John 14:21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Has and keeps God’s word passes the test of love. In the Greek here, has means to hold and possess. Keeps means to guard. Let’s go back to the children of Israel. God had given them land to live on. 

Joshua 18:3 were Joshua’s words to them, but we can make personal applications. It says, “…How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers has given you?”

Our heart is a reservoir for our spiritual possessions. Psalm 119:11 instructs us to hide His word in our hearts. Why? So we don’t sin against Him. Hidden sin blocks intimate communion with the Lord. 

Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in your heart, the Lord will not hear.” 

Matthew 11:29 is a familiar verse, but I invite you to look at it through the eyes of an invitation for intimate communion. It says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

I love the definition for rest in Hebrews 4:10. It says, “For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” After God created for six days He rested. Genesis 2:1.

I am typing Song of Solomon 2:14 as I say it to the Lord. “O my Dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff, let me see Your face, let me hear Your voice; for Your voice is sweet, and Your face is lovely.”

Are you struggling in your trial? Take time to be in His Presence. Rest and drink in His love for you.

John 15:1-8 is for everyone ~ no exception. I love verse 4 in the Amplified. It says, “Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. (Live in  Me, and I will  live in you). Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.”

The simple definition for intimate communion is being instead of doing. It is delighting in the Lord, enjoying His Presence, and being still. Here is part of a new song. “I lift my unveiled face to gaze into Your face. Face to face I behold You as You behold me. No veil separates us. No fear of being known. We have intimate communion. Our hearts are knit as one.”

Communion without words. Here is a sentence from a new song. “I set my eyes on You and I gaze into Your face. I bask in the love of Your eyes full of grace.” 

Paul had an advantage that we usually don’t have. After his conversation, the Lord sent Ananias to explain how God would use him. He was a chosen vessel to bear the Lord’s name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. Acts 9:16 says, “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 2 Corinthians 11:23-33 is a record of that suffering.

The Lord used my fall to woo me to Himself in ways that I had not known before. I had never heard the words ‘intimate communion’ nor understood what it was. Through my years of being bedridden and unable to work, He led me into a journey of intimacy that is unequaled to anything on this earth.

Job 22:21 Amplified says, “Acquaint now yourself with Him (agree with God and show yourself to be conformed to His will) and be at peace; by that (you shall prosper and great) good shall come to you.”

In early 1977 the Holy Spirit led me to read Philippians 1. He used verse 20 to radically change my life. It says, “According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.”

I remember throwing myself at the foot of my bed. I cried out to the Lord that I would magnify Him in my body, whether by life or by death. I sincerely wanted Him to move in my life as never before.

Shortly after that I fell headfirst into a six foot ravine. I didn’t remember for three and a half years. I didn’t realize at the time it was the answer to my prayer. To me my health just plummeted with no explanation. Sometimes His greatest gift comes in a surprising package. 

Remember what Jesus said as He called His disciples. Peter and Andrew, “…Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” Matthew 4:19-20. Matthew, “…He said to him, Follow Me. So he arose and followed Him.” Matthew 9:9.

Psalm 85:13 says, “Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway.” This means that He goes before us. He has cleared the way. When we follow in His footsteps we will not get derailed.

I love the words to “I Know My Heavenly Father Knows.” Chorus: He knows, He knows, the storms that would my way oppose; He knows, He knows, and tempers every wind that blows.

David followed the Lord. He wrote Psalm 63. Verse 8 in the Amplified says, “My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You; Your right hand upholds me.”

In 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul wrote, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” The word in Greek means a follower. Paul was following the Lord. Who are you following? When we imitate the Lord, our speech and mannerisms will exemplify Him.

Hebrews 1:3 says, “Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of his person…” The Greek word for ‘express image’ is charakter. It means the exact copy or representation.

Character is who we are through every aspect of our lives ~ whether behind closed doors or in open view. Romans 5:3-4 says that the Lord uses our trials to purify our faith. They require endurance, which will also develop and deepen our character. 

Express image can be illustrated through the wax seal of a signet ring. We are made in the image of God for a relationship with Him. At salvation we are sealed, “…with the Holy Spirit of promise.” Ephesians 1:13.

I love Isaiah 54:17 and often quote it when I am praying. It says, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper…” In order for an enemy to penetrate a man clothed in armor, he had to form something that would fit in the chink. It was the area of vulnerability.

When we hide sin, we are vulnerable to the enemy’s forged weapon. I never drank. Alcohol is not a temptation to me. The enemy would never be able to lure me with that method. He has to attack me through areas that are weak ~  not shored up through hidden Scripture. 

The enemy’s weapons are custom designed fiery dart lies. Ephesians 6:16. He seeks to control through lies of doubt, fear, and unbelief. Be aware that not all your thoughts are of your own origin. Hide verses in your heart now before any attack. That truth will be like a sentinel which discerns the lie the moment it seeks entrance.

I’m reading through the book of 1 Corinthians. I want to share some areas that the Holy Spirit highlighted for me from chapter 10. Verse 11 says “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition…”

What things? They all experienced the power and goodness of the Lord. There were no exceptions. Yet verse 5 says, “But with most of them God was not well pleased…” They lusted after evil things. They became idolaters. They tempted the Lord. They complained. 

Here is a verse that makes me tremble. Psalm 106:15 says, “And He gave them their request, but sent leanness to their soul.” 

Here is our warning. Verse 12 says, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” The enemy of our soul looks for chinks in our armor through hidden sin. Achan disobeyed God and then hid what he did. He buried the forbidden things under his tent. Joshua 7.

Peter had just rebuked the Lord. We gather practical application to the nature of an offense from Matt 16:23. It says, “But He turned and said to Peter, Get behind Me, satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men!”

Whew. Here is a question to ask yourself the next time you feel slighted, rejected, or ignored. “Am I being mindful of the things of God right now?” Philippians 2:5 is our template in every circumstance of our lives. 

It says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” The word ‘let’ means to allow it to happen or make room for it. In the sense of an offense, deal with it at the moment of the offense. Don’t let it fester until it is systemic. Ephesians 4:26 says, “…do not let the sun go down on your wrath.”

Lord, we need You. Help us to guard our hearts, so that no seed of any offense will not be able to propagate. In Jesus’ name.