We often hear about being intimate with God. We all want to be closer to God although it may be unclear to us what that really means. Today we will taste some of that life, and I suspect that this taste will fire our hearts and bring us closer to complete loving surrender to God.
And if you are wondering how to motivate people to pursue Jesus then consider beginning with this kind of material. Once people see the treasure then they will be more willing to “sell all they have” in order to get the treasure. When people understand what God wants to do for them then they are much more willing to embrace your leading.
John of the Cross was a 16th century Spaniard who pursued and loved God as much as anyone ever did. We are blessed that he was also a great writer and could express his understanding of gradually becoming more Christlike until one was finally united with God in love. His book The Spiritual Canticle is his account of this journey and below are some quotes describing his view of our highest intimacy with God. Most of the book is an allegory of a bride (our soul) seeking the Bridegroom (Christ). These quotes describe our life with God after he has purified us down to our roots. (Each quote has a reference to a chapter and paragraph in the Spiritual Canticle in case you want to look it up.)
God changes every part of of us. “It is a total transformation in the Beloved.” (22, 3)
His glory overwhelms us and unites with us. “This union resembles the union of the light of a star or candle with the light of the sun, for what then sheds light is not the star or candle, but the sun.” (22, 3)
God takes us like a bride. “For after the soul has been for some time the betrothed of the Son of God in gentle and complete love, God calls her and places her in his flowering garden to consummate this most joyful state of marriage with him.” (22, 4)
The Bridegroom gives us his glorious attributes which are like a spectacular garden. “He has now gathered his fragrant myrrh and aromatic spices, the fruits of the flowers now ripe and ready for the soul. These are the delights and grandeurs that of himself and in himself he communicates to her in this state. Consequently he is for her an enchanting, desirable garden.” (22, 5) “She finds in this state a much greater abundance and fullness of God, a more secure and stable peace, and an incomparably more perfect delight.” (22, 5)
God places us inside himself and evil cannot touch us. “God is the soul’s strength and sweetness in which she is sheltered and protected against all evils, and habituated to the delight of all goods.” (22, 7)
The Bridegroom makes the Bride beautiful with his own beauty. “He communicates to her his wisdom, secrets, graces, virtues, and gifts, and through them he makes her so beautiful and rich and so imbues her with delights that it seems to her that she rests on a bed made of a variety of sweet divine flowers that delights with its touch and refreshes with its fragrance.” (24, 3)
We experience continuous and deep happiness. “She enjoys now in this state habitual sweetness and tranquility that is never lost or lacking to her.” (24, 5)
We are so amazed at the godly transformation God works in us that they eternally fire us with love for him. “The soul will behold in herself the mountain flowers mentioned above, which are the abundance, grandeur, and beauty of God.” (24, 6) “Thus all these virtues are present in her as though hung with the love of God, as in a subject in which they are well preserved. And they are as though bathed in love because each one of them is ever enkindling her love of God, and in all things and in all works they move her with love to love God more.” (24, 7)
We can’t help but express our love to God in many ways. “[The soul] is enkindled in loving, desiring, praising, and thanking God, and reverencing, esteeming, and praying to him in the savor of love.” (25, 6)
How wonderful this kind of life would be! Even if we don’t experience this now we will experience this, and more, in the New Creation. And meditating on this should inflame our hearts to fully surrender and embrace him now.
