The Slave King

God’s Thoughts to Me

But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children. (Galatians 4:4-5, NLT)

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up in slavery to the law. (Galatians 5:1, NLT)

Born Free

The 1966 British film, Born Free, tells the story of a real-life couple, George and Joy Adams, who raised the lion cub, Elsa, and then released her into the wilderness of Kenya. When our Pappa God gives us His life through the new spiritual birth into His Kingdom of Light, we become like Elsa … we are born free from the slavery to this world and its ways, especially its extremely deceptive religous ways. Hallelujah!!

An enigma to me has always been the fact that our Savior King was born as a slave. As far as my faulty, limited and worldly human mind could perceive, I could not see that He was a slave to anyone. Yet, Pappa is not a man that He should lie. (Numbers 23:19)

As I was pondering that question in my mind this week, Pappa revealed to my heart the beauty of this divine birth. I don’t think we would ever be able to understand what our Pappa God gave up to become one of us … a slave to the law … a slave to sin … a curse on our behalf.

Yet, He was the only human who ever was able to keep the whole law … lock, stock and barrel. But best of all is His complete fulfillment of the royal Law of Love!

I was under the impression that our Lord had a good advantage over us mere mortals with Him being God and all. Not so, for not once did He walk according to His own ways or in His own power (John 5:17). Not one miracle was performed in His capacity as God. Yes, His whole life was lived in complete trust in our Pappa to be all in and through Him … the way we are supposed to live.

In order to enable us with His indwelling Life of Victory, He walked and lived every single moment of His earthly sojourn completely dependent upon and trusting the power of our Pappa as His only source of spiritual life. He lived from every word that proceeded from His Pappa’s mouth.

At Lazarus’ grave our Lord Jesus showed us this when He prayed that beautiful, confident prayer, “Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent Me” (John 11:41, NLT).

As we allow our Lord Jesus to live His resurrected life in and through us, we come to realize that He became a slave to fulfill the law … to break its power over us, for we all are slaves to sin and death through our physical birth. It is not an option … it just is the way it is!!

Being the second Adam, the only man after Adam who failed miserably, who had the ability to choose independance, He victoriously overcame the power of sin and self, completely dependant on His Father. Through His dependant victory, He enabled us and made it possible for us to live in Him, in His life, in His Kingdom of heaven, of love, joy and peace.

He reconciled Himself to the whole world, hoping and desiring that not one of us would be lost, but that we all would come to Him to receive His gift of life and be reconciled to Him.

It came as a shock to me that our heavenly Father does not require or ask our obedience, for He knows that even if we want to obey Him, we truly are incapable of doing so (Romans 7:14). The greatest gift we can ever give our Pappa … actually, the only gift, is our heart, our life and our love … fully convinced that He loves us with an everlasting love, allowing Him to change us from the inside out.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. It is our responsibility to stay free and not get tied up again under the yoke of slavery to the law (Galatians 5:1).

Dear Ones, I want to wish you all a blessed God-filled Christmas when we celebrate not only our Savior’s birth, but also the gift He came to bring … a life fully surrendered and reconciled to our Pappa. Let us allow Him to live His victorious, resurrected eternal life in and through us.

Much love XX

Mia

I am linking up again with dear Jane at Monday Morning Meditation (girlmeetspaper.com). Thank you Jane! Please, join us at http://girlmeetspaper.com/

I also have the honor of linking-up with a wonderful group of ladies at Fresh  Brewed Sundays.

Thank you dear Barbie.

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Simeon’s Truth

God’s Thoughts to Me

The Child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, but He will be a joy to many others. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose Him …. and a sword will pierce your own soul. (Luke 2:34, NLT)

He Never Promised us a Rose Garden

Life has taught me a valuable lesson. Suffering causes one of two things; it either breaks us, or, it draws us deep into the life and arms of our Pappa God.

