Sandy and I have been reading through 'The Sacred Romance' by John Eldridge. Last night was a good night, in the fullest sense of the word. Although I cannot quite put into words what happened, I realize now that "nor should I try". So, as we were plugging our way through chapter six, titled 'God the Ageless Romancer', we approached the end of the chapter in the section subtitled 'Act III: His Heart on Trial', and in the middle of that, God came for us ... both. It was beautiful.
Can you imagine if on your honeymoon one of you sneaked out for a rendezvous with a perfect stranger? Adam and Eve kicked off the honeymoon by sleeping with the enemy. Then comes one of the most poignant verses in all Scripture. "What is this you have done?" (Gen 3:13) You can almost hear the shock, the pain of betrayal in God's voice. pg. 78
I started to picture that scene, focusing in on God's face, seeing the pain and anguish of his love betrayed. I wept. Sandy wept. We wept not because of what we did, or that part we played in that 'first sin', but because we saw into an intimate part of the Father's heart. In fact he was right there revealing His heart to us. Not focusing on the pain we caused Him, but the Deep and True Love He has for us, even still after that betrayal. It was beautiful.
So we started talking about the bible in whole, and Sandy asked about all the rules and commandments, why did God put all that in there if He didn't want us to follow them? Well John points out some scriptures just a little later in that chapter, and one is from Ezekiel...
"I will answer you according to your idols [your false lovers] in order to recapture your heart."
Wich is from : Eze 14:4-5 [NIV] Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then goes to a prophet, I the LORD will answer him myself in keeping with his great idolatry. 5 I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.'
Be patient with me as I try to get the words that are in my heart out of my mouth (or fingers)....
The Father has been showing/teaching/speaking/fathering me in something for about 4 years, I'll try to summarize it - that life is about God's love for us and our love for Him. Basically what the Father has been showing me is that His Word, This Life, is about Love. A Love relationship with Him. Intimate, Passionate, Full. - although only this past year have I begun to truly understand and appreciate His love for me.
The truest thing about His heart is that He Loves us and wants us to Love Him. That because of our mistrust of His heart He has had to conform to the way we are bent on getting to Him. Does that make sense to you? Man cannot simply love God or be loved by God, he insists on a system to use, in order to prove his love and guarantee God's. So God, in His pursuit of us, will do (stoop to) whatever it takes to capture our hearts.
It is out of man's rebellion that God creates any of these rules and laws, if you will. Stay with me here. It is not His original intent. It is not the truest thing about His heart. Those things came after man's betrayal against God's love. All the law of the prophets was a result of man's betrayal of God's freedom and Love. When I look at all the old stories I see God lavishing His love to man, man betrays that love, then God creates a way for man to return to Him.
The truest thing of God is that he wants to walk with us in the garden as lovers. That is beautiful! The Father was right there saying "Rocco, Sandy, just know that I love you, and I simply desire your love for me.
Now don't go make agreements with the enemy as if I am saying you can go live a life of sin, cause God's gonna love you anyway. What I am saying is, I know God's love for me and my Love for Him. With that - all the other shit doesn't matter.
Mar 12:28-34 [CEV] One of the teachers of the Law of Moses came up while Jesus and the Sadducees were arguing. When he heard Jesus give a good answer, he asked him, "What is the most important commandment?" 29 Jesus answered, "The most important one says: 'People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. 30 You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.' 31 The second most important commandment says: 'Love others as much as you love yourself.' No other commandment is more important than these." 32 The man replied, "Teacher, you are certainly right to say there is only one God. 33 It is also true that we must love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and that we must love others as much as we love ourselves. These commandments are more important than all the sacrifices and offerings that we could possibly make." 34 When Jesus saw that the man had given a sensible answer, he told him, "You are not far from God's kingdom [God's Heart]."
To have Sandy hear, feel, and be a part of what God did last night, words cannot express what that did for my heart! So we laid there in bed talking, listening, pondering, praying, it was beautiful!
Rocco
So whats up with the title? - March 18th 1991 at 7:30p I gave my heart to God!
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