Growing Intimacy With My Husband...

In a new season of studying and meditating and teaching the beautiful Psalms given to us to reveal what it means to be intimate with our God as a best friend and as the Lover of Our Soul. David says in Psalms 25, "O Lord, I lift My Soul up to you"! Soul includes my MIND, WILL, AND EMOTIONS. I lift up heart to You, O Lord, with all my mind, all my will, and all my emotions. Everything in me is looking up and focused and gazing at You in all Your Glory and Perfection and Beauty. 

A recent teaching on this Psalm said this... LOOK TO JESUS ~ lift up your eyes and soul to Him (soul = mind, will, and emotions) up to see, really see the Lord! Behold Him = look closely and keep looking. It is only as we look, look, & look that we really see. And the more we know of the object we are looking at, the more we see in it! (the scientist that looks in a telescope sees things and is marveled by things the amateaur never even sees!) If we indeed, would stand silent sometimes, and let the eyes of our soul look to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and see Him in all His glory and beauty. Behold Him...the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Oh, Godly Gals, if we could get to know the subject of our devotion, get to know our Savior as a best friends, One in whom we trust and live to bless and to bring Him glory. The more we know Him, the more we stand in His presence and will really SEE Him. 

Job said after he suffered greatly and lost much, "Before I ears had heard of Him, but NOW MY EYES SEE HIM! Oh, my prayer, indeed, is to see Him as He is. One day we will...we will stand face to face, nose to nose, eyes gazing into each others eyes...and we will be As He Is and understand what a perfect daddy and husband He really was and is to us! For now, let's gaze, stare, look intently,and allow the sufferings of this life to cause us to really see Him.  

Psalm 27:4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: 

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, 

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple. 

 "Growing Intimacy with my husband" post today is not speaking about my wonderful, godly, earthy husband. Because until I gazed upon Jesus for years, allowing Him to give me eyes to see Him clearly, I wasn't capable of intimacy with my earthly husband. I had to develop and learn to love and be loved by my God, and only then could I truly love and be loved by my earthly husband. This growing intimacy began 27 years ago when Jesus redeemed me from my sin and bondage and I began to daily taste and see that the Lord was good through the opening of His Word and praying the scriptures aloud to God so that His Word became my reference for all of life. 

There is no shortcut to intimacy with God or anyone...it happens through spending quality time together and sharing intimate details of your life with someone you trust will love and accept you no matter what. God fits this criteria better than anyone on this earth...so ladies, begin with Jesus! Intimacy with Jesus is found and experienced over and over again, as I find myself pulled, ressured, perplexed, and anxious. As I sort through these options in the midst of trials, and no person, place or thing is able to relieve my sadness or pain, I find myself reduced to one basic cry..."Well Lord it's just you and me, isn't it?" Over and over again, God patiently but piercingly replies, "Ye, my child, it's true. But I am enough for you." 

All I can do in that moment is respond in praises unto Him..."The Lord is my shepherd, I shall never want for anything. Your spirit quickens my spirit. Your thoughts renew my mind. Your will is perfect thus I yield mine to yours. Your heart is loving and kind as I desire to be. You are righteous, trustworthy, a refuge, and respond to my deepest needs tenderly! I love you Lord and I am Yours and You are mine...and we will be together forever!" 

When will the trial pass? When will the pain/hurt end? When will the loss be filled? When will the relationship or sickness be healed? When will I meet Mr. Right? When you have the revelation in the deepest part of your being...that Jesus is everything you need and more...then you will delight yourself in Him alone, and He will then give you the desires of your heart! 

I do not know God's timing for you or when the void will be filled or the pain relieved...BUT ONE THING I KNOW…nothing is wasted in the kingdom of God. He uses it all for our good! And the day will come when the memory of hard times, of lonliness, of the affliction, the loss, or the isolation WILL ALL PASS AS A DREAM IN THE NIGHT! All that seems lost now will be restored to those who trust and wait upon the Lord!

• FOR AFTER EVERY WINTER COMES SUMMER 

• AFTER EVERY NIGHT COMES THE DAWN 

• AFTER EVERY STORM COMES THE SUN 

• AFTER THE TEARS COMES THE JOY 

For the Lord is our Hiding Place and He is as faithful to us as the waves are on the ocean sands…Do you believe the waves will rush upon the sands of our beaches every day, moment by moment, days upon weeks, weeks upon years…forever? 

Our Lord is the CREATOR of those waves, and He did so as a gentle reminder that He too will faithfully meet us on the shores of this life. 

Through every high and stormy gale, our anchor, Jesus Christ HOLDS! 

Lift your soul and your eyes to see Him in all His splendor and majesty! 

Behold the lamb of God! Jesus, my Husband He was, He is, and always will be!

In His Grip, Tammy Ritter