Neverending

"How much do you love mummy?" I asked my youngest son while tucking him to bed last night.
"Neverending." he replied with a grin.

I knew that would be his answer.

It started a month ago when I asked him the same question. He thought for a moment and then whispered into my ear as earnestly as he could..."Neverending". It caught me by surprise because I was expecting him to say, "A million bottles of milk" or something more predictable. But 'neverending' caught me off guard.

I recently looked up its meaning, the first, most obvious was 'having no end' - the second was more thought provoking : "uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing"

From my six year old's sweet little mind he chose this word to express his love for me. For my mothers heart it was 'a very special moment'.

The next night while saying prayers I whispered, "Do you know how much Mummy loves you?"
"How much?" he asked.
"Neverending."

From then on it has been our little goodnight routine. When he's upset I use it to remind him how loved he is, and it guarantees a smile on his tear stained face. And when I ask him 'how much do I love you' he always knows the answer.

It's our word.

Last week before school we had a special little moment when I asked him if he knew how much God loved him.
He thought for a second or two, and then answered with certainty, "Neverending."

Dan is growing up knowing he is loved, that's for sure!

Heaven's real love is like that - powerful, endless, eternal, 'indefinite'...

Neverending.

Like the ring that has no end.

It doesn't matter what we say, do, think or speak - we are loved by our Creator... because we are the created! Just like I love Dan because he is my son and I am the Mum.

His love is unconditional, intentional, indescribable.

It's the same love that propelled Jesus to heal the sick, broken hearted and unloved, to bring life to death, to die for humanity....

It's the same love that counts all the hairs on my head and had thoughts of you and me before we were born.

"My frame was not hidden from You when I was being formed in secret...your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book all the days of my life were written before ever they took shape..." Psalm139

Now if that's not neverending love, what is?

"Love never fails (never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end)" 1Cor 13

I LOVE that this amazing, priceless gift that was in the beginning and through to eternity is also my very own treasure to keep. I am guaranteed a wellspring of love to sustain me through my pilgrimage of life - through the lowest of valleys to the most beautiful of mountains (Lord of the Rings type mountains!)

Dan is sleeping peacefully now, completely unaware that I have been writing about our special word, but I am praying that in the years to come he will have a revelation of God's all consuming, amazing love for him - and with that knowledge there will be no stopping him as he runs his race through to the finish line.

His future is still ahead of him.

Filled with hope. Neverending.

The 'most' secret place

“For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of the soul & spirit, of both joints & marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” Hebrews 4:12

The Word of God – our best ever instruction manual!

You just can’t read it like another book. It is “living and active”.

Alive.

Sometimes the only way to activate its power is to allow His life giving word access to your secret places - your soul and your spirit - the place which is sometimes the hardest to visit.

Funny how we will travel to the other side of the world to visit the remotest village or English secret garden, but the journey to the hidden places of our soul can be the most difficult (yet most extraordinary and worthwhile) traverse.

This place is where the questions of eternity are examined. They are where our actions, our words and our thoughts are determined.

It can be a prison or a haven, surrounded by walls of fear or words of life.

Our inner vows live here, as do our secrets. Our deepest dreams are grown here too, waiting for the pruning, shaping and healing of His truths and reality to transform our heart and set us upon our high places.

This scripture is one of those that truly pierces my heart with its unwavering truth. Each word from the Bible has the ability to penetrate our walls & pretences as we attempt to protect our vulnerabilities and keep an amount of control in our lives. (so loving definition of 'pierce' : to cut or make a way through; move or affect a person's emotions or bodily feelings deeply or sharply)

This verse speaks truth and authenticity to me. It highlights the power of the Spirit of God to bring life and sustenance to our soul.

The ability to finally see our true selves.

Usually it is during the stormiest, loneliest seasons of our lives that the Word of God has even more ability to penetrate our souls & spirits. God will give us one verse, one word, one truth that is so amazingly just for us.

Have you experienced that before? You have been praying for breakthrough, for ‘a word from God’, for direction... and when you least expect it someone in your world gives you a verse which hits your heart.

You hold onto it as a lifeline. You write it in your journal. Post in on the fridge or the toilet door. Hide it in the secret place in your heart.

It's so true that one word from God is more precious than one thousand from man.

I was recently speaking to a new friend. She has been experiencing years of pain and had been seeking God for a word. She was sitting in church last week next to a beautiful old lady and they started a conversation. Within minutes this dear woman gave my friend a verse to encourage her which was the exact same verse someone else had given her.

Now she is researching this verse and pulling it apart to seek the truth that God is obviously wanting to reveal to her. It is her word from heaven for this season in her life. Her journey of pain is also a journey of growth in the spiritual realm.