The families of the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre are experiencing suffering beyond comprehension … suffering that makes our Lord Jesus cry. I recall our Lord’s tears of sorrow when He saw the suffering of Martha, Mary and their friends at Lazarus’ grave.

It caused Him so much anger and anguish against the one who only came to steal, to kill and destroy.

As we walk through the pages of the four Gospels, we see how so many of the religious Jews stumbled over the cornerstone of our Heavenly Father’s spiritual temple, our Lord Jesus. Just like Simeon prophesied, they opposed Him. He caused many to fall … they refused to come to Him so that He could give them His eternal Life, the life once forfeited in the Garden of Eden.

Suffering also has another tendency. It causes many to blame their Pappa as the cause of all their woes. Others would rant and rave against our God, whilst hammering their fists against His chest. But He understands our limited human nature.

After all, He created us and knows how our machinery works.

He listens with so much compassion as we ask Him those difficult Martha questions. (John 11:21).

May they know that not one grief-filled sigh or sob will escape their hearts without Him knowing … crying and collecting all their tears.

May He bless these dear folks as they grieve and mourn over their loved ones. Let us ask our Lord Jesus to hold them tight in His Loving Embrace as they pound against His chest.

Let He be the Rock they fall on when their world seems to disintegrate as the sword of suffering pierces their souls.

May they receive mercy not to oppose Him like Simeon has prophesied. Instead, let us beseech our Pappa to draw them closer, into a deeper level of His life and love than ever before.

Amen

Much love XX
Mia

Today I am linking up with Jane at Monday Morning Meditation where we send our condolences and pay our respects to the families and community of the Newtown shooting. You are welcome to join us at http://girlmeetspaper.com/

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The Zarephath of Sandy Hook

God’s Thoughts to Me

He doesn’t stop a lot of things that cause Him pain … your world is lost in darkness and chaos, and horrible things happen to those He is especially fond of. (The Holy Spirit to Mackenzie Allan Phillips, “The Shack”)

I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house …. Don’t be afraid …. Make a little bread for me first …. There will always be flour and oil left in your containers. (1 Kings 17:12-14)

When you go through deep waters I will be with you,
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up,
The flames will not consume you,
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel,
Your Savior!
(Isaiah 43:2-3)

When Little Words are best

All of a sudden while in the season of celebrating the birth of the Savior Child, we are staggering under the shock of the murder of so many innocent children at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

In one random, needless act of violence, the parents of 20 children and the seven families of the murdered adults have been ushered into their own Zarephath ….. into a smelting shop …. a workshop for refining metals! Zarephath means, “smelting, refining”.

Like the widow of Zarephath they feel utterly empty, not knowing how to carry on with their lives …..they have no faith …. no trust …. no love …. no flour …. no oil, but our Lord understands. Our Heavenly Father will again provide, like Elijah was sent to this widow.

They are going through the proverbial fire of oppresion. They are drowning in their tears of sorrow and we have not the slightest idea of the suffering, the smelting, the refining they are going through.

But we can walk with them, carry what burdens they are able to release into our trust. We can assure them that their Pappa God cries with them, collecting all their tears, saving them in a jar of love.

If they allow us, we can remind them that this refining, smelting fire will not consume them and all their tears of sorrow will not drown them.

We can encourage them to give just the little trust and even their unbelief, to their Lord Jesus.
He is their Holy One, their Savior and He assures them that the little faith, the little trust they still have, will never run dry. He will see that the containers of their hearts will always be filled with Himself!

May our God enable us to walk quietly alongside these people without many clever words or Scripture verses. Let us pray for a heart full of compassion …. a heart able to share their pain.

Much love XX

Mia

Ps. I want to pay tribute to all the teachers who paid the ultimate sacrifice to save their students.

