkled with delight. Intently gazing at His hands He slowly opened the palms exposing the scars and said, "My faithful bride these are the seal for you, the scars of My crucifixion. They are the guarantee that I will never leave you nor forsake you. They are the assurance that My love for you is eternal. They are My pledge that your sins will never rise again to condemn you and the safety that no one can snatch you out of them (John 10:28)! My Spirit's indescribable power will be released in you! Then you will know My love which surpasses knowledge (Eph. 3:19). You will be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:19) and be transformed from glory to glory in Me (II Cor.3:18). My seal will cause you to always triumph in all the battles of life which you will face (II Cor.2:14)."

She touched His outstretched hands and lifted them up to look more closely at the scars. Overwhelmed at what she saw, tears fell uncontrollably upon them. Catching her breath, in a forced whisper she exclaimed, "My name, I see my name, it's there, there in Your hand! Right in the middle of Your scar!" She stood there speechless. Then, He lifted up her face to look deep into her eyes and said softly, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you upon the palms of my hands..." (Isa. 49:15-16)!

She took His right hand and gently, with a holy reverence, placed the scar over her heart and declared, "O my Love, I promise to You that every decision I must make will be made by You. Every thing that would vie for my love and attention will first be filtered through Your scar!" All of a sudden an indelible mark of His scar appeared over the door of her heart. An inexpressible, heavenly glow of joy filled Him. She then took His left hand and placed it over her arm. Looking into His eyes with a holy fire of devotion the Words poured forth, "Every action, every activity in my life will have Your approval. It will only be for Your glory." She closed her eyes and felt wholly immersed in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Contentment and peace filled her soul. Jesus, bursting with love, said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you - you have made My joy complete!" (Col.2:10). In this powerful presence she fell limp in His arms - His left hand was under her head to give rest to her mind and His right arm embraced her to impart strength.

Power and glory filled her to overflowing! Deeper than ever she understood what her Beloved meant concerning being baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:16). Her attitude and actions, her desires and decisions would be entirely under the Spirit's control. She would gladly walk in the pathway of crucifixion (Rom. 6:6-14; II Cor. 4:7-18) - dead to self and independent ambition, but alive in His resurrected life. Everything in her life would have His seal of approval on it. She would say with each decision, "Your will be done in my heart as it is in heaven - never my will!" (Mark 14:36; Mt. 6:10).

This is true dying to self; the crucified life, every desire, decision and circumstance filtered through the cross. You ask the question each time, "My Beloved, would You be pleased with this?" "Would You be pleased to watch this with me?" "Would it please You if we listened to this together?" Place His hand in front of everything! The crucified life is total confidence that He knows best. The crucified life brings into the heart a wonderful godly fear giving heavenly wisdom and holy direction. His voice, presence, power and love will be experienced as never before. You will fear to hurt the One you love! That's spiritually healthy fear (Psa. 147:11; Prov. 1:7; 3:7;10:27; 14:26; Eph. 5:21)! While she continued to rest in His embrace He shared how infinite and eternal His love is for her...

"...for love is strong as death, jealousy as cruel (unyielding) as the grave..."

Jesus explains, "You see, My loving beautiful wife, death is unyielding and so is My love for you! I will never cease to love you with a 'first love' love! My jealousy is for your good! It is as strong as the grave for it is unyielding! My passion for your welfare is as flames of fire from on high! O dear bride of My heart, never forget that I have a holy, protecting jealousy (Exo. 20:5; 34:14; Deut. 4:24; 5:9; 6:15; Josh. 24:19) which will always fight for you against the enemy."

A holy blaze rushed through her entire being (Heb. 12:29). It was a commitment to pure motives and a desire for greater holiness ablaze in her spirit and soul. She leaned close to Him with tears of joy running down her cheeks! Thrilled beyond her wildest dreams, she looked at Him, "YOU are consumed with me!" "You ARE consumed with me!" "You are CONSUMED with me!" "You are consumed WITH ME!" She burst out in song....

 

"Jesus, I am resting, resting in the joy of what Thou art,

I am finding out the greatness of thy loving heart.

Here I gaze and gaze upon Thee, as thy beauty fills my soul,

For by Thy transforming power, Thou hast made me whole."

Jean Sophia Pigott

 

The Lord bid His lovely bride to once again look at His nail-scarred hand. He said, "I want you to never forget what I went through to have you as My wife! And now My precious bride, let’s continue the journey up this path in the wilderness." He beckoned her to look just beyond the side of this narrow path. The mist, which had been hiding its contents, began to lift. Pain shot through her soul! Her eyes, once again, looked upon everything that was detestable to Him. With vehement scorn, all sorts of demons shrieked, screaming unspeakable filth at Him and His bride.

She looked to the right and saw her old self, lurking at the edge of the pathway of light trying desperately to grab her and take control. It was repulsive - dark in color with a stench of spiritual corrupting death and decay. She glanced to the left and horror filled her soul. It was grotesque, repelling and vile. All that was evil cast disgusting obscenities at her and Him whom her soul loved. These evil spirits had the shroud of their counterfeit garments of light ripped away. There were those in the putrid mire who had a form of godliness but denied the power thereof (II Tim. 3:5). Exposed was the screeching, howling darkness of despair! Victims of demonic deception, writhing in excruciating pain, attempted to escape but to no avail, it was too late!

Tears of anguish fell from her eyes, for the polluted waters of decaying spiritual filth seemed to rise higher and higher to the edge of the pathway of the Light. Her Bridegroom said, "All of this which is repugnant to you, My love, is what I became when I was nailed to the cross (2Cor.5:2; Gal.3:13). I willingly had My Father place it in My holy, pure and righteous soul." Jesus gently turned her head so that He could brush the tears away and said, "...Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27), "...be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33). That one touch put her heart at ease and peace flooded her soul. He whispered, "Your faith in Me, which I gave to you (Rom. 12:3), has given you the victory to overcome the world (I John 5:4,5)!" She said, holding His hand very tightly, "Thank You my Love for giving to me the victory (I Cor. 15:57) and always causing me to triumph (II Cor. 2:14)!" That ugly scene seemed far distant now, as He whispered assuredly to her...

 

V.7 "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it..."

Again her soul burst forth in song, 

 

 "O love that will not let me go, I rest my weary soul in Thee;

I give Thee back the life I owe, that in Thine ocean depths its flow

may richer fuller be."

George Matheson

 

Filled with the Holy Spirit she continued making melody in her heart,

 

"Who can cheer the heart like Jesus, by His presence all divine?

True and