Many believers live nominal lives despite the expansive truth of what Jesus paid for.  Many settle in the place of tasting when our Heavenly Father prepared a banquet, a feast for us in the presence of our enemies.  Many stay at the door, as Jesus is th and not explore and experience what is beyond that He fully paid for.  Why?  We all go back to Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being a priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God.”

But, thanks be to God Who is RICH IN MERCY and ABOUNDING IN LOVE Who never leaves us where He finds us.  He is constantly showing Himself strong day in and day out, making Himself known to us with His well-positioned strategic invitations that we may dive deeper into the knowledge of Who He is.  

We should not pitch a tent and be satisfied only on the truth that when we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, that is all to it and not experientially walk in this awesome reality.  Our new creation identity in Christ offers inexhaustible covenant promises, benefits and inheritances but it is all up to us to partake of what has been made available.  We refuse to be complacent.  We diligently seek Him and His righteousness.  We actively pursue our intimate oneness and union with Him in every step that we take and discover to enjoy all the things that are added when we earnestly seek Him with all of our hearts.

Last night, as I was reading His Word, a new light of revelation pierced into my heart.  A fresh wind from the Holy Spirit blew.  What once felt familiar suddenly carried a weight of fresh meaning of this verse that most of us know and quote. 

“Jesus explained, ‘I Am the Way, the Truth, I Am the Truth, and I am the Life.  No one comes next to the Father EXCEPT THROUGH YOUR UNION WITH ME.”  (John 14:6 TPT).

I was invited to be one of the principal sponsors of a wedding.  The moment I got the message, my heart was filled with joy and peace.  Without hesitation I said “Yes”.  I knew in my heart that when it is His will, “we shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and hills shall break forth before us into singing, and all the tress of the field shall clap their hands.” (Isaiah 55:12)

By faith, I booked my flight.  My innermost being always reminds me that when it is His will, it is His bill.  Our faith is an open door for His hand to move and His provision to manifest. 

I checked on what to wear, and swiftly both my dress and a pair of shoes were found. 

Then came my part  for the wedding program.  I somehow knew I would be speaking, thus, it did not take me by surprise when I was told.  This purpose was already set and the Holy Spirit Who knows all things already made this known to me beforehand. 

Nearer the time, I realized that my flight fell on Holy Saturday when most people in my region do not do business.  You see, after my flight, I still have to travel for another 3 hours by land.  Van operators were known to be closed on these days.  But, when it is His will, there should be wheels ready for me.  And yes, it was there without effort.

In these few days before the wedding, how amazingly I saw the Lord move according to my heart’s desire.  These may be simple cravings, yet the Lord never missed one single thing. 

One day, I desired for roast pork, and in the next two days, I had two different invitations with it.  Then, I craved specifically for buttered shrimps, and another lunch invitation came with it.  Then, I wanted to go to this famous restaurant by the mangroves, and again, I was invited to have dinner at that exact restaurant.

And this other thing that amazed me the most.  Because I was not aware of the wedding venue details which had last minute changes, I opted to wear a 3-inch heel court shoes.  But, a couple of days before the wedding, I came to know a garden wedding was decided.  Oh oh … that means I have to have a back up flat pair of shoes. 

In my hometown, we have very limited shops and to get a decent pair for a wedding is impossible.  I thought of a pair of lacy doll shoes that will go with my dress.  Lo and behold, when I opened the shoe cabinet of my nephew’s wife, I found one in my exact size, style and color.  Praise the Lord!!!  Ohhh if we only know and trust how mindful our Heavenly Father is of us, we will surely live a life of rest.

What am I saying?  When we get to be aware and acknowledge our union with Him, we get to witness how He desires to meet and provide for us much more than us providing for ourselves.

My “Yes” was His open door for me to explore and experience what was in store for me for this trip, not just to taste and see that the Lord our God is good, but to feast and feed in His everlasting love, goodness and faithfulness.  Had I not said “Yes”, I would not have had this arrayed touch of His presence on this trip.

One thing that holds most vital in my prayer these past few weeks has been these: that I am in Christ and Christ is in me, the Hope of Glory.  I have constantly declared my union with Him that I have the mind of Christ, that I would see through His eyes, that my heart would beat in time like His in love and compassion, that I would hear what He is speaking and speak what I’m hearing, that His hand is established in mine and my feet are fastened on His every step.  When my mind wanders, I intentionally choose to turn back my attention and affection to Him, to my union with Him. 

Yes, I am a work in progress when it comes to turning to Him because of multiple things that fight for my attention, but, I have seen the fruit bore when I do.

Let us then not be content doing things for Him, yet not truly knowing Him—let alone doing things apart from Him.  Cultivating a living, intimate relationship with Him is to be our top priority from which our actions are birthed from.  Our beyond the surface abiding connection with Him should be where everything flows, for only through our union with Him empowers even our most menial act to be meaningful and fruitful, because His touch through our touch is what the world needs. 

Our union with Him gives us the privilege of knowing Him, hearing Him, speaking what we hear Him speak, do what He calls us to do and be where He wants us to be.  It highlights that true faith requires actions of obedience, not just mere words, as expressions of our love for Him and His love flowing in and through us to others.  It recognizes His authority, power and ability that we willingly submit to in alignment with His will and commands.  It enables us to treasure His revealed spoken Word much more than our own portion of food (Job 23:12).   No wonder Jesus said to His disciples as He ministered to the woman at the well, “I have food to eat you know nothing about.” (John 4:32) “My food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me, and to finish His work.” (John 4:34)

Union is defined as the act of joining two or more things together, or the result of being united, such as marriage.   It is when no one knows when one ends nor begins.  It is an unbreakable merging.  It is abiding.  It is intimate.  It is a commitment.

Our union with Him is to picture as The Vine and branches. We as branches carry the same DNA as the Vine, completely reliant to Him for our growth and fruitfulness.  It is permanent, indissoluble bond maintained and sustained all by the grace of God, not of human effort lest we boast.

Our union with Him is acknowledging the Presence of the Lord our God always with us.  It is our unawareness of this truth that sabotages our intimacy with Him.  His love is being poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit with limitless doors of opportunities to personally experience Him.  Unless we intentionally turn our attention and affection to Him, we miss these glorious chances.

 Towards the end of this wonderful trip, I asked the Lord, “What does it mean to have a thought or a desire and the next thing witnessing it before my eyes?”  He simply replied with an unction from deep within, “These are the manifestations of My mindfulness of you.” Oh how He loves you and me 🙂

“What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
 For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.”  (Psalm 8:4-5)

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, thank You for powerfully revealing to us how mindful You are of us because of Your great love for us.   Thank You, Jesus, that You made it possible for us to be in union with You, by Your finished work at the cross.  Thank You, Holy Spirit, for abiding in us forever and manifesting the Lord’s mindfulness of us all the days of our lives.   Guide our eye with Your eye that we may always recognize and acknowledge how presently aware of, constantly thinking about, and affectionately caring You are with Your amazing love.   Amen!