To be a mystic is simply to participate here and now in that real and eternal life in the fullest deepest sense which is possible to man.
~Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941)
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
~ John 10:9-10
One of the most beautiful attributes of our beautiful G_d is that which we call: “immutability.” In referring to G_d, immutability is just a fancy word for: “He does not change (not ever).”
How does this work?
See this beloved. Our G_d is trans-temporal. Time exists within Him. He is before time, in time, and after it. He made time – and can do whatever He wants with it. He does not depend on time, nor is He in any way limited by it. To understand this, is to begin to understand the term “eternity.”
And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
~ Rev. 21:6
For the believer, eternity is not time going on forever. Eternity is being beyond the constraint of time. Eternity is now. No past, no future. Eternity is just being, now, present in His Presence.
“Now,” with Him, is a very good place.
And while “now” is an infinitesimally small space, it covers forever. And when we live in this place, it actually begins to spill out on our temporal existence. Notice this telling quote, by the father of the Reformed tradition of our Faith.
I am so busy now
that if I did not spend two or three hours
each day in prayer,
I would not get through the day.
~Martin Luther (1483-1546)
And then this one-time (but very telling) event from the Old Testament.
And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
~ Joshua 10:13
And now to the meat of the matter. Sarah Young, in her gorgeous devotional “Jesus Calling,” writes the following (Note that it is Jesus speaking in the first Person):
Trust Me enough to spend ample time with Me, pushing back the demands of the day. Refuse to feel guilty about something that is so pleasing to Me, the King of the universe. Because I am omnipotent, I am able to bend time and events in your favor. You will find that you can accomplish more in less time, after you have given yourself to Me in rich communion. Also, as you align yourself with My perspective, you can sort out what is important and what is not.
Don’t fall into the trap of being constantly on the go. Many, many things people do in My Name have no value in My kingdom. To avoid doing meaningless work, stay in continual communication with Me. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
Now, this writer is a lapis-blue skied mystic. Anyone who has read this blog knows this to be true. But, there is a practical side to the mystical. The mystic sees life through an eternal lens. We begin to see that G_d is even G_d over time. He can actually compress and dilate time to accomplish His purposes in and through our lives.
Can i preach for one second here?
Spending significant time each day in prayer, devotions, and Bible memorization, has actually yielded MORE time and energy for me to do life. i have a full-time job, a writing ministry, many vital relationships, church stuff, bible studies, discipleship, physical exercise, cooking, cleaning and a cycling commute every day.
Yet, it is like God bends time and space for us, as we yield to His presence and seek hard after Him. Said simply: Get up early and do your devotions. Feast on Christ throughout the day. Go to sleep reading His Word beloved. It will totally make a difference in your life.
Need more time friend?
Give Him ALL your time, and He will make everything work together for good. Trust Him. Dive into now.
What cause for praise and joy,
that the morning watch can so each day renew
and strengthen the surrender to Jesus
and the faith in Him,
that the life of obedience
can not only be maintained in fresh vigor,
but can indeed go on from strength to strength.
~ Andrew Murray
Thank you. Many months ago I read this blog while studying Joshua 10. At the time I didn't understand why I my spirit was focused on that passage. If you get a chance to read what I finally finished today, you'll see why. Thank you. http://andersontgraves.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-day-earth-stood-still.html
Amen brother. When we see Him for who He is – utterly in, through, and outside the entire box – we begin to understand that Romans 8:28,29 is completely real. Go where He sends you soldier 🙂 … another entry you may enjoy: http://blog.ps1611.org/2013/01/outside-box.html