as L O R D

I have been challenged, comforted, and graciously led to repentance by the Father recently. All because of these words: Jesus is Lord. 'Jesus is Lord' is a mistaken and abused set of words that is thrown around by those who have been called by Christ and those who have not, for generations past. May it be a social norm, an expected and mutual agreement, or simply a religious phrase that seems to foundation to unite people from all walks- i’m not sure. I’m equally unsure as to how these words, innately being unmeasurable in weight and provoking in response, have become words that are just as meaningless as the next phrase or social fad. There is a grand misinterpretation and misunderstanding of these words. 

He is Lord of my life. 

He is Lord of my marriage. 

He is Lord of all. 

What does that mean, exactly? For me, it was in an ignorant understanding and foggy view as to what the term “Lord” meant that caused my frustrations. The Scripture blatantly unveils the curtains to reveal the mystery and secret of “Lord” should we choose to see, listen, and believe.

Lord (noun) - "someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler.” 

In the most simplistic terms, ‘Lord’ is a person or object with power. Not a minimal amount, but a ‘master or ruler’ implying full power, and full authority. That seems fairly obvious. I think we can all come to a mutual understanding that Jesus as Lord does, in fact, mean He is the Ruler and Master- the One with all authority, all power. 

However, this seeming simplicity is where I was faced with my conflict. By definition and intellectual ability, I understand what Lord means; I believe that all people do, regardless of their call of Christ or religious preference (we’ve become a very intellectually aware, yet heart-dead society). I wasn’t okay with the simple intellectual understanding; rather, I wanted to understand what the Father intended by referring to His Son as the Lord. I wanted to know more. I wanted to know what these words truly meant to someone empowered by the Holy Spirit and someone who is hidden in Christ. Surely, it has to provoke a response of greater weight to those who are called by Christ than it does for the average person with a “Jesus is Lord” bumper sticker (not that those are wrong per-say, just kind of. Ha! Joke).  

The Scripture, being fully holistic in it’s declarations and intentions loudly shouts and unveils the definition.  

I’m going to look specifically at three different stories that have provoked my heart these last several days. 

The first is from Luke 6, when the Scripture actually says, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath” (v. 5). A few verses before this the Pharisee’s were challenging Jesus as His disciples “plucked and ate some heads of grain” (v. 1). The Pharisee’s (the religious “elite”) said, “What are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” (v. 2). Jesus was plainly making evident that there are no longer lawful and/or unlawful religious rules to abide by, He is now the one to whom we submit. Rather than a religious law, there is a Christ. Jesus replaces the law. We submit to Jesus on the Sabbath and not preconceived laws and regulations. He is the Lord. 

The second story is found in Luke 7, beginning in verse 36. Jesus has been invited by a pharisee to eat dinner with him in his home. While in the Pharisee’s home, there was a “woman of the city, who was a sinner” (v. 37) who, after learning Jesus was in the home, went in with her most treasured perfume. The Scripture says this: “…standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment” (v. 38). This woman was a known sinner in the city, who has entered into the house of a religious elite in order to fall before Jesus. This breaks the normality and customs that were considered appropriate for this time. The woman saw Christ as the Lord. She was willing to go against the normality of culture and further taint her reputation to man. He provoked a contrite stature to the lowly. He is the Lord. 

The last story is found in Luke 8, starting in verse 40. The Scripture says this: “There came a man named Jarius, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter… and she was dying” (v. 40-42). The ruler of a synagogue was a culturally and religiously elite man. He was a public figure and was the enforcer of the religious customs. This ruler of the synagogue did not save his face as he fell before Jesus amongst the crowd of people, as it says in verse 40. He was willing to make a “fool” of himself for the sake of falling before Christ. 

These three stories are a dusting amongst all Scripture portraying the Lord as such. Jesus, when fully encountered, calls not to a higher standard of living or a more obvious external discipline towards living a religious life. Rather, Christ calls us out of the bondage religion drowns us in. Jesus calls His followers to look at the way of the crowd and the culture, and to walk the other way. To look foolish. (Shouldn’t abiding by the Words of Scripture as the world surrounding us abides in darkness seem slightly foolish?)

To obey HIs commands, not the cultural norms. 

To pursue Him, though sociological standing forbids. 

To fall before Him, regardless of your reputation's risks.  

