"Whenever we open our hearts to God, we receive spiritual nourishment and grow more and more into the likeness of God until we reach spiritual maturity. And once we open our spiritual eyes and see God’s presence, we find indescribable and unending bliss."
— Sadhu Sundar Singh
First of all, I must admit I love the word "bliss". Bliss is a state of mind in which we know that we will be okay, and are more relaxed and confident in daily life due to that knowledge. It implies a flood of emotions and overwhelming well-being and it also seems to lean in a spiritual direction toward the supernatural. By contrast, say all the Christian mystics, life in the presence of God is not only full of light, but supreme joy and bliss. Teresa of Avila tells us that union with God is above all earthly joys, above all delights, above all consolations, and still more than that . John Ruusbroek says that in meeting the light, the heart experiences so much delight that it cannot contain itself but bursts out in a cry of joy. Thomas Merton, a 20th century mystic, says that "Our joy in the bosom of the serene darkness in which His light holds us absorbed. This joy of emptiness, of nothingness, is the true light that shines in everyone. It is the light of Christ."
As humans, we search for joy in all the wrong places. And what we receive is just a sporadic sampling, a fraction of the real deal, a clever counterfeit to genuine joy. We look outside, not inside. We get our delight in filling the needs of our hearts with money, power, position, fame, romance, sex, entertainment, food, sport, vacation or whatever makes us feel good. Bill Gaultiere says that we look to food to meet our needs and it becomes more and more important to us until it becomes compulsive. In that sense it becomes an idol, a false god. We can do the same thing with alcohol, drugs, sex, work, co-dependent relationships, shopping, even religion.
But the secret to a joy-filled life is so close, so obvious, that inside is often the last place we look. Spiritual Joy or bliss must not be confused with the pleasures and joys of another nature. It possesses characteristics which enable us to distinguish it easily and surely. Spiritual Joy, above all, is permeated with peace. As the Westminster Confession has so aptly stated "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever", communion with God in this life and the next gives us conscious enjoyment of Him, of His glory and His bliss.
While I was praying this morning, I felt the pure and untainted bliss in the presence of the Lord. I felt the holy presence of the Lord in my prayer room. I have tasted His goodness and glory. It's so beautiful. About 5 months a go, while I was worshiping the Lord, I was anointed to my bones. When the anointing has settled into your bones, you become one of the happiest person on this planet. When God’s Spirit finally embraces my spirit it always impacts me profoundly. Sometimes I am flooded with emotion and sometimes it is more of a mental amazement but it is always Bliss.
When I look back on my life, I realize that it was when I hung on to God’s word and His promises through the darkest hours that I saw the most beautiful sunrises. So many nights of frustration turned into peace, joy and contentment. When your heart is set on joy, no one can take it away from you unless you allow it. If man can't take your joy, neither can the devil. You have the ability to feel good, no matter what is happening. And once you open your spiritual eyes and see God’s presence, you find indescribable and unending bliss.
— Sadhu Sundar Singh
First of all, I must admit I love the word "bliss". Bliss is a state of mind in which we know that we will be okay, and are more relaxed and confident in daily life due to that knowledge. It implies a flood of emotions and overwhelming well-being and it also seems to lean in a spiritual direction toward the supernatural. By contrast, say all the Christian mystics, life in the presence of God is not only full of light, but supreme joy and bliss. Teresa of Avila tells us that union with God is above all earthly joys, above all delights, above all consolations, and still more than that . John Ruusbroek says that in meeting the light, the heart experiences so much delight that it cannot contain itself but bursts out in a cry of joy. Thomas Merton, a 20th century mystic, says that "Our joy in the bosom of the serene darkness in which His light holds us absorbed. This joy of emptiness, of nothingness, is the true light that shines in everyone. It is the light of Christ."
As humans, we search for joy in all the wrong places. And what we receive is just a sporadic sampling, a fraction of the real deal, a clever counterfeit to genuine joy. We look outside, not inside. We get our delight in filling the needs of our hearts with money, power, position, fame, romance, sex, entertainment, food, sport, vacation or whatever makes us feel good. Bill Gaultiere says that we look to food to meet our needs and it becomes more and more important to us until it becomes compulsive. In that sense it becomes an idol, a false god. We can do the same thing with alcohol, drugs, sex, work, co-dependent relationships, shopping, even religion.
But the secret to a joy-filled life is so close, so obvious, that inside is often the last place we look. Spiritual Joy or bliss must not be confused with the pleasures and joys of another nature. It possesses characteristics which enable us to distinguish it easily and surely. Spiritual Joy, above all, is permeated with peace. As the Westminster Confession has so aptly stated "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever", communion with God in this life and the next gives us conscious enjoyment of Him, of His glory and His bliss.
While I was praying this morning, I felt the pure and untainted bliss in the presence of the Lord. I felt the holy presence of the Lord in my prayer room. I have tasted His goodness and glory. It's so beautiful. About 5 months a go, while I was worshiping the Lord, I was anointed to my bones. When the anointing has settled into your bones, you become one of the happiest person on this planet. When God’s Spirit finally embraces my spirit it always impacts me profoundly. Sometimes I am flooded with emotion and sometimes it is more of a mental amazement but it is always Bliss.
When I look back on my life, I realize that it was when I hung on to God’s word and His promises through the darkest hours that I saw the most beautiful sunrises. So many nights of frustration turned into peace, joy and contentment. When your heart is set on joy, no one can take it away from you unless you allow it. If man can't take your joy, neither can the devil. You have the ability to feel good, no matter what is happening. And once you open your spiritual eyes and see God’s presence, you find indescribable and unending bliss.
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