July 2018

We soak to change, not to be
the person we were at one time.
The change within brings each
of us closer to God, not only in
nature, but in image as well. We
become converted from who we
are, to who God wants us to be.
We are not only washed in
the Spirit of the Lord, but altered
or made into the glorious image
of God in His presence. From
the book of 2 Corinthians, Ch. 3,
V. 18:
“But we all, with unveiled face,
beholding as in a mirror the glory
of the Lord, are be transformed
into the same image from glory
to glory, just as by the Spirit
of the Lord.”
The exchange is when something
happens. This is when God
unfolds, if you will. Divinely, He
enters our vulnerable and insufficient
lives, while we sit, waiting;
some of us patiently in anticipation
of what we want, what we
have heard, or what we hope
for. Others have no idea what
may happen, instead the wait
is purely an uninhibited feeling
of resistance, so when it
is over, the joy has more meaning
than words can describe.
Our lives are inspired by His
pres- ence, and become intensified
by His strength. From the
book of Isaiah, Ch. 40, V. 29-31:
“But those who wait on the Lord
shall renew their strength; they
shall mount up with wings like
eagles, they shall run and not be
weary, they shall walk and not
faint.”
Everyone has their own idea
of joyfulness, of little blessings
having found their way into their
lives over the years. The magnitude
of a true blessing from God,
this is something incommunicable.
When the Lord sends a
blessing to your home, to your
family or to you as an individual,
it can truly alter your life. These
changes can affect every aspect
of you as a person, and bring
about vast transformations in all
areas of your life. If you feel the
spirit move you- a feeling that
makes you drunk on the love
of Jesus, then this is a delight,
a moment of feeling satiated
in every aspect of your life with
the Lord. It is not as if you
have a thirst that demands you
quench it with the Lord. For this
is more of a feeling you have
never experienced, where with a
thirst, you will know that sense.
This is a new encounter, one
that seems as if every inch of
your body apparently, is experiencing
an empty feeling.
Consider a time you have been
hungry. Not just having skipped
a meal, like “Oh, I forgot to grab
breakfast, I am really going to be
hungry at lunch.” I am thinking
more of a time you have fasted.
Have you ever fasted for the
Lord? Have you ever waited for
the Lord to quench your soul?
This is not something easily placated.
It is like a time when you
feel so empty, it hurts to take
another breath, when the only
thing you thought you needed
was food, or just a drink of water.
However, it just felt, if you were to
eat or drink, you would become
turned inside out. This is an
emptiness, or could it be this is
not quite as new as you thought.
Maybe, you have felt this way all
of your life? In fact, perhaps, you
have a feeling you have been
barren all along?
This is what it means when you
go in search of the Lord, looking
for soaking. When you seek out
His presence, in search of finding
what you need to become
anointed in this life, with the perfect
One; to find your spirit joined
with the Holy Spirit. You seek out
love, perfect love in the presence
of God. By immersing yourself
and succumbing to everything
God provides for you, you allow
Him to erase the fear, and to be
embraced in Him. In the book of
1 John, Ch. 4, V. 17-18, the Bible
talks about perfect love and fear.
“This is how love is made complete
among us so that we will
have confidence on the day of
judgment: In this world we are
like Jesus.There is no fear in
love. But perfect love drives out
fear, because fear has to do with
punishment. The one who fears
is not made perfect in love.”
I personally delight in the gentle
breezes brought on summer’s
day, while I mill the evening
away. Sometimes I ride my bike,
others I putt away at the golf
course or driving range, while
other times, I sit idly by, thinking
about the words I should
include on my papers in front of
me. I love to write, and the topics
range from daily events, worldly
topics, or days reminiscing about
better times. Some days, I might
find myself spending a few extra
moments in prayer for a loved
one in good times, bad times,
or a time of loss. During those
times, it is the Song of Solomon I
am reminded of, Ch. 2, V. 3:
“Like an apple tree among the
trees of the woods, so is my
beloved among the sons. I sat
86 www.faithfilledfamily.com July 2018