He is the Lord. This has never resounded more true in my heart. The Holy Spirit is slowly and gently revealing story after story that displays Jesus as the Lord. My flesh is prone to law; but I can't help but long for more. It's a beautiful abandonment.

The call of Christ free’s us to submit to Him alone as the Lord. 

The call of Christ free’s us from the bondage of “good” and allows us to submit to Him as the abolisher of the law.

Not your religious effort. 

Not your “time in the Word.” 

Not your convictions or purity. 

Not your involvement in the Church or frequency behind the pew.

We’re free to submit to Christ alone. He is the Lord. What grace!

Oh, that we would become a people who begin to believe in freedom. That we would become a people who joyfully submit to Christ alone as Lord amidst a world and religious culture that begs us to do otherwise. 

Read for yourself. 

Open the Scripture. 

May you be provoked to  w o n d e r. 

It's a process, not coming to completion until full glorification, not easily grasped. It's a process that is so countercultural, it seems nearly impossible. But, I am daily reminded to pursue comfort in the God that calls me to rest in His promises alone. In moments of clarity, it's divinely freeing. In moment's of fogginess, my faith in those promises are forced to expound. My journey towards submission to Christ as the Lord continues. I pray that alongside of me, yours does too.   

Psalm 8:4

"What is man that You thought of them, & the son of man that You care for him?" | Ps. 8:4

Who am I that I should be pursued by Yahweh? This God, who brushes the trees with a sweet, but triumphed blow of the wind. This God, who paints the leaves- each one a new color. This God, who hurries the clouds as the warmth of the sun seeps through the gray masses. Who am I that He should think of me? I am but dust on the earth and sand that is easily deceived into thinking that if I work well enough,  I can build a castle that will not fall or crash in the presence of the the washing waves upon the sea shore. I am convinced, day after day, into thinking that the temporal is to be held at the highest value. Oh, who am I that He should think of me? That He cares for me? Though I was formed from dust, and to dust I shall return, El Roi, the God who see's me, has unveiled my eyes to see glimpses of the eternal in the temporal and has granted me a mind that cannot accept blindly that the wind which is currently blowing through my hair, that the leaves which have fallen beneath my feet, and that the sound of the trees which is more overbearing than the sound of my voice has come from a being no greater than myself. Rather, I am convinced that the Divine has manifested Himself into flesh similar to mine so that I am enabled to sit upon this bench and dwell upon that which cannot be attained or comprehended in the flesh apart from a Holy Providence. I am convinced that because of the bloody death paid by this Divine Being, I can sit as a shell containing the Most High, who is to be credited for these thoughts with the imprints of the Holy Ghost and are far too lofty for the human to cultivate on his own. 

I think I know. Like a child recognizing her fathers voice for the first time, I think I know what the sound of His presence may sound like. It's the sound of the trees as the wind blows back and forth. It's the sound of the ocean, when you can no longer hear the world and all you can dwell upon is the vastness of the waters. It's the noise that drowns out all else and provides mere mortals with a sense of immortality. It is these very sounds that when heard by even the deafest ears, one can no longer hear anything else. Who are we that You think of us? 

I am brought to utter worship and praise at the mystery of a God I am assured of; yet, am still viewing through foggy eyes until the day my faith becomes my sight. Who are we that He cares for us? Jesus, our song everlasting. 

Subjected to v a n i t y

Lately, I have been excessively discontent. I have been seeking & longing & believing for a life much more abundant than the one I currently seem to posess.

I've been living in this - "We ourselves, who have the first firsts of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." (Rom. 8: 23)

I am groaning. I am burdened. I am eagerly waiting for more.

If any of this resonates with you- please, stay with me.

As a Christian, I know this is the natural & unavoidable way of life. Scripture presents this inward groaning for complete redemption on multiple occasions. I am aware that this is "normal." However, I have a really hard time being okay with just that. That it's normal.

How do I handle it? How am I supposed to respond to the burdens & the groaning? If Christ is my abundant life, then how come I don't often feel like I truly am walking in abundance? I can't help but present the Throne room with these questions. Granted, understand my heart, the Creator of light, the sustainer of breath, & the giver of gravity has no requirement to 'answer' my incompetant questions. However, we have been given the greatest tool & weapon to fighting in battle each moment: the Holy Scriptures. This is where He answered me. Praise be to God.