This verse has become a treasure which now resides in her secret place.

I love the analogy of the two edged sword. How amazing that God’s beautiful word is sharper than the sharpest of swords (which are sharp on each side of the point) which can pierce between our soul and our spirit.

Don Piper explains it well in his book “Pierced by the Word”;

“Soul and spirit are like bone joint and bone marrow. “Soul” is that invisible dimension of our life that we are by nature. “Spirit” is what we are by supernatural rebirth……without the awakening, creative, regenerating work of the Spirit of God in us we are merely natural rather than spiritual.”

When we regularly read the Word of God, either through regular devotions or a bible reading plan, we are feeding our spirit and bringing a greater arena of discernment and truth into our lives. Our spirit will be quickened to areas that need to be addressed. The Word of God will pierce through the confusion and bring light to our thoughts.

The daily choices, motives and intents of our heart are more likely to be aligned with heaven as we stay connected to the pure word of God, and immerse our spirit with His words of life.

It’s been a while since I have visited my secret place, but I am looking forward to the changes in my life when I have allowed the “sharper than any two edged sword” Word to visit there first.

I am looking forward to the journey.

The uncompromisingly righteous

I was reading through Proverbs 10 recently, and thanks to my trusted Amplified could not get past the 'righteous' theme in this chapter. This is not the only chapter in the Bible that focuses on being righteous, wise, holy & just, but it most certainly deserves its own blog!

This has been a crazy week to say the least. I have subconsciously been ignoring my Bible & have been treading water just getting through a week of daily events & life in a house of eight, so it was very timely to get a revelation from God (even if it was the 'slap in the face' kind...Ouch!!)

Right now there is beautiful quiet in my home (except for when the dog barks incessently at any movement of any neighbour, neighbours dog or bee!) and my laptop, bible and myself are all together at the same time! Wonderful!

Which brings me to my soul searching revelations on being righteous.. (uncompromisingly!)

The first verse I read was in verse 3:

"the Lord will not allow the uncompromisingly righteous to famish"

What a promise!! So... if I stay righteous (in right standing with God) and don't compromise (go against my core beliefs) then I won't famish (die of thirst and hunger). I am also guessing that I won't famish spiritually. Sounds like a good deal.

Another thought came to mind that if it wasn't for the cross, and the amazing sacrifice that Jesus made for humanity (for you & me) then it would be very difficult to stay "uncompromisingly righteous" in His eyes.

I would have to sacrifice one heck of a lot of rams & lambs for all my sins & unholiness.

The next lot of verses were so compatible with verse 3 that I thought I would list them so you can see what a great decision it is to stay on the "good paths that lead to life"...and not the bad ones!

"Blessings are upon the head of the uncompromisingly righteous.."

"The memory of the uncompromisingly righteous is a blessing.."

"The mouth of the uncompromisingly righteous man (& woman!) is a well of life.."

"The earnings of the righteous lead to life.."

"The tongues of the upright and in right standing with God are as choice silver.."

"The lips of the uncompromisingly righteous feed & guide many.."

"..the desire of the uncompromisingly righteous shall be granted."

"..the uncompromisingly righteous have an everlasting foundation"

"The hope of the uncompromisingly righteous is gladness.."

"The consistently righteous shall never be removed.."

"The mouths of the righteous (those harmonious with God) bring forth skilful & Godly wisdom.."

"The lips of the uncompromisingly righteous know & therefore utter what is acceptable.."

And that is only Chapter 10!!!

I love love love these promises. I love knowing that if I position myself in His will - in a place where I am seeking Him first and seeking His kingdom (not my own), then these things will be added to me. I will never be removed, I will say what is acceptable and my deep desires will be granted (he knows them better than I do anyway!)

Think about not compromising on the small day to day things in life, and what a challenge that is - I know these are the areas that challenge me the most.

My thoughts, my words, my actions, my inactions... all of them come under the 'compromise' or 'non compromise' banner!! I hope that more of them move to the latter as I purpose in my heart to live out this chapter (as best as I can)

This is by far my biggest challenge of the week (month? year?) - to aim to please God, not people, and to live an 'uncompromisingly righteous' life.

Not an easy concept...impossible is the word I'm searching for..(this is me here!)

So the many times when I become inconsistant, forgetful, neglectful & completely ignorant of this giant revelation (how could I???), I pray I will default back to His word, and back to His principles of wisdom.

The plan is to keep them as close as I can to my heart so I don't forget, and when I am tempted to compromise I will remember Chapter 10 in Proverbs.

It's a good plan.