"This King, full of mercy and goodness.. Embraces me with love, makes me eat at His table, serves me with His own hands. He converses and delights Himself with me incessantly.. And treats me in all respects as His favorite."
-Brother Lawrence

Thursday, May 27, 2010

The Best Rule of Holy Life

About a month ago I was given a book by a friend, called The Practice of the Presence of God. The book is a short, easy-read about a man who lived a few hundred years ago called Brother Lawrence. He was a monk who lived in the 17th century, he worked in the kitchen for most of his life and when he was getting on in years he fixed sandals.
Brother Lawrence, I believe, caught on to one of the most central, important and life-changing themes offered by faith in God.. continual pleasure, satisfaction and delight in the person of Jesus. His simple revelation that all was loss apart from knowing Jesus and the benefits and delight that could be experienced by the human soul, through a continual conversation with God.
"There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God.. Let us do it from a principle of love, and because God would have us"
His understanding of God and how God would have His people live is refreshing and challenging. We are beings created to experience our creator, to constantly be in the presence of God, and in the business of life, He often is the first thing to be pushed aside.
A continual conversation with God takes discipline at first, because especially in our day and age it's out of our ordinary lifestyle. But what if we resolve to make the time, to invite God into all spheres of our lives whether we be at work, school, home or elsewhere. How much more could God use us in our everyday settings if we were constantly aware and responsive to His presence?
I encourage you to read this book. It'll only take you a few hours but getting that kind of truth into your mind and heart is key to receiving from God on a daily basis, being constantly in His presence and becoming a burning and shining lamp to the people around us-awesome!

"This King, full of mercy and goodness.. embraces me with love, makes me eat at His table, serves me with His own hands.. He converses and delights Himself with me incessantly in a thousand and a thousand ways, and treats me in all respects as His favorite. It is thus I consider myself from time to time, in His holy presence." -Brother Lawrence

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