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He speaks life into her, offering His hand as His love begins to renew her mind. He invites her to arise and come with Him. Fear stops her. Have you ever doubted God's love for you? See my last post on Song of Songs 2:10-17 https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/i-ll-come-away-another-time The [Woman]: “One night my lover was missing from my bed. I got up to look for him but couldn’t find him. I went out into the streets of the city and the roads to seek him, but I searched in vain. Songs 3:1-2 TLB Again she seems to be dreaming of their love. The separation she felt was daunting and the darkness lurked as she searched for Him at no avail. The thought of going on without Him was more than she could bear. Wouldn't it be great, if the day we said yes to Jesus, faith was fully flourished? There I go again, trying to rush the journey! Oswald Chambers wrote, "It's easy for us to imagine that we will suddenly come to a point in our lives where we are fully prepared, but preparation is not suddenly accomplished. In fact it is a process that must be steadily maintained." The police stopped me, and I said to them, ‘Have you seen him anywhere, this one I love so much?’ It was only a little while afterwards that I found him and held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my childhood home, into my mother’s old bedroom. Songs 3:3-4 TLB In her longing, she enters the world to look for Him— but He is not of the world. When God seems absent, the world is always waiting. As she makes the choice to move past them, she finds Him waiting there for her. She pulls Him close and would not let go. She wants to be with Him forever! Pay close attention in the deafening times of silence when the enemy of your soul tries to entice you with the shiny new things of this world. My tendency is to gravitate toward control or retreat. It only takes a moment to be deceived. I know it can be difficult to reach for His hand in the dark, but just because we don't see something, does not mean He is not doing something. He may be invisible, but rest assured He is at work. Surely He knows what it takes to dig deeply into our need for Him. I adjure you, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and deer of the park, not to awake my lover. Let him sleep.” Songs 3:5 TLB Perhaps another reminder is needed—love cannot be forced, it must be chosen. A manipulated love does not take root. The Young Women of Jerusalem: “Who is this sweeping in from the deserts like a cloud of smoke along the ground, smelling of myrrh and frankincense and every other spice that can be bought? Look, it is the chariot of Solomon with sixty of the mightiest men of his army surrounding it. They are all skilled swordsmen and experienced bodyguards. Each one has his sword upon his thigh to defend his king against any onslaught in the night. For King Solomon made himself a chariot from the wood of Lebanon. Its posts are silver, its canopy gold, the seat is purple; and the back is inlaid with these words: ‘With love from the girls of Jerusalem!’”. Songs 3:6-10 TLB When the storms of life kick up and thoughts of abandon ring loudly, God so graciously brings forth the truth of His love. Jesus ascends from the wilderness, fragrant with anointing oils from His burial. His sacrifice purifies and His protection is fierce. His mercy seat is forever in place—sprinkled with crimson; His amazing Grace—and covered by the Spirit of God. He literally and willingly gave His life and defeated death for His bride's hand in marriage. His love for her cannot be shaken; not even by her fear or unbelief. But she must willingly choose Him. As I write this, I am faced with yet another difficult medical decision; which usually brings pings of worry and fear—but more painfully doubt, and areas of unbelief are exposed. If you find yourself in a similar place, I pray these words speak directly to your soul—"I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love." Romans 8:38 NLT The [Woman]: “Go out and see King Solomon, O young women of Zion; see the crown with which his mother crowned him on his wedding day, his day of gladness.” Songs 3:11 TLB Don't miss the invitation to come and see what He has done. Lay your cares at His feet and sit in the overwhelming joy of His love. It is in this moment that He collects your tears in a bottle. And, then in that moment, every thought that is not from Him will simply fall away.

