The word “rationalize” keeps coming into my mind as I wait on the Lord. I’m not even sure I know exactly what it means.
“I am interested, not only in your mind or your body or your heart or your soul, I am drawing you to me, to love me, with all those things combined – the whole you – I want you to fall head over heels in love with Me again and again and again. I want you to take Me as your entire Source – so don’t be too analytical and try and figure this all out, just come to Me and give Me yourself and I will do the rest.”
That was a major part of my message yesterday, today was linked. “Now remember what I said yesterday, I want you to fall in love with Me with your whole being – not separate parts, again. Now be sure as you speak on Sunday that My love comes through in the message clearly – because I want each one sitting there to fall in love with me again – to be sure”.
Luke 18:40 – 49. It is indeed a challenge to read a passage like this, which is so central to our faith and so well-known and yet wait upon the Lord to speak to you afresh, even as you read it. It is so natural to rehash what you know as the words rise out of the paper. So as I read, a few things struck me (again).
The darkness: I tried to imagine the scene. The wailing women, the rest of the bedraggled crowd, mingled with the armed centurions, the dust and the smell of unwashed bodies and of fear and the waves of intense agony emanating from those on the cross. And suddenly pitch darkness! Wow, they must have been dumbstruck! Easy to speak it away – “sign of God’s judgement”. But what an intense sign of the absolute comprehensiveness and seriousness of His judgement on every person in the world. That is what was on Jesus, that is what we have escaped because of His death because He took the full effect of God’s judgement on Himself, on our behalf!
Curtain torn – who came to bring that astounding news? A curtain 4 inches thick, laced with metal, torn from top to bottom. Stop and think. That curtain represented the absolute separation from God that man had experienced since Eden. A high priest and sacrifices, mere symbols of reaching past the curtain for His presence. But now. Access! Wait, do I realize the immense privilege we have in being able to meet with the absolutely holy Creator of the whole universe through Jesus and this sacrifice? It is so easy to become “used to” just talking to our Father, without being reminded of what it took Him and His Son to win that back for us.
“Into your hands I commit my Spirit”. The Triune God, once again reconciled. Way beyond my understanding. “Don’t rationalize and try and work it out”.
For me, as I soak all this in: A profound reminder of the significance of Jesus death by crucifixion. Everything of importance – yes everything of importance in the whole world revolves around and flows out from this happening. That is the basis for the deepest and most total change and affects every moment , thought and action.
PRAISE YOU LORD JESUS – MESSIAH, KING OF KINGS, LORD OF LORDS, LION OF JUDAH. I invite you to join in that and to ask God to open your heart and let you fall completely in love with Him again today, and tomorrow and….