SEASON OF INTIMACY

by Teresa Seputis

Child of Mine, I am drawing you in closer to Myself. I have been
issuing invitation after invitation to you to press in. Draw close to
Me. This is a time and a season where great supernatural forces at
work in the lives of every believer. I am actively at work to draw
you closer, but the enemy is also actively at work to push you away.
Which one are you going to cooperate with?

I have ordained that this is a season of increased intimacy, where My
own draw closer to Me. I want to breathe My life into you, I want to
strengthen you and make you unshakable. I choose to do this from the
place of intimacy, where My own come before Me, receive My love, wait
on Me and worship Me. The more time you spend with Me, the more you
will become like Me; the more you will be able to see what I am doing
and (co-labor) with Me.

The enemy of your soul is doing what He can to prevent you from spending
time with Me. He is using many things: business, fatigue, frustration,
fear, discouragement. His desire is to isolate you from Me so that you
won't be refreshed, revived, strengthened and invigorated. He wants to
wear you down and take you out. He knows that he cannot succeed in his
strategy as long as you walk close to Me. That is why he is doing what
he can to separate you.

This has been one of his strategies throughout the ages, but right now
he is intensifying it; he is using it more and more. As a result, it has
become easier and easier for My own to drift away from that place of
abiding in Me. Right now, the devil is doing all he can to draw My own
away from that close relationship and intimacy with Me. He is also
whispering lies to you, trying to make Me seem unsafe. He condemns you
for your seeming failures, and then tries to make you afraid to come to
Me because of them.

I, on the other hand, am working more actively in the lives of each of
My own. I want to draw you closer than you have walked before. I want to
rework some of your preconceptions and misconceptions about what intimacy
with Me looks like. I want to fine-tune your hearing, so that you can
easily recognize even My faintest whisper. I want to rework the desires
of your heart, so that you naturally begin to desire the same things I
desire and despise the things that I hate. I want you to experience My
love and My compassion and My acceptance over and over again--I want
to saturate you in My presence. But I can't do that if you don't come
to Me.

Dear one, don't be afraid to draw near. Come close and press in. Seek
Me, dear one, and you shall surely find Me. Right now I desire greatly
to be "found" of My own. I want to reveal more of Myself to you, I
want to strengthen you and hold you and pour My love upon you. Dear
one, this is the time and season of intimacy with your God. Do not run
from it and do not be afraid to draw near. Do not allow anything to
distract you from spending time with Me! Come close, dear one, and sit
in My presence. Let Me breathe My life and My love upon you. Draw
close to Me, dear one, and breathe in My life, for this is a season of
intimacy.

The Love of the Brethren

Lord,  thank you for the love of the brethren.  For those who are moved by your Spirit to give prayerful council and encouragement.  Not like the friends of Job,  but those who are still before you and ready to be used as true comforters___those who speak your own heart,  who seek your peace and rest for them as a balm for their mind and soul.

Today, more than once, you comforted me with the love of brethren.  You showed me what true  peace makers are.  Yes, there are those who try to bring peace out of conflict,  or  peace in the midst of confusion, doubt and fear.  But we usually think of it in humanistic terms,  of the home, community, the nation and the world.

But there are those peace makers that come in the midst of personal conflict.  When one needs to be encouraged with your Word,  a clear Word of wisdom, comfort, or guidance.  A Word of prayer, that touches the throne and stands with you until there's an answer.

Sometimes I wish there was another term for thank you.  One that truly conveys that which I am helpless to say. 

So I will say thank you for seeing my heart, and knowing it in it's true intent.  Be praised above all else, my Lord for the at-one-ness of Your love through the brethren.  Amen

DARK PLACE OF KNOWING

Lord, of late I am cast down to face the lions of my own making.  In this dark place of Knowing who will deliver me out sure and victorious.

My shame, is that I am not here out of another's will,  me being persecuted for my faith and commitment in You, but out of a need to know that it wasn't self-righteousness that landed me here.

I see these lions as mighty in Your hands,  to strengthen my heart and faith in You.  You shall deliver me, even from myself.  Thank you for allowing me to be shut up, and confined with these lions that have, are and will always prove the intent of my heart toward receiving, sharing, and applying Your will and the ever forward progressing fulfilment of Your purpose in Christ Jesus your Son.  I'm OK down here with Your lions,  my appointed companions in faith.

This  picture captured my heart this morning.

The Holy Spirit moves upon the new creation in me to "see" with my heart the things that give our Lord great joy.

When we bought this small humble home, just over a year ago,  an elderly lady in her 90s  had left behind what I thought might be a Philodendron plant, which she stuck in the corner of the living room all by itself.  I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was the most pitiful and neglected plant I had ever seen.

Now I am no green thumb, by any means,  and I know this sounds ridiculous,  but I had such a feeling of compassion on that plant, so when "Mr. Moses", my husband, told me to throw it out,  I whimpered as though he wanted me to turn my back on my best friend.____  I know,  I know. 

I couldn't back down from what I felt in my heart about this plant.  Mr. Moses took great sympathy on my outrageous attachment to a dying plant and gave me a set time to see what I could do. 

I wish I had a before and after picture to show you.  I'm not kidding about the fact that the plant only had about 4 to 5 leaves left on it.  It was root bound in a small pot for it's size.  When I questioned in my heart about transferring it to a larger pot,  I felt a definite no.

I didn't have a clue what to do and just followed my instincts.  Now again, this will sound crazy,  but what I thought were instincts became inner promptings,  like when to water.  I placed the plant into the corner of our sun room (dining room) where we spend 90 percent of our time.  Right between two adjoining windows which get the morning, afternoon and evening sun. 

Oh I could just go on and on about my relationship with a dieffenbachia plant.  Yes,  I even felt to know it's real name. 

The flower is similar to a calla lily, a close relative, which are typically grown as foliage plants.  They are of the arum family, which includes elephant ears, pothos, monstera and eternity plants.  I'm sure that is of little interest to most of us, kind of like I just love my grandma, and any one before her, who's dead, doesn't interest me.  Boy!  did I just say that?

Well, here I am a year later,  and still wrapping my arms around my friend "Dieffen".  Beautiful Dieffen.  He is loaded with a  total of 14 blooms to the amazement of all who see him/her.  I've been told that I must be loved, because they only bloom when they are happy. 

There's a world of Love that goes on all around us.  Even in the pause of a forest fox to partake of the scent of a golden daffodil. 

Lord, teach me today, to stop, to pause to share with you the simple yet magnanimous joys of your gifts of love.  To look up and see Your loving gaze upon me,  and the "knowing" that I am your special creation, and feel your embrace.

Lord, You make me so happy,  I bloom for You!