Naked

Naked 

I have learned through the years that our God is a God who devastates. He is loving, long-suffering and all together wonderful. But, He is also a God who devastates. The reason I say this is that I see a pattern in the Word where He brings His chosen ones to great heights, only to bring them to complete weakness and brokenness. Almost like a potter who beautifully molds a pot, only to crush the clay in his hands again. Over and over and deeper and deeper.

There was a day that I came to that place. The time came that He fulfilled a word that He gave me. He asked me that day if I am willing to stand before Him alone. I did not know what that meant at that stage, but I knew that it meant that He would take everything away. I was not sure how He would do it. It was another kind of taking away. A spiritual taking away. I often go through a message or am a message before I can write about it.

I was reading in Ephesians 1 the beautiful prayer that Paul was praying. He was praying that they would receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. This beautiful prayer became my prayer. However, Father had something different in mind to fulfill this prayer than what I did. No surprise there. The more I prayed this prayer, the more I felt instead of seeing Him clearer, my view became dimmer. Less focused. I did not understand this at all. The next day I woke up so disgruntled and sad that I cried out to Him to meet me where I am at. In my misery. Not having sinned, but because I knew that He was trying to show me something and I was just not seeing it. Father reminded me of Paul’s opening words in Romans 1. Paul, a servant of God, called to be an Apostle, separated unto the Gospel. Paul, before anything else, knew that he was a servant. Jesus, first act was to make himself a servant. Paul admonishes us in Philippians that we too must have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. So here I was, praying for the spirit of wisdom and revelation of the knowledge of Him, trusting to be used in greater measure with greater revelation, and He leads me to servanthood. This is not anything new and I have written often about servanthood. But once again, He was showing me that even though what I was praying for, although scriptural, His perfect will was to answer the prayer in His way. Once again I was confronted with the fact that humility holds such a dear place in His heart and far outweighs anything we could ever do for Him or have done for Him and His Kingdom. We often humble ourselves, and it is a daily choice. But servanthood far outweighs Apostleship, or Prophet or Teacher. It was our Savior's first choice. And it begins as a choice, but it is not just something you do, but who you are. You become a servant with every choice daily as you choose to humble yourself. It becomes who you are and not just what you do. Even our Jesus is known as the Suffering Servant.

In the light of what Father showed me a deep sense of how little everything I have ever done for Him came over me. Deeply touched by the Spirit I knew that we so easily define ourselves or are defined by others, by what we do. And what we do are very important to Father, but what we are, more. Gaining understanding in this, I knew that when He asked me if I am willing that He would strip me of everything, that before Him none of those things count anything. I will not stand before Him with three books at one side, and on the other with everything I have done through all the years for His Kingdom. None of these things will stand as a reason why I should be able to come into His presence and enter His Kingdom. Yes, He will reward me as He sees fit, but in essence, they are not my ticket. Now, I knew that of course. But the reality hit me so hard that to come to Him, can only be done when I am clothed in His Blood. There is no other way to come to the Father except through the Blood. In theory, we know all these things and I have known it too. But our theories, that is to say our truths, has to be reality. Because your reality will always radically change you. He was asking me to lay it all again on the altar…everything. I felt the need to stand before Him and do a prophetic act. I took off my gown and let it fall to the ground, letting it fall at my feet. Crying out to Him in complete surrender, I gave Him everything I have ever done. In a sense stripping myself. Previously I have given Him everything I have had, my child, husband, house, dreams, aspirations, talents etc. But this time, everything I have ever done. Every person I have ever led to Him. Every counselling session, every prayer, everything written and every possible thing I have done for the Kingdom of God.

And yet, standing in my pajamas there remained still yet a covering. The identity of who I have become in everything I have ever done for the Kingdom. Subconsciously we see ourselves as what we do. Not necessarily in pride, but it somehow clothes us. This too had to go, and stripping myself of everything, I stood naked before my God with nothing. Tears rolling down my face like an endless river, all I could do is stand before Him with nothing. Nothing more to give and nothing but the Blood of the Lamb covering me. My only entrance to Him. My only right to Him. My only way to Him. Standing alone before My God. No longer someone with a résumé of what I have done for the Kingdom, but empty and naked before the Most High God. Weak and trembling, not strong and confident. Poor and vulnerable, knowing that there is nothing I could possibly say to Him. What could I possibly give Him? Dust. I have never felt so weak. So absolutely vulnerable and dependent on Him.

Isaiah said when he encountered God, “Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips!” The first thing is…”I am a man”. Man was formed from the dust of the earth…earthen vessels. Devastated I stood before Him, knowing that I am but dust. Not consenting to it, but knowing it in my deepest understanding. My prayer answered of “Lord, give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You.” To know Him, He often has to first deal with us. He often has to show us who we are first. Dust. Only the Spirit of God can reveal this to us in reality. I have realized that in our spiritual growth we grow in degrees. We fall deeper and deeper in love with Him. We grow stronger and stronger in faith. All the fruits of the Spirit grow with every pruning and with every depth we reach or every height we grow, there is always a degree.  Always a death, a cutting away. The same holds true for humility. We all know that we are nothing and that we are dust. This is not new to us. But Father wants to bring us to increasing reality of it, if we allow Him. We have to be willing for the stripping and we have to be willing to seek Him for it until it becomes our reality. Becoming a servant, being humble, means that there is absolutely nothing beneath us. Nothing. Because when we are at our lowest and weakest, we are dust. Dust is already on the floor, at the lowest. The earth is the Lord’s footstool, and yet He himself, became a man. Dust. He made Himself a servant and became obedient even unto death.

I realized that in this weak place, this naked place, our dependence on Him ever increases and leaves us like little children before our Mighty God. So dependent on His grace. Then, nothing will be beneath us. Not one thing asked of us. Convenient or inconvenient. No task required by others or demanded by others will be beneath us. We will have no accolades, no résumés that supports us in our high estimation of ourselves. We will have no reputation apart of just being servants in weakness. Father led me to the Book of Job. Job who was God’s pride, was stripped. Devastated. Allowing everything to be taken from this man, not because he did anything wrong. Job was known for his righteousness, prosperity and God’s favor. After Job was stripped he said the following:

Job 1: 20 - 22

20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,

21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.

22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

This is how we are to stand before our God. Naked. We are not to wait before we stand before Him one of these days and lay our crowns at His feet, but even now, we are to lay all we have and done at His feet. No résumé. Just dust at His feet. He alone gets all the glory, honour and power forever. Amen.

Before Him we can only lie as dust at His feet, knowing that it is only the blood of the Lamb that covers our nakedness. Clothed in His righteousness we stand, humbly bowing our hearts as servants of the Most High God. We shall soon stand before Him, naked. No words we will say will secure our access. No deed done by us our security. Only the Blood and the Grace of God.

Please Read:

Hebrews 4:13

13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

Philippians 3: 1 - 16

 

1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

2 Corinthians 12: 7 - 10

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.