I remember lying on the floor several years ago and soaking in the Father’s love. I was so tired and burdened. It was one of those seasons when the journey was costly and painful. As I lay there, I sensed Jesus saying, “I’m going to wash your feet.”I was like Peter. “No, Lord. I can’t do this.”But like He said to Peter, Jesus said, “Yes.” I had to receive in order to be able to give. And having already given much, I had to receive more.
So I took off my shoes and socks, lay on a mat on the floor, and literally began to feel someone massaging my feet. I wept and wept. I knew the King of kings and Lord of lords had come and washed my feet, just as He had done with His disciples, just as He does with anyone whose heart belongs to Him.
I got up, healed, and refreshed. And I knew the words Jesus was saying to me, which were the same words He spoke to His disciples. He wanted me to love in the same way He loves me, to continue in the love that I had been shown. He wants that for all of us.
In our relationship with Jesus, we have unveiled faces. We are free to experience love and glory. This is part of our journey.
And it is a necessary part. We cannot see transformation in the world until we see transformation in our hearts. We have nothing to offer orphan hearts until we know the perfect love and acceptance the Father has given us in adopting us into his family.
Good works, diligent study, compelling arguments, and strong relationships aren’t enough by themselves. They are good, but we need personal face-to-face encounters with the Father and the love that carries us through our journeys between those encounters. With our spiritual eyes, we need to see the love in His eyes, feel the affection of His heart, study His ways, and build relationships with others from this place of heavenly love. We need to live from love rather than strive for it.
We have been adopted into the family of love, welcomed into the warmth and acceptance of the Father’s living room, seen Love in the flesh, and received the Spirit of love He gave us.
It’s a heavenly encounter on earth and an earthly process that carries us to heavenly places. We have been, are being, and will continue to be baptized in love.
What is the relationship between your private moments of encounter and God’s glory covering the earth? How can your private moments lead to transformation in the world? Why do you think He has arranged the world so that our intimacy with Him does not always remain private?
What is the difference between a visitation from God and a habitation of Him? What benefits does a habitation of love have that a visitation does not?
🙏🏼 Prayer: Ask Papa God how He wants to send you out as a love ambassador. Pray for His love to fill any cracks in your foundation and for Him to supernaturally empower you to know the width, length, depth, and height of His love. Ask Him to put specific people and situations on your heart and to give you wisdom and power as you enter into those lives and situations in love.
📝 Next Steps: Think of a difficult situation or relationship that affects you today. Ask, “What does love look like in this situation?” As you pray through this situation, listen for insights that might help you apply love and take practical steps to show it. Memorize and meditate on Luke 19:10 as a mission statement of what love is sent into this world to do.
You can learn more about this topic by purchasing my newest book, The Love Awakening!
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