Learning to Live in A Post-War Space

The engaged mind, illuminated by truth, awakens awareness; the engaged heart, affected by love, awakens passion. May I say once more – this essential energy of the soul is not an ecstatic trance, high emotion or a sanguine stance toward life: It is a fierce longing for God, an unyielding resolve to live in and out of our belovedness.
~ Brennan Manning

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
~ Isaiah, in chapter 40 of his prophecy

Oh beloved, it is true. We are the Israel of G_d. We are those whom He has called to be His bride. The problem we have is that we still seem to be out seeking for a suitor. However, we seem to forget that He has not already just proposed, but His Love has prevailed over our spirit.

It is now for us to allow this reality to float to the surface of our souls and to push out through our flesh. There is an absolute “doneness” that we must embrace for our marriage to Him to work. Just as my eyes rightly only go to my wife – I am to quit looking for something else for which to fight.

We struggle to get our needs met.
We fight for our rights to be maintained.
We wish we could find satisfaction.
We push for solutions to problems that don’t exist.

And… in doing all of this, we miss one of the simplest and most powerful truths of the Gospel. Christ declared something, that in our former paradigm seems like a last gasp, or some sort of concession to the wrath of The Father and to the horrendous burden our sin put on His shoulders.

However, far from being an end, it was the beginning of a wedding procession. Our King and Husband and Lover and Friend said something quite clearly, thank you. He said: “It is Finished!” Oh yes, He had completed a work we could not even begin to comprehend, but it was so much more.

He won you.

Read this again beloved: He, G_d of the universe, The King of All Creation, The Captain of The Hosts won – you. And He is delighted at His good fortune.

Is this hard to believe?

Maybe it is a bit less hard to believe if we understand a little about what He is and what He is like. All of the crushing and smashing that G_d seems to do throughout His Word has very little to do with temper.

No, what He seems to be doing from the earliest parts of Genesis to the ends of Revelation is to be manifesting the behavior of a Lover Who is so head-over-heels dedicated to marrying His girl, that His actions border on obsession. We see Him tearing apart anything (read: ANY THING) that would come between Himself and the objects of His affection.

Wait a minute. Are you reading? Love does cover a multitude of sins. Our death has already been swallowed up in His victory. This is a Love-driven, passion-soaked victory of a heart bigger than time itself. And we, are the recipients of all of this chesedic tsunami.

In fact, the power that went into winning your soul was not just adequate, it was easily double what was required. The Love that went into this was not measured. It was lavished! An infinite Being took everything He had and flung it into the relationship.

With you.

Can we see it? What else could this mean? Have you ever felt even the slightest freedom in any sort of promise kept by a friend? Have you ever felt the comfort that comes from a dear spouse or brother-in-arms, or a trusted colleague? These things are real, for sure. But, they are limited – and this is why we often feel that our relationship with G_d is bigger – but still finite.

However, the relationship we have with Him is not finite. It is real. It is complete. It is forever. The only boundaries are the infinite Love He is – and all that means towards us. Said simply: the war is over. Freedom is here. And anything we have ever hoped for is only the very beginning of a beginning in regards to where this relationship will go in Him.

Beloved, it is time for you to believe. Tonight is your night. The war is over. Love has won a mighty victory. Will you receive it?