The Household of God
Volume 1
The early history of mankind
- Chapter 166 -
WHAT TRUE LOVE FOR GOD SHOULD BE LIKE
Then Abedam asked Jared: "Would you like to tell Me, as did the fathers, what you have found within you while we were away?"
2
And Jared replied: "Behold, I knew that there would be only little or nothing at all to be found; therefore I did not seek anything, but relaxed and dreamed before and after this alarming experience with the weather. So I daydreamed about pleasant things- how wonderful it would have been had Asmahael remained here and dwelt with me. Oh, how happy I would have been!
3
"Then I dreamed that if He, as Emmanuel Abba, had stayed with us only until this storm, how all of us would have rejoiced.
4
"And again I dreamed Emmanuel Abba had intentionally sent us this storm for our own sake to test our love and trust in Him. And I also dreamed that maybe Emmanuel was in this storm among us, perhaps even in the storm itself.
5
"Thus I built dream upon dream. I did not find light anywhere, but my heart felt easier and more reassured.
6
"For I thought by myself that if I could only dream of Him Whom my heart has taken hold of with such ardent love, like a young wooer who dreams of his chosen bride, that would be a considerable grace anyway of which I am quite unworthy.
7
"And look, in this way I created for myself one bliss upon another and dreamed myself from one exceedingly happy state into the next. And that is all I found. What else should I have sought than what the beloved of my love has given me? And I want to add that I truly do not wish to seek and find anything else. Besides, I firmly believe that Emmanuel will not look ungraciously upon me when according to His teaching I shall one day have to leave this earth with this find which keeps giving me such bliss.
8
"And so I will always have joy in my God, my Emmanuel, my most loving Abba.
9
"Behold, my dear stranger, this is, as I already said, my imperishable find."
10
Hearing this confession by Jared, Abedam held His hand before His eyes to hide a tear. Only after a while did He take His hand from His eyes and say to Jared:
11
"Jared, rise and come to Me, for from now on you will no longer need to dream of Emmanuel whom you love and have always loved. That is why Asmahael, through the mouth of the patriarchs, determined to live in your hut. Yes, you shall no longer dream of Him but have Him always living under the roof of your house.
12
"Come here, Jared, and do not be afraid, for behold, your Emmanuel, your Abba, your Father, is stretching out His arms for you!
13
"Behold, I will build a heaven, - it shall be the highest among all the heavens, but no one will be admitted to it who does not come to meet Me with that find with which you secretly have always come to meet Me, as now.
14
"O you, My Jared! Behold, Enoch, Methuselah and Lamech, all of you dwell under one roof. Love would not let you be separated, also not Me from you; and so I will remain with you and all your descendants. To the end of all times the descendants of your line will always be recognizable by the fact that I shall always make My abode with them.
15
"See, all of you, this is what proper love is like: Quietly patient, not seeking anything, except the object the heart loves. Once the heart has found the One it is happy, exceedingly happy, even if it does not have the beloved before its eyes, but all the more so in the heart.
16
"When the beloved sees the quiet, patient longing of the loving one who is full of meekness and hardly dares to look up to the beloved, truly, that is the one whose love is equal to the love of Him whom he loves and who loved him already before he was.
17
"He who will do what I advised Enos to do, will live; but I shall dwell only in the houses of Jared! Amen."
18
And finally Abedam turned also to Methuselah and asked him: "Methuselah, now you know who is speaking with you; but you need not be afraid to tell Me about your find. So do it if you are willing!"
19
Methuselah, overawed, said finally with a shaking voice: "O Lord and Father, You who know all the hearts and everything within us, how can You ask me, a nothing before You?
20
"Behold, I do not know myself, but You know me throughout. If I now spoke before You, how easily it could happen that in my ignorance I speak an untruth.
21
"How could I face You then, You holy Father? - Therefore, judge me as You have found me; but be gracious and merciful."
22
And Abedam answered: "Methuselah, what you have said is also what you have found, and your find is standing before you. I tell you that you, too, are dwelling in Jared's hut, thus under one roof with Me.
23
Thus all shall seek; all shall dwell under that roof. Those who seek in this way will also find as you did.
24
"However, because you called Me a judge you will have to live longest on this earth, for behold, although I am a judge to all the creatures, the children shall not call their Father a judge. Henceforth all those who call the Father a judge shall be judged. Therefore, the long life on earth shall be a little gift to you from the judge so that you may have plenty of time to recognize your judge once more as a Father. Amen.
25
"And now, children, it is close to midnight, your body needs a rest and so let us retire.
26
"You, My beloved Jared, have the free choice whether you stay here with Me or I go with you to your hut and stay with you."
27
And Jared replied "O Father, dear Father, now as always Your holy will be done!
28
"It is always good to be with You and my hut is wherever You are; but let no one be disadvantaged through me. Your holy will! Amen."
29
And Abedam said: "Yes, you are right, and so stay with Me. Amen"
30
Then they all retired, their hearts filled with gratitude and love.