"I was impressed by God that in the total darkness of the closet I was now free to enjoy the Source of Light."
Read Matthew 7: 7-8
Instead of emphasizing the "ask, seek, and knock" exhortations from Jesus in this passage, consider entering a time of prayerful contemplation and emphasize instead the reality of things being "given, found, and opened".
In my prayer time this morning I contemplated the meaning of things being given, found, and opened to me. It soon lead me to hear God's voice say, "Stand Up". I did and as a result noticed a reflection of light on my shirt. My meditation time this morning was spent in my clothes closet (this was admittedly new for me). I had the lights off and just enough room to kneel comfortably. When I sensed that I should stand up and continue to pray, I noticed that there was a unique pattern of light on my chest. The light was being reflected off of a mirror in the closet. I could not figure out exactly where the light was coming from so, before moving further, I took the opportunity to ask God to teach me something, "God are you trying to teach me something... I am open." Next, I instinctively used my hand to try and "trace" where the light was coming from by moving my hand in relation to the light closer and closer to the mirror. Once I got to the mirror I moved my hand away from the mirror, following the light in an upward direction. It turns out the light was coming through a very small crack in the seal on top of the door.
As I sat there, open to God's voice, I heard him tell me clearly that, in my seeking him, I was looking for mirrors instead of the source of light itself. Tears started forming in my eyes as I felt the presence of God gently opening my understanding to what this meant. I see the light coming from the "mirror" - the functions and forms that God uses to show his light - but the mirror is not the source of light, it merely reflects light. Do I want to live from the source of light? Or am I content to attach myself to the "mirrors" that merely reflect that source?
I caved in. My face in my hands, I repented to God and let him know how grateful I was for his Words. As I confirmed my desire for union with the SOURCE, with God himself, the little reflection of light that began my whole inquiry suddenly, as if on cue, was gone. The reality is, the light in the other room was simply turned off by my wife. But the fact that it happened when it did was certainly meaningful to me... I was impressed by God that in the total darkness of the closet I was now free to enjoy the Source of Light.
And then the direction and insight I needed needed were given, found, and opened for me.
Matthew Armstrong
MEDITATION: Given, Found, and Opened
MEDITATION: "You can't come to me to be successful."
I was reading "The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier" and came across this gem while reading the section on theology.
"So theology isn't just talk.... Actors act theology and businesspeople work theology and stay-at-home moms change diapers and make lunch theologically.
So human life is theology. Virtually everything we do is inherently theological. Almost every choice we make reflects what we think about God. There's no escaping it."
After dwelling on the truth of those words I entered into a time of intimacy with God. This is what I got:
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You can't come to me to be successful.
When you approach me or seek me from your own intellect, you do so most of the time in order to gain something for yourself. However, when you move from the mind and intellect to the being, to your heart-will, you can come to me out of natural response to reality and truth. If you are truly interested in Me, in finding yourself in God, in spending time with me in intimacy, then you can not come to me to be successful. It's like spending time with a friend to secretly gain access to his connections and relationships that could profit you. The truth is, the truth does profit you... but to reach for truth, to access God, in order to gain from it yourself is not aligned with the truth you seek. The truest form of reality is present regardless of your intent. However, your intentions are the key to both removing the veil of selfishness and fashioning it.
You can't come to me to be successful.
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Father, creator and sustainer of all that is, purify my intentions. Cleanse me from my selfish spirituality that seeks you in order to gain. May my heart connect with you in truth, as a natural response to your being - as a natural response to the presence of you being here, in this moment, in and through me. I sincerely desire to know you more. I sincerely desire to love you more. Not because of what you can do for me, but because of who you are. May the prayer of Jesus be fulfilled in my life, that we may be one. Please give me the grace to embrace your truth not with my mind alone, but with my actions also.
Thank you for loving me, I still think you're crazy.
Matthew Armstrong
RescueTheGirl.com
RescueTheGirl.com
US: Despite Slump, U.S. Role as Top Arms Supplier Grows
Yeah - in case you didn't know, the USA not only has the biggest military budget of any nation (no other nation comes even close), we aslo are the number one arms dealer in the world.... and thanks to our leadership in the "war on terror", we're sellin' even more guns and bombs.
http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=15436
I like Jesus' foriegn policy of "do unto other what you would have them do unto you"... but that just doesn't make for good war or good profits from it.
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