Category: The Sacred Wooing

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The Intimacy (Into Me You See) of Worship

And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. -Genesis 2:7 KJV

"Worship is the place where the lips of God cut dust again." -Jonathan David Helser

I have experienced no greater pleasure or joy than worshipping God. As a middle-aged wife, mother, daughter, and friend, I have had many experiences of love and connection, but nothing compares to what I have encountered in the secret place with God.

There is a place in worship that mirrors the intimacy Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden of Eden. They were naked and unashamed as they walked with their Creator, who not only authored love but is the very definition of love.

The more I have come to know God, the more I realize He doesn’t want us to hide anything from Him. In fact, we can’t hide from Him anyway. Perhaps this is why Adam and Eve were naked (aside from being in a perfect environment where it was never too hot or too cold).

Perhaps this is why babies are born naked?

Mankind was always created to be wholly loved. We were never meant to hide from perfect love. While this is easy to apply physically to babies, it’s meant to apply to our souls as well. God wants your heart. He doesn’t want a pretentious performance. He doesn’t want a shallow relationship. He doesn’t want your words or service if they’re disconnected from YOU.

There is a bearing of the soul and spirit in worship that leads to the deepest, most vulnerable connection. It is a place that surpasses every relational experience on earth. It is a place where a love so amazing leads to joyful service and willing sacrifice. It also leads to effortless transformation as you become one with Jesus.

Books that Speak on Worship

Recently, I’ve been enjoying the book, Melchizedek, The Kingdom and Freedom by Brenda Cobb Murphy. In chapter 13 on worship, she quotes, The Book of Mysteries by Jonathan Cahn:

“What do you think of,” asked teacher, “when you hear the word worship?”

“Singing, hymns, prayers, words of praise…”

“That’s the outward form of worship,” he said, “That’s how worship manifests. But what’s the heart of worship?” … “It’s found in the New Covenant Scriptures. It only appears in the Greek. It’s the word proskuneo. Do you know what it means?” … “It means to kiss,” said the teacher. “True worship is to kiss. And what does that reveal? … A kiss is the most intimate of acts. Therefore, worship is to be the most intimate thing you can experience… So true worship is never done by compulsion, but freely from the overflow of your heart.”

Later, Brenda says, “fulfilling the law changed worship to a continual heart of adoration… we are created with different personalities. Even knowing that, we still tend to judge others by the music they like. There are two camps of ‘official’ worship music — hymn singers versus ‘contemporary’ worship music, and both sides will die on whatever hill they’re standing on.

There is nothing wrong with either one; worship isn’t about the song you’re singing, it’s about your heart. God is constantly doing new things in worship, taking us deeper into him and into his presence… We must always be ready for God to give us a fuller interpretation as he changes us into his likeness, constantly showing and teaching us a deeper revelation of himself… You can’t put God in an old wineskin; he’ll burst out of it. The minute you think you know what God would and wouldn’t do, be careful, he’s bigger than you think.”

Beholding Intimate Worship

There has only been one time in my life when I’ve seen a worship leader express such love for Jesus that I was embarrassed, and that was when Steffany Gretzinger did.

I had gone to a Jesus Image worship conference and just found a seat in the overcrowded stands filled with other worshippers. (I’d like to think of worshippers as Jesus lovers, men and women who are after God’s heart)

Steffany knelt in the middle of the stage as musicians stood and played beautiful melodies with fluid grace. Steffany closed her eyes and extended her arm as she sang. The moment her ethereal voice reached my ears, I was drawn into something incredibly deep. As she rocked back and forth, singing to Jesus, her passion became evident, and it was clear that her focus was not on anyone or anything around her. Her affections were being poured out at the Lord’s feet as if He were sitting in front of her (and I don’t doubt that He WAS). The sheer adoration and passion that overflowed from her heart, expressed through her body and in her voice, made me feel as if I had walked into a private chamber shared by two faithful lovers.

Without thinking, I looked away.

I actually looked away.

I had NEVER had that reaction before! Not with anyone who expressed their love for Jesus.

After a few seconds of realizing what I was doing, I forced myself to look back at her.

Wow.

Her connection to Jesus stunned me.

It blew a hole in my small paradigm of what worship is.

