This week I sat on my deck, it was 6am, the birds were reminding me of the new day, while my sleeping ones stirred. The sun bounced through the leaves of the lilac tree. I watched the steam swirling from my hot tea and pondered the Holy Place. The place where God dwells and I rejoiced at the knowledge that because of Christ, I can enter into his presence. That no magic tricks are needed, that God has made His home in us.
And without a doubt, I was there. Loved, heard, reassured.
No longer are we separated by a veil before the holiest place. No longer is there a barrier to God. When Jesus died, the veil was torn in two. The 60 foot long, 30 feet wide, 4-inch thick veil – a veil that took hundreds of priests to manipulate.
It was only the one true God who could tear it in two on that day, as He moved from the temple of hands to the temples of heart.
Naturally, my early morning musings began to swirl into a post to share because I want everyone to know ALL are invited to His presence. I shared my first thoughts on my insta story and, my friend connected with it. Nic, having just returned from Israel, had also had her own moment of pondering access to his presence and she shared her words with me, which meant I didn’t have to write any because she wrote it so well…
‘We stand behind the wall.
We’re safe there behind the wall.
We’ll shuffle up close,
touch it,
lean against it,
hope our prayers will be heard through it.
But we won’t go past it.
We’re safe behind the boundary of the wall.
Fear.
Fear keeps us, holds us.
Fear whispers in its lies of deceit that it protects us.
If we move past the wall, we will tread into the uncomfortable.
What will be asked of us?
Who might reject us?
What old coat will we be required to shed?
What new clothes will we be asked to wear?
What if everything we have always known we are asked to leave behind?
What if we enter beyond and into and we die?
What waits for us behind the wall?
A place where once a curtain hung.
A curtain that separated heaven and earth, God, and man.
A curtain that veiled the holy of holies.
But then in that prophecy fulfilled day, in the heavy blackened darkness, during three holy ordained hours raged the war of all wars battled,
as the King of all kings won the victory of all victories,
that curtain from top to bottom was torn in two.
Hear the war cry, “It is finished!”
Hear the war cries of,
Death defeated.
Life redeemed.
Fear overcome.
And freedom sings it’s song!
Hear the gentle voice,
“Come, child, fear no more. I destroyed the boundary to the Holy. I flew wide open the gate!
So why do you stand behind your own made wall?
Come, my child, walk with me in the garden. I have waited so long.
Let me take your fear so you can know my love.
Let me have your faith so I can give you goodness and life.
Walk with me in the garden, feel the breeze.
Walk with me in my garden. For no more is there a boundary.
Look, I stand behind your wall, let me tear down your wall?
Accept my breath of grace!
My beloved, come, my darling;
there are no more walls.
The winter has passed, and the rains have gone.
The season of singing has come.
Arise, come, my beautiful one, come with Me.’
by Nicole Richardson, check out more of her words here.
I pray you to know the freedom of this truth.
Love, Michelle xo
*A few people have asked what the Collins Clan are up to nowadays, so look out for the Collins family news this week!
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