By Patti Miller – Piqua, Ohio
The apostle Paul’s prayer for the church today is in Ephesians chapter 1:
“[I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may grant you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation [that gives you a deep and personal and intimate insight] into the true knowledge of Him [for we know the Father through the Son]. 18 And [I pray] that the eyes of your heart [the very center and core of your being] may be enlightened [flooded with light by the Holy Spirit], so that you will know and cherish the hope [the divine guarantee, the confident expectation] to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints [God’s people], 19 and [so that you will begin to know] what the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His [active, spiritual] power is in us who believe…”Ephesians 1:17-19a (The Amplified Bible, 2015)
We are supposed to see things with our hearts that we can’t see with our eyes – to grasp things and say, “I’ve got this, this is mine!”
I believe one of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us accomplish this is through our sanctified imagination. Our imagination enables us to picture God’s will for our lives coming to pass and to see ourselves as God sees us.
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” Proverbs 23:7a
Let’s take one Scripture and see how the Holy Spirit will help paint a picture on the canvas of our minds to make it a reality in our lives.
“No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared Him.” John 1:18 KJV
What picture is evoked when we read the phrase, “in the bosom of the Father?” From the Scripture and from the world around us, let’s begin to develop an impression of what God is communicating to us here in the relationship that He had (and has) with His Son.
In the Bosom
The first usage of the word “bosom” is in Genesis, speaking of the very close and intimate relationship between Abram and his wife Sarai’s handmaid.
“I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived…” Genesis 16:5 KJV
In Numbers 11, Moses is crying out to God in asking for help to govern God’s people.
”Have I conceived all these people? Have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, carry them in thy bosom…?” Numbers 11:12 KJV
The definition of the word for “bosom” (cheq) is, “of a garment, of a person, or inward part of anything; the embracing of the arms to the breast is implied.” (Are you getting a picture of being hugged by the Father?)
Image by alebloshka
“Cheq” is also used for the inward recesses of the mind.
“How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.” Psalms 139:17-18
You are always on His mind!
And in 2 Samuel 12, Nathan the prophet paints a vivid picture for David confronting his sin concerning Bathsheba.
“And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich and the other poor. The poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.” 2 Samuel 12:1-3 KJV
The bosom of the Father denotes a position of favor, closeness and love just as a father would embrace a son who he loves and is proud of.
“This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased” comes to mind. This is the position Jesus holds with His heavenly father.
We, too, are sons of God and Colossians 3:3 says that our life is hid with Christ in God.
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:1-3 NKJV
So where are we today? Yes, in the bosom of the Father! What a wonderful revelation!
Safe & Secure
I have a vivid childhood memory of my father picking me up in his arms and holding me up to peer into the wonder of a nest of a mother robin with her babies that was nestled in a porch beam overhead.
How safe and secure I felt in His arms and so we are nestled in the bosom of our Father, safe and secure from all alarms. Can you picture yourself there?
Have a great day allowing the Father and Jesus to lift you up and show you great and wonderful things using your godly imagination!
For another powerful picture of the Lord, read Patti’s Praise – It’s the Atmosphere of Heaven! or watch Pastor Tonia Shroyer’s Release Your Godly Imagination.