You know those scenes in movies where someone is trying to draft a letter or write a significant something and they write a line or two and then madly screw the paper into a ball and throw it into the bin with the athleticism of a Basketballer going for the swoosh moment? Or that scene where you see the computer screen and words are typed and then deleted, retyped and deleted and the cursor is then left to irritatingly blink on the screen… waiting, waiting, waiting for the overflow of words that is sure to come? Please tell me you know what I’m talking about?!

Well… I’m in that movie moment… I’m sure you know that feeling? Of trying to find words that could possibly be adequate enough to articulate all that is whirling and stirring within?

The last week has been… challenging. God has been doing a deep work in my heart.

And. yet…

As I’ve been navigating, what I’m aware, has been some extremely intense pressing on some painful pressure points, God has simultaneously been asking me to be extra brave and courageous with people.

And. It’s. felt. risky. Really. RISKY.

So… what’s with that?

Please don’t hear me wrong. I can’t in all honesty, sit here and say it was all bad. It wasn’t. It was just intense. I had some amazingly significant and deep heart-to-heart discussions with beautiful people. I had friends reach out and connect in the most perfect-of-perfect timing, that only God could orchestrate. I can feel God swirling around some of my most valued relationships, building something strong and deliberate, for purposes that we don’t yet completely understand. I am also aware that God is moving powerfully on my behalf. I am walking in His grace and favour and I have felt Him upholding me. I have encountered Him in a number of highly personal and unprecedented ways. His presence has tangibly fallen and invaded my everyday moments. At times when I would have least expected it. God is so faithful and true.

I was playing the piano during the week. I was highly aware of what was on God’s heart as I played and it felt a little overwhelming. God thinks such good thoughts about us and is so often excitedly waiting to share His heart with us. Sometimes His excitement about what He has for us feels as joyous and free as a child who has just discovered the anticipation of Christmas morning and all the gifts waiting for them under the tree. I made a decision to linger in that place a little while and enjoyed the music of a new friend. As she played, I could feel God’s love surrounding me. At one point I asked her what the name of the piece she was playing.

“Love Story”, came her reply.

Ha! God has a love story, into which He is inviting us to be a part. The story of how He so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life (John 3:16). The story of how His son gave His life for ours and took the weight of our sin upon His shoulders. The story of how He descended into hell and took back the keys of hell and death and arose into the fullness of life and is seated in heavenly places, forever interceding before the Father on our behalf. The story of how His life becomes our life as we accept His free gift of grace through repentance and we are restored to our rightful place as sons and daughters who rule and reign with Christ in heavenly places.

As I sat aware of God’s presence, I found myself thinking of the phrase used in The Passion Translation about God’s wrap-around presence. I felt drawn to soak in His words and as I write now, almost a week later, I find myself being drawn there again. Perhaps it has been an intense week for you also and you need to know that God is standing right there with you, holding out His arms and inviting you into His wrap around presence.

Shall we meditate on God’s word together for a moment and open our hearts wide to His invitation…

Psalm 84:9-11 (The Passion Translation)

God, your wrap-around presence is our defence.
In your kindness look upon the faces of your anointed ones.
For just one day of intimacy with you is like
a thousand days of joy rolled into one!
I’d rather stand at the threshold in front of the Gate Beautiful,
ready to go in and worship my God,
than to live my life without you
in the most beautiful palace of the wicked.
For the Lord God is brighter than the brilliance of a sunrise!
Wrapping himself around me like a shield,
he is so generous with his gifts of grace and glory.
Those who walk along his paths with integrity
will never lack one thing they need, for he provides it all!

Psalm 7:10 (The Passion Translation)

God, your wrap-around presence
is my protection and my defence.
You bring victory to all who reach out for you.

Psalm 62:1-12 (The Passion Translation)

I stand silently to listen for the one I love,
waiting as long as it takes for the Lord to rescue me.
For God alone has become my Saviour.
He alone is my safe place;
his wrap-around presence always protects me.
For he is my champion defender;
there’s no risk of failure with God.
So why would I let worry paralyse me,
even when troubles multiply around me?
But look at these who want me dead,
shouting their vicious threats at me!
The moment they discover my weakness
they all begin plotting to take me down.
Liars, hypocrites, with nothing good to say.
All of their energies are spent
on moving me from this exalted place.

Pause in his presence

I am standing in absolute stillness, silent before the one I love,
waiting as long as it takes for him to rescue me.
Only God is my Saviour, and he will not fail me.
For he alone is my safe place.
His wrap-around presence always protects me
as my champion defender.
There’s no risk of failure with God!
So why would I let worry paralyse me,
even when troubles multiply around me?
God’s glory is all around me!
His wrap-around presence is all I need,
for the Lord is my Saviour, my hero, and my life-giving strength.
Join me, everyone! Trust only in God every moment!
Tell him all your troubles and pour out your heart-longings to him.
Believe me when I tell you—he will help you!

Pause in his presence

Before God all the people of the earth, high or low,
are like smoke that disappears,
like a vapour that quickly vanishes away.
Compared to God they’re nothing but vanity, nothing at all!
The wealth of the world is nothing to God.
So if your wealth increases, don’t be boastful or
put your trust in your money.
And don’t you think for a moment that
you can get away with stealing by overcharging others
just to get more for yourself!
God said to me once and for all,
“All the strength and power you need flows from me!”
And again I heard it clearly said,
“All the love you need is found in me!”
And it’s true that you repay people for what they do.

God wants to be our place of safety. Our place of refuge. Our defence. He champions us and protects us. In Him… knowing we are accepted and loved and truly belong… there is no risk of failure. Wow!

It’s so funny… that word hero keeps popping into my world. God continues to highlight… over and over and over and over… that He is our Saviour, our Hero, our life-giving strength.

All the love that we need is found in Him. He is waiting for us to slow down and come to Him in silence, expectantly waiting and trusting. He longs for us to get to that unhurried place where we can receive from Him and become vulnerable before Him and pour out our heart longings to Him.

What is it that you have need of today?

Do you know Jesus as the lover of your soul… your Saviour King?

He is here in this space, inviting us to go on a new journey of love with Him. A journey, upon which we discover, that we are truly His Beloved. Let’s delight in Him as a response to His delight in us.

How can we not then choose to shine with praise for who He is and all He has done for us…

Let everyone everywhere shine with praise to Yahweh!
Let it all out! Go ahead and praise him!
For he has conquered us with his great love
and his kindness has melted our hearts.
His faithfulness lasts forever and he will never fail you.
So go ahead, let it all out!
Praise Yah!
O Yah!

Psalm 117 (The Passion Translation)