And it gave me a glimpse of what it might mean to embody the greatest commandment to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37)

Please enjoy the video of her singing to Jesus (I was in the audience)

The Sacred Wooing

In my upcoming book, The Sacred Wooing (a story that unveils the bridegroom love of Jesus), I wrote a chapter on the intimacy of worship. Here is a snippet from that scene (you can follow updates on the book by joining the FB community group):

Wind, spiced with the scents of the fragrant garden outside, rustled through the ballroom.

I watched as the hallowed purple, blue, and red curtains floated like banners from their high posts. The blonde tendrils of a woman nearby brushed against her forehead and waved across her back.

I dipped my head. “Somehow, I hoped you wouldn’t become aware of my hidden places.

But looking at you now, I realize you’ve known about them from the beginning.”

“I love you no less because of this. But keeping me separated from any part of yourself will hinder your ability to experience my love. It will also stop you from entering the joy of worship.”

The warm, peaceful presence of the Holy Spirit quickened Romans 12:1-2 in my mind; I imagined Paul on his knees, beseeching the Roman church through his pen to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice and thus embrace true spiritual worship. He’d cried out for them to renew their minds to understand the will of God.

Becoming his bride would mean living a life of worship. What would it be to wholly offer my body—to truly yield to the Father with my every action? Is this what Jesus meant when he said to “love the Lord your God with all your strength?”

A Poem for Jesus

There was a time in worship when I was so elated that I felt I caught a glimpse of Jesus. I didn’t see Him with my physical eyes, but He became so real in my heart that I began to dance. The joy in my heart was beyond description. The pleasure of His close company filled me with bliss and made me twirl. I couldn’t help but express my love for Him.

Later, I wrote a poem of love for Him.

You can read it by clicking here.

I pray that you experience the depth of love that Jesus has for you. I pray your soul is lifted by the elation of God’s pleasure for you. And I pray, this creates your own, private worship time with Him.

“And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment. So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.” -2 Samuel 6:14-15

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You Are the Father’s Art

Do you believe you are cherished by Jesus?

Years ago, as I was writing, the Lord showed me something that helped heal a part of my soul. I pray you hear Him speaking to you as well. This scene is from my newest book, The Sacred Wooing (Discovering the Bridegroom Love of Jesus), which is scheduled for release by Kingdom Winds later this year.

For updates on the novel, join my FB group of Jesus lovers (I will be posting devotionals, prayers, worship sessions, and heartfelt questions in the next few weeks after Elise is born):

May you experience the ardent and curative pursuit of a God whose heart is vaster and wider and deeper than you’ve ever imagined! 

The moon was luminous against the orange glow of the hemisphere, and the stars twinkled like polished gems. Each boulevard and street was like a gleaming portal to a new world, and I felt like a little girl during the holidays—full of excitement and anticipation. 

 Jesus asked if I wanted something from my favorite tea shop along the way. I nodded, and he made a left turn at Star Street. 

I was quiet as he drove. Although no words were uttered, I basked in his healing presence. He didn’t have to speak; just being with him was enough. His very ambiance was like a sauna of internal ointment. He was my home, the embodiment of heaven’s love. I wanted nothing more than to be with him. 

 Jesus smoothly parallel parked the car. After unbuckling his seat belt, he looked at the twinkling sky. “It will snow soon.” 

 “That’s my favorite,” I said. “The first snowfall. It’s so pure and white.” 

 Jesus grinned, “I’m glad you like it, darling.” 

A sheepish smile lifted my cheeks, “Thanks for making it. By you all things were made.” 

“I like it, too.” He said, admiring his handiwork. Each snowflake was a tiny, frozen crystallized piece of art. No two were the same. 

 I chortled, “I imagine if you made it, you would.” 

 His smile became endearing, yet a faint glint of sadness gleamed in his vibrant eyes. “Then why do so many of my children feel bad about themselves and hinder themselves from receiving my love and affection?” 

 I fell silent. “An artist cherishes his art. If human artists who create care so much about their work, how much do you think I care about you?” 

I wanted to stretch out my hands and give him a picture of what I thought the answer might be, but instead I voiced, “I could never describe how much.” 

“Then perhaps you’re beginning to understand. It’s beyond human comprehension without divine interpretation from my Spirit. Noelani, the core of all insecurity is the belief that security lies in anything or anyone other than me. If people really knew how much my Father and I loved them, they would have no fears, no mental or emotional torment.” 

 His words brought questions to my mind. 

Why did people feel bad about themselves? Why did I so often feel bad about myself? If all of the creation was art by the Master Artist, then shouldn’t we all rejoice? 