I have waited my whole life for Love. Like most people, I tried to design it myself (more times than I would like to admit). Besides a few serious relationships, I’ve been engaged five times (yes I said five) and married once. Obviously not only was I looking to be loved, I was looking for someone to fill this hole inside of me. A hole that I came to know as my God shaped hole. After Jesus rescued me, I decided I wanted to spend my time getting to know Him so I put dating on hold. The more I got to know Him, the more I came to realize that the man in my life would need to be a Godly man. The more I fell in love with Him, the more I realized that the sexiest thing in a man was his love for Jesus. I prayed and trusted God with my future. And as a “ducks in row” chick, I was sure my God would send me this nice neat package. You know, a Godly man with no kids, little past baggage, and a future in perfect order. SURPRISE! The man He sent me is a Godly man, but the nice neat package thing - not so much. But my Great Big God had a plan from the very beginning. I discovered that when you follow His lead, He will lead you in ways you have never imagined. Follow Him and He will give you the desires of your heart. The ones you knew you had, as well as the ones you didn’t dare dream of. Wait on God and he will blow your mind. A relationship designed by Him is not about the two people who are in it. It’s about how they will glorify Him together. Loving Jesus first is what matters and everything else follows. I can’t imagine myself ever being able to design a man who loves me,  pursues me, teaches me, and yes even rubs those difficult parts out of me, better than my Father can. Worldly relationships are about 'pursuing horizontal happiness.' Godly relationships are about 'pursuing vertical joy.' Relationships are hard and there will be struggles, but the focus is different.  Now the pressure is off of you, because making each other happy becomes His responsibility not yours. Being responsible for someone else’s happiness is an expectation God never intended us to have. I trusted Him and He gave me my gift.

She longs to be known. We were crafted with an inherent desire to be fully known—yet hide behind a veil—deceiving ourselves into believing we're okay. Why? See my last post on Songs of Songs 1:6-17 https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/you-will-be-marked-with-our-redeeming-grace The [Woman]: “I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley.” King Solomon: “Yes, a lily among thorns, so is my beloved as compared with any other girls.” Songs 2:1-2 TLB She sees herself in His eyes. Could this be real? After all, I'm ordinary. There is nothing special about me, is there? Besides, I know myself—my thoughts—my actions. How could He possibly see me as pure—as pure as His beloved should be? The [Woman]: “My lover is an apple tree, the finest in the orchard as compared with any of the other youths. I am seated in his much-desired shade and his fruit is lovely to eat. He brings me to the banquet hall, and everyone can see how much he loves me. Oh, feed me with your love—your ‘raisins’ and your ‘apples’—for I am utterly lovesick. His left hand is under my head and with his right hand he embraces me. Songs 2:3-6 TLB Whether she is dreaming or a day-dreaming, what she knows is that she has never known a love like this before. She feels safe in His shadow, as He pours His grace over her and begins to revive her soul. Overwhelmed and longing for more, she can't help but wonder if she falls short. Even with the many ways He shows His love, in the suffering and difficulties of life we can feel forsaken. There are moments when my eyes appear too blurry to see. Though I know I need to look at Him instead of my circumstances, at times that seems impossible. I notice, it's only in my yielding—if I'm paying attention—that it's actually Him, not me, that's lifting my head to assure me of His love. O girls of Jerusalem, I adjure you by the gazelles and deer in the park, that you do not awaken my lover. Let him sleep!” Songs 2:7 TLB She does not want to awaken just yet. In silence, she knows He waits for her to choose Him. True love always requires a choice. It can not be manipulated or forced; not by me or you, and not by anyone else. God will not allow it. He knows the heart who seeks to be fully known. His desire is that you choose Him; even and especially when it seems as though He's impossible to find. The [Woman]: “Ah, I hear him—my beloved! Here he comes, leaping upon the mountains and bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or young deer. Look, there he is behind the wall, now looking in at the windows. Songs 2:8-9 TLB She recognizes His voice. He's coming for her. Will He free her from the chains that bind her? He wants to, but she has to be willing. Avoiding areas inside ourselves that we'd rather not face is as natural to us as breathing. If you let Jesus into those places, He'll uproot what doesn't belong and lead you to freedom. He's willing to break through whatever separates Him from His beloved. However, because He is a gentleman, He will not force Himself upon you. Lately, God is teaching me that as I allow Him to take my thoughts captive more and more, He looks directly into my soul, into your soul, and knowing what's needed, He gracefully enters the places we hide. There is no wall that He can not cause to fall. Oh if only we could consistently, no matter the circumstance, join Him in leaping with joy over mountains. It's a journey beloved. Keep focusing your eyes on Him. There are many more layers to unfold as He continues to open our hearts to His love story. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12 NASB

