"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine..." Ani l'dodi v'dodi li (Hebrew)

My Beloved,

You are My Beloved and I Am yours. How beautiful you are my darling, you are altogether beautiful, and there is no blemish in you. You are a garden spring, a well of fresh water, perfect and unique. My desire is for you and you are Mine. Put Me as a seal over your heart, for love is as strong as death and many waters cannot quench My love for you, nor will rivers overflow it.

We are in covenant My Beloved and I have pledged My loyalty to you. From the moment you gave Me your heart, I gave you My authority, protection, provision, and love and I covered you in the blood of My Lamb. When you walk through the fires, I will be with you, never forget this. I know the plans I have for you and I declare this to you that My plans for you are for your welfare and not your calamity; to give you a future and a hope. When you call upon Me and pray to Me I will listen. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart, and My Beloved, I will be found by you. I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all those places that I have driven you, because I have called you by name Beloved, and you are Mine.

Oh give thanks to Me, My Beloved, for I am good and My loving-kindness toward you, endures forever! I love you My Beloved, never forget this. I look with delight upon you and I dance over you and your life with My banner of love. I bless you and keep you and smile upon you, and I Am gracious to you.

My Beloved, I give you peace that surpasses all understanding and as you continue to lean on Me, I tell you that you will walk in the fullness and abundance I have laid up for you, for no eye has seen, no ear has heard, all that I have prepared and kept ready for you, My Beloved. Trust Me and you will dwell in blessing. Make Me your trust, and I will plant you like a tree along the river whose roots extend by the stream, and you will not fear when the heat comes, but you will remain green and vibrant. You will not become anxious in the year of drought, nor cease to yield fruit, because I Am with you always, even unto the end of the age.

I love you My Beloved and I make intercession for you continually, never doubt My love. You are truly beautiful and worth fighting for and I am in battle for you always. Believe and know this. Never doubt, My Beloved, only trust and believe Me.

I remain your Steadfast Eternal Love as I Am the same yesterday, today and always. Grow and flourish in the love I have for you. Walk continually in the knowledge that you are loved dearly and wholly by Me. Know that I bless you and keep you in all your ways.

Eternally Yours My Beloved,

The Bridegroom

My December 16th Sonoma Christian Home Article

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory,
glory as of the only begotten from the Father full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

Matthew and Luke are the typical books read for their accounts of the nativity.  Both enable us to visualize the conception, pregnancy, birth and the first year of Christ.  Each author regales us, in their own unique way, of the events that led up to one of the greatest stories ever told, but I tend to be a fan of John’s simple, yet profound, account of the birth of Christ Jesus.

“And the Word became flesh. . .”

This fact sends goose bumps up my arms and makes the hair on the nape of my neck tingle.  The creative essence of the Father, His Word; the ability to learn and understand, became visible to us.  Wrap your mind around that if you can, because in the Word becoming flesh, God made alive to us the very spirit of Himself that gives us thought and the capability of thought, bringing revelation.  Is it any wonder that deep calls to deep?

In the Word becoming flesh we are able to know the Father in a way that was not available to us before this occurrence. In the Word becoming flesh we see the unveiled reality and the veritable essence of matter. We are in direct contact with the Giver of Life and its all because of His loving kindness toward us, freely given with no strings attached.  He shows Himself to us in His earthly weakness because He loves us and desires us to be able to commune with Him.

He is without equal, complete, and perfect in His unveiled reality and the kicker is He dwelt among us.  We were able to laugh with Him, cry with Him, long with Him, touch Him, watch Him, study Him, break bread with Him, and love with Him in a way no man had ever done before.  He freely gave of Himself to us.

This Christmas season take a look at the first chapter of John and see the nativity story come alive in whole new grace abounding way.  “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”

Merry Christmas!

A Post Thanksgiving Devotion

That I may proclaim, with the voice of thanksgiving, and declare all thy wonders. Psalm 26:7

As a child in elementary school, I remember pictures of overflowing cornucopias, colorful turkeys, some of which were made from the handprints of children in the class, while others were assembled out of different colored construction paper, their feather-like shapes glued onto another sheet of paper, forming the perfect gobbler, and then there were the friendly looking Pilgrim and Indian cutouts, clasping each others hands in friendship.

These familiar Thanksgiving images hung on the bulletin boards, windows, doors, and any spare wall space, giving a festive feel to the place, but the thing that is highlighted most in my memory, is the sharing time after the telling of the first Thanksgiving story. Seated in a circle on the floor, each child was given the opportunity to share what they were thankful for, and with no prompting from the teacher, each mentioned God in their response.

“I am thankful to God, for my mommy and daddy.” “I am thankful to God for my dog, Shep! He is a good dog.” “I am thankful to God for my daddy having a job.” “I am thankful to God for my Hot Wheels.” “I am thankful to God for my Chrissy Doll.” And on and on it went until each child proclaimed with a voice of thanksgiving, to God, the wonders that they were thankful for. It was atomically understood that we needed to be thankful and to Whom our thanksgiving flowed.

Some three hundred plus years have gone by since the first Thanksgiving celebration and I find it remarkable that as a country, we continue to set aside a National day of being thankful. Sadly there are many that will not observe the real meaning behind the day, for them it will be about food and football, but still they are gathering together, breaking bread, perhaps unknowingly, but in memory of what began so long ago. A time of rejoicing that the harvest was plentiful, and that God had seen them through another year.

We as believers in Christ Jesus, have much to be thankful for every day, not just once a year. Starting today, why not begin to walk in an attitude of gratitude toward the One from Whom all our blessings flow. If you do not do it already, begin to practice the art of thanksgiving on a regular basis, and you will find that your life will be different, for a thankful heart is at peace and gives life to the body and a happy heart makes the face cheerful.

Thank You O’Lord Our Savior for Thy Loving kindness to us and this great nation. Bless us O’ Lord, in the name of Jesus, we pray, amen.