The Scripture that has brought all things into light begin with this: "For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from it's bondage to corruption." (vs. 19 - 21)

We wait with eager longing. Yet, we are subjected to vanity. Why? So that the Creator can set us free.

This may seem like the answer that fails to answer. But, friend, hear me.

We are living in a world that is not yet glorified; but rather, still subjected to futility.
The only constant response seen throughout Scripture to this weary world is long-suffering in hope.

The response Paul gives to his inward groaning & expectation is found in the hope that these mortal, flesh driven bodies will be redeemed by the giver of Life. He responds to verse's 19 & 20 with this: "For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

We hope. We have patience. And we wait.
Here is why this brings great comfort.

The Holy Scripture's tell us that the response to our groaning is to be patient & hope. It's that simple.

We live in a busy, active, "do" culture - inside the church, & outside. We have been raised & nurtured to believe that there is a remedy for all discontentment & all longing in Christ Jesus, through the Gospel. Now, hear me- there is. Because Jesus is the only remedy for Life. Apart from Him, we have no hope. But on this side of glory, in a world subjected to vanity, we will not know complete satisfaction in Him. We can't know.

We will groan. We will be burdened. We will eagerly long for final redemption into His Kingdom.
The remedy is that there is no remedy.

And that, my friends, is the most liberating answer I could have ever sought from our gracious God.
The answer that says, "No, no, no, my child. There is nothing for you to do & there is nothing that you are lacking. You have been covered by the Son of God's garment. Now, just wait. Be patience & wait for this hope that will be an eternity of reward."

Do you hear the liberation the Gospel freely offers?

I watched a short video of Pastor Tullian Tchividjian recently & the sweet words of the Spirit captivated my when he said this line: "I wish I could say that Christ fully satisfies me. But I can't. What I can say, is that Christ fully satisfied God." (Hear more by watching this short video. It will be well worth your time: http://www.pastortullian.com/2014/06/10/baptists-bulletins-and-bedtime/)

There is no Bible reading plan we can participate in. No sin we can confess. No community we can be apart of that will grant us the contentment on this side of Heaven that doesn't continually long.

We will always long for where our heart is destined. For the Christian, that is the presence of God.

Be one of long-suffering & be one of hope.
We hope for what we cannot see. Now, we cannot see the end to our longing. It is that we hope for.

It is the encounter with the living, resurrected King who was, & is, & is to come which we hope for.
It is the removal from a world that is subjected to vanity & death which we long for.
It is the incomparable voice of the King that says, "Well done, my good & faithful servant," which we are to eagerly hope for until we have been taken from this dying world.

How do we respond to the groaning? We hope.
Do not let the enemy put an expectation of fulfillment in your life. It is true Jesus Christ alone is all satisfying. All things under the sun, the Preacher in Ecclesiastes says, is vanity except the presence of God. However, as long as we live in the tension of death & life, we will not & cannot be fully satisfied until we are fully glorified.

Rest easy, friend. Let God be satisfied by Christ alone.
Hope.

He is O U R S

Do you guys ever feel like the season your in will never, ever end? Like, there's is absolutely no light at the end of the tunnel?

That's where I've been the last... forever. Except, it's not really a good thing. I'm not stuck in a season that is keeping on cloud 9 [I stinkin' wish!]. I'm stuck in a season that has caused more angst and inner turmoil then ever before, really.

Listen to my heart, it may resonate.

The Lord has always given me times where He makes sure I am aware of my depravity without Him. Times where He reminds me just how sinful I am and just how much I need a Savior. I've always been used to that. Well, I think that may have been my first problem. "I have always been used to it."

Why do I think this? Because He decided to change it up a bit. Rather then just reminding me how much I am in need of Him and how sinful my innate being is, He has literally made myself disgusted with... myself.

Follow me, I promise it will make sense.

Lately, I have been absolutely overwhelmed with how, in the deepest core of my being, though I delight in the law of God [Rom 7:21], I am all about myself.

I look after myself.
I think about myself.
I provide for myself.
I desire fame for myself.

You get the point. I have been consumed with self.

As I have been reading through Genesis I came across just a few short words that, for me, have been the most heart-breaking, yet, beautiful words I've read in a long time.