I am linking up with Barbie at Fresh Brewed Sundays. Thank you Barbie for providing your link as a place where we can share in the sorrow of your nation. You can find us at http://myfreshlybrewedlife.com/

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An Orphaned World

God’s Thoughts to Me

Our earth is like a child who has grown up without parents, having no one to guide and direct her. (Jesus, to Mackenzie Allan Phillips in “The Shack”.)

New wine must be stored in new wineskins. But no one who drinks the old wine seems to want the new wine.”The old is just fine,” they say. (Luke 5:39, NLT)

At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. (Genesis 4:7, NLT)

You say, “I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing.” And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. (Revelation 3:17, NLT)

A Deceived Bride

Our desolate, damaged, orphaned world is in the season of  celebrating the birth of its Savior without truly knowing Him. With frivolous unseen heart tears, it is singing Christmas carols. With gaiety it is trying to hide its insecurities and hurt. It is wearing a mask of satisfaction and fulfillment … ignoring its desperate need for forgiveness, love and grace … its need for redemption, reconciliation and restoration. It is trying go keep up with the Jones’s, denying its utter poverty …. scared of losing the little face it has left!

Oh, the delusion we live under; thinking that we can be infinite and independent, characteristics belonging only to our Heavenly Father. We are needy creatures, whether we acknowledge it or not, deriving all we are spiritually from either our Pappa or the prince of darkness.

Even the organized religious church is like the Lady of Laodicea ….. unaware of her poverty, wretchedness, pitiful naked poor state (Revelations 3:17). Their hearts are old wineskins unable to receive the new wine, the new life of our Lord Jesus …. the bubbly new wine of grace. They stake their claim to eternal life on their religious busyness and activities and …. they like it that way.

I recall an Afrikaans song of the late Johannes Kerkorrel, from his album “Die Anderkant”, meaning “The Other Side”, where he poignantly compares our world to a big, blue ball drifting aimlessly through time and space ….. an orphaned world …. a world without hope. Only once in a while two souls will meet, speaking and understanding the lost language of love. This is the exception, definitely not the rule.

The world had become the habitation for lost, orphaned children, feeding on the spiritual scraps this world dishes up, day after day after day …..leaving them starving …. dying of hunger ….. trying to deny their spiritual need and hunger by their own futile efforts to cover their nakedness with their filthy rags of self- effort. Oh yes, we are experts in covering our shame with fig leaves that we have sewn together, trying to hide from the presence of our Pappa. Man’s declaration of independence has opened their eyes to the shame of sin.

Yet, He desires to cover our nakedness and shame with the snow white robe of His own righteousness. He assures us that He has paid the price for our adoption, the bride price to buy us back from that kingdom of darkness, doom, dread and death. He has bought us back from the prince of darkness.

If we stop our frantic rushing for a while …. if we just step out of the busy pace and rat race of the world …. we still hear the angels singing of the joy our Pappa has brought to the world in the form of a tiny Baby.

When we become quiet and still, we will hear Him whispering His words of forgiveness, love and reconcilliation. If we allow Him, He will wrap us in His Graceful Loving Embrace, dress us in the most beautiful wedding gown of love and leads us down the aisle of His forgiveness to meet our Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus.

The beauty of our Pappa God’s love is that He never forces us to accept our Lord Jesus’ hand in marriage. True love is just like that, it gives us the freedom to choose. It knows it cannot be forced, but it can open up the way to restoration, sweet reconcilliation and an intimate relationship of love.

Dear Ones, let us become still …. let us be quiet…. let us listen to His song of love and hear how He rejoices over us with joyful songs (Zephaniah 3:17)!

Much love XX

Mia

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A Feast of Joy

God’s Thoughts to Me

You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence. (Psalm 16:11, NLT)

Yet, you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:3, NLT)

Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10, NIV)

These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. (Isaiah 29:3, NLT)

Empty Hands

The world is wrapped in a blanket of expectancy. The atmosphere is preganant with desire … a desire to capture joy, hope and love in the festivities of Christmas. Too many people are starving from a spiritual hunger …. a hunger that can only be satisfied by the Bread of Life, our Lord Jesus.