When we reached the coffee shop, Jesus reached for my hand. When I grasped his, the feeling of his crucifixion scar made my heart lurch. Jesus squeezed my grip tighter. “My wounds no longer hurt,” he whispered. “I only keep them as a reminder of my love for the world.”  

Scripture References:

-Ephesians 2:10, Revelation 4:11, 1 John 4:18

Book Synopsis

Heaven is prepared for the most joyful wedding feast, but only one thing is missing—the bride. Noelani, a mortal woman with the divine spark of eternity inside her, is troubled by an ancient evil plotting her downfall. Battle-worn, she begins to lose her only connection to her kingly groom, her faith.

All seems lost until her powerful groom knocks on her door and invites her to take his hand on a journey that will bring out her deepest fears and cause her enemies to double their attacks. Will her faith endure to the end?

The Sacred Wooing Front Cover

Worship

A beautiful song that illustrates how God shows His love to us through creation is: Love So Holy by Kari Jobe. I pray you enjoy this song and that the Lord ministers to you.

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A Heavenly Love

“To fall in love with God is the greatest romance, to seek him the greatest adventure, to find him, the greatest human achievement.” -St. Augustine of Hippo

~The following teaching devotional was taken from my portion in the bestselling book, The Runaway Bride of Christ, Overcoming Church Hurt.

The Lord gave me another message. He said, “Go and shout this message to Jerusalem. This is what the Lord says: “I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness… This is what the Lord says: “What did your ancestors find wrong with me that led them to stray so far from me? They worshiped worthless idols only to become worthless themselves.– Jeremiah 2:1-2, 5 NLT

The Bride of Christ is the most precious, beautiful, and valuable treasure Jesus owns. His church is his bride. To touch the natural bride of a king evokes severe punishment, for her stature is elevated by the love of her king. She is guarded by the power and authority of her kingly husband. If men, throughout history were punished because they touched a king’s bride, can you imagine the consequences of those who willfully harm, defile, or seduce the bride of Christ? To touch the bride of the King of kings and Lord of lords…the co-ruler of heaven and earth…is infinitely more dangerous. For our King is eternally devoted and sacrificially given over to his bride. You are a part of the precious bride of Christ.

This great and mighty King acts with justice and has a heart perfumed with sweet mercy. This glorious King is chief among ten thousand (Song of Solomon 5:10). He is perfect in beauty, grace, wisdom, power, and holiness. He walks on transparent gold, and His gates are made of pearls (Revelation 21:21). He is worshipped and adored by majestic angels, and creation heralds his praises. He is incomparable and everything the bride could ever want. As omnipotent as He is, He doesn’t force Himself on his bride even though He created her for Himself. He has given her one of the loftiest gifts—free will. He asks his bride to respond to his call for a covenantal relationship, leaving it up to her to say “yes.” He has everything prepared, everything she needs for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). He loves his bride with an undying, selfless love that is wholehearted. But this King has an enemy his bride is unfamiliar with.

Now, picture a husband on his wedding day, dressed up in finery, as he watches the aisle anxiously to see his bride. I’ve seen husbands so overcome at weddings that they cry or almost jolt back in surprise when they see their beautiful bride. Some men jump with joy or break out into a spontaneous little dance. There’s always a special kind of smile on their faces, a smile reserved only for their bride. Now, what would you suppose would happen if some crook came running down the aisle and grabbed the bride’s arm and attempted to drag her away? I bet the groom would start swinging his fists, giving that criminal a good beating until he released the bride. I imagine Jesus has more protective instincts for his bride than a natural husband who would readily defend his bride. Unfortunately, the enemy of the bride of Christ is a lot cleverer than that. He doesn’t often use physical force.

This pretentious swindler has one goal, and that’s to steal from his bride, destroy everything good in her life (including her relationship with the One who loves her most), and kill her. It’s the only way he knows how to hurt the holy Bridegroom.

This villain is running rampant on earth today using an excellent reconnaissance strategy. He has studied humanity since its inception. He knows humans were originally created with a spirit made for connection with the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), but we were separated from our core relationship through the sin he inspired—this has left mankind thirsty for spiritual life. So, he maliciously disguises himself as Christ, the only One who can connect us again to God; without this unity, we can’t be whole. We are hopelessly incomplete with Jesus.