Here's some context: In Genesis 18, the Lord appears to Abraham on behalf of Sodom, where Lot is [you should go back and read chapter 17 & 18, there's so much Gospel truth]. About halfway through the chapter the Lord tells Abraham that He is going to judge the city of Sodom. In response, Abraham pleads for the city. However, it was how Abraham responded that blew my mind.

"So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord. Then Abraham drew near." [22&23] 

All of the people, the whole crowd, began to walk toward Sodom. BUT, Abraham still stood before the Lord. 

There are many things about this I find compelling, but most of all is this: while the crowd began to walk, all people alike, Abraham regarded the presence of the Lord as more precious and more valuable then walking with the Crowd. He had enough confidence in the voice of the Father that, while all others walk on, he still stands.

This provokes so many questions.
Do I find His presence as most precious?
Is His wisdom most valuable?
Do I have confidence in the Father?

I think about this scene and I place myself in the spot of Abraham. However, I don't see the same thing pan out should I be there. If I were Abraham, I would have done one of two things:

1. I would have simply gone with the crowd and been with the people, for like of confidence in the Lord.
2. I would have still stood before the Lord. However, I would not have drawn near. I would have stayed before Him as all others walked by hoping they would see me. Because, naturally, you look more spiritual should you break yourself from people and be with Him, right? [that's a joke, btw]

You see where self has been perverted and has consumed me? I just can't read this story and not be absolutely wrecked by how little my attention is upon the Father and how much my focus stays upon self.

However, here is the good news I have been so sweetly reminded of.

My inner being delights in the Law of God, yet I'm at war. As are you.
I am a fool when I try to get myself to not be about myself. I can't do that. Resulting from the fall, self is our number one priority and delight. Yet, the victory of Christ is ours to be claimed.

"That's obvious, I know that, what does that have to do with anything?"
Here's what: rather than trying to add the goodness of Christ to yourself, replace yourself with His goodness.

As life brings about all kinds of these Abraham scenarios as we begin to either walk with the crowd or long to be noticed, our deepest joy can be found in the truth that says what's His is now ours.

Though our flesh wages war.
Though our eyes turn to idols.
Though are thoughts are upon ourself.

His victory is ours.
His purity is ours.
His vision is ours.

This is the Gospel.

In this season of feeling trapped by my own self I have learned one thing: regardless of self, He is ours.
There is nothing good in me. Apart from claiming His victory as my own, I will always be about self.
However, in Him and by His grace, we can now claim all of who He is.

You see, the Father says this to us: "Stop being so frustrated with yourself. Walk in the freedom I have laid out for you. Choose the joy I've made available to you. You can't fix yourself. But, all I see on you is the blood of the Lamb. Rest as my daughter and let me be the King."

May we be a people  that chooses to claim the victories found in the Gospel as sufficient.
May be a people that is not afraid of self, but, rather, rebukes it with the Name of Life.
May we be a people that doesn't try to make ourself selfless, but rather claims the selfless Cross as the very Cross that we were crucified on.

This has been my journey. It has been ugly, yet profoundly beautiful.

May the Gospel be yours and may His freedom be yours so that while our bodies waste away, our Spirit will remain forever.

Let the truth set you free.

"For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will save me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" [Romans 7:21-25]

"Astound me, Father."

Have you guys ever found a particular phrase that has made it's way into every aspect of your life?
Yeah, me too.

"Astound me, Father."
"Astound me, Father."
"Astound me, Father."

These three simple words have made their way into my every day. Here is what I've learned. 

Astound. The definition of astound simply means to "shock or greatly surprise." 

I wanted to be "shocked" and "greatly surprised" by the Gospel. What's so wrong with that?

When I first started praying this, I couldn't help but think, "Well done, Nerissa." As in, I had finally reached this moment with Jesus where I had won: I had prayed something He couldn't get out of answering! If Jesus is who He says He is and if His glory causes Paul to simply say, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!" (Rom. 11:33) then surely, He can't withhold it should I ask.

And I asked. 

And I asked again and again

and again and again. 

He did answer, (eventually)! 

I've been going through the book of Acts (btw, my favorite book; read it again and again) and have been taken aback at how many times people are "astounded" by who Jesus is, even in the first few chapters.

Here are a few: 

"...they were bewildered." (2:6)

"...they were amazed and astonished." (2:7)

"...they were all amazed and perplexed." (2:12)

"...they were filled with wonder and amazement." (3:10)

"...all the people [were] utterly astounded." (3:11)

You get the point. Their socks were knocked off. 

