LIVE by the Providence of His Astounding Presence
O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. ~ Psalm 63:3 (NKJV)
Exactly one year ago today on December 4th of 2007, I penned and sent The Hasidic Christ Follower to scores of people. The Hasidic Christ Follower was a word richly impressed upon my heart about our LORD’s ever faithful and unbroken covenant hesed or loving-kindness.
What a beautiful time in His Presence I had that particular morning! Little did I know that later that same day, an opportunity of a different kind would present itself for us to learn yet another element of His covenant hesed, firsthand. Shielded by His Presence, we would become intimately acquainted with the certainty that truly ‘blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted’.
For that very day, He had chosen to call my beautiful Mother, Judy Diane Flores into His Magnificent Presence and Eternal Kingdom – forever to enjoy the glories of Heaven.
…He simply took back unto Himself what was already His.
It was completely unexpected, and a rather normal day by all accounts. As the night’s events began to slowly and painfully unfold, all that I had to hang onto in the frightfully uncertain corridors of my being were the ‘certain words of encouragement’ He had offered me earlier that morning…that unwavering Truth of His Loyal-Love that still resounds in my spirit to this very day.
Today’s word is for those who might be momentarily struggling to REALLY LIVE while their loved One is no longer allowed an earthly life (especially during Christmas time)…but moreso, these Beloved are now enjoying the most distinct and highest of privileges that will one day soon be ours – to worship Him face to Face!
…But for now, those of us left behind and at home in the body shall LIVE by the Providence of His Astounding Presence!
When I see families – especially grandmothers – enjoying one another’s presence, I continue to ponder the great mystery of the LORD’s ways in taking some and leaving others. As one friend pointed out, ‘The tremendous grief we feel is just the testimony of how much they were loved’.
I don’t pretend to have any answers to our musings and complex feelings, but I do know that each day HE gives us is not merely an undeserved gift, but rather, it is an undeserved gift with a Divine Purpose.
It is an OPPORTUNITY to be conformed to His character… yet through many hardships.
HE has my Mom with Him…HE has MANY other dearly loved Ones with Him.
And to us whose hearts still beat on the face of this old earth, HE says “LIVE! I have made this day for YOU to know and to have more of MY LOVE; and thus be the Conduit of MY Heavenly Hesed to all those near and far…”
“But enjoying His favor, which is life; and His loving-kindness, which is better than life – it matters but little whether we are rich or poor; whether the sun of prosperity shines – or the clouds of adversity lower; whether we are reveling in health – or stretched upon beds of languishing; whether we are toiling as slaves – or wearing crowns and diadems. After a few more rising and setting suns — it will not matter a single straw–what our earthly lot may have been! The only matter of importance then– will be whether we have been accepted of God.” ~ ~ John MacDuff 1858
And ACCEPTED! (well-pleasing to HIM) we HAVE been made through our Messiah, indeed…
“Therefore, whether at home (with the Messiah) or away from home (in the body), we try our utmost to please Him;” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:9
