“For he (Abraham) was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. …All these people were still living by faith the they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country — a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”
Hebrews 11:10, 13-16 TNIV
The scripture above describes our Father Abraham as he and many, many others trusted and followed the Lord not knowing where He would lead them. The passage says in verse 13 “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,… ” Notice that they “saw” these promises from a distance. They saw them in their spirits as they walked with God! He wishes to show us things from His world (our inheritance and promised land), but He is hindered by our self-consumed emphasis in life. In a journal time with Him recently He taught me this once again. I quote, “Train your spirit in the supernatural (Tongues etc…) for they reach into and unfold for you a way of “seeing” and understanding My world. Many put no effort in sharing anything but their own mind and needs – or something that relates to them or other matters of this world. I would lead you into My world ‘with’ Me in the views from the right hand of our Throne, but so many will not travel there with me, nor do they have any interest in My world (their own inheritance in Me). I am so willing to share and to unfold for you, but not with force, nor will I impose such sharing. I will share life with you any way you choose, but I so long to share the riches of glory that are yours and to delight you with images from our world here. There is truth that you cannot understand from your point of view, but all is clearly perceived from My world. It is a supernatural gift in “seeing” and knowing, I freely give, but it is only found in the depth of willingness to share Me here – not just in your own world.” I began to see His desire for the exchange of true friendship. A friendship that is one-sided, where only one shares and fills the time with their own “stuff” never stopping to spend time in the other’s world – well such a “friendship” is not truly friendship, but one-sided listening. Hearts and worlds are not shared. He wants it to be real in and with us. This invitation is such a precious expression of love toward us.
I believe He desires us to embrace, not only the “faith” of Abraham and the many who have gone before, but be trained in the “seeing” as they saw. May we not boil Him down to what we understand, but allow His own kind of revealing in our hearts as we open even deeper this Christmas to His love, power and world. Lord train us to “see,” hear, and understand. May our love take wings and meet you there, not just here.
Mannaword 