As I have been reading and rereading these verses, I find myself being frustrated. 

I'm frustrated that our Church today (and by Church, I mean the Body as a whole) looks so vastly different. 

I'm frustrated that my life looks so vastly different.
I'm frustrated that the very ones who crucified Jesus were being amazed without even asking! 

Are you following my emotion right now? 

I have been asking Jesus, whom I love, to astound me for weeks and these religious pharisees are the ones who were astounded by Him. His Gospel has the power to astonish even the worst of all sinners. (clarification: I know I am, in fact, a religious pharisee and the WORST sinner. However, in this context, I'm talking about who they actually were historically) 

So why isn't it connecting?

Well, hallelujah, He has truly answered me (by the way, His patience alone is enough to astound me).

The Holy Spirit illuminated the answer in Acts 3:14 //

"But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murder to be granted to you." 

I realize, this seem's way off. But follow me.

I read this verse and resonate with every word that Peter is speaking because I know that I do that! 

I trade in the greatest gift known to man for fleeting pleasures.
I turn my face away from the Holy and Righteous One so I can glance at death.

I do what Peter just said. Because of that, grace is a hard pill to swallow.
However, I learned that to be astounded you must walk in grace.

Seem simple? It's not. 

Because I know that verse 14 is true of me, rather than walking in the breathtaking life offered through the Gospel, I often choose to stay put in verse 14. Instead of living in the resurrection of Jesus, I keep Him in death 

(which, obviously, is just dumb. Sanctification, you know? He really is patient as I work out my salvation!).

Often times, I live as though He is still on the Cross. I sit at the Cross and I say, "Father, astound me."
Yet, I miss the answer because I'm not willing to lift my head up and see that He's no longer dead.

He is alive.
If there was no resurrection, if Jesus was still on the Cross, there would be nothing to be astonished by.
The bewildering, amazing, astonishing, perplexing, wonderful, and astounding Truth is found in the empty tomb.

Stay with me, because this is life altering. 

In these first couple chapters of Acts, the people were constantly amazed by Jesus.

Why? 

Because these people were hearing proclaimed "Jesus the resurrection from the dead." (4:2) 

The Cross of Christ displayed His mercy.
The resurrection of Christ displays His grace.

The resurrection is grace, and that is absolutely astounding. 

My answer to, "Astound me, Father," came in the form of the Gospel of grace.

What is the key to being astounded by the Father?
Take a look at the Gospel.
Lift your head up and see Jesus no longer upon the Cross, and receive His mercy.
Lift your head up and see Jesus no longer in the tomb, and receive His grace.

His grace is astounding. 

You don't have to work.
You don't have to earn. 

You don't have to do anything. 

He is present.
He is alive.
He is astounding. 

Sometimes, you just have to be reminded:

Walk in the resurrection.
Walk in grace and be astounded. 

Keeper of my h e a r t.

Have you guys ever had those weeks that never seem to end? Not only do they not end, they just aren't even good? I sure do too. In fact, this last week was both of those things.

It's been a week where: my life and my relationship with the Lord has been misunderstood and attacked; Satan made my mind his home [or, so he thought. jerk. i hate him so much]; and, the nights were long with one situation after another demanding my attention. However, I have never experienced the sweet and precious presence of Jesus as I have this week.

Allow me to explain. 

It's exhausting to simply live life, it really is. Think about it: especially in our culture today, we constantly have things to do, people who need us, appointments, coffee dates, classes, homework, etc. Not to mention, as followers of Jesus, the 'unexpected' things throughout our days: the deaths, the confrontation, the hard conversations, the revealing of sin, the accountability, etc. There's a lot. In fact, there is far too much! 

Here is what I would propose to you, though: in the busyness of this life and in the pain of living in a world that falls far too often for the schemes of the enemy, Jesus is after your heart. 

He's after your joy. 

He's after your rest. 

He's after your time. 

He's after your thoughts.

He's after everything. Jesus, in the midst of all life holds, is after Y O U. 

What does this mean? Hang with me. 

The spirit of this world, of the enemy, is chaos; it's restlessness; it's loneliness. 

Yet, the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit, is peace; He's rest; He is present. 

