"Once we clearly acknowledge the soul, we can learn to hear it's cries. - Dallas Willard, Renovation Of The Heart."

It takes courage to pursue our dreams. It takes time and patience to unearth buried treasure. But I believe with all my heart that we must do both.

5.31.2010

Abiding Monday


This excerpt is from "Captivating" by John and Staci Eldredge

"Why did God curse Eve with loneliness and heartache, an emptiness that nothing would be able to fill? Wasn't her life going to be hard enough out there in the world, banished from the Garden that was her true home, her only home, never able to return? It seems unkind. Cruel, even.

He did it to save her. For as we all know personally, something in Eve's heart shifted at the fall. Something sent it roots down deep into her soul - and ours - that mistrust of God's heart, that resolution to find life on our own terms. So God has to thwart her. In love, he has to block her attempts until, wounded and aching; she turns to him and him alone for her rescue.

Therefore I will block her path with thorn bushes;
I will wall her in so she cannot find her way.
She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;
she will look for them but not find them.
Hosea 2:6-7

Jesus has to thwart us too - thwart our self-redemptive plans, our controlling and our hiding, thwart the ways we are seeking to fill the ache within us. Otherwise, we would never fully turn to him for our rescue. Oh, we might turn to him for our "salvation", for a ticket to heaven when we die. We might turn to him even in the for of Christian service, regular church attendance, a moral life. But inside, our heart remains broken and captive and far from the One who can help us.

And so you will see the gentle, firm hand of God in a woman's (or man's) life hemming her in. Wherever it is we has sought life apart from him, he disrupts our plans, our "way of life" which is not life at all."

She will chase after her lovers but not catch them..........

what do I, what do you use to fill the void, the ache, the emptiness?????

they/it might satisfy for a time, but never fully.

15 comments:

Butterfly Works said...

Great message to start the week off....I have eread this book several times and glen new messages each time....
Hugs and blessings

DJ said...

Yes, yes, and yes...
It's so hard to let go of everything else.
Relinquishing control
and coming to a place of...
Yielding...
In need of Him...only.
Definitely an ongoing process.
Thanks for the reminder~

Jennifer Richardson said...

Oh yes...what a fresh drink of water. I absolutely needed this post just now. Going down...knees to the ground...palms up....with a barefoot heart....
Thanks SO much, Mary.
-Jennifer

kelvin s.m. said...

Dear Mary,

That was a good reflection to start a week... thanks for sharin' it...I love your new header... simply fascinating.

Take care.

>Kelvin

Anonymous said...

This verse is definitely true for me. Every other love I have tried to chase has been blocked with thorn bushes....

I want Him to be what fills my heart. Thanks for sharing.

Blessings,
Tammy



Therefore I will block her path with thorn bushes;
I will wall her in so she cannot find her way.
She will chase after her lovers but not catch them;
she will look for them but not find them.
Hosea 2:6-7

Bren Graham Thebeau said...

Great stuff Mary, thanks for sharing it.
Playing some more with your blog's layout and look, you've gone big! as in stretched, very nice. And I love your own art in your banner :-)

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Mary! A soul-searching post and deeply challenging for me.

Gladwell

Marsha said...

Such a convicting post! My struggle is little "serving Him" get in the way of truly being in relationship with Him. I must die to that daily.

Blessings.
Marsha

Nikki (Sarah) said...

this is great Mary...we went to the woods last night. The kids played...I prayed. I felt so filled and all the way home we sang to Him...even the kids. He fills like nothing else can...

Unknown said...

I love that book. Thanks for the excerpt -it's a good reminder.

Poetic Artist said...

Mary thank you for this. I think I should go and buy this book. I have never read it..
I love your new header..It looks great.
Love to you my friend.
Katelen

Denise said...

Awesome message.

Peter Stone said...

Great message, especially how God allowed those things to happen to save us. Only in Him can we be complete, only by Him can the longing in our hearts' be fulfilled, apart from Him there is only substitutes that can never satisfy us.

Buffy said...

Great post,I know that emptiness that only he can fill. Thanks for sharing. Also love your new header on your blog!

Just Be Real said...

Mary thank you for sharing.