One of my favorite days of Training Camp last month (WOW it’s been that long already?!) was girls day. The boys were gone on the man hike and the entire day was built around what it looks like to be a Daughter of the King.
In the afternoon, we had workshops that centered around specific women of the bible; Ruth, Deborah, Rahab, and Mary. The workshop I’m going to briefly touch on was about Mary and her Intimacy with Jesus.
In Luke 10:38-42, Jesus and his disciples stopped at Mary and Martha’s house after a long day of travel. Martha was overwhelmed by the guests and frantically cleaned, cooked, and made other preparations while her sister Mary simply sat at the feet of Jesus. Annoyed, like any sister would be, Martha complained… to JESUS. Jesus replied, “Martha, Martha,” I can just imagine Jesus shaking his head as he said that, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed–or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her.”
We don’t need to prove to the Lord all we can do, he just desires to have us slow down.
So we did an exercise to do just that; develop intimacy with the Lord and slow down. We were told to close our eyes and imagine ourselves somewhere, our favorite place, a happy place, literally anywhere. After a few still moments, we were told “There is a man walking towards you in the distance… you realize it’s Jesus. He comes towards you…” I sort of stopped listening at this point because I was fully immersed and face-to-face with Jesus Christ of Nazareth. This is what I recorded in my journal that day:
I imagined myself at Newport Beach, California right where I used to take naps after a long morning of surfing. I was sitting on a towel and watching the swells crash into the bright blue waters. Jesus walked up to me wearing board shorts and a Jacks Surf Shop t-shirt and I asked, “What are you doing here?” He said, “to be with you, may I sit?” So I scooted over and we were staring into the horizon together. I asked what he thought of me and he started quoting scripture saying I’m beautifully and wonderfully made. I started crying and asked again, “what are you doing here?” Jesus smiled and put his arm around me. He said, pointing to my heart, “This is for me,” then he pointed at the ocean’s horizon and added, “but that is for you.”
That little moment with the Lord recalibrated the relationship I have with Him. It was intimate. It was real. I felt him, I TALKED to him. He told me that I am His but His creation was made for us to enjoy. It was incredible.
Last night, I was overwhelmed. I couldn’t focus on my devotions, my mind was running a million miles a minute, and I was anxious with the fact that I’m leaving in 21 days…. Then I remembered sitting on the beach with Jesus.
I needed that. Right at that exact moment, I needed intimacy again.
I closed my eyes and asked the Lord to show me where He wanted to go. And there I was, sitting in a small cave covered in tree roots and moss looking out at a lake blanketed with fog. It was raining and Jesus was walking towards me, completely dry. He sat next to me, grinning from ear to ear looking from me to the water. I was about to say something when he quoted Song of Solomon 4:7 “You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.” I cried… and then we started to sing. We sang the song Naked Majesty by 29:11 Worship.
That was it… so simple… but exactly what I needed.
Intimacy with the Lord is so tangible, but we make excuses. There is never the time, the intentionality, or the humility to slow down and have these moments with the Lord. But this is what He desires! The Lord calls us to intimacy, He calls us as his disciples into this heavenly relationship with Him. Be encouraged today knowing that YOU are beautiful in the eyes of the Lord. YOU have captivated His heart and He wants to share this life with you through spiritual intimacy.
“You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.” Song of Solomon 4:7
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What I’ve been reading lately :
The Best Yes – Lysa Terkeurst
The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player – John C. Maxwell
