Joyce Oglesby
“LIKE AN APPLE TREE AMONG THE TREES OF THE FOREST IS MY LOVER AMONG THE YOUNG MEN. I DELIGHT TO SIT IN HIS SHADE, AND HIS FRUIT IS SWEET TO MY TASTE ” (SONG 2:3)
STEPPING INTO THE SHADE OF THE LORD IS TO STEP INTO THE SECRET PLACE OF HIS PRESENCE.
“HE WHO DWELLS IN THE SECRET PLACE OF THE MOST HIGH SHALL ABIDE UNDER THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY. I WILL SAY OF THE LORD, HE IS MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS: MY GOD; IN HIM WILL I TRUST. SURELY HE SHALL DELIVER YOU FROM THE FOWLER’S SNARE AND FROM THE DEADLY PESTILENCE. HE WILL COVER YOU WITH HIS FEATHERS, AND UNDER HIS WINGS YOU WILL FIND REFUGE…
(PSALMS. 91:1-4)
IN THIS SHADOW OF THE HOLIEST PLACE – IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD WHERE WE FIND PROTECTION AND SUSTENANCE, WE ARE LITERALLY COVERED AS WITH A BLANKET, WITH THE THICK, HONEY-LIKE SUBSTANCE OF THE HIS HOLY SPIRIT. IT IS THE WARM, RICH PLACE OF WORSHIP, WHERE OUR SPIRITS LITERALLY INCUBATE AND GROW INTO MATURITY. THERE IS NOT TRUE MATURITY OUTSIDE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
IN THIS DEEP PLACE OF HIS ABIDING PRESENCE, WHERE OUR ATTENTION IS CAPTIVATED BY GOD, WE FIND THAT A NUMBER OF PRINCIPLES ARE AT WORK IN US. AMONG THESE ARE HEALING, STRENGTHENING AND LIFE ITSELF WHICH BEGINS TO SATURATE US TO THE CORE
JESUS IS THE TREE OF LIFE, FROM WHOM WE MUST EAT. AND IN CONSUMING HIS FRUIT, WE FIND THAT WE CAN TAP INTO THE KINGDOM DYNAMIC OF “ETERNAL LIFE” IMMEDIATELY IN THE HERE AND NOW. WE ARE LIVING OUR ETERNAL LIFE RIGHT NOW – IT DOESN’T START WHEN WE GET TO HEAVEN, THOUGH IT ORIGINATES FROM THERE. WHY WAIT UNTIL HEAVEN BEFORE WE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT’S POTENTIAL? WE CAN BEGIN TO PULL THINGS FROM THE SPIRITUAL REALM INTO OUR LIFE HERE ON EARTH (YOUR KINGDOM COME ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN), THIS WAS A BASIC PRINCIPLE OF HOW JESUS OPERATED IN THE MIRACULOUS. HE SPENT HOURS TUCKED AWAY IN THE PRESENCE OF THE FATHER, SOAKING IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF HEAVEN. NOW THROUGH JESUS, WE HAVE ACCESS TO THAT SAME HEAVENLY DIMENSION. THE KINGDOM IS AT HAND.