so i have been in the process of reading the book captivating, borrowed to me by julie baumgart anywhere from 2-4 years ago:) julie…i am taking this slow:) ill get it back to someday, but i still need it for now because there is a lot to it…i feel, as a man, like i am entering into this untouchable, didnt know existed, “you’ve gotta be kidding me”, awe inspired realm called the heart of a woman.
to be 100% honest here…before begining the book, i thought: seriously…ive heard it talks about the need for woman to be known that they are beautiful…great…”you’re beautiful”…book done. but as i enter into it…wow…the heart of a woman opens up a vast unknown territory of the heart of God Himself. it didnt even occur to me that the Lord placed His image differently in both men and women…meaning everything that i see in my heart that represents the Lord is only a portion of the way His heart pumps. there is a whole other captivating half to it that i have been missing, what seems to be my entire life, that has been placed in women.
to bring it back to what i desire to post about is this: the Lord’s awesome desire to be adored in His beautiful by His people and what His beauty brings to His people.
i fell upon the story of Jehoshaphat defeating Moab and Ammon in 2 chronicles chapter 20 today. basically, the land that jehoshaphat leads and lives in was given to his people from the Lord! BUT they hear that moab and ammon are pissed and on their way over to take their possessions and land. the men bring a council together to discuss what they are to do. all of a sudden the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel and the Lord speaks through him saying that they are not to be afraid but to basically pick up the only people they have and send them towards the killers. the Lord states that the battle is His so leave it to Him and trust Him.
basically, they dont have much of an army (that just the feel i got from the text) in the eyes of the world, BUT the next morning,” jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:
“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever.”
notice what they are doing…they are not bringing out all of their armor…they are not even begging the Lord to deliver them from the enemy…AH!…they are adoring the splendor of His holiness. mmm…this seriously softens my heart. literally an army of men adoring the beauty of the Lord.
what does it bring? the two armies against them turn on each other, slaughter everyone and no one is spared. all they did was place their hearts on what was good and dwelled in the splendor of the King and pleasure was brought to His heart, thus He dilivered them from their enemies.
DO YOU NOT SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE!? not only is the beauty of the Lord overwhelming in the way that it is awe-inspiring in the way that it leads His people into righteousness, BUT when His desire to be delighted in is authentically desired by us…the enemy is SILENCED! he CANNOT be heard, he CANNOT be seen, and he CANNOT work.
oh beauty…what an incredible gift to the heart of man that begins and ends with the Lord. my understanding to enjoy His beauty, to be inspired by it and to just dwell in it honeslty feels like i have been missing out!
thank you Father for Your revelatory nature…and…thank you women:) i have yet to discover so much more to the heart of our Lord by hopefully some day entering into the heart of a woman designed to join my flesh. wow…
