Welcome to Day 7 of Chapter 4 from Arise & Shine’s Part 7. Today, Anna is bringing forward our final free will offering of The Hidden Manna in Christ Revealed.
A Hope and a Future for All
Come, behold the hidden Manna's revealing Not one gift's ever wasted Past, present, future I AM Redeemed!
One piece at a time See Him revealing the whole In harmony with our King - One - And for all.
One piece at a time I AM recovering Hidden treasure Unfolding each stage Unto perfect completion.
Each gift and bestowment Come from of old Falling afresh: heaven's manna In the Father Of lights ever calling.
In the Son's holy revealing There's no hypocrisy hidden Only love's constancy waking No child's ever lost or forgot In redemption's blessed reproving.
Be not afraid Good tidings of great joy Our King's bestowing In time eternal A hope and a future
Welcome to Day 1 of Part 4‘s Chapter 1. Today, Bettie is bringing forward our first free will offering of acacia wood – incorruptible humanity in Christ Jesus. May you be blessed and uplifted, as Bettie shares the comfort and encouragement God gave her through His Word with us all. Open our hearts to receive Your Word to us today, oh LORD.
Some days the weight of my own humanity feels too much to bear. I am altogether aware of every shortcoming, every wound, and every stain. The trial has seemed to blaze a scorching onto my bare head, and I want to run for cover.
Perhaps you have felt the same?
If we could just hide away, somewhere dark and cool, find a cave in the midst of this desert, we think that we will be safe. Oh, but the enemy of our souls hides in those darkened caves also. He follows us back into the corners, and whispers his lies over us:
“You will never make it out of here alive! You are weak and scrawny. Look what this desert has done to you. You are nothing but skin and bones. And you think there is life for you after this place??”
But there is ONE who speaks a sweeter word over us. For it is in this very wilderness that our Lord has created an oasis. He sings a song and the scent of blossoms wafts up to stir our senses. In the place where it seems nothing good could ever come, the Lord of the desert has planted his sturdy young acacia trees. He brings us His hope that stirs a longing for life in the deepest wilderness.
Are you lost in a wilderness today? Or perhaps you’ve found yourself huddled in the corners of a cave where the enemy’s taunts have fallen on your head. Listen for the tune of a song being sung, and the scent of a fragrance wafting on the breeze. There is a LOVER calling us to His oasis today.
Preserved in the Wilderness of En Gedi
Blazing sun Glaring sand Baking heat The Wilderness prevailed.
Burning pain Stumbling gait Weary heart The Wilderness consumed.
Wandering warriors Hiding caves David’s men The Wilderness protected.
When the curse fell on me When the evil one shouted I saw the shadows of defeated soldiers Huddled in the back of the cave I joined them, longing to be free.
The rock of parting It had finally come to this Forever separate from my home Longing for those days of youth Stranded here, starving for life.
Thru the night a voice fell A lover was set loose With a scent of life in the air North wind awakened Perfume too fair to tell
And I looked from the height Where the cave opened Onto the cliffs Acacia trees small but strong Pointed to a glimmering light
En Gedi with Henna blossoms Singing a Lover’s melody Drawing me out of the cave Lifting me out of the desert Into my lover’s bosom
Only in the wilderness heat Will the cave protect Will the Acacia grow Will the Oasis rise Will the healing stream Will the Lover meet.
Oh Glorious Lover so sweet So far above the schemers curse You brought me here To find your choicest gifts And to search the caves calling Other weary soldiers, “Come and eat.”
“My lover is to me a sachet of myrhh resting between my breasts, my lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms from the vineyards of En Gedi.” Song of Songs 1:14
“Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth (the Rock of Parting.) And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.” 1 Samuel 23:28-29
Dear Lord,
Will you open our eyes to see your strong and sturdy Acacia Trees growing in the midst of this wilderness place? Show us how they point the way to the springs of life set up in the midst of the caves of hiding there.
For you are strong and incorruptible like those Acacia Trees. You are the Sign given by your Father to point us to Life Everlasting. You are the choicest of gifts, the blossoms of the Henna Plant with fragrance of life not death.
Thank you for the healing water that flows from your throne in Heaven, reaching even unto us.