This Art Reflection was presented at the Gathering House Church in Spokane Washington
on March 24th, 2019. You can purchase a copy of the art work at
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| https://jnesbit.com/products/desire-of-the-nations |
Art Reflection by Margot Cioccio and Gerri Wright
The Lion is Jesus. He is our risen Lord. He walks triumphant through the heavenly sanctuary, in the midst of the rainbow of his promises. The nations are under his feet. He strides upon the water of life that flows out from his heavenly presence. See the sunrise in the distance and the universe above—they remind us that now and on into eternity, more than we can think, ask, or imagine awaits us.
This is what the Lord Almighty says in Haggai 2:6 “I will shake the nations, the desired of all the nations will come, and I will fill this house with my glory.” Habbakkuk 2:14 says, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
Lord, we need your revelation to help us understand that we are seated with you NOW in the heavenly places. But oh, how that stretches our mortal mind. The idea that in every moment we are here, but also there [in the heavenly realm] with you. Help us understand that you have called us out of darkness into partnership to rule and reign as your prophets, priests, and kings in the earth not only someday but now.
Yet we are so inadequate, so poor, so broken. Holy Spirit remind us to turn our focus and look on our Beloved. Look at him. He is our Lion, our King triumphant!
He says in Psalm 2 verse 8 “Ask of me and I shall give you the nations as your inheritance.” But do we even get that far in the smallness of our thinking? We are so often embroiled in the daily trials of our own life. We want more of him and more of him means more of his heart for others.
My king is coming! Will he find asleep on my couch, the tv blaring and enticing me with endless entertainment that only leaves me empty? Have I become numb and desensitized when life has been easy? Do I only seek him as my last resort when all my good ideas have been tried and have failed? Do I come to him? Do I come to him at all?
The banner over his house is love and those who find true wisdom obtain the tools for understanding and living. For they have a fountain of his blessing pouring into their lives. Feed us Jesus from the tree of life found in you. Allow the living water that flows from your heavenly sanctuary to satisfy our thirst. Oh, how we thirst for you. Will we wake up our mind? Will we say until the darkness disappears and the dawn has fully come, in spite of shadows and fears, that we will go to the mountaintop with you? Will we join you on the mountain of suffering love, and the lonely hills of prayer that burn before you like fragrant incense?
We are united in his love. We love him because he first loved us. Yet we let so much get in the way of that love relationship: worry, fear, doubt, sickness, calamity, religion, envy, pride, poverty, hopelessness, inadequacy, lack…the list goes on and on. These are the chains he comes to break us free from. He gives us his word that we should wield it like a mighty sword to cut through the endless hissing of the enemy that holds us hostage in these chains and cages built of half-truths and lies.
Can you hear him saying, “Come with me through the blue and purple archway of trust? Together we will wage war on the one who spreads these lies, the one who holds my people in every nation captive. Let us stand united as one to make war on the enemy and set the captives free.
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