"Where have you put him?" he asked them. They told him, "Lord, come and see." Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, "See how much he loved him!" (John 11:34-36) Jesus had a very special bond with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus; they weren't just casual acquaintances. We can catch a glimpse of His nature by observing the way He became intimately involved in their lives. Nothing has changed; Jesus still has a yearning to be close to His people today. In fact, we see into the heart of Jesus through the two most powerful words in the entire Bible, found in John 11:35: "Jesus wept." I don't believe He was weeping for Lazarus, but rather for Mary and Martha. He loved them so much that He shed tears of empathy. His heart ached because of their deep sorrow. I genuinely believe that every tear you shed also runs down the cheek of Jesus! He weeps today when you drown in the depths of grief.
The Lord is searching for a true and earnest friend, one that will keep Him company in the night and identify with the very heart and feelings of the sweet Master. Give me a few minutes to explain as this article could change your devotional life forever! I promise you that! "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." (Philippians 3:10) "Rejoice... inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings..." (I Peter 4:13) What does it mean when Scripture uses the term: the fellowship of His sufferings? Is it just going through persecution as we suffer with the Lord? That's part of it, but it is also saying, "Lord, what's on your heart right now?"
Then he asked me, "Son of man, can these bones become living people again?" "O Sovereign Lord," I replied, "you alone know the answer to that." (Ezekiel 37:3 NLT) Did you know that God is in every area of creation, even in those things that appear lifeless and dead? Just as a physician uses CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to breathe new life into patients in cardiac arrest, God is always standing by, ready to breathe new life into anything lifeless when we ask. He is there in our spiritual springtime and in the cold, winter months. And He is even closer, hovering nearby in our darkest hours, according to Psalm 34:18 where it says: "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."
For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. (Song of Solomon 2:11-12) Hear the Word of the Lord, beloved of God. I hear the sound of life bursting forth from dead places. What was thought to be totally lifeless and gone the Lord says will sprout again. There is new life coming that was thought to be lost forever. I see people who have given up all hope of restoration after terrible, devastating losses suddenly smelling and feeling the gentle rain (blessings) being poured out and brand new life bursting forth. Can you sense the sweet, pure scent of rain? Don't you love it?
Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, The Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Psalms 24:8-9 The Earth is the Lord's and there is none higher than He! He is crowned with honor and grace. He has a name above all names, and every person ever born will ultimately bow their knee to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Their confession will be made known before men, for He is the essence of magnificence and splendor. He is the Beautiful one; there is no one higher.
"He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver." (Isaiah 49:2) I sense the Lord saying, I desire to send you out to make a far greater impact than you could ever make on your own. Your calling and purpose are sure and desperately needed in this day, and because of that great need I am taking time to refine and transform you. For the year 2017 will be more preparation for the days ahead—a year of purification and refinement so that you will live and move and have your being in me alone. Many are asking, "Why do I feel as if I'm stuck, making no progress toward my destiny? Why is this process taking so long?"
In a recent vision, I saw a huge war room abuzz with chatter as the enemy and his minions were deeply focused on strategic planning. They were deep in urgent, rapid-fire discussion as they pored over potential plans of attack and tried to decide on the most effective covert tactics. Their agenda was crucial to their success to distract, deter and sidetrack the goals of God's people. They were brainstorming secret plans to derail the destiny of God's Bride, plans that lay flat on a giant conference table. It was an hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute plan to distract those in the church. And this was not any ordinary plan; no, this was a master plan to dull the senses, to throw us off our game by wasting and deterring times of prayer, meditation and time in the secret place.
I had no idea when I was young, that God would use my testimony, to change the lives of thousands of others. I vividly recall being spat on, picked on, abused, bullied and made fun of by other kids, and I felt as if my heart would break. I would run to my room crying, wondering why others saw me as nothing more than an object of contempt and ridicule when I had hopes, dreams, and plans for the future just like everyone else. I tried, calmly and rationally, to change the various things that provoked the ridicule - my hair, my clothes, the way I walked or spoke. But even then they always found something to criticize.
"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me'" (Matthew 25:40). In a recent vision, I saw a man rushed into the ICU by EMTs. Only moments earlier he was badly injured in a collision with a semi, and not long after the EMTs flashed each other knowing looks, certain that he was a dead man. It was only a matter of time. In the ER, doctors frantically worked on him, trying to stop the bleeding and stabilize his erratic vital signs, while his loved ones sat, terrified, in the waiting room, bracing for bad news. Suddenly, Jesus walked into the ICU and touched the man, instantly restoring him to perfect health. Then I heard the Lord ask, "Is there a place where the spiritually injured can go to heal?"
I want to tell you a secret you may never have heard before. There's a special place you can go that's so sweet and more real than mere words could ever express — a place that will cause you to raise your hands and fall to your knees, where you can't help but weep with great joy. In this special place you can bask in God's love and lie before His feet for hours on end. It's here where He draws near to you and imparts spirit and life into the dark, empty places inside you. It's a rare place where the very fire of heaven is released to work deep in the recesses of your soul. In His presence you behold Him in His beauty. His face shines upon you and you see Him as He really is, a Father so in love with His precious child that He desires to do a miraculous healing work inside you.
Follow Up
