Today I'm taking us back 800 years to a German Christ-follower named Mechtild of Magdeburg (c. 1210-1280). She dedicated her life to God at a young age and lived most of her years in a convent in Germany. Her devotion to God was evident in her writings that have been preserved. In "The Flowing Light of the Godhead" she poetically recorded the following. I haven't read her work extensively, but what I have read gives one the sense that she had a beautiful intimacy with God.
May her words be a cause for reflection and a source of conversation with your Father today.
GOD
You are hunting desperately for your love.
What do you bring me, O my Queen?
SOUL
Lord, I bring you my treasure;
It is greater than the mountains,
Wider than the world,
Deeper than the ocean,
Higher than the clouds,
More glorious than the sun,
More numerous than the stars,
And it outweighs the entire earth!
GOD
O image of my Godhead,
Ennobled by my own humanity,
Adorned by my Holy Spirit,
What is your treasure called?
SOUL
Lord, it is called my heart's desire.
I have withdrawn it from the world,
Denied it to myself or any creature.
Now I can bear it no longer,
Where, O Lord, shall I lay it?
GOD
Your heart's desire shall you lay nowhere
But in my own Sacred Heart
And on my human breast.
There alone will you find comfort
And be embraced by my Spirit.
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I must admit, had to read this one several times, then it finally clicked in a bit. Once I figured that part out I understood this prayer much better and was able to speak this prayer.
This past week has again helped remind me how much easier it is to praise God, smile, worship with a glad heart, etc, when all is going well in your life. Then, when something doesn't go the way you planned or hoped, how easy it is to withdraw, get dejected, and lose sight of what is really important. It even becomes easy to question God.
This morning, and every morning, my prayer is exactly how Fred has stated it above. My wisdom is quite lacking and I am reminded again and again, I need Him!
As I pray for you, I also pray for myself, that I too will trust Him fully.
Randall
Ennobled by my own humanity,
Adorned by my Holy Spirit,
What a beautiful picture of who we are and where we stand with God. And the last stanza summarizes it so beautifully:
Your heart's desire shall you lay nowhere
But in my own Sacred Heart
And on my human breast.
There alone will you find comfort
And be embraced by my Spirit.
During difficult times, I too often lay my heart's desire other places than in and on Him.
Lord, may I focus on who I am in You and how desperately you want me to lay my all on You so you can embrace me fully.
Thanks for sharing that, it is beautiful. I am intrigued by this Sister Mechtild. I looked up where she was from and it isn't too far from where we lived in Germany. I wish I'd known of her when we lived there, I would have visited that place. Very cool.
Dudster
Great to hear from a Sister who knows what real life is like. Her heart is heard, and I think mine lept within me as we read her words.
Thank you!
We continue to pray for you!
Susan G.
"Comfort is only found there"....wise woman this sister was. My problem is my heart desires are often, as she says-greater,deeper,wider,higher than the entire earth (Amen!!I guess woman have always had these heart issues...I'm so relieved!). Hmmmm...maybe our treasure should not found in our desires but rather in the desperate hunt for our Love....to me, that was the most moving and profound line....I wonder what He would say I've been "bringing Him" lately.
That is exactly what my heart was trying to say this very morning before I read this.
I went to a funeral yesterday of a dear saint of God, a woman. As I heard the tributes, my mind pondered what would be said about me. My humanity said that I would have wonderful things said, but as I was in prayer this morning, I just asked the Lord to accept my love for Him, my life and my legacy as His child, and in my own way, dumped my whole life into His lap, and asked Him to make of me whatever He wanted. Such relief that He loves me as I am. I'm reading Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. WOW I'm teaching a class on Hosea and this book brings everything into a right perspective.
Bless you and all the family at Salem!
Keep on keeping on.