Greetings All!
I have always contended
that who we become in life has to do, not only (of course)
with the direct input of God into our lives through His Word and His Spirit,
but the guidance, influences, and input of other people whose wisdom and
counsel and insights we have sought out. This is one of the reasons I always
check out the libraries of other people! I want to see who they have
turned to for guidance and inspiration, and have thus, in some way, helped form
them. James Stuart Bell also understands this
principle. And therefore he sought to inquire who the authors were that
influenced the life of someone he admired -- A. W. Tozer.
This selection, therefore,
comes from his book, "From the Library of A. W. Tozer -- Selections
from Writers Who Influenced his Spiritual Journey." This
particular excerpt (only one of hundreds in his book) is from a book in Tozer's
library by Jan Van Ruysbroeck's (or John of Ruusbroec, born in 1293 A.D. near
Brussels, Belgium) called, "The
Adornment of the Spiritual Marriage." In this selection he speaks
of one of the joys of being the Bride of Christ -- "Spiritual
Inebriation." Enjoy.
Spiritual
Inebriation
"The joy of the Lord
is our strength."
Nehemiah 8:10
"Do not be drunk with
wine, with leads to debauchery,
but instead, be filled with
the Holy Spirit."
Ephesians 5:18
"Spiritual
inebriation is this: that a man receives more sensible joy and sweetness than
his heart can either contain or desire. Spiritual inebriation brings
forth many strange gestures in men. It makes some sing and praise God because
of the fullness of joy, and some weep with great tears because of the sweetness
of heart. It makes one restless in his in all his limbs, so that he must
run, jump, and dance, and so excites another that he must move and clap his
hands. Another cries out with a loud voice and so shows forth the
plenitude his soul feels within, and another must be silent and melt away
because of the rapture which he feels with all his senses.
At times he thinks that all
the world must feel what he feels; at times he thinks that none can taste what
he has attained. Often he thinks that he never could, nor ever shall, lose this
sense of well-being; at times he wonders why all men do not become God-desiring.
At one time he thinks that God is for him alone, or none other as much as him;
at another time he asks himself with amazement of what nature these delights
can be, and whence they come, and what happened to him.
This is the most rapturous
life (as regards our bodily feelings) which man may attain upon earth.
Sometimes the excess of joy becomes so great the man thinks that his heart must
burst. And for all these manifold gifts and miraculous works, he shall, with a
humble heart, thank and praise and honor and reverence the Lord, who can do all
this, and thank Him with fervent devotion because it is His will to do all
this. And the man shall always keep in his heart and speak through his
mouth with sincere intention: "Lord, I am not worthy of this. Yet I have
need of Your boundless goodness and of Your support." In such humility he
may grow and rise into higher virtues."
On the day of Pentecost
unbelievers accused the disciples of being drunk (Acts 2:15). Why? Surely
it was because of the sheer joy they felt, and the glow on their faces that
attested to it (similar to what is described above) when the Holy Spirit came
and fell upon them on that day. After all, it was only 9:00 o'clock in
the morning and they were obviously full of intense joy and energy (or the
Spirit's "power" - Acts 1:8 - or dunamis in the
Greek, the same word from which we get our English word
"dynamite"). Of course, speaking in tongues (or languages they
had not learned) may have played into it as well!
Though some fear the
intense emotions that can often attend centered prayer, joyful worship, or the
experience of the Holy Spirit, it did seem to be part of the
experience of the early disciples and apostles. Have you experienced such
times? Have you ever found your heart so full of joy it was hard to
contain? Ever been moved to sing, praise, clap, cry or dance, touched as
you were by the overwhelming sense of God's grace, goodness and love?
Ever sensed the presence of God's holiness and complete otherness in such a way
that it moved you to feel that to even speak a word, or simply move, would have
been inappropriate and irreverent? Have you ever become so conscious
of the reality and presence of God that it altered the way you viewed
everything happening around you, and made even the most common things beautiful
and sacred?
Such experiences are not
uncommon in Scripture. And dare I suggest that if we pursued God with the
intensity of many of those in Scripture, we might find such experiences more
commonplace too?
Living in the grace of
Jesus, Pastor Jeff