However, in order to more rightly and purely taste the sweet presence of Christ; we have to see what the contrast looks like. In other words, to truly taste and see that Jesus is good; you must know that all the world offers is not good. 

Confused?
Here's a practical example: 

Lets say you have had the same professor for English 2 semesters in a row and you love him. You think he's the best professor out there. However, you have nothing to compare him too. He's all you've ever known and you enjoy him. Then, lets say, your 3rd semester you had a terrible English professor. Like, this guy is awful. Once you experience learning from the awful professor, you cannot help but crave the original professor you had. 

Are you catching it? 

Until you experience the 'bad' professor, you cannot rightly enjoy the 'good' one. 

This is the same with Jesus. It isn't until we live through the struggle do we see just how precious Jesus is. 

He lets us experience the pain so that we see Jesus rightly: as the most Precious One. 

Lets take this a little farther.

Until the Holy Spirit reveals to us the great love and desire of Jesus, we are misinterpreting who He is all together. Because, seeing Jesus as anything less than all He says He is, is not seeing Jesus.  It's seeing something we would like Him to be. Peter mentions in 1 Peter that we will only "grow up in our salvation" and long for Jesus Christ "...if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good." [2:3]. In other words, He ultimately longs for us to see that He is good. 

Here's what I mean.
When the hard days come, because they will;

When the long weeks come, because they will; 

When you feel like nobody can truly understand you, because you will...

Know this: Jesus allows us to see the dark, so we can take shelter in the light. 

He allows us to see how bad things are, so we can see how good He is. 

The Holy Spirit is that intricate and the Father is that sovereign. He will bring you through a season, a week, or a day that is dark in order for the light of Christ to be magnified. In order to see Jesus for who He is; not who we get used to Him being. 

His presence is sweet. His desire is for us to taste it. Because then, by the Holy Spirit, do we see.  

He is after your heart. 

While reading through Ezekiel recently [yall should read it. it's killer.] I saw one constant theme the Lord was impressing and emphasizing for His people to see, and that is this: "Then they will know that I am the Lord." 

He does _____, so that we will know He is the Lord. 

He is sovereign. He is over all and in all and through all. 

Nothing is outside of His hand and nothing happens that He didn't put in place.

He wants you to know Him. And in knowing Him, honor Him. 

John Piper has said: "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him." 

Jesus desires you to be satisfied in Him alone. 

So take heart, my friend.
Jesus, the King of Kings, is after your heart, for His own pleasure.

When the loneliness comes: know, you have been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit [Eph. 1:13]. Paul says in 2 Timothy that, "The Lord knows who are His." [2:19]. You're not alone. You're known. 

When the exhausting days come: know, He alone is your strength. He gives strength to the weary [Is.40:29]. The Holy Spirit is fighting for you, simply be still [Ex. 14:14]. Rest. 

When the lies of the enemy seem to be overwhelming: know, sin and death no longer have dominion over you [Rom. 6:14]. You have victory with the Name of Jesus.  Don't fall for the lie; declare the Truth. 

Through it all, He desires for you to know He is the Lord. He desires you to taste and see. 

He is after your heart.
Taste and see that He is good.

Run into His very precious presence.

Be satisfied.

I will tell you, there is nothing sweeter than the love of Jesus. 

Don't be discouraged by a hard day. Rather, taste the sweetness of Christ.

He is on your side and His love is rich. 

Are you satisfied? 

Have you tasted? 

Seek Him.
Seek Him. 

Seek Him.

"It is not for your sake that I am about to act, but for the sake of my Holy Name." 

[Ez. 36:22] 

Lord, high and holy, meek and lowly, Thou hast brought me to the valley of vision, where I live in the depths but see Thee in the heights; hemmed in by mountains of sin I behold Thy glory. Let me learn by paradox that the way down is the way up, that to be low is to be high, that the broken heart is the healed heart, that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit, that the repenting soul is the victorious soul, that to have nothing is to possess all, that to bear the cross is to wear the crown, that to give is to receive, that the valley is the place of vision. Lord, in the daytime stars can be seen from deepest wells, and the deeper the wells the brighter Thy stars shine; let me find Thy light in my darkness, Thy life in my death, Thy joy in my sorrow, Thy grace in my sin, Thy riches in my poverty, Thy glory in my valley.

The Valley of Vision // Puritans