I am perplexed by the inability of so many of our Pappa’s children to receive, accept and understand the extent of His invitation to attend the feast He has prepared for them …. His wedding feast of love and joy. It cannot be for a lack of trying, because they are busy … very busy, trying to earn the food their hearts earnestly crave. Everywhere the glitzy glamour of Christmas is shining around us.

Solomon wisely remarked, “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9, NLT). Yet, this hunger is all consuming and I feel so much sorrow in my heart for those who never seem to be filled …. spiritually filled and satisfied.

Until our Pappa revealed to my heart the reason for this humungous predicament the human race finds itself in. He took my thoughts back to a certain young man. This rich young man also experienced a severe, spiritual hunger …. the hunger for eternal life. He went to the right Person to ask for this gift, our Lord Jesus, offering Him a long list of his impeccable law-observance …. an impressive inventory of all his good deeds.

Yet, he had a big problem …. his hands were filled with worldly things. He was convinced that he had kept the whole law from birth. But our loving Lord looked at him with so much love, seeing a little boy trying to earn his Pappa’s affection.

In the past I used to arrogantly critisize this greedy man for not loving our Lord Jesus enough to sell all his possesions and to give the money to the poor. But we are all aware that our feeble hearts can never change itself and we are dependent on the Lord to live His life in and through us.

Could it be that our Lord wanted him to rid himself of all his futile efforts, to empty his hands by showing him how utterly deceitful the human heart truly is? I realise that the Narrow Gate is so narrow that only as we come with empty hands and a heart filled with need, can we enter into our Pappa’s Kingdom of Light …. into our Lord Jesus.

It makes me wonder about what I might still be harbouring in my heart, my deceitful heart, as a bartering commodity for His love, joy and acceptance. May He bless us by giving us spiritual insight to perceive and understand the beauty of His Gift. May He enable us to empty our hands and hearts of anything that may hinder us from receiving the fullness of His Life …. the fullness of Himself. Only in His presence there is fullness of joy …. only in His presence can we experience true worship and praise, for He delights in the heartfelt praises of His people.

Much love XX

Mia

I am linking up with dear Barbie at My Freshly Brewed Life where we prepare our hearts to receive our Lord Jesus. Please join us at http://myfreshlybrewedlife.com/

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Cinnamon, The Fragrance of Love and Peace

God’s Thoughts to Me

Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18, NLT)

You are a garden locked up, my sister, my bride; you are a spring enclosed, a sealed fountain. Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits, with henna and nard, nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon. (Song of Songs 4:12-14, NIV)

The merchants of the world will weep and mourn for her, for there is no one left to buy their goods. (Revelation 18:11 , NLT)

Cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and bodies and souls of men. (Revelation 18:13, NIV)

My bed is spread with beautiful blankets, with colored sheets of Egyptian linen. I’ve perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. Come let’s drink our fill of love until morning. Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses. (Proverbs 7:15-18, NLT)

The Scent of a Woman

A while ago a South African artist released a song about the scent of women. The love of his life is captured in the fragrance of a naartjie …. his grandmother hides in the memories of cinnamon ….. the aroma of aniseed searches for lost dreams …. In every fragrance, a woman waits to be discovered.

And I recall the most beautiful Ode to Love ever written, the Song of Songs, with the Composer, none other that the Lover of our hearts, our Heavenly Bridegroom. The words He whispers to His Beloved is beautiful to behold and cherish.

Yes, our Heavenly Bridegroom sings a song of love to His Bride …. His Shulamite …. His Lady Ekklesia. He compares her heart to their private garden filled with the most exquisite and delicate aromas of love, the aroma of costly spices: henna, nard, saffron, sweet smelling calamus and cinnamon. All the odours associated with an intimate love relationship …. their intimate spiritual love relationship …. a mingling of hearts in quiet love and peace. Cinnamon is the symbol of His Beloved’s sheer delightfulness. (Song of Songs 4:12-14)

But there is another love affair, another woman, a seductress …. the great harlot. She is called Babylon The Great. She was introduced to the apostle John as being drunk with the blood of God’s holy people …. the Shulamites, all those being witnesses for and who stayed true to our Lord Jesus. (Revelation 17:5-6).