He draws His beloved to Himself by awakening Love in her heart. Desire stirs within. The closer she gets, the more she realizes her need for Him, and her feelings of complete unworthiness come alive. See my last post on Songs of Songs 1:1-5 https://www.jenarainonesmith.com/post/the-most-amazing-song-of-all Allowing her outward circumstances to define her, she hears him, but looks away in sadness. Life has consumed her, leaving little time to look within. The [Woman]: “Don’t look down on me, you city girls, just because my complexion is so dark—the sun has tanned me. My brothers were angry with me and sent me out into the sun to tend the vineyards, but see what it has done to me!” Songs 1:6 TLB Circumstances define us. The world defines us. Others define us. So much time is spent trying to live up to who we think we ought to be, instead of being who we were created to be. I've come to realize that the veil of deception is as thick as it is immovable in my own strength. The [Woman]: “Tell me, O one I love, where are you leading your flock today? Where will you be at noon? For I will come and join you there instead of wandering like a vagabond among the flocks of your companions. Songs 1:7 TLB She longs to be known. We were crafted with an inherent desire to be fully known—yet hide behind a veil—deceiving ourselves into believing we're okay. Why? Because the alternative is to look inside. Looking inside, facing what's fractured, and acknowledging neediness can be too painful. But if you ask, He'll lead you there. Are you willing for Him to dig into those delicate, broken places within? King Solomon: “If you don’t know, O most beautiful woman in all the world, follow the trail of my flock to the shepherds’ tents, and there feed your sheep and their lambs. What a lovely filly you are, my love! How lovely your cheeks are, with your hair falling down upon them! How stately your neck with that long string of jewels. We shall make you gold earrings and silver beads.” Songs 1:8-11 TLB The truth is, His love has already torn the veil in two. We so easily lose sight of that by taking our eyes off of Him and putting them back on ourselves. When I do this, and I do, I must lean into what I know, and remember what I saw, by following the path back to the places we met face to face. We shall make you gold earrings and silver beads. It's the Trinity, together, who begins the journey to freedom—in the grip of Grace. Dance with Him, won't you? The [Woman]: “The king lies on his bed, enchanted by the fragrance of my perfume. My beloved one is a sachet of myrrh lying between my breasts.” King Solomon: “My beloved is a bouquet of flowers in the gardens of Engedi. How beautiful you are, my love, how beautiful! Your eyes are soft as doves’. What a lovely, pleasant thing you are, lying here upon the grass, shaded by the cedar trees and firs.” Songs 1:12-17 TLB As a dove who has no peripheral vision, her beauty is enhanced as she fixes her eyes on Him. Focus beloved. Distractions will come. Remember, the veil is torn in two. Will you walk through it? Will you bring your cares and burdens with you? "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord. "And I will bring you back from captivity...." Jeremiah 29:13-14a NIV

—I am beginning a journey through Song of Songs a section at a time. I am not a Bible scholar, this is just a picture of how God has spoken to my heart after reading again through the Song of Songs. I will be using both The Living Bible Paraphrase and Message Bible. In my suffering, He has opened my eyes to the wonder of His love through this book. God, through Solomon, reveals the love story of Jesus and His bride. He uses a young woman and a King to display the pursuit of our only TRUE Love. Be sure that as you read you do not lose sight of the fact that all who believe, man and woman, are the bride of Christ. I would love for you to join me. If you feel so led, please subscribe to the mailing list on my site to receive an email each time I post. Or you can always follow me on Facebook or Instagram— In the brokenness of life it can become hard to see clearly that there is a lover of your soul. A God who, in His justice, righteousness, grace and mercy, has made a way for the pinnacle of His creation, His beloved, to be with Him forever. We lose sight of His pursuit and need Him to flood our hearts with His light so we can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called - His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance. (see Ephesians 1:18 NLT) Imagine God, who is in need of nothing, considers His beloved—both man and woman—His inheritance. He reaches out His hand, yet He doesn't force His way. He pursues, yet He waits for you. He draws His beloved to Himself by awakening Love in her heart. Desire stirs within. The closer she gets, the more she realizes her need for Him, and her feelings of complete unworthiness come alive. He calls her