O my God, let me walk in the way of love which knoweth not how to seek self in anything whatsoever. O sight to be wished, desired and longed for, because once to have seen thee is to have learned all things! Nothing can bring us to this sight but love. O Lord, give this love into my soul, that I may never more live nor breathe, but out of a pure love of thee, my all and only good.
~Dame Gertrude More (1606-1633)
~Dame Gertrude More (1606-1633)
“ And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
~ Joel 2:28-29
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold;
them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice;
and there will be one flock and one shepherd. ~ John 10:16
them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice;
and there will be one flock and one shepherd. ~ John 10:16
Watch for it beloved. Everything means something. Measure the moment against His Word and through His Spirit. The veil is torn, and we now live surrounded in oceans of Him sharing Himself with us everywhere.
As He teaches us absolute surrender, He teaches us to be quiet. He teaches us to be alone with Him alone. And He teaches us the great freedom of simplicity. And when we are quiet, alone, uncomplicated, and yielded to Him, He does the most incredible thing: G_d speaks to us. G_d gives us visions, dreams and fresh understanding of His Word. Really. The Bible says it so often that it doesn’t even try to defend that it happens. It just happens.
Even a decidedly non-mystical friend of mine said, while teaching Sunday School this morning, that surely G_d is not in the business of making it a frustrating pursuit to discern His will for our lives.
Mysticism is the art of union with reality.
~Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941)
As He teaches us to stay out of our own brains; to not go in there alone (especially at night… it is a really dangerous neighborhood), we learn that yielding to His Spirit is not letting go of reality. It is running towards it. Whenever we ever start filtering all the data flowing into our existence – firstly through our intellect or brain-stem – we are very likely to make great errors on discerning what is really happening. But, as we allow our mind and body to be informed by our spirit – under the control of the Spirit of Truth – we are certain to have a good understanding of almost any situation. And the coolest part is that the error-checking code in this system is Infallible. There is a 66-book rock-solid user’s manual for the mystic. There is no more need to rely merely on reason, science, academia, or even personal feelings to define a view on any given subject.
When we live in this space, we are open to His often subtle promptings… Some beautiful worship lyric can mix with a cool breeze against a sunny lapis-blue sky as we watch an airplane ascend into the sky and POW! He tells us in a moment that eternity will be different because of something He is about to do through our life. We test the impression against His Word, and simply lock in what He has said as a matter of faith. He then gives just the right amount of time to get ready to go and walk down the path He has already built and for which He has created us. And as we begin to move down the path, He shows Himself faithful to His prompting by providing (before, during, and after it all) everything we need to fulfill His will in the moment.
Or… we could think real hard for months about how we might best use our talents for G_d. We might go to lots of classes on spiritual gifts and work to discern how we can make the biggest impact for the kingdom. We could then write down plans, make pros/cons lists, and constantly worry about whether or not we are following G_d’s will for our lives.
Or not. This mystic votes for “not.” This lapis-blue skied listener is learning that Proverbs 3:5-6 is absolutely true. It is far better to trust the LORD with all my heart, and lean not on my own understanding. Surely, if i acknowledge Him in all my ways – He will direct my paths.
Don’t believe me? Read the following from an expert:
A mystic is someone who has a deep internal hunger for the Lord Jesus Christ. A mystic’s life is ruled by seeking, loving, and worshiping Jesus Christ alone. He or she enjoys the peace that comes in resting in the arms of the Abba Father of Jesus. They are able to receive the mercy, forgiveness, grace and reconciliation granted them by the finished work of Christ on the Cross. Their hearts are surrendered to the Word made flesh and they will follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They accept the acceptance by which they have been accepted in Christ.
All mystics can hear God in real and personal way. According to John 10, all believers can hear God. Therefore, all believers who truly follow Christ are mystics. A Christian believer may not hear an audible voice, but they can and will sense an inner prompting of the Holy Spirit. All sincere believers are guided by the Spirit.
Do you hear God? Are you a mystic? Being a mystic is not bad, all true believers are mystics.
A mystic is one who . . .
1. Sees a real spiritual world beyond the world of sense.
2. Seeks to please God rather than the crowd.
3. Cultivates a close fellowship with God, sensing his presence everywhere.
4. Relates his or her experience to the practical things of life.
~Warren Wiersbe, Listening to the Giants
~Warren Wiersbe, Listening to the Giants
