WARNING: Intimate post below. Has supernatural aspects and is meant to encourage you in the faith.
****Oftentimes, as we begin to wake up in the morning hours are transitioning between consciousness and unconsciousness, in those moments we do not even know what day it is or what is going on around us quite yet. It is a very brief moment in time. As you continue to grow in the Lord, I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to make you aware of his Presence in the waking hours. In tenderness, he will speak to your heart, share a song, tell you a scripture or give an impression to you. You’ve heard of this before. The still, small voice.****
Ah, the Precious Holy Spirit. I could feel him near as I began to stir this morning before the alarm went off. And a thick, heavy scent was all around. I knew it was familiar but as much as I tried, I could not place it. I asked the Lord in delight, “What is that smell?” It was unique and not one I had smelled often in the spirit.
As I continued to lay there in his presence, I was grateful because I remembered it was Valentine’s Day and the God of love had come to visit me. Makes me weep. Then, I heard him whisper to my spirit, “Minister to me.” So, I went, sat and worshipped in the spirit before his feet and read the word to him. We are, for goodness sake, in relationship with him.
“Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” Psalm 63:3 (NIV)
I read his promise in Isaiah.
Isaiah 55:10-11 (NKJV) –
“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.“
I meditated on John 15. “Remain in me and I will remain in you.” “Remain in my love.” “When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love.” (See John 15:1-17)
The love of God was all around as I pictured pink, white, and red rose petals while we sat together. But what was the smell? I asked again. And then he dropped it in my spirit. “Spikenard.” Ah. A unique scent for sure. I reached for my anointing oil with that scent to confirm and, yep, it was spikenard I had smelled in the spirit.
It was coming together.
“Yes, Lord. I love you. I worship you. I give you my worship. I give you my love.”
He came on Valentine’s morning allowing me to smell spikenard, the smell of worship. An invitation to love him. To adore him. To worship him. The same scent Mary of Bethany completely poured out over the feet of Jesus. Costly. Expensive. Yes, our worship to the Lord should cost us something.
We see the occasion in John 12:3 (NKJV). “Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.”
You would have thought there would be a celebration for such love and extravagance. But the people around her didn’t get it. She was met with mocking, disgust, judgment. They thought she was stupid and wasteful for showing such extravagance. They wanted her to use her gift some other way.
But what was Jesus’ response?
“Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.” Mark 14:6 (ESV)
I could just see the shadow of his wings covering her. (Psalm 57:1, Psalm 17:8, Psalm 91:4)
Without a doubt this honorable act struck a chord with the Maker of the Universe. She makes all four gospels. And is promised to be remembered when the gospel is preached. True worship always moves the heart of God. Read them all for yourself here.
- Spikenard Fragrance: “It speaks of the Bride’s extravagant adoration of and intimacy with the Bridegroom, in total abandonment, without regard to cost. We at ABBA call Spikenard “The Fragrance of the Bride”, for it symbolizes the Bride who has made herself ready. Song of Sol 1:12 “While the king sits at his table, my spikenard sends forth its fragrance.”” Click here to see their website for anointing oil information.
The Bride made ready. It wouldn’t hurt to read that part above again.
Here’s the question.
Why would we seek another, when all is found in Jesus? Why would we spend our time, our affection on another when the greatest love has to offer is found in Jesus? Yes, I love my husband and I love my children and they also love me. And praise God, when we are filled with love from above, we love other people as well. It’s simply overflow.
But my point it, there is a greater love found in Christ. A greater, unsearchable depth of love found in the Savior. With his love, you’ll never meet a dead end. With his love, you’ll never reach your destination. Fully satisfied at each encounter, yes, but always longing for more. And he always has more to give. More freedom, more forgiveness, more glory. He is our God of MORE.
Ephesians 3:18 says, “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.” Followed by verse 19, “May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.” (NLT) Watch my video post on this verse from Friday on YouTube.
Why would I tell you this? Why would I let you in on something so personal, so intimate? Because there is more.
When I first began truly walking with God after I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I had a moment with the Lord. I sat and cried because I sensed his heart was so sad. And I asked, “Why are you sad?”
“Because they don’t know I’m with them,” he responded. See, he had revealed himself to me as Immanuel, God with us. And I was enjoying the fruit of that revelation. But the Lord was sad because most of the church is experiencing unnecessary loneliness when he is IMMANUEL. God WITH US.
So, in the potential fear, which I have rejected in Jesus’ Name, of sharing these things, it is in the vein of Christ that we the church know him as he is. He is Immanuel. God with us. And I will allow him to love me as he pleases. I will not put limitations on his love, even though sometimes it is love in form of a rebuke. A rebuke from the Lord is love because he is love. He disciplines those he loves. Perfect love. Selfless love. A lover that has fully invested his life into ours and now it is our privileged response to fully invest our lives into his. To see him receive the reward of his suffering.
On this Valentine’s. Take a moment. Breathe him in. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Worship him. Love him. He never rejects anyone who sincerely comes to him. He is the ultimate lover. Ask him to open up your spiritual senses to be able to discern both good and evil. (See Hebrews 5:14) For more information on this, visit the supernatural page.
To answer the question. NO. There is no greater love. NO greater love. NO GREATER love. NO GREATER LOVE. “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 (NLT) He’s laid down his life for you and calls you friend.
Bottom line. He loves you. Receive him. And he’ll rock your world. You won’t have to carry around the burdens anymore. You’ll be free. And found. Forgiven and made whole. That’s our Jesus. To receive Christ as your Lord and Savior and begin to know this love that surpasses knowledge, watch here. Or if you have more questions, go to the “tell me more” page.
Love you in the Lord! To God be the glory, great things he has done!! I’d love to hear your stories. Comment below.
This is great song for today to ask for a filling of the Holy Spirit, to encounter him for the first time or to be filled afresh. “Love of God, overflow, permeate all my soul.”
TAKE A MOMENT TO PRAY 