For such men are false apostles [spurious, counterfeits], deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ (the Messiah). And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light; So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. [But] their end will correspond with their deeds. -2 Corinthians 11:13-15 AMPC

He has many evil demon minions who do his dark bidding through knowing or unknowing humans. This swindler has made his way through countless churches and stolen the bride of Christ from her Bridegroom in the most surreptitious way. He comes dressed like her groom. He has known her groom for thousands of years longer than she has. He can quote the bridegroom’s words with such minute subtleties that unless the bride knows her groom closely, she can be fooled by him. Imagine how the King must feel when his prized bride is seduced and deceived by an imposter who claims to be the king she loves?

Lucifer has envied the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for eons. He has tried his best shot to usurp God and be like the Most High…but he failed miserably (Isaiah 14: 13-15).

However, he appears to be consumed with jealousy, for he has not stopped trying to be like Jesus (antichrist). One of his favorite cloaks is religion. He often uses religious spirits to leaven the faith of countless believers. He loves to pervert scripture with a forked tongue. He has been corrupting the Word of God since the garden, where he beguiled Eve. And he’s been slowly choking the bride with suffocating dead works, legalism, condemnation and an assortment of other traps in his cache.   The religious spirit has abused the bride and made her believe that the inflicted pain was from God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). He has criminalized God’s reputation in her heart. He has acted like a masterful prosecutor as he defames Christ and the believer he’s influencing. His accusations are calculated. He has successfully smoldered the fire of first love that once burned brightly in her heart. He has left her inner soul a wasteland of bitterness, unforgiveness, shame, anger, guilt, and has loaded her down with unbearable burdens…

~To read the full chapter and purchase the book, click here.

The Sacred Wooing: A Novel based on the Bridegroom Love of Jesus

~I am currently in the process of publishing The Sacred Wooing, a novel based on the scriptural truth that Jesus is our heavenly Bridegroom. To find out more about this project and learn how you can become a part of this journey, click here!

~To join, The Sacred Wooing Facebook group, click here. My intent for this page is to share reminders, teaching, and short devotionals on God’s love with others, using snippets from the book and scripture. 

Synopsis:

Heaven is prepared for the most joyful wedding feast, but only one thing is missing—the bride. Noelani, a mortal woman with the divine spark of eternity inside her, is troubled by a cohort of evil spiritual beings plotting her downfall. Battle-worn, she begins to lose her only connection to her kingly groom, her faith.

All seems lost until her powerful groom knocks on her door and invites her to take his hand on a journey that will bring out her deepest fears and cause her enemies to double their attacks. Will her faith endure to the end?

Video Teaching on Being a Prepared Bride for Jesus

You are loved more than you can imagine by someone who died to make his love known to you. ❤️

Have you ever thought about this, the Bible begins with a marriage relationship in a beautiful garden between Adam and Eve, and it ends with a divine marriage feast in Heaven between Christ and the church?

I was blessed to be teach at Freedom Community Church on the sacred topic of being a “prepared bride.” I pray that as you listen to this, that your heart may be warmed, encouraged and uplifted by the personal knowledge of the love of Jesus. May my testimony of the way Jesus came for my heart and won me over, be an invitation to allow him to pursue your heart.

🫶

Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready. -Revelation 19:7

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The Sacred Wooing Invitation

“Such an intimate encounter with our Lord and Savior… it has changed my relationship with Christ.”

I wrote “The Sacred Wooing” as an invitation to the church to rekindle her “first love” purity for Jesus and as a witness to the blessing of walking wholly devoted to Jesus while empowered by grace.

I warmly welcome beta readers who are passionate about drawing closer to Jesus to review my newest novel, The Sacred Wooing (Experiencing the Bridegroom Love of Jesus), before it’s published.

*Fans of Francine Rivers (Redeeming Love), Paul Young (The Shack), and Sarah Young (Jesus Calling) will enjoy the biblical parable style of The Sacred Wooing, which also captivates fantasy fans with its epic storytelling.

*The words of Christ in this story reflect the universal and eternal longing in every woman’s heart for everlasting love, while also emphasizing the ongoing spiritual battle for the allegiance of men’s souls.

*This story invites readers to experience Jesus’s love as their bridegroom and to reconnect with their First Love (Revelation 2:4).”

