“He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul.”
—Psalm 23: 2-3
Last week I’d left you to ask Him what HE wanted to speak to you about, stating that I would do the same. I trust He did, indeed, have something special for you because He did with me. He led me to go through the first chapter of Moving Mountains.
Reading it made me not just laugh—it actually left me so amazed that I shared this with several women in my life because that chapter was about doing the “impossible”!!
The reason this is so amazing to me is that my daughter, Tara, and I, are facing the impossibility of her getting her visa to enter into Brazil even though we’ve purchased her ticket, leaving Japan in October. (Hopefully, you’re all partners so you’ve been watching her Betrothed taking her around the world, preparing her for the husband she’s saved herself for; if not, talk to your HH about becoming a partner). The man who was also saving himself for her, Gentry.
Now for this week’s message. Did you recognize those three words “Eyes were Open” when reading the title? Did you realize it was taken from Genesis 3:7? It’s this week’s title because this is what my Heavenly Husband used to explain the sudden and horribly heartbreaking change that I witnessed in so many of our precious ex-ministers.
After sharing how “Eve Was Deceived” what happened to a few was their “Eyes were Open”—not really opened to the truth, but to the ugliness of the “world”—the ugliness of our world our HH wants to spare us from as His.
We know that prior to this both Adam and Eve enjoyed ongoing bliss while living in the garden due to the Presence of Him as they fellowshipped in perfect harmony. Sadly, the moment they chose to believe the lie, both of their “eyes were opened” and immediately we see them both feeling shame. Suddenly they ran, hiding from the One, who just moments before, was who they walked freely with enjoying every perfect creation— living together in complete harmony.
Yet, due to their lost innocence, no longer looking to Him in the same way, they were banished from living in bliss and began living in the harshness of the world.
Seeing the results of the “Little Lies” so many former members chose to believe, robbed so many of the innocent, carefree, lovestruck glow, which I witnessed had left them. You can hear it in the tone of their emails, the lack of praise, and sense it in the struggles—struggles of this life, which as His bride, we shouldn’t feel—struggles that I honestly don’t feel.
Nevertheless, no one is immune. On several occasions, both Tara and I have spoken how close we each were to the precipice and had we peered down into that abyss, we can’t fool ourselves into thinking that we were immune to falling into this trap ourselves. It took great effort to turn around and then push our minds back to focusing on Him, yearning and begging Him to help us fall more deeply and passionately in love with Him and asking it be to an even greater degree of love and admiration for Him than we’d imagined was possible. Which, of course, He did.
Soon after asking, He helped each of us over the shock, then asking Him for more of Him, He gave me a brand new love song to sing to Him. I began to sing our many love songs loudly as I drove around town running errands, and that led to me waking up singing these same love songs in my head and heart all week long. Very soon I felt that same unbridled joy as a lovesick bride again. “My Beloved is mine, and I am His” “For I am lovesick.” Song of Solomon 5:8, 2:16
Are there songs that your Best Friend will reveal to you that will help strength your resolve to be the man God has created you to be? I don’t know but since He led me to write this to you—I trust He that’s exactly what He’ll do if you just ASK Him.
Dear Friend of my Husband, it could be anything at all that causes you to be tempted to be deceived, which is why all of us must always remain under the protection of the Lord of Hosts. An even greater threat, when you are deceived, is to come to the place when your eyes are opening—not to see greater things as the serpent and liar is infamous for saying would happen—but when you open your eyes and others see you’ve lost the joy everyone once could see in you. A joy you’d once known and cherished. Being lovesick is where I want to remain since the opposite will leave me with a fallen countenance, which I will share in next week’s message.
*BONUS. If you want to give your children the same truths so they can save themselves for their spouse and avoid most of what you’re living through be sure to read The "Wedding Clothes" for girls and/or The "Wedding Clothes" for boys. There is also My Prince of Peace for girls and The Prince of Peace for boys for those who have lost their purity due to having it stolen or giving it away prematurely.