lovely. She hears Him, but finds it hard to accept. So, He reminds her that she is most beautiful of all. What comes to mind are the fairy tales we grew up reading. It's the model of love we try so hard to find this side of heaven . We believe if I could just find it, all will be well with my soul. However, this is a desire that God planted in the human heart to pursue and fill Himself. He is the One you've spent a lifetime waiting for—or chasing after. He offers His perfect Love. He paid for it with His life and He defeated death so you could have it forever. Although, it seems we forget everyday; in the mundane, in the chaos, and especially when life is going just the way we'd like. For me it's mostly in the suffering, in those times I feel forgotten. And so, we begin our love story. Let His poetry woo you. If you do not know Him, I pray His words wet your pallet and draw you to the One who loves you perfectly. If you have already given your heart to Him, let these words remind you of who you are, of who He is, and of who you are in Him. The [Woman]: “Kiss me again and again, for your love is sweeter than wine. How fragrant your cologne, and how great your name! No wonder all the young girls love you! Take me with you; come, let’s run!” The [Woman]: “The king has brought me into his palace. How happy we will be! Your love is better than wine. No wonder all the young girls love you!” The [Woman]: “I am dark but beautiful, O girls of Jerusalem, tanned as the dark tents of Kedar.” King Solomon: “But lovely as the silken tents of Solomon!” Song of Songs 1:2-5 TLB I will walk with the Lover of my soul as He unravels the wrong beliefs I’ve gathered about myself and more importantly about Him. Are there areas in your life that God needs to undo? He is continuously inviting you to Himself. Let all hindrance fall at your side as the dance begins. I pray as we work our way through this book, He pours His love over you, and me, as we seek to know Him more strongly and more clearly.

This has been a challenging week for me. My sister is one of the most important people in the world to me and this week she has been going through a lot of pain due to an infection. Now I can take many things that are thrown at me in life, but I have to say that dealing with my sister’s pain is one of the most difficult. I am very protective of the people I love, especially my sister. She and I were in the doctor’s office waiting for him to see us and we were talking about how different our lives are since we came to know Jesus. Earlier that morning as soon as I received the phone call about the infection, I began my quest to get to her and then I called a friend who immediately called her to pray with her. I called another friend who began to comfort me, and then she sent out a prayer request. The support was coming in from all sides. Comforting support, not hysterical support because all of us knew that we needed to pray and give it to God to work out. This kept me in check. I was concerned, even a little scared, but I was strangely at ease. In the past I would have been a wreck, trying to control the situation. And because I would not have been able to control it, I couldn’t have been strong for her because I would have been falling apart myself. But this day while waiting in that office, I remembered I had ordered and received a little booklet called “Navigating the Storms of Life” and it was in my purse. I began to read her this book that concentrates a lot on the Book of Job. And as only God can do, and has done countless times in my journey, He found a way to let us know that He can always be trusted even when we don’t understand. Even though we were scared and she was in great pain, as I read page after page, God was speaking to us and teaching us that “in the face of unexplained and unexplain-able tragedies, to fix our eyes on Him”. It truly amazes me how I went through 40 years of my life without God and today I can’t even imagine going one minute without Him. He has given us each other as well as an amazing family, friends, mentors. He is  THE Amazing God.

I am a thinker. I have a tendency to over analyze things.  I struggle with living in today because I am too busy thinking about tomorrow. I am not an “in the moment” kind of chick. When a situation arises, I think about how it will affect my future. Now, on one hand that can be a good thing. But having to know all the answers can not only be exhausting, it can be defeating. It stops me from enjoying the “now” because I am stuck in tomorrow. The tricky part of all this is that through my human-ness I can convince myself that a particular situation is good for me because I want it to be. But what I  need to remember is that God knows what is best and what I want may not always be His best for me. Putting God’s voice before mine takes FOCUS, PRAYER and LISTENING. In these seasons of life, it is not only my voice I need to silence,  but also the cunning voice of the devil. He sometimes disguises his voice to trip me up, hoping I will stumble. Today God brought me to Psalm 73:23-26 Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. I am human. It is inevitable that I  will, at times, come up against things that threaten to make me stumble. At those times, I will remember that I have a Mighty God who never lets go of my hand.

