Shiloh

For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death.   - Revelation 12: 10-11

I have begun many a personal writing with a statement like, "When I was praying or seeking God..."  Although beginning a writing with that phrase typically may not be the most unique way, it is an honest admission on my part.

May the word of my testimony please Him, and may ALL glory go to the only One who deserves it: 

Yesterday, I sought the Lord all day.  The day before yesterday, I sought the Lord.  And if I am to be honest, the Lord has been seeking me.  I recently wrote a blog titled Seemeth Right (click on title for the link).  The Lord, through several very specific and undeniable moments, led me to write that blog.  It is a writing inspired by Him, and the subject is one to take very seriously.  So much hinges on a person's walk with the Lord.  We must actively seek His will and His Truth.

I prayed upstairs yesterday evening; my house had just emptied, and I needed to hear Him speak to me.  I have said this before, but it is true - I do not ever want to speak falsely for God.  That is always in the forefront of my mind.  Why?  Because there is so much that is falsely represented as being in the name of Christ.  The Lord is truly my Love.  I respect Him.  I adore Him.  I love His Word.  At night, I find myself holding the Bible in my arms as I sleep.  He is my peace, my safety, my all.  Holding His Word to my heart while sleeping started about 6 years ago when I faced a trial that I thought would destroy me.  I prayed and I clutched His Word during the darkest of nights years ago - nights where my bed literally shook due to the fear that Satan brought into my mind.  I will never forget how the Lord delivered me during such times.  I revere Him.  My Holy God is the only One I long to serve.  I owe Him everything. 

Yesterday,  I prayed alone in a dark bedroom seeking His face.  I have been writing via this blog for a few years now, but I never openly spoke of "my blog" to those who are closest to me.  Recently, I made it apparent to those closest to me that I share my heart and my relationship with the Lord via a blog.  That was a big step for me.  But I have done so, not to mock others or to have myself gain any type of attention.  I have done so because I want my walk with Christ to be TRANSPARENT to everyone.  Nothing hidden.  Nothing that appears deceptive.  I love my brothers and sisters in Christ so very much.  I want my love for the Lord to be transparent to all.  Before - I didn't share because I wanted to avoid opposition and debate - God knows I have spent my life, even as a child, avoiding strife and debate.   

There are times when we must sacrifice the "peace" of our flesh for the Lord's calling in our lives. 

So yesterday - I prayed upstairs while my house was empty.  Oh, how I was seeking Him on what He had revealed to me these last few days.  What a difficult message to share with others.  My prayers were urgent and heartfelt.  I needed His Truth. I needed His confirmation on the matter. I pleaded before Him for several minutes.  I cried out to Him.  I poured out all to Him.  I have learned that He speaks when I hold nothing back in my prayers.  I won't share all of my cries to Him, but I will share some areas of my prayers yesterday.  

. . . Lord, my motives have been misunderstood by many.  Many believe that I am misled and arrogant. ... But, Lord they do not see what happens in this room when I am alone with you.  They do not see the tears that have been shed in Your presence.  They do not see the amount of time I spend weeping at Your feet making sure that You have spoken what I share with them.. .  Lord, I need Your Spirit to reveal this to me.  I don't want my interpretation, the devil's interpretation.  Only Yours, Lord.  Reveal Your Truth to me.   Lord, show me that my alms and my prayers today have reached to You in Your Holy Place, God.  I have to know that my prayers are in Your presence. . .

I prayed like this for several minutes.  I can't put into words what that transparent time of sobbing was like.  God knows all though.  All that was prayed.  I sat back on my legs after this time of crying out to the Lord, and when I did, I heard:    SHILOH.

When I heard the word, I knew it had come from Him.  It was a word that I had never studied and never heard anyone teach on.  But there it was - very clearly - SHILOH.  I began speaking it out loud as I got up and as I walked to a place where I could look it up.

The first use of the word SHILOH is in Genesis 49:10.  I turned there in my Bible and read:

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Right beside this verse in the particular Bible that I clutched was a cross reference to Revelation 5:5.  I felt very led to turn there, and I began reading at verse 5, chapter 5:

⁵ And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
⁶ And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.
⁷ And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.
⁸ And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

Had I not just moments before sat in His presence weeping?  Had I not just said that they do not know how often I weep in the presence of God while trying the spirits to make sure they are of God?   Yet, HE brought me to a verse that said:  WEEP NOT.  The Lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed!  He hath prevailed.  Why do I weep with worries on such matters?  WEEP NOT. (verse 5)

Did I not just pray in such anguish that He show me that my alms and prayers have been heard in His Holy presence?  "And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints" (verse 8).   His Word truly is living.  He leaves me breathless and at the same time filled with Life.  His Grace Is Sufficient.  How I humbly and meekly say, "How great is our God!"

  I looked up the definition of SHILOH and learned the following:  SHILOH means TRANQUIL.  When He had spoken the word SHILOH to me, I thought I heard "PEACE" afterwards.  Now, I know that I did. 

 We also learn that in the period of the Judges, the house of God was IN Shiloh.  

 In 1 Samuel 1:3, SHILOH - the house of the Lord - was a place of pilgrimage.    In 1 Samuel 1:24, Samuel was brought to SHILOH and consecrated to God's service.  In 1 Samuel 1:9 and 3:3, the sanctuary in Shiloh is called a "temple".  

 After the Lord's Grace revealing the word SHILOH and the verses in Revelation 5, I began typing SEEMETH RIGHT.