Captured by His love

"Love is beautiful, but it is also terrible--terrible in its determination to allow nothing blemished or unworthy to remain in the beloved.” ~ Hannah Hurnard ~

It has been many years since I first opened the pages of one of the most life transforming books I have ever read, “Hinds Feet on High Places". I'll never forget the friend who gave me this book saying, "Susan, I hope you are ready for this." I didn't realize why she would make such a statement, and I thought, “ready for what?”

I started the book around 8:00pm one night, and after a box of Kleenex was wiped out, I finished the entire book! I have never had a book that kept me as captivated as this one did. For those of you that are not familiar with the book, it is a beautiful allegory of a young woman called "Much Afraid.” The story takes her on a journey from her "Fearing Family" to the high places of the Shepherd. She leaves with two companions, Sorrow and Suffering, for this upward journey. I immediately identified with Much Afraid. It was as if the author wrote her part with me in mind. So many things had her bound for so long, yet there was nothing more she longed for then to follow her great Shepherd. She wanted more. In this story, she travels through many difficult places on her accent, which finally leads her to the "High Place."

In our journey, the Lord is always calling us to draw closer to Him. Like Much Afraid, we will also face many obstacles along the way, but we must be determined and steadfast to reach Him. This path can only be found when our hearts remain pure before him.

In Ps. 18:26 the Bible says, "To the pure you show yourself pure.” David cried out to God in Ps. 51:10, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." And Jesus made an amazing promised to us in Matt. 5:8 when he said, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.”

This beautiful book is based on the scripture found in Habakkuk 3:19, "The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me walk upon mine high places." Yes, to get to that place, we must rid ourselves of all the things that could cause us to stumble and fall on this treacherous journey up that steep mountain.

Just like Much Afraid, we must let go of pride, self-pity, bitterness, fear and anything else that would blemish our love towards God. In Eph 5:27 it says, “And to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” And so, we realize how true the quote above is, "Love is beautiful, but it is also terrible--terrible in it’s determination to allow nothing blemished or unworthy to remain in the beloved."
I know that for me it's time to get this book out and read it once again! If you have not read it yet, get ready for an adventure of a lifetime.

Visit Bonnie at "Ink it Blog " to read her take on the quote and to leave your link along with the other participants.