Today I started to think about Jesus being “The Savior of the World” and what it must have been like to walk with Him…and then this question came to mind… Why is it so hard for us to see someone’s love while we’re in the middle of it? Isn’t it true that we seem to see it more clearly from the other side, looking back on it? Let’s take a look at the disciples. Jesus loved them, He chose them. But with His love came discipline, correction and challenges. He set the bar high. Did they see it? His Love? Really see it? Or was their sight clouded by what they wanted Him to be, who they thought He should be or maybe who they thought they should be with Him?? Was it only when they looked back on Him and His time with them that they saw how much He really loved them? As I was thinking about this I started to think about my relationship with my mom. During my teens I rebelled. Every part of me demanded “I know what’s best for me!” I was convinced that my mother was old and she couldn’t possibly know what I was going through. It’s funny how at 16 years old I thought I had the wisdom of a 40 year old. Everything she said seemed controlling, unreasonable and well simply put, ridiculous! But in her (God given) wisdom she knew her job was to lovingly teach me, correct me, discipline me and challenge me to grow. I knew she loved me but I could not see the depth of her love until I saw it from the other side. When I look back it seems as if it took 20 years to get there! Then I thought about Jesus. When we see stories of His time here, we see His love, His blood shed, His ultimate sacrifice. But I believe we are able to see it so clearly because we are looking back. I wonder if we would have seen it in the same way if we were there with Him. I mean, don't we struggle with seeing Him during our trials here and now. During the storms of life don’t we question whether or not He’s there with us or if He truly loves us? Then when the storms pass we figure out not only is His love never ending, but He never took His eyes off of us. I'm learning that through the trials of life He is molding me and teaching me how to be the person He intended me to be. I pray that I not only see love in hindsight, but I see it in spite of myself and my stubbornness. That I learn more and more each day how to love like He does. And in seeking Him I pray that He teaches me how to love BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER the lessons I am called to learn. And that He affords me the grace of endurance at those times that I am called to be the teacher. In Jesus name, Amen.

Psalm 139:13, 17-18 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. How precious are Your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! It was in a conversation with a friend a couple of weeks ago that the true reality of God’s love affair with us, as His people, set in.  God created us to be His counterpart. We often look back to “the beginning” in what we think is a chronological order of: God created, we fell, He gave us the law, we couldn’t follow it, so He sent Jesus, who suffered and died at the hands of His creation, then He resurrected Him, and when we believe we're saved. Hallelujah! Now while all this is true, Jesus wasn’t sent as an afterthought of our disobedience, He was the plan from the very beginning. God created us already knowing we’d fall. He gave us the Law knowing we couldn’t follow it with the intention of pointing us to Jesus. And then, at just right time, God sent Jesus to do what we could never do ourselves. Live a perfect life and die a sinner’s death to wash us as white as snow, as white as His bride should be. In Genesis 1 God created the heavens, the earth and everything on the earth. He created water creatures, birds, livestock and animals, and as Gene Edwards put it in his book Divine Romance, each “he” having a “she” And then in His final act of creation, God said “Let us make man in Our image.” He molded him out of clay. And from this “he”, He made his “she”. Alas, every created creature has its own counterpart; all created having a counterpart, but no counterpart for God Himself. I believe when God said “Let us make man in Our image” he was talking to Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Colossians 1:15-16 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see. 2 Timothy 1:9  For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. I also believe that God created us to be His Love, His Bride. And being omniscient, He knew that His creation, His love would betray Him. Imagine knowing that, having the power to stop it, but instead allowing it. In His perfect love, God allows free will. Many would ask why?  If when He created us He knew we would mess things up and not be able to follow His law, then having to send Jesus to ransom us, why didn’t He just send Jesus immediately after the fall? Why do we have to fail so miserably over and over again? For me the answer is simple, hard but simple. God wants me to love Him even as I live in this broken world. Through pain and in spite of how I may feel. Through things I may not like or understand. He wants me to choose to love Him because I was created to love Him and because He wants to be loved by me. I am His bride. It’s the same in my marriage; I don’t want my husband to love me just because he married me and because married people are supposed to love each other. I want him to love me and accept me because I’m Jena and he chooses to. Even when I don’t seem lovable, I still want him to love me. No matter what the world tells him or how he “feels”, I don’t want his love for me to change. God is the one who put the desire in us to be loved. Although God has perfect love within Himself,  the depth of His love for us is far beyond anything we can imagine. He wants us to love Him by choice! God, your Father, your Creator and the Creator of the universe wants YOU, male and female alike, to be His bride (Isaiah 61:10).  Giving love and receiving love is not based on a feeling, it’s a choice. Jesus made the first choice, and now it’s up to you. If you were the only person on the planet, Jesus would have chosen to walk the same path. He wouldn’t have changed a thing. Do you believe He loves you? Do you believe because of that love, He died for you? Will you choose to love Him? Personally, I have no idea why anyone would not choose to love the One who loves like that.

