The Mercy Seat...

Dear Friend and Family,                                    6/29/12

Greetings and love to each of you on this hot hot day. Predicted temperature of 103 degree with heat index of 110. Whew!!!  Had heat index of 107 degrees yesterday. I went out out around 8:00 and watered my flowers, fed my birds, and put fresh water in the bird bath. My feathered friends were so grateful for the fresh cool water. So I got on the deck as early as possible this morning.

The morning was fresh and beautiful. A pair of downy woodpeckers appeared at the suet feeder with their baby, a first.  I just sat and drank in all the beauty of the day.  After a little while I picked up the Book of Books. I continued  my reading in Exodus.  Moses is on the mount receiving instruction from the very hand of God.  I know that some of the Old Testament law can seem a bit "dry" at times. But if one will thoughtfully "stick it out," there are so many buried truths within it.

In chapter 25, God is giving Moses detailed instruction on how to build the mercy seat:

 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold.

 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another

 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark

 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony.

Okay....I came to a screeching halt here.  God's promise of His Presence to meet with us at the mercy seat.   Ahhhhhhhhh.....we know that during those days God's Presence dwelled there on the mercy seat, between the two cherubims.

The Ark of the Covenant with it's mercy seat always represented God's Presence to the children of Israel. This morning, as I sat in His Presence on my deck I was so awed by the amazing thought that even now in this moment of history, that I, too,

can approach God at The Mercy Seat.  No longer sprinkled with the blood of bull and goats, but a privilege bought for me by the blood of The Lamb! As I rejoiced in this thought, an old song came to me and I just had to sing sing sing.....don't you ever feel that way?

"From every stormy wind that blows, From every swelling tide of woes,

There is a calm, a sure retreat; 'Tis found beneath the mercy seat."

Here tears flowed. I wept for my precious sisters. One whose blood work came back this week.. whose spleen, because of the cirrhosis, continues to chomp up her blood cells;  another whose tests and blood work came back with very bad news. Whose scleroderma is no  longer in remission, but very active, hardening her lungs. It is so painful to see my precious Sis, gasping to breath, to sit with her and hear the serious diagnosis from her doctor. I took them to The Mercy Seat and poured out my pain.

"There is a place where Jesus sheds the oil of gladness on our heads

A place than all besides more sweet; It is the Blood-bought Mercy Seat!"

Ahhh...what bathes a soul with more peace and calm than His sweet Presence in prayer.  I need this peace today Father........

"There is a scene where spirits blend, Where friend holds fellowship with friend:

Tho' sundered far, by faith they meet Around the common mercy seat!"

Here, at The Mercy Seat I meet with so many that I hold before Him in prayer. Many who may even never know that I pray for them. Last Saturday was a very difficult day for me. Our Tisha turned 18 years old. Our precious little girl, who we had fostered since birth, was taken from us at the age of 2 1/2. We've never heard from her since. But for all these years I've been part of her life as I've met with her at The Mercy Seat! Former students that have lost their way, are carried to This Seat. As I lift them before Him, I feel my prayers "bing" from God to where ever they are. God has not lost them from "His Radar Screen."  My prayers bear nieces and nephews to Him.  My prayers reach into a prison cell far away and lift my beloved Brother to Him.

Dear ones, who are you praying for.  Are you suffering from broken relationships? Are there those you love, who painfully reject all attempts to reach them? Take them to The Mercy Seat, a place where you will meet them in such a real way! A place where you will forever be a vibrant part of their lives!  No man can sever the meeting at The Mercy Seat!!  Are you burdened over a lost child? Meet him at The Mercy Seat! There you can pour out your pain...there you can find sweet relief, finding confidence that God has indeed heard your cry!

"Ah! There on eagle wings we soar, And sin and sense molest no more;

And heav'n comes down our souls to greet, While glory crowns the mercy seat."

Now I'm on eagle wings........up up far above this world's cares and heart ache. Into His Presence!

By now, my dear Hubby has joined me on the swing.  We share together, we weep together, we pray together, we rejoice together........we are together! Before The Mercy Seat!

Dear family and friends.........long before you read this email, I was with you, together, before Him at the beloved Mercy Seat!!!!!!!

Linda