Qualifications for Readers:

  1. Readers need to commit to reading the entire manuscript before its publication date. (Please be aware that publication dates can be more fluid than solid and require flexibility. This is usually to the reader’s advantage, as it often takes longer than predicted to finalize a book)
  2. Readers understand that they are committing to write their review on Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub, and a social media platform of their choice during the first two days of the book’s release. (It’s okay if it’s the same review. As long as it’s your honest and hopefully positive feedback <3)
  3. Readers must not share any material from the manuscript with anyone unless given written permission by the author and/or publisher (this is copyright material).
  4. Readers must love Jesus and desire to love others with His love.
  5. Readers must be available to communicate with the author during the publishing process (I want to hear your thoughts and suggestions, and I will need you to be open, especially as the deadline approaches).

Opening Scene

The highest king sat with blinding light shining from him. Contrasting cumulonimbus clouds and radiant lightning swirled around him like a halo crafted from a tempest, subjugated by an unimaginably powerful force. His appearance was suffused with fiery amber gems. The clouds around him pillowed upward, creating vast, vaporous terrains rippling with the colors of the hemisphere. 

 Majestic flying creatures filled with spiritual power orbited the omnipotent king. Their multiple, feathery wings swayed across their celestial forms like silken curtains. The swooshing of their gargantuan wings caused the air to vibrate with tornadic winds. Their booming voices charged the atmosphere like thunder as they paid homage to the one they revered.  

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come!”

Royal lords donned in flowing, priestly garments bespeckled with jewels bowed reverently as they circled the throne. Their transcendent voices harmonized into a swelling crescendo. The sound was akin to rushing waves, more resplendent than any music on earth. 

“You are worthy oh Lord to receive glory and honor and power! For you created all things! And by your will they exist, and were created!”

Seven golden lampstands flamed brilliantly, and incense rose like a sheet of fragrant mist from the scintillating floor.

The omnipotent king sat on his immaculate throne and held seven gleaming stars in his hand. They glimmered like fiberoptic pearls. His robe cascaded down as the clouds canopy the Amazon forest. His clothes shone whiter than fresh snow and a regal, sash hung like sunlight from his shoulder to his waist. The golden floor was transparent glass, mirroring everything above it with an aureate glow.

To the left of the king sat his father. He was the creator of all. They were unified in purpose and in heart. Their resemblance in soul and features were so akin, that having seen one, you would have known the other. From the father’s mouth came the spirit of life—the most precious breath. A single exhale from this spirit could form planets.

The seated father and kingly son watched for the son’s bride to prepare herself fully. The son had waited patiently for eons and excitedly looked forward to the celebratory day, the day of his gladness of heart. He had prepared himself in the finest apparel. The wine he would offer was the richest created, and he had earnestly desired to drink it with her in the kingdom. A feast in the heavenly clouds, surrounded by a balcony of translucent rainbows and shimmering, fiery jasper stones, had been set. The table alone was lengthier than a galaxy. It would be a greater feast than all royal weddings in created history. Serving angels stood ready to attend to the king and his beloved wife. All that awaited her. 

For thousands of years, the son had sent messages to her, and yet she was easily distracted and discouraged from her bridal preparations…

Story Synopsis

Heaven is prepared for the most joyful wedding feast, but only one thing is missing—the bride. Noelani, a mortal woman with the divine spark of eternity inside her, is troubled by a cohort of evil spiritual beings plotting her downfall. Battle-worn, she begins to lose her only connection to her kingly groom, her faith.

All seems lost until her powerful groom knocks on her door and invites her to take his hand on a journey that will bring out her deepest fears and cause her enemies to double their attacks. Will her faith endure to the end?

Signing Up

You may also DM me directly at nourishementthroughwords@gmail.com

Thank you so much for your interest! 

❤

Thank you so much for your time and commitment! I pray you are ushered into a deeper relationship with Jesus that brings wholesome love and restoration to your soul.

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Jesus Weeps with You: Healing Through Loss

.-This snippet is from my novel, The Sacred Wooing (set to be released in 2026 by Kingdom Winds).

Are you grieving the loss of a loved one?

Jesus weeps with you.

In this chapter, I lovingly engage the narrative behind the “sovereignty of God” teaching that once crippled my faith by incriminating the goodness of God when it came to healing. I hope this snippet helps build your faith, comforts the hurting places in your heart and helps you trust in your heavenly Father’s heart toward you. Jesus came to heal, and it is God’s will that we have abundant life.

Chapter 8: The Accuser

..Jesus smiled with pleasure at my decision to trust his word. He explained, “My love, the adversary has no grounds to accuse you before our Father, because my blood has purified the heavenly holy of holies. I forever sit as your High Priest in heaven. Your right standing with our Father is as secure as mine as long as you never reject me.

