I got together with David this morning for some sweet fellowship time, early. He was quiet, subdued. I could tell that something deep, something profound was going on with him.

I’ve known David a long time. I respect him above all my other friends. David has a heart for God more than any man that I have ever met. He breathes hunger and thirst. His heart beats passion. And the result? The blessing, the affirmation of God is so obvious on his life. He is a blessed man.

We have gathered so many times, early in the morning, to sing and shout and rejoice; to seek, to share, to pray - all of the normal expressions and experiences of being fellow God-seekers in this incredible life He has birthed us into.

But this morning it was different. All of that - the matters of the kingdom, the grandeur of the court, the victory celebrations, the normal challenges of being a king over a thriving nation – this morning…, it was like all of that didn’t even exist. This morning I saw deeply into David’s heart, into the control center, the core of his being, to where he lives within himself - how he really is.

What I saw was not King David - leader, warrior, husband and father - even though on the surface David is all of these things. No, what I saw… was a child, a freshly weaned child, leaning against his mother’s chest, held in her lap, peaceful and content. I sat there in awe as I realized that at the center of David’s being, at the core of his existence, where he lived within himself… he was a child of God, deeply loved and held.

As I marveled at what I was perceiving, David, softly, began to speak:

“Lord, my heart is not proud. My eyes are not busily roving around, surveying my holdings. I have no need to control anything in my life. There are so many things that are way beyond me - I don’t need to understand everything.

I am so thankful that I can come here to be with You. I have shushed and quieted my mind. My soul is no longer like a nursing child; those needs are met in other ways. Now I simply want to be with You, loved and held. This morning... I am your deeply loved child.”

And then I heard David quietly whisper, “Oh Israel, join me here in this place of trust and faith, this place of total rest. Put all of your hopes onto Him - now, and forever.” (Ps 131)

We stopped talking at that point. No more words needed to be said. It was communion time, rest time, relationship time. The kingdom could wait. The day would begin soon enough, and there would be grace for it. But for now, it was God-time.

How long we stayed there, I don’t know. Time evaporated. We absorbed the love of the Father until Time returned, and then we peacefully set out on our day. But something inside of me has stayed there. I am there even now. Thankfully I never have to leave.

Tomorrow morning, will you join us?

“No one has ever seen God. But Jesus, who lives in the bosom of the Father…He reveals Him to us.” John 1:18

I found myself this morning on a path with pilgrims who were journeying to Jerusalem for the feast. (Psalm 130) Here is what they were singing:

“Oh God, I find myself alone again, and vulnerable. The emptiness I feel, the sense of isolation is deep. It threatens to swallow me up and take me to a hopeless place. From here, from this hole, I reach out to You. Can You hear me? Do Your eyes see me today?

If what I am feeling right now is about my sins, then there is no hope for me, because I am a mess. Truly, no one can stand up under Divine scrutiny.

No. That is not what this is about. This is about me going deeper into my Relationship with You. If this is about sin, and my ability to be good?!…, then it is “game over” for me. But for all of that - my sin, my brokenness - You have given me the Blood, and the Cross, so that I can continue in this process. This is not about judgment, or my destruction. This is about me getting to know You at a deeper level, and coming into a more Real, more True Relationship. This is ALL about Relationship.

So, I am taking all of my dark emotions, my borderline depression and the sense of potential judgment - and letting it go. Instead, I am shifting my focus towards You. I stare into the emptiness, because I know that if I do, I will eventually begin to see the form of the Creator of emptiness, and feel the Hand that holds all of this together.

I am counting on You, Father. I am pushing out the borders of my trust. I am opening the door of my heart so that Hope can come in. I know that when You do, one Word from You will change it all. Those who wait for the sun to come up, right on schedule, have no idea of how I wait for this, for Your Rising. You follow no schedule, but Your coming is more reliable than the timing of this morning’s dawn.

So, fellow journeyers, let us all reaffirm our trust in the Lord today. His Love for us has not, and will not waver. He can fix anything, so that we can all continue to grow into the complete fulfillment of our eternal destiny. He is eternally committed to make that happen, for each one of us – we are ALL precious.

God, our Father, is going to get what He set out at the Beginning to get – all of our hearts in a deep, real, and eternal Love Relationship - our Love just…like…..His.”