Heavenly Recipe

This morning I have been given a dish of God's consummate preparation. In my quiet time, (extended because He made it available) I feasted upon what may be best described as a heavenly Waldorf Salad. The ingredients were not classic; diced apples, grapes, raisins, chopped walnuts and mayonnaise. Instead these were probably selected from Brother Lawrence's kitchen where The Practice of the Presence of God occurred. God's ingredients included: The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer; two 31 Days of Praise(Power) by Ruth Meyer; Jesus Calling by Sarah Young; With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray and Christ in the Bible Commentary by A.B. Simpson (on Galatians). I may have over eaten but I believe I avoided gluttony.

Mr Tozer  observed that, "the Saints were not all alike. Yet they all walked, each in his own way, upon a high road of spiritual living ... the one vital quality .. they had spiritual awareness and that they went on to cultivate it until it became the biggest thing in their lives... They acquired the habit of spiritual response...As David put it .. 'When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek' The sovereignty of God is here ... Michelangelo confessed this in a sonnet:

My unassisted heart is barren clay,
That of itself can nothing feed:
Of good and pious works Thou art the seed,
That quickens only where Thou sayest it may:
Unless Thou show to us Thine own true way
No man can find it: Father! Thou must lead. 


Ms. Meyers said: " Enable me instead to be preoccupied with You, my holy God.. and; How grateful I am that You have linked me to the greatest possible purposes, the highest of all reasons for living: to know and love You .. to show Your love for other people .. to glorify You .. and to enjoy You now and forever."

Ms. Young said, "Limitations can be liberating when your strongest desire is living close to me."

Mr Simpson was teaching on "Free Grace in Sanctification." Since his teaching was from Galatians, he naturally referred to the fruit of the Spirit which will manifest itself in us.  Because we are crucified with Christ and now we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us; that living Spirit in us will naturally show the fruit of His Spirit."It is beautiful to notice that  all the graces mentioned in Gal 5:22-23,are so many forms of love: joy is love exulting; peace is love reposing; patience is love in action; faith is love confiding; gentleness is love with bowed head; self-control is true self love. These are not so many fruits, but like the lobes of an orange they form together one fruit which is only love." All of these come from one Presence who is love.

 In all these devotionals, my heart was being led to a place of spiritual awareness, divinely appointed; indeed to a preoccupation with a desire for His Presence living close to me. Mr. Murray directed this to a place of abiding with God and having His Word abide in me so that I could participate with Christ in His high priestly prayer (John 17). In this place of unity, my spirit would seek the same requests as Christ. Then, I would pray in the power of His name for perishing men. Murray's prayer was; "Blessed Lord! Be it here, as through all the spiritual life: Thou all, I nothing.... he that has and seeks nothing for himself, receives all, even to the wonderful grace of sharing with Thee in Thine everlasting ministry of intercession." Thou all, I nothing! I would be one with Christ.