:: Rain, a metaphor

 "Let us know, let us press in to know the Lord; His appearing is as sure as the dawn; He will come to us like the showers, like the spring rains that water the earth." Hosea 6:3


As I write this, it is raining cats and dogs. The water in the driveway is up to my ankles. It feels like a cleansing! I love this kind of rain. Since I've been in Hawaii, there has only been two thunderstorms, but we do have rainstorms frequently here in the "mountains" of central Oahu. 

I love the imagery of Hosea 6:3. A feeling of expectation rests on it. I want to press on to know the Lord because I know He will meet me. I am certain of this meeting. I know the waters of this encounter will carve deeper wells of intimacy that can hold larger amounts of wisdom and revelation. The more often these meetings become, the more my worldly wisdom erodes - the rain carves a path for the Lord to lead me on. 

 "Let it rain, let it rain! Open the floodgates of heaven. 
I feel the winds of your love. I feel the winds of your Spirit! Now the heartbeat of heaven, let us hear."


Let's get wet!

:: Joy of the Journey: Friendship + Intimacy

"Do not think I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say unto you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:17-19

This may feel like watching your life flash before your eyes. Least in heaven. Can you imagine that?

  Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many that take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few that find it." (Matt 7:13-14)
  The way of the law and the prophets is a narrow road; but there is a joy to be found in the journey. While we walk, run, trip, rest, battle, repeat, we begin to cultivate a relationship with a man: Jesus. We learn the things He loves, and we learn the things He hates. We talk with Him. Intimacy is formed.
  I don't know about you, but the more time I spend with a person, the deeper I get to know them. As I get older and friendships are made with new people, I am learning what a sacred thing one-on-one time is to a relationship. It is such a necessity! When I spend time with my friend, I understand their heart: their struggles and joys; and I can share it with them!
  This kind of relational intimacy is what God longs for with us. He wants sacred time to talk and share our hearts.

 The law is a piece of the Father's heart. He wants justice and righteousness to reign on the earth. He yearns for the day the words of His prophets will all be fulfilled. To know the law is to know the holy standard of God's heart. It is our inheritance to know the deeps things of God (1 Corinthians 2:10-16), and live as holy sacrifices to Him. (Romans 12:1-2)

"You desire truth in my inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart." Psalm 51:6

"Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart." Psalm 119:34

Further up and further in,
Sarah Raye Fuller

(this blog post is dedicated to Jessica Nicole Mills; I miss you so much, dear sister)

:: of Worship

What is worship? 

Worship is looking at God, listening to God, and loving God. 

I want to stand on the sea of glass around the throne and look at God. (Revelation 4:6) 

I want to sit in Abba's presence and listen to the things He has to teach me - and then tell others what I have learned.

I want to sing to God and show Him I will lay down the things I love to spend time with Him and love Him more. I want to show Him I have been listening, I have been beholding (or looking) at Him, and I have loved Him by obedience and devotion.

Pleasing Fragrance

"For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not peddlers of God's word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in His presence." 2 Corinthians 2:14-17

If the point of life is to love and know God, then what better way to live than to be the aroma of Christ to God, live in His presence, and sincerely lead others into the pleasurable presence of the Lord?

I want to live a Psalm 27:4 life - "One thing I asked of the Lord, that I will seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, and to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple."

I want to enter into a Revelation 4 encounter when I worship; to soar in the beauty and wonder of Jesus.

"O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, and the place where your glory abides." Psalm 26:8

Further up, dear ones, and further into the knowledge of God!

Colossians 3:1-4