We were made for the glory of God, created to experience the love overflowing for us. Our one purpose now and forevermore is to commune with God. There are three different areas of communion or intimacy with God . There is orthodoxy, orthopraxis, and then orthopathos.

 

Orthodoxy is right doctrine. Or right understanding of God’s nature and ways. It is important that we are worshiping the right God. Paul tells Timothy make sure you guard your doctrine closely. It has to do with your mind, right belief, right thoughts concerning God. If you don’t have right thoughts or right beliefs concerning God, you have no basis for communion. 

 

There is also what is called orthopraxis, which is right living. It’s the way we live our lives daily. The way we live our lives is affected by how we think, but the reverse is also true. That is why Paul said to Timothy watch your doctrine and your manner of life closely. It’s very important we live out what we believe. 

There is one area we usually leave out. It’s called orthopathos, or right emotions, right feelings towards God. You can have right thoughts, right doctrine and you can have right living but harbor emotional accusation against God’s nature and his ways. 

 

We’re good at right doctrine and right behavior but as the image bearers of God we’re to also have right emotions. When our emotions are touched by the emotions of God, it empowers our mind and will to live for God and to think right thoughts towards God. That’s why God is bringing forth the understanding of the bridal paradigm. 

 

The Lord said you will no longer call me maker, you will call me husband. He calls us Hephzibah. His delight is in us. He calls us Beulah, He is married to us. He wants us to come to fullness so that our mind, our will, and our emotions are charged with the presence of God. When we understand His heart towards us, we can cooperate with the Holy Spirit as we grow in grace. We don’t have to hide in shame and trade true communion with God for religion. We trust that He is for us and loves us so much that though our love is weak, its real. The revelation of His love, mercy and His gentleness is actually what frees us to get past our struggle.

 

There is one thing for certain, you will feel his presence because you’re the one creature made for him! There is only one reason you have eyes and ears, and a nose and a mouth and hands. You were made to experience God and you will experience Him because He makes his dwelling place with you. The ambush is complete. His is in you, He is with you, He is all around you, and He has one thing on his mind, you! There is no where you can go from his presence. 

The promise of the scripture is that one day, you will KNOW Him as you’re fully known. Do you think God is able to experience your presence? How well does God know you? You probably wish there were things He did not know about you, but He knows it all. The bible promises that you will know Him at the same degree He knows you. So you don’t have to worry, don’t let fear grip your heart, you’re not going to be left out, God has you right where He wants you.

 

In Revelation 19 all of heaven is bowed down before the Lord of glory. In fact, the bible says every knee will bow, every tongue will confess in heaven and on earth. While everybody else in heaven and earth is bowed down, there is one person standing before God, it’s YOU. It’s me. It’s the wife of the lamb. She bowed in this life but in the next life as the wife of the lamb she knows as she is fully known. As the only creature made for God, she gets to stand without shame, with great honor, filled with love, prepared and dressed in white, righteous deeds adorn her as beauty. So if you’re struggling to feel his presence now be of good cheer. It will not always be that way. If you’ve called on his name and you’ve trusted him, you will never be put to shame. There are seasons of life where we feel his presence more than others. This is normal part of our progression in learning to live with God. 

 

Take courage. You can never be far away from Him or His love. You were made FOR it.

 

Thank you Father that You have set your affections on me. You wait with me as I wait for You, and You will come and manifest Yourself to me. This I believe. So Jesus, come reveal Your bridegroom heart to me and let me experience the encounter of the Holy Spirit, poured out in my heart, that I might know You more, love You more, and that my heart would be transformed in the truth and the grace of God.