“Wow,” I breathed, feeling as if I were inhaling air fragrant with grace.

“As well, Father is not displeased with you. He is not angry with you in the slightest. He has promised never to be incensed against you. He has promised never to rebuke you.[i] This is the Gospel of Peace Isaiah prophesied about. Our Father delights in you and he rejoices over you. You are his well-beloved child.”

I smiled without knowing, “amen” I whispered, feeling at a loss of anything more to say. All I wanted to do was continue to listen to Jesus and be healed by his words.

“Even though the Accuser cannot slander you before our Father, he can still whisper lies to you about Him. He has falsely accused the Father to you for months now. He’s used almost every hardship that you’ve experienced as an opportunity to blaspheme God in your ears. The incorrect way that you see the Father now has not just been a result of your own conclusions.”

***

Without warning, my emotions were thrust back to eight months prior when one of my dearest childhood friends, Cassie, passed away forty-eight hours after a terrible car accident. I had rushed to the ECU to see her, praying hard the whole way in the car. I remember struggling to see through my tears as I drove and cried out for God to heal her.

I was let into the hospital room with her family and together we prayed, hugged, sobbed, and anxiously waited, hoping she would wake up. When the heart monitor flat lined, I felt like my own heart had stopped. We all watched with held breath as more doctors rushed in after a small emergency alarm rang. They tried and failed to revive her. When the head doctor finally dropped the defibrillator and turned toward us with sad eyes, I broke down. A flood of wails erupted in the room as Cassie’s family cried loudly.

In that moment of hopelessness and heartbreak, I remembered hearing an evil being whispering in my mind. It told me that God wanted my friend to die and that’s why my prayers hadn’t been answered. It told me, God needed another, “flower in his garden in heaven,” so he took her. It told me that perhaps if I was a better Christian, God would have reconsidered and healed Cassie. A chilly sensation had run through my heart that day. The words of the enemy successfully broke a tender place in my soul and formed a bleeding rift in the area of my trust in God’s goodness.

***

The memory opened up my hidden wound afresh and I bowed my head as heavy sorrow weighed on me.

Jesus read my thoughts and asked, “do you think it was God’s will that Cassie died by a drunk driver?”

I shut my eyes tightly as the fresh inner wound of Cassie’s tragic death opened. Fast tears formed before slipping down my cheeks, “I don’t know,” I said brokenly even though I knew I believed it had been God’s will.

“It wasn’t,” Jesus said, his eyes flooding with pained compassion.

“But how can that be? I thought God’s will was always done?” I said with a small frown of confusion.

“Sadly, not always. The Word of God says, God wills that none should perish but that all should come to repentance.[ii] Tragically, people perish every day even though God paid the ultimate price for everyone to be saved. When my disciples asked me to teach them how to pray, I told them to pray for God’s kingdom to come and for his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.[iii] The fact that I told them to pray for God’s will to be done on earth implies that his will is not always done.”

Jesus continued, “My dear if our Father’s will was always done, earth would look just like Eden, and everyone would have a life-giving relationship with God. My earthly ministry alleviated human suffering by destroying the works of the devil through preaching the truth of the Gospel to the poor, through healing the sick, binding up the broken hearted, casting out devils, raising the dead, and ministering to the needs of people.[iv] God’s will came to earth from heaven in every miracle his Holy Spirit performed through me. For the Spirit of the Lord was upon me to do all those things.[v] With every blind eye opened, with every hungry belly filled, with every crippled man leaping for joy, with every truth spoken, and every disease healed, people saw God and often praised him afterward. I only did what I saw my Father doing.[vi]

“This is beautiful news,” I said as a cleansing flow of cool tears spilled from my eyes and slipped down my cheeks. Jesus smiled tenderly at me and softly held my chin with his thumb and pointer finger. For a moment, he watched my tears fall as if they were precious gemstones. I remembered the scripture that said God collected the tears of his children in a bottle and that he recorded each one in his book.[vii]

After a few seconds of only our eyes speaking, he gently released his hand from my chin and continued sharing the good news. “My ministry on earth is the clearest picture mankind has of the heart of God. His heart is good. He does not delight in human suffering. I always obeyed his command to love and to declare truth. If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.[viii] I and my Father are one.[ix] And no one who denies me truly knows God for I was with God in the beginning.[x] I am Truth, I am the Word made flesh.[xi] My dear, God is love.[xii] He so loved the world that he sent me.[xiii] All true goodness originates with him.”

