Both sides ...

Something that God has REALLY been impressing on my heart (and spoke DIRECTLY to me through someone else) is that in order to have consistent intimacy in my relationship with God (and truly in any relationship in general) I have to be honest in sharing both sides of the heart experience.

First Key: Actually bringing my heart to God. This is absolutely critical in having an intimate relationship with Him. I have to bring my heart to Him... and in bringing my heart, I have to bring ALL of my heart. Which is the 'second key.'

Second Key: Both expressing praise/thanksgiving/rejoicing about life and all that is happening, etc, etc and expressing despair/pain/confusion/frustration/anger in the same way. If I am only doing one of those, or am heavier in one than the other, I am going to be out of balance in my relationship with God and stifled in consistently feeling connected and intimate with Him. I was told that, “The American Church in general is great at the Praise Muscle, but needs to grow in the Lament Muscle.” I would venture to also say that a lot of people stuck in consistent heart pain who don’t feel connected/intimate with God anymore may be great at the Lament Muscle, but could use some work with the Praise Muscle.

For me, I need to grow in the Lament Muscle. I am NOT good at the expressing despair/anger/frustration to God. A book someone just told me about that I want to mention to you is, “A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching out to God in the Lost Language of Lament” by Michael Card (http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Sorrow-Reaching-Language-Lament/dp/1576836673/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216405304&sr=8-2). There is also an “Experience Guide” to help you start walking this out (http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Sorrow-Experience-Guide-Reaching/dp/1576836681/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216405304&sr=8-1). I don’t know which I’ll get yet, probably both :)

Anyways, one of the things we see in Psalms 91 is that God LONGS to show us that He IS our covering and our safe place, but our hearts have to come to Him in order for us to be confident of/feel His protection and covering. I think this is also confirmed in Psalms 107:13-16.

Anyhow, if you want to dig deeper, here are some passages to work through.
Jude 1:24; Psalms 107:13-16 (all of 107, really); Job 28:18; Psalms 34:18; Romans 8:26-39; John 16:7-15; Acts 17:24-28

Feel free to share your two cents… I’d love to hear it :O)

I’ll ‘end’ with a verse sweet Bets shared with me today, "And now to him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating -to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength, and rule before all time, and now, and to the end of all time. Amen! (Jude 1:24-25)