חֶסֶד
Oh God how often...Oh how often we neglect the strength of Your love
חֶסֶד
No single English word can fully communicate what these three Hebrew Characters boldy proclaim regardless the chaos that surrounds us.
These three characters are life changing when you realize who they are talking about and Who they are coming from...
Jesus, take the heart of this writer and the reader that You have led here in this moment, and reveal, rid, and replenish what was not of You with a genuine sense of Your presence and love for them. Renew the presence of innocence, purity, and boldness & hold us close to You. May Your words alone speak in our silence as we recognize You have something to say... Thank You that You grow us even now.
Who are you...?
No,
... Who are you, really??
As I walk along the shoreline that separates the country of the United States, from the neighboring country of Canada, the loss of cell phone service highlights a vulnerability that so often is hidden between me and my Creator.
With every step, With every heart beat, With every breath that expands.... and then collapses in my chest... My eyes can't help but stare at the skyline of Detroit that explicitly stands tall to my left.
"Jesus, I need you!" "Jesus, speak to me!!" "Jesus, what are you doing?" It seems that these three statements replay on what seems to be an endless loop in my mind, and with every breath in... and out... I feel my thoughts, questions, regrets, and fears rise to the surface of my heavy heart and currently overclocked mind... "Jesus, You know me. I can't hide my heart from You", I find myself telling Him in surrender with every step.
As I continue to find my head turning to my left to see the skyline, I can't help but notice, all is still on the waters. I start to find myself captivated no longer by the looming towers in the distance, But instead, I am captivated by the present... and calm waters that greet me as I walk farther and farther down the path that is in front of me. I take a photo with my phone as I see the road begin to curve slightly in front of me. As I look at the still waters As I look at the firm yellow line that divides the road into two lanes As I listen and watch the people in my proximity also taking in... ... and letting out breaths of air, I can't help but realize, that even though there is a stillness in the water around me..? The shores of my soul, in this moment, are not stilled... "Jonah, I'm building you day by day." "Jonah, I'm building you day by day." "Trust Me." I can't help but realize, that even though there is a stillness in the water around me..? The shores of my soul, in this moment, are not stilled... "I'm building you day by day. I'm building you day by day. Trust Me."
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חֶסֶד
The Hebraic phrase above, is the biblical concept known as Hesed. This concept intrigues me so much because every time it is used..? It packages an unwavering love, faithfulness, pursuit, care, concern, favor, lavishly unrestrained love, vulnerable, truthful, overwhelming, and passionate pursuit & kindness.
This phrase was not just used from one person to another such as Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 3:10), but was used in passages such as Proverbs 19:22 to state the following:, "what a person desires is חֶסֶד..." And it blows my mind the great number of times in Scripture that חֶסֶד is used toward mankind from God Himself!
This love, this love that we ALL are so passionately search for both consciously, and unconsciously... This חֶסֶד is HERE RIGHT NOW REGARDLESS of the condition of the waters of our souls!
Recently the Lord has been reminding me of the importance that honesty plays in any intimate relationship, especially in our relationship with Him. I've been renewed through these moments of vulnerability with Him... in intimate honesty with my failures, fears, worries, and questions, ... I've been reminded how GREAT His Love, provision, and promise is for us!
חֶסֶד Jesus! How often do I refuse Your healing hand simply from a failure to recognize Your חֶסֶד for me? How often does my soul stay in anxious and overwhelming chaos from simply refusing to trust and rest in You and You alone? Jesus! YOUR חֶסֶד IS GREAT AND PRESENT HERE AND NOW TOWARD ME!!
"Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” - John 20:26-28
Fathers forgive me for refusing to be healed in so many areas of my life, Forgive me for my sin (Hebrews 12) From the fear, anxiety, lust, hurt, doubt, insecurity, Jesus forgive me for locking doors even for a moment and forgetting that no lock, no door, nothing can stop Your passionate חֶסֶד toward us! Come into my life as I surrender my all to You (John 15).
"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." - 1 Peter 2:24
Jesus Your heart breaks for those who are reading this
that know that they are under attack... Yet refuse to be honest before You in complete vulnerability and abandon! Fear Worry Anxiety Doubt Insecurity Right now there are those reading this who know that You offer "life to the full" (John 10:10), yet they fail to arise and trust You and obey Your promptings that daily visit them. There is someone reading this that know that you've called them to abandon comfort and home and trust you in the great unknown... Yet fear is holding them back.
JESUS MAY YOUR חֶסֶד FAR OUTWEIGH OUR FAILURE TO TRUST AND ABIDE IN YOUR STILL, PEACEFUL, AND HEALING PRESENCE THAT YOU PROMISE WILL ONLY COME THROUGH YOU
Jesus, break through our hearts and overwhelm us with Your חֶסֶד... We are nothing without You and we pray that we draw a line in the sand in this moment and choose You over all of our fear, worry, sin, doubt, or questions that haunts our hearts. You asked the sick man in John 5 "Do you want to be healed...? (John 5:6) Jesus, thank you that healing comes through trust and surrender to your חֶסֶד and is only a breath away!!
May this moment be a holy moment where Your חֶסֶד far outweighs our refusal to arise, trust, and obey You Lord.
"Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." - John 21:21 ... You are building Your kingdom in us Brick By Brick Moment By Moment Day By Day. No matter where we roam... Regardless of where we are, or what we do "Beloved, I am building you day by day... My חֶסֶד has no end toward you."
"As You come to Him, a Living Stone... You yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house." - 1 Peter 2:4-5
-J
Lyrics: Here [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OUbE6v9GDs&w=560&h=315]