Happy Sabbath everyone,
This week was so wonderful!!! My daughter, Cora, wrote on Monday that she and her Littles were coming over THE NEXT DAY to pick choke cherries. I praise God for her amazing mother-in-law who likes to drive. It's a 5 hour trip so Kathy drives and Cora keeps her 3 children content as they travel.
We had joint meals with Andrew and his family so the food wasn't an immense burden to anyone of us. We picked choke cherries and made choke cherry juice. We went to the park. We had tea and Cora went and visited her dear friend who was just hospitalized.
We got to use my new chairs that Kathy picked up for me recently at a thrift shop. It was adorable watching my grandchildren walk into the room and look around. Then they spotted the little chairs and went and sat on one. It was their own little place to be comfortable. Sometimes they still sat with us at the big table but most of the time they sat here. What fun we had together!!!
I'm writing today to share "The Passion Translation" of the Bible with all of you who are aching to know how much God loves you.. I was raised memorizing and quoting Scriptures from "The Revised Standard Version" of the Bible. You know how it is when you learn something one way then all other ways seem "Strange?"
Later on it seemed strange to memorize Scriptures from "The King James Bible" but that was what everyone thought was the best version. When Robert and I got baptized in our mid 20s, our church gave us "The New King James" version of the holy Scriptures. That at least read the way that people talk.
Then I got involved in the whole war between the "King James" only folks and "King James changed a lot of things in his translation to keep us from having any power" folks. He was, after all, a King..... I wasted a lot of energy in that battle and ended up just as confused as I was when I entered it.
About a decade ago I purchased THE COMPLETE JEWISH BIBLE even though I'm not Jewish. I LOVE how the names of God and the people and cities are pronounced as they would have originally been. I really cherish that perspective of Christ as having been Jewish and our Messiah. That seemed to fit in well with our changing from Sunday keeping to Sabbath keeping 27 years ago. I still enjoy reading this version once in awhile.
However, why is there always a however? However, I felt alone when I read these versions. When I'd go to Bible study, I loved hearing what the Scriptures mean to my neighbor ladies but they just didn't mean that to me. I didn't get out of it what I was needing or what they were getting out of it.
Because of having been raised by a father who hated women (which led to the incest) God the Father always seemed cold and a bit stand-off-ish. Jesus I was madly in love with but His Father was something else. True, God the Father is our final Judge but, also true, He loved us so much that He allowed His only son to come to this Earth to die for us on the cross!!!!!!!!!
To make a long story short, I needed a different Bible. Then I heard about the Passion Translation. People would share passages from it on Facebook. At first I snooted my nose at it as it didn't sound like the Bible I've been memorizing all my life. As it started to sink in, though, my heart started to open up to the Father. I started to feel His love for me! I started to heal!!!
So, with great joy I share with you the passage that He just had me read. Think about God the Father loving you this intimately. Sometimes tears of joy begin as I ponder how much HE LOVES ME!
Happy Sabbath everyone.
Song of Songs 2:10 - 15. From God the Father's perspective to His child on Earth.
Arise, my dearest, Hurry, my darling. Come away with me! I have come as you have asked to draw you to my heart and lead you out. For now is the time, my beautiful one. The season has changed, The bondage of your barren Winter has ended and the season of hiding is over and gone. The rains have soaked the Earth and left it bright with blossoming flowers. The season for singing and pruning the vines has arrived. I hear the cooing of doves in our land filling the air with songs to awaken you and guide you forth. Can you not discern this new day of destiny breaking forth around you? The early signs of my purposes and plans are bursting forth. The buddings vines of new life are now blooming everywhere. The fragrance of their flowers whispers "There is change in the air." Arise, my love, my beautiful companion, and run with me to the higher place. For now is the time to arise and come away with me. For you are my dove, hidden in the split-open rock. It was I who took you and hid you up high in the secret stairway of the sky. Let me see your radiant face and hear your sweet voice. How beautiful your eyes of worship and lovely your voice in prayer. You must catch the troubling foxes, those sly little foxes that hinder our relationship for they raid our budding vineyard of love to ruin what I've planted in you. Will you catch them and remove them for me? WE WILL DO IT TOGETHER!
Can you feel the Father's love for you? He passionately wants us to trust Him. He has so many blessings for us but we must know that we can trust Him---that He is the one who has brought us through EVERY trail so far!!!
BUT WE MUST DO OUR PART!! We must hunt down every lie that has been planted in us thinking that God the Father is a big, bad meanie. That is a LIE from the enemy and perhaps the biggest one EVER!!
HE LOVES US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh what bliss!!
Go to Him and tell Him what you believe about Him. Ask Him to tell you the truth. Ask Him to show you where He was when you were being raped or beaten or slandered.... HE WAS RIGHT THERE HOLDING YOU AND SHELTERING YOU FROM THE BLOWS OF THE ENEMY. He has brought us ALL through every attack of the enemy and He will continue doing so. It's up to us to trust Him for we can when we know the truth.
May God bless your new week and bring you His richest blessings that He has planned for you. Just open your arms, look up and say, "I receive your blessings today."
I leave you with this song about how massive God's love is for ALL of His children.
Dawn
PS. Father said to add this passage from THE PASSION TRANSLATION as it fits so well with His message above. It's from John 16:22-24
So you will also pass through a time of intense sorrow when I am taken from you, but you will see me again! And then your hearts will burst with joy, with no one being able to take it from you For here is eternal truth: When that time comes, you won't need to ask me for anything, but instead you will go directly to the Father and ask Him for anything you desire, and He will give it to you because of your relationship with me. Until now you've not been bold enough to ask the Father for a single thing in my name, but now you can ask, and keep on asking Him. And you can be sure that you'll receive what you ask for, and your joy will have NO LIMITS!!! .
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