Hidden in His Love

Jan 8

Let Me sweep you up in my arms. Let Me carry you deeper—into lands sweet and fragrant. Let Me hold you, so you hear my heart beating.

Be loved by Me.

My heart swells with longing and gratitude for your very existence. How I adore you, my lovely one.

In the daylight, find my face. Let Me smile over you. And in the night, let Me cover you with protection. Hide here, in my love, and be stirred by my love.

Even in your wilderness season, I am walking with you. Step surely, confidently, with my love bracing you. Eyes forward, straight ahead.

* * *

Pause here. How do these words land on your heart right now? Do you let them penetrate deeply?

Tuck away now, to a quiet place, where you can be hidden, away from noise and distractions. Let your heart find solace and restoration in this time of engaging with the One who loves you more than anything or anyone else.

Once you are in your hiding place, your phone put away and your body relaxed, take some deep breaths. As you breathe in, receive His love. As you breathe out, release your striving. Do this easy, deep breathing for a few minutes with your eyes closed.

Next, open your heart to Holy Spirit through a moment of confession and consecration. Surrender to God every worry and fear. Then consecrate your heart, body, and mind.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I confess… (I confess my anxiety about _____. I surrender my need to control _____.)

I surrender…

I bring everything—all of me—under your authority and consecrate my ideas and thoughts, my imagination and heart. I give you my full attention. I consecrate this time of engaging with You now.

Now, take a few moments to pray, using Psalm 139:23-24 as inspiration, asking God to search your heart so you can better be present and open to Him right now:

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Don't rush here. With your eyes closed, listen expectantly for His response. Try sitting and listening for a few minutes.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit…I feel…

* * *

Now, reread the prophetic words for you—allowing Holy Spirit to have them penetrate your heart. See the image God paints for you. See it in your heart and mind. Speak back to God your heart's response through words in a journal or a painting, a dance, a poem, a song...

Let Me sweep you up in my arms. Let Me carry you deeper—into lands sweet and fragrant. Let Me hold you, so you hear my heart beating.

Be loved by Me.

My heart swells with longing and gratitude for your very existence. How I adore you, my lovely one.

In the daylight, find my face. Let Me smile over you. And in the night, let Me cover you with protection. Hide here, in my love, and be stirred by my love.

Even in your wilderness season, I am walking with you. Step surely, confidently, with my love bracing you. Eyes forward, straight ahead.

* * *

There is a profound mystery in the way God loves us: He is both our sanctuary and our strength. When He invites us into the "fragrant lands" of His heart, He isn't just offering a temporary escape from the world; He is offering us a new way to walk through it.

In the Song of Songs, the Beloved is seen "leaning on her beloved" as she emerges from the wilderness. She isn't dragged, and she isn't walking alone. She is braced by his frame.

When Holy Spirit says, "Step surely, confidently, with my love bracing you," it is an invitation to stop relying on our own rhythms and start relying on his. To hear God’s heartbeat is to find our own pace. In the safety of his arms, the fear of the wilderness fades, replaced by the adoration in his eyes.

Today, we don't have to be strong; we only have to be held.

Finally, contemplate Song of Songs 8:5:

"Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved?"

Ask Holy Spirit to help you visualize God's love for you right now. See a picture in your sacred imagination of the two of you together. What colors do you see? What fragrances do you smell? What postures do you have in this scene?

As you close, ask yourself: What wilderness am I emerging from? How am I learning to lean?

Amen.