She bought and traded in the worldly commodities of religion and its counterfeit love. We see that the inventory of her purchases included the most costly spices, including cinnamon. Even more frightening is the fact that she traded in the souls of men. Through her counterfeit love, false acceptance and false security, she deceived many dear souls into her commodity of religion!!! (Revelation 18:11)

This woman was beautifully dressed in all the finest purple and scarlet linen of this world. She seemed immortal and eternal for she already started her deception in the Garden of Eden.

We find her in the streets of Proverbs where she seductively seduces those without common sense and discernment into her house. She uses the counterfeit fragrance of love, sprinkling her bedding of Egyptian linen with costly spices and cinnamon. She uses all her wiles to make her proposal appealing to the senses of seeing and feeling, provoking lust, drawing them into her deadly religious embrace. (Proverbs 7:16-17).

This woman is proud, blaspheming against the Most High God. She forms alliances with kings of the world … the political, economical and religious kings. Those who commited adultery with her, grew rich because of her extravagant, luxurious lifestyle!

But we hear His still, small voice calling us, “Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins.” (Revelation 18:4, NIV).

This woman is not immortal …. she will be destroyed. The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over the destruction of religion, because no one will then be able to profit any longer from her profanities. (Revelation 18:11)

Coming out of her is a spiritual exodus, an exodus from our slavery to the spiritual Egypt. This is a spiritual journey to Canaan, a journey into the life of our Lord Jesus … a journey into the bedchamber of our King … a journey into His Loving Embrace.

Much love to you XX

Mia

I am honored to link up again at the Run- a -Muck where I join Amber and the other ladies from the December Abstractions Community. We write about truth using the abstract. This is a challenge I enjoy so much. We would be glad for you to join us at http://therunamuck.com/ . Thank you, Amber!

I am glad to be linking up with Jane at Girl Meets Paper and the all the ladies at Monday Morning Meditations. Thanks Jane. Join us at http://girlmeetspaper.com/

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A God Who Waits

God’s Thoughts to Me

Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it. You said,”No, we will get our help from Egypt.”…. So the Lord must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. (Isaiah 30:15-18, NLT)

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10, NLT)

A Still, Quiet Christmas

During 2011 South Africa had a census. The country was bustling with activity and expectation, hoping for better services and living conditions as a result.

Fortunately we were all visited at our homes by the census officials and had no need to travel to our places of birth like Joseph and Mary had to do when the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed a census throughout the Roman Empire at the time of Jesus’ birth.

I can only imagine the commotion in Bethlehem when they arrived; with all the travellers returning to register for the census. No wonder there was no accommodation available for this unimportant carpenter and his highly preganant wife, who was already in labour.

The world, as usual, was too busy with its worldly things to pay to much attention to their greatest need. I don’t think they were even aware of their need …. the need to be saved from itself and all the futile ways of trying to find worth and meaning …. the need for forgiveness, love, grace and compassion ….. the need to come to our Pappa to freely receive His Gift of Redemption, our Lord Jesus, and to live in Him.

Looking at the frantic hustling and bustling around me, as the world is again preparing for the Christmas celebrations, it makes me sad and I wonder how much, if anything, has changed!

I can sense our Pappa still waiting, longing for His children to just be still and quiet …. to just return to Him and listen to His heartbeat of love …. to allow Him to show them His love and compassion ….. to allow Him to hold them securely in the palm of His hand.

