Without having seen Him, you love Him; though you do not [even] now see Him, you believe in Him and exult and thrill with inexpressible and glorious (triumphant, heavenly) joy. ~ 1 Peter 1:8 (AMP)
Our imaginations of our LORD is what will prove to deepen our affections for Him.
Just the same as a woman dreams of her lover when he is away, so we, too may dream of the One Who loved us. Yes, even before HE ever laid eyes on us in our mother's wombs, we were loved by Him.
We were dreamt of, in the mind of Yeshua, Creator of Heaven, Earth, and mankind before we ever inhaled our first breath as a newborn babe.
It is a beautiful gift from ADONAI to imagine and to dream.
My husband's work takes him away from home quite a bit. If I were to quit thinking about him, my love for him would eventually and definitely wane. If I chose not to actively keep him in my thoughts even when he is around our home, my love for him would slowly suffocate.
Practically speaking, the hard work finds itself in our actively searching for those quiet, 'dreamy' places whereby we may fill our minds with glorious imaginings of the Lover of our souls.
The perfect rendezvous. That preconceived destination. A still moment where nothing but birds chirp and the wind blows as the morning sun takes its place in the Eastern sky, perhaps.
Dream of Him as you dine with Him - as you partake of the FEAST of HIS Word HE has put before you at His table, dream of Him.
Dream of Him as you walk by the way.
Dream of Him as you talk and as you pray.
Dream of Him as you speak of His glorious ways.
Dream lovely visions of Him to fill your thoughts and bring joy to your days.
Dream of Him as the sun arises, casting shadows on the ground.
Dream of Him in the night as you rest, safe and sound.
Just dream.
When and where are those quiet places of solitude you've discovered? What do those places look like for you? Where do you 'think upon', with wild imaginings, the One Who so intensely loves you?
10 comments:
"If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then 2,000 years should make the Church desperate for Jesus."
Yes, that's from Reeves. Great minds think alike. That's why you're both under the "Better Minds" section on my page. :)
Darryl, I LOVE that quote! Isn't it, in this very moment of clarity, so abundantly obvious that the Adversary and the things of this world which he rules (1 John 5:19) are always actively at work to keep the children of God from THINKING ON, DREAMING ABOUT, & IMAGINING about Yeshua?
I think you're on to something, Carmen. (And this is tying in quite nicely with a piece I'm working on.)
GK Chesterton said that the reason he believed in the gospel was because of fairy tales. Many Christians have become too turgid and entrenched in Enlightenment philosophy to allow any room for sanctifed dreaming and imagination.
The rich young ruler (Luke 18) said that he had kept all the commandments since he was a child. WAS. WAS a child. He's all grown up. Yet Jesus had JUST said (implicitly, at least) that we must receive the kingdom like children. Ultimately, we see this saying played out in the actions of Zaccheus. When we look at child's mind on the whole, though, we see some of the biggest dreams and imaginations out there.
Growing up is the worst thing that can happen to a disciple -- it kills our imagination.
Interesting footnote: The way Luke tells the story, the rich young ruler and Zaccheus together show in real life the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Fun stuff.
wow, I love this Carmen.. and I like what Darryl quoted.. we should be desperate!
Hey, have you read Reeves' book "A Genuine Faith" yet? Or Wright's book that I lended you? They're AWESOME. They'd be good summer reads. As well as "Following Jesus" by Wright. I have recommended it to everyone I know. It is seriously one of the best I've read.
P.S. I STILL want a copy of your study that you did recently!! I don't have a printer, so could I get a hard copy from you, seeeeester? Love you. :) See you guys soon, I'm sure.
Darryl,
yes, and the penalty for not cultivating our dreams of the Kingdom (and the love that grows out of that) is a perpetual lack of joy and confusion.
Children, because they've been largely untainted by cynicism and self-aggrandizement, are able to love greatly, trust deeply, forgive easily and cannot wait to jump into the arms of their Father.
Yeshua, indeed, was trying to teach us something glorious about the mind of a child whose nature easily believes, trusts, loves, and forgives.
Amy D, I agree!
Jes, no, I've not taken the time to read the books yet...I'm sure they're fantastic...perhaps this summer?! Remind me when you come, I have a copy of the study by the fridge! ;o)
Beautiful study, Carmen. One I plan to ponder a bit more and delve into more. And to Darryl, thank you for adding more to this along with Carmen's responses.
I truly believe that we do need to understand the depth of which our LORD loves us. Reading His Word with our hearts, ears and eyes wide open can only bring us closer, allowing us to know Him in ways that ordinarily we could not. May we dream.
Thank you, ~ linda
Wonderful post!
Yay!! My darling reverted me back to IExplorer version 7 and I can read your blog again. Wasn't that sweet of him!! He's the greatest. He totally doesn't get this blogging thing, but he loves me enough to make me happy.
I've missed it and I started the study yesterday...AWESOME!! I am so thankful to have met you and be learning so much rich Hebrew through you. Thanks for all you do for your internet sisters and brothers!!
Carmen, I just found the spot where I can post a comment! I'm a little slow!! I cant wait to talk to you and catch up. Lots of love, Judy Melson
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