His healing words broke through a dam of religious lies and self-protection in my heart releasing a fresh pool of tears. My eyes welled before the assembling tears began dripping down my chin and wetting my sleeves.

Moved by great love, Jesus gently wiped them away even as his eyes misted with deep consoling compassion. He inched his face closer to mine until all I could see was his radiant face. His visage was pouring with beautiful love. “Noelani, God wanted to heal Cassie and comfort you and her family, like I did at Lazarus’s tomb when I came as the resurrection and raised him from the dead.[xiv] God wept with you as I wept with Mary and Martha. He felt your pain, as well as his own.”

I shut my eyes to flush them of the tears that began blinding my vision. When I began to turn to look away, Jesus softly cupped my face still and I allowed my face to rest in his hands. As I did, I felt peace behind the surface of his fingertips. Jesus tenderly stroked my eyelids with his thumbs and to my surprise, I didn’t flinch away.

Normally, I had a natural reaction to protect my eyes from anything that would touch them because of how sensitive and crucial they were to body and well-being. But when Jesus touched my eyelids, I felt no need to self-protect. This soothing motion of his thumbs melted me. It was like he was blessing me with clearer spiritual vision. He spoke again and I felt his balmy breath on my nose. His words washed over me like a warm mineral pool.

“Healing is my Father’s will for his kids, it is part of the atonement. Healing is the children’s bread.”[xv]

I felt a stony weight lift from my chest and my breathing became more relaxed as the truth came in. A place in my mind felt disencumbered.

Jesus released his hands from my face, and I looked upon him like someone who woke up to see sunshine for the first time after hibernating through the winter.

For the first time in a year, I felt a sense of peace come into the pained place that ached for Cassie’s presence. I smiled without effort at Jesus.

`For updates on The Sacred Wooing, join the Facebook community group. I post weekly videos/devotionals/prayers for members as we seek to become a Bride in close communion with our King.

-To delve more deeply into the love of Jesus, check out my book, Romantic Rendezvous for the Soul, by clicking here.

“Ashley depicts such a level of intimacy with Jesus so poignantly that I believe it will arouse others’ hearts with passion to pursue a new depth and commitment in their relationship with Him. I pray with all my heart that through her insights seamlessly woven into the stories, the church (men and women) would recognize their one true identity as brides and not servants. The author helps us learn to allow ourselves be loved and healed and no longer driven to meet unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others. I believe that Ashley’s book will facilitate cultivating a fulfilling relationship with Jesus and abandoning religion once and for all! Ashley gives hope to those of us who feel or have felt they have sunk too low in their depravity. She demonstrates and enables us to believe that, no matter how vile our pasts, we can be washed white as snow by the blood of the Lamb and made beautiful new creations. She conveys with a refreshing rawness that nothing is beyond His power and (most reassuringly) His desire to redeem and restore. She illustrates the amazing grace of God with its power to enable us to live holy lives by His spirit and not the letter of the law and religion.
Possibly the most pertinent lesson that Ashley wisely shares in some of her stories is the most painful yet wonderful journey we go through if we choose to face the surrender of our lives and desires to God. Through her writing she gently urges us to come to this place of trust with the Father who loves us beyond our comprehension. The stories are heartwarmingly honest. Ashley has a beautiful gift of using descriptive language which instantly creates pictures in your minds as she relates her stories and makes them so real and alive.
May it lead you into your own passionate journey deeper into the heart of Jesus and to experience wonderful encounters with Him, our eternally faithful and true love.” ~Celina Haywood, Licensed Minister, Former Missionary to Thailand, Beautiful Encourager 💗

Scripture references from this snippet:

[i] Isaiah 54:9

[ii] 2 Peter 3:9

[iii] Matthew 6:10

[iv] Acts 10:38

[v] Luke 4:18

[vi] John 5:19

[vii] Psalm 56:8

[viii] John 14:9

[ix] John 10:30

[x] 1 John 2:23, John 1:2

[xi] John 1:14, John 14:6

[xii] 1 John 4:8

[xiii] John 3:16

[xiv] John 11:25

[xv] Matthew 15:22-28, John 6:32-35

-For an amazing Biblical teaching on the Sovereignty of God by Andrew Wommack, click here.