Gifts of Heaven · Volume 2 · Chapter 318

The Lord as Lover

19th November 1843

[1] Write, for I know your wish, according to which I am to make you an occasional poet again!

[2] Do you want verses or prose? If it is important to you to have an external name's day congratulation, verses would be better suited than prose. But if instead of congratulations you want an essay, that is more about the inner well-being of your client, we'll stick with prose!

[3] So you want the latter! So we also start the whole thing prosaically. And so our congratulations are very short:

[4] I am the last one everywhere! Your heart thinks of Me last. When you have finished business that day, you turn to Me, sometimes more, sometimes less scattered in the world. In the morning you may sure think of Me; but beside some empty worldly concerns. Also during the day you think of Me; but there your thoughts are not seldom like a kind of cattle feed. In short, as it would be completely fitting, you may never raise your heart's thoughts to Me, never entirely without all the world!

[5] What is that, what is the reason for that? Behold, I would sure like to tell you, but it would offend you. Therefore I tell you merely that I am quite exceedingly jealous and that I am not offended by anybody any more than when the ones who are Mine are now and then a little unfaithful to Me!

[6] Behold, he who loves Me must love Me completely! If Mine sometimes rejoice in some worldly amusement more than in My love, behold, that already offends Me! For I am a mortal enemy of all world coquetry!

[7] Believe Me, the slightest askance glance from those whom I have taken up to be My own already cause Me pain! If you want to know Me so well, imagine a lover who is completely passionate and jealous! He loves his bride with all the fire of his heart, and her life is entirely his own; but woe betide her if he catches her on some ambiguity! How will he make her feel this in all possible ways! However, as soon as she turns back again and confesses the lover repentantly and openly that weak askance view, the old embers return again in the lover. And he loves his bride, who has become a little unfaithful to him, even more fervently than before!

[8] Behold, I am just such a lover, too! I certainly have more patience and much more frequently forbearance than a so-called passionate worldly bridegroom. But as to the insult there, in the case of the infidelity of My brides it also strikes Me many times worse than a worldly bridegroom, precisely because I forgive so often and My brides so often repeat the worldly coquetry!

[9] Think: Every second, My brides receive from Me love, life, health and My grace! I provide them most carefully with all the benefits of life; they are eternally in My sole care! Should it not offend Me then if I must nevertheless now and then consider Myself the last among the lovers?

[10] But therefore, as the last congratulator on this your name's day, I say to you also this as My wish: that in the future, you would want to accept and receive Me as the first lover in your heart!

[11] But with this desire I also connect My Fatherly blessing – and I bless you and will bless you always, so that you will remain completely faithful to Me at all times! I will forever, never be unfaithful to. Therefore, do also remain loyal to Me, and you will find eternal life in this loyalty!

[12] This is My earnest, truest wish for you forever! Amen. This is what I say, your most loving Father Jesus!