Sacrifice of Service

Still pondering and churning around in my spirit this servant, friend, bride thing. Last night at church all I could do was cry and weep at His awesome feet. Pastor asked if I needed prayer, I told her I had no clue what was going on other then I just couldn't stop crying and I felt somewhat dead inside. During her study on Song of Solomon (yep a deep topic) she eluded to why I am such a "hard hat zone" these days. Back at the first of the year, my beloved Pastor/Shepherdess received the word of the Lord for the year "Be fruitful & multiply within"....meaning we are to be fruitful & multiply into His image first within each person, then our immediate body, then the immediate body of Christ, then into the world. Lot to do in such a short time it would seem. She & I also started discussing the 3 types of people that are at the wedding feast.....the servants, the friends, & the bride. It was then I uttered a prayer.....Lord I want to be Your bride.

You know when we tell God or ask Him to do something we must always remember He will! So back to last night, last night in the middle of her talk on SOS (sounds a bit funny huh?) she looks straight at me and tells me that what I am going through should give me such joy in the midst of such pain. I am engaged! Yep engaged to the King of kings & Lord of lords....that thought alone is what is moving me closer to what He desires....a beautiful spotless bride. I am fully engaged to the Lord and He is fully engaged in me, transforming me into His glorious bride. Here I thought I was in Servant stage....but somehow, somewhere I went to the next stage which is Friend. In the Friend stage you keep serving. Somehow I went through this stage to now being groomed as Bride....what a whirlwind adventure.

Some of what He is pulling out of me in the midst of this transformation I have His mercy and grace to not look upon it. Some of it He is showing me with His tender mercy and with His grace I am overcoming it. I find how He does things quite interesting in the midst of this.....His banner of love is over me and He keeps speaking words of encouragement & hope everywhere I turn.

Yesterday's Oswald was "The Delight of Service" 2 Corinthians 12:15 "I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls....." The delight of sacrifce is that I lay down my life for my Friend Jesus Christ (see John 15:13). I don't thow my life away, but I willingly and deliberately lay it down for Him and His interests in other people. All I could say was WOW when I caught my breathe after reading this....for I have prayed Lord let me spend and be spent for You.

Today's Oswald....well hang onto your shorts as granny would say.... "The Destitution of Service" 2 Corinthians 12:15 "...thought the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved." Paul's idea of service was the same as our Lord's. he did not care how high the cost was to himself -- he would gladly pay it. It was Paul's delight to spend his life for God's interests in other people, and he did not care what it cost. Again...WOW....it is crazy! I had spoken to the Lord when I first came back to Him "my life for You" and have rededicated myself to Him throughout the past 9 years. God has called me Esther many times over the past 9 years.....Esther only had one goal in the midst of her preparation time, to find out what pleased the king and to fulfill that goal. I like Esther have been discovering what pleases my Lord and been quick to give to Him what pleases Him most....my heart, my life, my worship, my devotion....as meek and meager it may be.

A good friend this morning gave me Philippians 2:13 this morning "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." So there by the grace of God go I.