Desiree’ walked back to her room and rested for a while. The battle had left her feeling somewhat weary. After only a moment’s rest, she drifted off into a deep, deep sleep. During her sleep, Desiree’ dreamed that one of Jehovah’s messengers, a huge, shining angel, touched her lightly on her cheeks, imparting strength and vitality into her frame once more. She stirred, waking gradually, and realized that the overwhelming tiredness that had overcome her earlier had left. Indeed she had been strengthened as she slept.As she awoke more completely out of sleep now, her eyes fell upon a beautiful golden scroll that lay at the end of the white, silken coverings she lay upon.
What could this be? she mused. Leaning over, she reached for the scroll, untying the golden ribbon that circled it.
An Invitation to Dine with the King.
What could be the purpose of this special invitation?
She hastily jumped off the bed. There isn’t much time now, she thought, as she began rummaging through her wardrobe to find attire suitable for dining with the King.
She finally chose an elegant cream linen dress, that was beautifully overlaid with lace made from cream silken threads. The silken threads shimmered in the moonlight as she gracefully made her away across the courtyard to the Royal Dining Room.
The Royal Dining Room was exquisite to say the least. The deep cherry wood of the dining setting was perfectly off-set by the crisp white linen tablecloths and napkins. Silver candlesticks shone and glittered in the flickering candlelight, while golden bowls of deep red, perfumed rose petals added splashes of color to the table.
The King rose from His seat as she entered, beckoning to her to join Him at the table. ‘Dinner will be served shortly,’ He said. ‘I imagine you must be wondering why I have invited you to dine with Me this evening.’ He said, with a smile that made Desiree’ wonder why she had ever felt nervous at all about dining with the King.
‘Yes, My King. I have wondered what this invitation could mean from the moment I received it.’
‘Do you know what your name means Desiree?’ asked the King.
‘No, My Lord. I do not.’
‘It means ‘Desired’ or ‘Longed for’, and true to your name, you have desired to know Me; you have desired to serve Me and to follow Me. Your heart has been faithful and loyal and true, and I have loved you. For this reason, I have invited you here tonight because I wish to speak to you of new things I am going to show you, because of your great love for Me. I desire to teach you to dance; both the dance of love and the dance of war.’
‘What do these dances mean My Lord?’
‘The dance of love is the dance of worship. It will propel you into My very presence where you will begin to experience the glory of My heavenly places. It’s a dance that reflects my glory in the earth and the wonder and the beauty of My Kingdom to those who participate in the dance.’
‘Then what is the dance of war My King?’
‘The dance of war is the dance that deflects My enemies. Many Warrior Princes and Princesses have learned to use this dance very skillfully down through the ages. It’s a dance that creates fear and terror in the heart of every enemy. The presence of the enemy cannot withstand the power of this dance. The dance of war releases power to dismantle the gates of the enemy. Many Warriors have learned of it’s power, and have used it effectively to bring down evil Kingdoms.’
‘It was the dance of Miriam; the dance of Deborah; the dance of the daughters of Jerusalem. Many have participated in this dance to see their enemies soon thereafter fall.’
‘My presence will lead you; My presence will teach you the ways of the dance.’
But come now. Let’s eat. Our dinner is served. After we’ve eaten, I’ll show you your first steps.’
Together they ate and talked of many things that were yet to come. When Desiree’ was in His presence she felt somehow enlightened; the very sound of His voice thrilled her. But it was more than just that. There were deep longings that stirred within her heart when He spoke. She found her heart rejoicing with the things that captivated Him. It was like her heart was altogether swallowed up by the largeness of the things He spoke of.
He spoke of better things to come. He spoke of a day where peace would once and forever fill the new heavens and new earth. And she knew that she would fight for Him always; fight until this new day had finally come.
The meal was now ended and Desiree’ felt completely satiated; both by the fine dining and the richness of their conversation.
‘Please will you dance with Me, My sweet Desiree?’ asked the King, as He moved away from the table.
And with that He lead her into the adjoining ballroom, and there began one of the most momentous occasions of Desiree’s life.
As they began to dance, the room suddenly filled with the most wonderful music Desiree’ had ever heard. It caught at her heart strings and lifted her immediately into a place of such wonder. She began to notice that the entire room was filling with something else. There was a pale golden light that had filled the room. It touched everything. Her hair glistened in the pale golden light; her dress brightened; her skin shone in the lustre of this golden light.
‘What is this light, My Lord?’
It’s the reflection of My glory. Your eyes have been opened so that you can now see it.’
‘Why, it’s captivating My Lord.’ she said.
‘This is the dance of love, and it releases My glory in the earth. When you dance this dance of love, many shall feel My presence and be glad. It will cause many to desire My presence as you have desired it Desiree’.’
‘The dance of love will also become an expression of your love for Me. Whenever you dance this dance of love, My heart smiles within Me, for I know this is your way of sharing your ardent desire for Me. ‘
With that the King took her up in His arms once more and lead her across the floor. Desiree’s heart felt like it would simply burst at the wonder of Him. Golden speckles of glory now flickered all around them as they danced. It felt almost like warm honey all around them. It would be a night that Desiree’ would always remember.
As the night came to an end, the King took Desiree’s arm and said, ‘Tomorrow, I will teach you to dance the dance of war.’
Desiree’s dreams that night were filled with images of the dance of war. As she awoke, she had a pretty good idea what the day had in store for her, so she arose excitedly, and was even more pleased when she saw the apparel that the King had chosen for her.
Across the end of her bed was a smart pair of pants and a crisp white shirt. Next to these was laid a very beautiful Princess Warrior belt, studded with diamonds and joined at either end by a golden clasp in the shape of a warring eagle.
As she viewed herself in the mirror it suddenly dawned on her - she really was becoming a Warrior Princess. So much had happened since she first came to this place to fight for the King. At first she had just been a frightened child, looking to find peace and security in the arms of the King. Now as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she could could no longer see the face of a child. Instead she saw the heart of a Warrior; a servant of the King.
This post is an excerpt from 'Warrior Princess' by Kerrie Christensen, available at www.riversliving.com in hardcover and E-Book.