It breaks my heart to think of all the times I was just like the stubborn Israelites who “would have none of it”. For much too long I had been looking to Egypt. For much too long had I been wining and dining the ways of the world, especially its religious ways, frantically trying to find my acceptance and worth in the false security it offers.

But still my Pappa had been waiting for me, patiently allowing me to come to the end of myself and my ways, knowing that the time would come when I had no one and nothing to look up to, but Him. When that time arrived, how graciously did He shower me with all His love, grace, goodness and compassion!!! The love, peace and joy I experience in His Loving Embrace is way above the busy, futile ways of the world.

Come dear Ones, let us all return to Him, rest in Him, confident of His goodness, drawing our strength from His presence. Let us become still and KNOW that He is God.

Much love XX

Mia

It is again time to link-up with Barbie at The Fresh Brewed Sunday community. We are all invited to share a verse from Scripture that has special meaning to us. Come and join us at http://myfreshlybrewedlife.com

Thank you, Barbie!!

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A Stable for a King

God’s Thoughts to Me

That night there were shepherds, staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. (Luke 2:8-9, NLT)

She wrapped Him snugly in strips of cloth and laid Him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. (Luke 2:7, NLT)

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart. (Psalm 51:17, NLT)

Expectant Hearts

The world is expectantly doing what it does best; rushing frantically…this time to prepare for Christmas. The atmosphere is filled with a busy buzzing, somewhat superficial, trying to envelope and misguide many into the commercial worldy version of Christmas.

Merchants have filled every nook and cranny of their shop windows with unnecessary goods wrapped in Christmas garb….all begging to be bought for non-existent needs, oblivious to the fact that the greatest need of mankind had been provided for, 2000 years ago. Bethlehem, the basket of bread, had been fiiled with the Bread of Life when our Pappa wrapped His love in human flesh, a tiny baby…small fingers, small toes and all.

My heart pondered a silent question, ” Where did it all go wrong…? When did Christmas become another money-making opportunity for so many of our Pappa’s children. Where is the wonder and awe of our God who is holy and magnificent beyond description?”

But, then I remembered the humble, dirty stable, the only accommodation available to receive the King of Kings. I could almost hear the angels singing a new song of joy, when I realized His birth was announced to the lowest of people, the shepherds.

The occupation of shepherding was considered by the Jews at the time of Jesus’ birth as quite low on the importance scale. His people were earnestly looking for and expecting an earthly king like King David to free them from the Roman oppression. Yet, gentiles from the east recognized and understood the majesty and importance of this birth and travelled far to pay Him honor and bring Him costly gifts.

I realized that no heart is too dirty for the new Life of our Lord Jesus to be birthed in….no person too unimportant to be the audience for His song of Joy….no culture, country or its people unable to come to Him with gifts of gold, incense and myrrh.

Lord, take my dirty stable heart
make it still and humble
sing to me Your glory song
in the quiet of the dark

Transform my faith
into the finest gold,
my wordless prayer
a costly gift of incense
my love a spicy gift,
myrrh for the King

I realize that true expectancy to receive our King can only be birthed if our Heavenly Father has done a mighty work of grace in a life. When a heart has been humbled, when a spirit is contrite, when spiritual sight has been restored, can tiny seeds of desire be planted in fertile soil…seeds that will grow into great expectancy…into passionate desire to receive and host our King of Kings.

Much love XXX
Mia

Thank you, dear Barbie, for the privilege of your linky place where we can prepare our hearts to receive our King this Christmas. You can join us at http://myfreshlybrewedlife.com/

I am grateful to be linking up with Tanya Marlow from Thorns and Gold as well. You can join us there at http://tanyamarlow.com/. Thank you, Tanya.

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An Ornament from Russia, with Love

God’s Thoughts to Me

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has annointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom to the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn. ( Isaiah 61:1-2, NIV)

A Broken Matryoshka Heart

Before my beloved pappa was promoted to heaven about 8 years ago to meet His Saviour face-to-face, my wanderlust parents explored the beauty of Mother Russia.
They blessed me with a beautiful Russian lady-doll dressed in the traditional shapeless peasant jumper dress, a Matryoshka, or better known by her common name; a Babushka.

