"And God will surely visit you..."
Genesis 50:23-24
The Late-Summer Journey of the Awestruck Heart is undertaken by ardent lovers of the King each year at this time in anticipation of a much sought-after season of Intimate Royal Visitation. We do not want to miss our day of visitation. In fact, we do not want to miss a single precious moment of it. We do not want to be unprepared, caught by surprise, asleep at the wheel, distracted, or deceived when He comes.
What Do We Hope to Gain from His Visitation?
What exactly are we expecting?
The Hebrew verb translated as visit in this context is pakad. This ancient verb does not refer to a casual social call, a friendly conversation, or a simple check-in. Pakad refers to a purposeful journey made for a specific reason—to conduct an inspection, examination, and evaluation of someone or something. Think of a shepherd bringing his sheep into the fold and making each one pass under his rod, carefully inspecting them for growth, health, and strength—while also identifying wounds, parasites, infections, and diseases.
The shepherd does not inspect the sheep out of curiosity; he does so with purpose—to take action in response to what he finds.
Why Does God Pakad Us?
Of course, the Holy One knows exactly what our condition is at all times. He sees all, hears all, and knows all. He does not need to pakad us to discover the state of our hearts, minds, souls, or bodies. The purpose of His visitation is not for His benefit—but for ours.
We, in our human frailty, are self-deceived. We think all is well—or at least, as well as can be expected. We miss the obvious warning signs that there are cracks in our armor and hidden fractures in our souls. We get caught up in the day-to-day distractions of life and fail to realize just how wounded, infested, infected, depressed, angry, frustrated, stubborn, and cold-hearted we have become.
His intimate gaze cuts through our self-deception. His tender yet firm touch reveals what He already knows—where we hurt, where scar tissue has formed, where our spiritual eyes have dimmed, our ears have clogged, and our heartbeat has fallen out of sync with His.
And so, He lays aside His Kingly robes, steps off His Glorious Throne, and comes to meet us wherever we are. He comes to show us the things we have neither the eyes to see nor the courage to face—except in the safety of His embrace.
Even so, come, my King!
Prayer:
Gentle, Loving King—search and examine me. Show me where I have grown cold, barren, and unresponsive. And then take all the time You want, and love me back to full health and fruitfulness in Your arms.
23rd Awestruck Heart Challenge:
- To acknowledge how little we truly know—or can know—without Divine assistance regarding our own heart condition or that of others.
- To embrace and long for His visitation, so that everything He desires to accomplish in the earth through our lives may go forward without resistance, ambivalence, or hindrance.
23rd Awestruck Heart Exercises:
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Read:
- Zephaniah 1:12
- Proverbs 19:23
- Jeremiah 23:4
- Job 7:17-19
- Psalm 8:4
- Psalm 17:1-3
- Psalm 65:9
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Reflect on the past year (since last Yom Kippur):
- Did you experience more anger or depression in the first nine months (up to Shavuot) or in the last three months?
- Did you spend more time in prayer and Torah study in the first nine months or the last three months?
- Did you provide more care for the poor, widows, fatherless, and foreigners in the first nine months or the last three months?
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Read and meditate on:
- Genesis 21:1-3
- 1 Samuel 2:21
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Tell the King:
WISE AND CARING KING!
I CANNOT WAIT TO HEAR THE SOUND OF YOUR FOOTFALL AND HEAR YOUR GLORIOUS VOICE CALLING ME TO PASS UNDER YOUR ROD. I NEED YOU TO INSPECT AND TOUCH BOTH THE PLACES WHERE I HAVE BEEN HURT AND THE AREAS WHERE I HAVE BEEN FRUITFUL IN THE PAST, AND REVEAL TO ME HOW I AM DOING IN REGARDS TO BOTH.
I LONG TO HAVE YOU ACTIVATE AND RELEASE THE NEW LIFE FORCE IN ME FOR THE NEXT SEASON. MAY THE FRUIT OF MY LIFE—AND ALL MY RELATIONSHIPS AND INTERACTIONS—BE HOLY, PURE, AND ACCEPTABLE TO YOU, AND SWEET TO THE TASTE OF THOSE WHOSE LIVES INTERSECT WITH MINE.
Final Thoughts:
A visitation from God is not just a momentary experience—it is a transformative encounter. It is meant to prepare us, refine us, and propel us forward into the next season of our lives. When He comes, He does so with purpose: to heal, to restore, to renew, and to set us on course for His divine plans.
As we anticipate His visitation, let us not fear His examination, but welcome it with open hearts. May we be ready, expectant, and longing for the intimacy of His presence, allowing Him to do all that He desires within us.