The second Facebook comment referenced in my initial post on Donne’s Batter My Heart said this: “I love it because to me it says, ‘God, whatever it takes for me to get to know You, I want it, because there’s nothing else that can satisfy my heart like You.’ I can’t explain it fully, but the desire to know Him is more intense than the desire to avoid suffering.” Suffering is a big word here. There is suffering in waiting, there is suffering when we don’t get our way, and there’s suffering when faced with the cross. This commenter makes a vital distinction…whatever it takes God, I want You more than I want to avoid suffering.
Do What It Takes to Batter My Heart to YOU
I believe this post is the last part of this series. “Do what it takes, God!” This prayer is very bold. It speaks of an abandoned response to meeting with our Eternal Bridegroom’s own pining for us, His Bride. And I don’t think this comes from some secret source of goodness residing under my left heart ventricle. I don’t have the desire to embrace suffering in and of myself. I don’t have the willingness to be overthrown, bent, blown, burnt, imprisoned, enthralled, ravished, and made new. Sure, I can arise to a desperation over my circumstance which calls out for help, but that commitment goes only as far as my next inconvenience without promise of resolution.
Desire: Do What It Takes
I know one thing about this commenter by what she wrote. God’s own Spirit infused her with that desire if it is her reality. We just don’t have that kind of commitment on our own. Unless He ravish me, enthrall me and bring me to Himself, I will never ever be His. I must be divorced from my enemy and united to my True Love. If I have desire, it is His own desire, and His own ability to bring me into such union. Though I wished there was goodness I could offer from me, the fact remains that He is the only sufficiency and all that I need. He is my Three-personed God. He is the Batterer of my heart. And He has set me free from the betrothal to my enemy, enthralling me unto Himself.
But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He will reveal to us later.
Romans 8:17-18
DITTO ME TOO, I had already tried to make mine into booklet several days ago when I thought it was last one!!!. However, when I tried to print, I lost the first words on the left margin. Since I shared my e-mail, could Jennifer send it in different format. I wanted to have my copy ready to share with others!!!!! “I must be divorced from my enemy and united to my true love….HIS own desire for me” Oh what joy and comfort this has brought to my heart. May I embrace and cherish all the battering I need. Bless you… Read more »
I changed the location of the share links. I didn’t realize it was obscuring the print function. Thank you for letting me know. Now it is under the date. Thank you for your encouragement Sue and for letting me know about the issue! See if you can print it now…
YES, it works now; I can go and print all of them THANKS
Me too, me too, o God! Just last night i counted how many of these posts there were, not really wanting them to end : ) Ive gone back to each of them a number of times – they have been so wonderful and so full of Him. The prayer, the poem, the posts, pretty much explain Everything In Life. And in a very real way to me, been part of God’s incredible tsunami of Love. Bless you forever God and John. And come Lord Jesus, come! whatever it takes.
may i add something that just came to mind? In the movie ‘Tree of Life’ there is a poem about the ‘two ways of life’. I wrote it down to remember and the last part of it says : “they taught us no one who loves the way of Grace ever comes to a bad end. I will be true to you whatever comes.” Shalom!
Unfortunately this is the last of the series. Thank you so much for your very encouraging words! I am so pleased this has been so well received. Everyone who has responded to me has told me how much it has meant to them. Thank you for being one who would proclaim their enjoyment of reading this series. I would have loved to written more on it, as I feel the subject is so vast and could take more. I will be in prayer about more. Maybe we could make it into a booklet?! Bless you Lt, big love and gratitude… Read more »