These ornaments date back to 1890 when they were the artistic brain child of a Russian folk crafts painter, Sergev Malyutin, and crafted by Vasily Zvyozdochkin.

As I was contemplating the theme for this week, “the ornament”, this silent lady uttered a silent cry of despair.. Peeking through her big, blue lifeless eyes, the windows of her soul, I discovered an enigma…a metaphor within a metaphor. Her pearly pink rosebud mouth uttered a silent cry, a sigh of abuse…pain….neglect….rejection….and, tremendous suffering.

Her untold life story begged to be released as the hidden metaphor of her confinement within herself longed for freedom. Freedom for all the silent ones hiding within her…each telling their own stories, the age-old story of the craving for love. The craving to become a subject of affection and grace; to be released from the stigma of dead, nameless objectivity.

A craving to become the recipient of words softly and tenderly spoken in love, instead of a heart being bruised and battered by harsh ruthless shouting. The craving of a body longing to be fondeled and held in a caressing embrace instead of the absence of loving arms. A craving to be wanted, desired instead of feeling endured with cruel indeference. A craving to be reminded of happiness and joy, instead of crying tears without words….silent tears of pain and abandonment.

Until the Master Craftsman opened her up, whispering sweet love filled caresses to the hearts of all the girls hiding inside. With determination He released all the broken ones within her soul from the prison of lies that have chained them in the dark prison cells of unworthiness, unlovable-ness, self-loathing, despondency and utter loneliness.

They were cowering in the darkest corners of her heart when His Light ushered them out into a Kingdom not of this world…a Kindom of Light and Love and tenderly nursed them all back to life, eternal life….a life lived in Him….a life lived daily in His Loving Embrace.

That doll is me.

Much love to you

Mia

I am linking up today at The Run-a-Muck. Thank you Amber for allowing us to unchain our hearts. Come and join us at http://therunamuck.com/.

http://www.focbonline.com/

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Chasing Shadows of Sin

God’s Thoughts to Me

For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:11-12, NLT)

How Far is The East from The West?

Today, on the first Freshly Brewed Sunday of December, my mind reaches far back into the recesses of my thoughts …. into the archives of my memories.

I am trying to find the genesis of a journey I have travelled far too long!!! The journey of trying to chase my sins….to bring each and everyone to our Pappa….begging His forgiveness.

And then, off I went again..
and again…and again
around….and around
and around…
the world, chasing and searching

Today, i know I was haunted by a terrible religious spirit….forever whispering damnable lies to my heart….doing a mighty fine job of convincing me that our Pappa might just look at me with approval if, and only if, I brought all my sins to His throne of wrath!!

Yet, our Pappa, mercifully, brought me to my own Timbuktu…..my own oasis of joy in the desert. He allowed a chronic illness to stop me in my tracks! Then, at the darkest night of my soul, His Light bursted forth…illuminating the darkest, hidden places of insecurity and shame in my heart. He flooded my soul with His forgiveness and I knew …. truly knew …. He loves me.

He brought to my mind the time when my Andreas, my youngest, was only a wee little lad. He accidentally broke a fragile ornament and apologized over….and over….and over again. I just gathered him into my arms, smothered him with my love, assuring him that it doesn’t matter. He is forgiven, totally, completely.

Oh, the joy of knowing and experiencing His forgiveness and His freedom! It is truly precious beyond words! I am eternally grateful that our Pappa showed me how far the east is from the west and for ushering me into His eternal rest.

Have a blessed wonder-filled Sunday.

Mia

http://myfreshlybrewedlife.com/

Thank you, Barbie, again for your linky place where we can share a special verse from Scripture. Come join us at Fresh Brewed Sundays.

 

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