The Dove part 5
To me, the dove is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Ghost that descended upon Jesus when He was baptized. The dove that Noah released from the ark that flew all the way to that water baptism. And when we understand that we have doves' eyes... when we see things through the lens of love... then we see things as they really are. We see that not only do we have doves' eyes... but we ARE doves! We aren't just loved... we are LOVE. And when we understand that we are loved (that we are love)... that's when we CAN love. You can't give what you don't have. And you can only give what you do have. We love... because He first loved us. God supplies us with everything He requires of us. And I know this is going to mix my metaphor a little bit, but when we rise with the wings of a dove it is almost like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Look at Psalm 68:13, "Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold." Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we can fear no evil, because our God is with us. Always. No matter what. Let me say it another way, "If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, though art there" (Psalm 139:8). And I'm not even going to get into what it means that God is in hell... but it does kind of shoot a hole in the idea that hell is where God sends people in order for them to be without Him. But like I said, I'm not going there today. Today I just want to focus on the fact--the truth--that God (love) is always with us. He keeps us from falling. But, get this, if we DO stumble and fall, we are still covered with silver and gold. We ARE the righteousness of God in Christ. And when we mess up, when we make mistakes, we are STILL the righteousness of God in Christ. Let me say it again as strongly as I can: We are not just loved... we ARE love. That's not just what we do. That's who we are. Its our nature. Rising up out of the gutter, rising up on the wings of a dove, that's simply seeing things as they truly are. Seeing that all things are under our feet. Not that we need to overcome... but that we--in Him--have already overcome. Jesus said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). And notice, He didn't say, "You can overcome the world." He said, "I have overcome the world." That's where our good cheer comes from. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Because that's where grace is. That's WHO grace is. So when we fall, when we lie among the pots, when we walk through the valley... we can be of good cheer. Because Jesus did everything that needed to be done. He took care of it. He finished the work. HE lifts us up. Because if we are the dove, its only because HE is the dove. He is God in the flesh. Love in the body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. And the dove, the Spirit of truth, is what allows--equips and empowers--us to receive that glorious truth; God is love and He loves you. As He is, so are we in this world. We fly, because He flaps His doves' wings!