Truly God is good and He loves His people. And all their circumstances first pass through His Hands. As night draws near, I feel an indescribable uneasiness. I lay awake with my eyes fixed on the ceiling, sleep is just a touch away. Father you created sleep, it’s a natural part of our human design. So why is it so far out of reach.  I can’t see it, yet it is right there in front of me. I’ve become afraid of the dark. I am, many nights, afraid to lie down. Afraid to close my eyes. Afraid of being medicated, and afraid not to. I get up each day feeling exhausted, dizzy and many times useless. Quality of life drifts from me. Is it a stronghold as many have said? Is it me, have I done something, not done something? Is it a demon?  Or perhaps an idol or a suppressed sadness. How long will you forget me? How long must I suffer? How long must my family suffer? Turn and answer me, O Lord my God! Restore my nights. Restore my days. Restore my thoughts, or I will die. Don’t let the enemy rejoice, saying “I have defeated her!” Yet I trust in your unfailing love.  You are the God over everything. You have never turned away from me, even when I didn’t know you. I will rejoice because you have rescued me from the kingdom of darkness. You’ve walked with me through every sadness, sickness and despair. You are by my side every waking moment. You have given me a new life in Jesus, a family I didn’t even know I wanted, and an earthly husband who loves You first and walks with me through the mountaintops and the valleys. Today, I am thankful for the deserts in life, even this one. Thank you that Your Mercies are new each morning. Thank You for sustaining me. Thank you for all you have taught me here; about You, about me, about family and about marriage mirroring Jesus and His bride. I will sing to the Lord because He is good to me.

Most of us put forgiveness into categories. I know I have. First, there are the little things like being disrespectful or saying something hurtful. Those kinds of things seem forgivable.  But then there’s the big things like being lied to or betrayed. Those, well not so much. The concept of forgiveness in most cases seems doable, right? Sure, until you actually have to do it. Forgiveness, to be necessary, first requires love. And love, to be true, requires a choice. Let’s look at romantic love. It’s exciting. We “fall” in love and that “feeling” drives us. We can’t get enough of each other.  Sleep is unnecessary. Eating, who needs food! But what happens when it goes beyond falling and feeling. When someone you love betrays you? Betrayal cuts to the core of your being. Betrayal hurts, but it doesn’t nullify love. It is at times like these that we learn God’s definition of love. All the way back to the Garden God shows us Love, Betrayal, and Forgiveness. In Genesis 1 God says, “Let’s make man in our image, in our likeness…” God was alive and living through man. In Genesis 2 God said don’t eat of the tree – dying thou shall surly die. They ate and died spiritually. God the Holy Spirit no longer resided with their human spirit.  I heard a Pastor put it this way, “they remained bodily alive, soulishly active, but spiritually dead.” But God…. covered them.  A picture of Jesus. This is what God does with His children.  We spend most of our lives living independently of Him. And if I’m going to honest, as much as I spend time seeking Him, I struggle with doing things my way instead of His. When I’m hurt or scared, I react. I’m like a cat who is in self-protection mode.  Use your imagination. Not a pretty picture! But God…. I have been hurt so deeply by someone I love. And I reacted badly. But I also saw God. I saw Him in the pain and brokenness of the both of us. I saw Him in the regret. But I especially saw Him in the forgiveness. It’s been said that you will never be more like Jesus than when you extend forgiveness. God allows the conflict and provides the opportunity. Forgiveness and love go together. With Jesus, I could forgive a debt that I, in my own strength, never believed I could. It seems strange to say, but that was the moment I was sure that the Holy Spirit lives in me. God reveals treasure in the darkness. Forgiveness is an act of Love. Love covers shame. That’s what God does for me and so commands I do for others.