Exposed: Hope in Learning to Receive, part 2

by Alecia Klauk
(Chapin, SC)

"We receive grace the way the earth receives rain."

That's Martin Luther, far too eloquent and brilliant to be me. I've been chewing on that quote for a number of years now, and I think it adds an important component to our conversation about learning to receive and the hope that it brings.

How does the earth receive rain? What does the earth do? It lays there, right? There is no reaching, no straining, no difficulty. The little blades of grass do not stretch their tiny selves up to soak up the life-giving water. You hear no grunting as they strive with effort to get what the clouds have to offer. The ground and the life within it simply sit and receive. But there's more.

Why does your living room not get wet when it rains? Logical answer, right? The roof keeps the rain from getting in, and so ... there is something required to receive. Exposure. The ground must be exposed to rain in order to receive the necessary soaking required for life. It must be exposed.

Are you uncomfortable? Do you know where I am going? I know, I know. We fear exposure. We avoid it. We want for nothing more sometimes than to veer away from any form of the risk of revealing. But in God's economy, exposure is required to receive.

Let me explain before you close the browser and go drown yourself in a tub of Ben and Jerry's. Exposure itself is not what is scary. The issue is really not the exposure itself, but rather, it is who or what we are revealing ourselves to.

We look forward to exposing ourselves to friends when we go out for a cup of coffee and a long, leisurely talk. We anticipate the exposure of marriage with excitement. It is not the exposure that forms a pit in the stomach. But we must trust who we are willing to be vulnerable with in order to untie the knots. That's the key.

So, with grace, with learning to receive, who are we being asked to trust? We need to trust God.

But Who is He? Not the Sunday school right answer, but really, in the depths of the heart, who is He to you? Like Jesus asked the disciples, who do you say He is?

A great place to begin to answer that question is to ask Him, by studying His Word, who He says He is. Straight to the horse maker's mouth. I like to begin that pursuit in looking at what He names Himself.

Try these names of God on a bit and see if He sounds trustworthy to you:

Elohim - denotes the Trinity and Godness (Gen. 1:1)
El Elyon - God Most High (Gen. 14:18)
El Roi - God who sees (Gen. 16:13)
El Shaddai - All Sufficient One, Life-Giver (Gen. 17:1)
Adonai - Lord, Master (Ex. 4:10)
Jehovah - Self-existent (Ex. 3:14)

There are many more, and look at that! We didn't get out of the first two books of the Bible! Here's some homework: find the names of God. Find what He calls Himself to see who He wants us to know Him to be.

More descriptive than an Indian name, you will find the very nature of His character revealed to you through His Word. Just start with all the variations on Jehovah. Jehovah-jireh, rapha, nissi, mekoddishkem, shalom, sabaoth, raah, tsidkenu, shammah. It's worth the research. It's God's autobiography. Go hunt it out and see if as you discover His nature, you are not more willing to embrace the exposure that receiving requires.

You need to know Who you are being exposed to. That is a given. Exposure also requires honesty. We have got to be willing to lay ourselves bare before Him and reveal the inner workings of our heart without any hiding or excuse. That can take several forms.

First, we need to bring our sin to Him for forgiveness. That lays the foundation for the relationship. We also need to bring our brokenness to Him for healing. We need to bring our emptiness to Him for filling. We need to bring our attitudes to Him for shaping, our emotions for containing, our choices for directing. We need to bring Him everything, every sorrow and every joy. That is exposure. It is also the foundation for intimacy.

Sometimes, it is raw and loud, screaming alone in the car. Other times, it is a silent torrent of tears that only He could understand. Other times, it is a laughter so loud and vivacious, you know people think you're nuts. For me at times it requires a slow dance, just me and my King There, you can feel better. With that exposing revelation, I'm sure you may think I'm nuts! I've got the ball rolling for you, so now you can walk on unafraid.

Exposure can reveal many things, but rest assured of this: He wants it all. He wants the anger and the tears and the exuberant joy and the dance. He wants it all. The same way you want your husband to give you all he is, God wants His bride to reveal all she is. Sweetheart, that's YOU!

Let me give you a picture to consider. We often think of God as being so distant, so scary, so unapproachable, that we find it difficult to imagine drawing close, especially to reveal ourselves in vulnerability. But I think we need a new perspective. I'll give you a few pictures to help flesh this out.

Consider this --

I need to see my Friend. I know He has many things demanded of Him, and yet, I know that I am always a priority. So I approach Him in the midst of His work and sit down at His feet. He stops what He is doing and looks at me as if there is no one else in the world. With absolute attention, He listens to every detail of my day, reads the heart behind each activity, and offers love and kindness and support and intent interest. He is my Best Friend.

Want another one?

I want to see my Daddy. He's very busy, but I know He always has time for me. He is very important and has an ornate office. Still, with everyone needing Him all around, asking questions and talking at once, I peek my head in the door and catch His eye. His face lights up as He sees me, winks at me, and calls me over. I run through the crowd and into His arms, settle onto His lap, and tuck my face in His neck. He is my Daddy.

This is fun. Let's do another one.

I am anxious to talk to my Groom. I need to know that I matter to Him like no other, and He never disappoints. I freely offer my heart to Him and know that He always offers His to me. There is total safety, total trust, total intimacy between our hearts. He is absolutely faithful and committed to me. He is at home in my heart and I in His. He is my Husband.

Is that how you view God? Is that who He is to you? If not, may I encourage you to check your impressions against Scripture, and then adjust to the truth you will find? We cannot willfully believe things about His nature that are just not true.

We can't do that because believing that particular lie (that He is scary and unapproachable) is full of danger, danger of the lack of trust that fuels our desire to hide. We only hide from what feels unsafe. But when we are confident in the love, fidelity, support, and attention of our Holy Friend, Daddy, Soul mate, then we are willing to be vulnerable, honest, exposed.

So, do you need some hope? Are you hungry to receive all that God wants to offer you? Tired of sluffing and ducking all that He offers? Then get exposed. He is trustworthy. You will never regret opening ever deepening parts of your soul to One so lovely.

Like the earth receives rain, lay yourself bare and receive grace. Throw your head back, open your mouth wide, and drink deeply. Let the drops land all over your face. Play in the rain like a child! Splash around. Enjoy every drop of Him.

Listen as He laughs with joy in watching you enjoy Him. And know, know deeply, that all the while, your Friend, your Daddy, your Husband, delights in you! And receive the hope He offers with an exposed and peaceful heart.