Rags

I had many 'wow' and 'aha' moments this weekend at the Healing the Wounded Heart Conference.  This is one of them:

God's ultimate desire is to bring us closer to Him, to establish a relationship of intimacy.  We can walk right up to Him with our baggage and dirty rags, and leave a changed person.  He rebukes our accuser and proclaims that we are clean and we are His.  He orders our filthy rags to be taken off and to be replaced with a beautiful robe, one that is only given to a son or daughter of royalty.  This is because we are changed IN His presence.  We don't have to strive to make things right before we get there.  He's waiting for us, because no matter how hard we try, we cannot take the filthy rags off ourselves.  Only He can.  He does not want us to come for healing, and then leave.  He does not want us to listen to His word, and then leave.  He doesn't want us to sooth whatever qualm we are in for the moment, then leave.  He wants us to stay and visit with Him - to simply feast on His love for us.  How long has it been since you've done this?  Just feasted on the Lord's presence?  It's simple.  Meditate on the picture above and put yourself in it.  How do you feel?