Beholding The Lord! - Chapter 2B

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Experiencing The Depths of Jesus Christ by Madame Jeanne Guyon
I would like to address you as though you were a beginner in Christ, one seeking to know Him. In so doing, let me suggest two ways for you to come to the Lord. I will call the first way “Praying the Scripture” the second way I will call “Beholding the Lord” or “Waiting in His presence.” …

Let us move on to the second kind of prayer, which I mentioned earlier…

The second kind of prayer, which I described as “beholding the Lord” or “waiting on the Lord” also makes use of scripture but it is not actually a time of reading.

Remember, ia m addressing you as if you were a new convert. Here is your second way to encounter Christ. And this second way to Christ, although you will be using the scripture, has a purpose altogether different from “praying the Scripture.” For that reason you should set aside a separate time when you can come and just wait upon Him.

In “praying the Scripture” you are seeking to find the Lord in what you are reading, in the very words themselves. In this path, therefore the content of the Scripture is the focal point of your attention. Your purpose is to take everything from the passage that unveils the Lord to you.

What of the second path?

In “beholding the Lord” you come to the Lord in a totally different way. Perhaps at this point I need to share with you the greatest difficulty you will have in waiting upon the Lord. It has to do with your mind. The mind has a very strong tendency to stray away from the Lord. Therefore, as you come before your Lord to sit in His presence, beholding Him, making use of Scripture to quiet your mind.

The way to do this is really quite simple.

First, read a passage of Scripture. Once you sense the Lord’s presence, the content of what you have read is no longer important. The Scripture has served its purpose it has quieted you mind; it has brought you to Him.

So that you can see this more clearly, let me describe the way in which you come to the Lord by the simple act of beholding Him and waiting upon Him.

You begin by setting aside a time to be with the Lord. When you do come to Him, come quietly. Turn your heart to the presence of God. How is this done? This too, is quite simple.; You turn to Him by faith. By faith you believe you have come into the presence of God.

Next, while you are before the Lord, begin to read some portion of Scripture. As you read, pause. The pause should be quite gentle. You have paused so that you may set your mind on the Spirit. You have set your mind inwardly –on Christ.

(you should always remember that you are not doing this to gain some understanding of what you have read; rather you are reading in order to turn your mind from outward things to the dep parts of your being. You are not there to learn or to read, but you are there to experience the presence of your Lord!)

While you are before the Lord, hold your heart in his presence. How? This you also do by faith. Yes, by faith you can hold your heart in the Lord’s presence. Now, waiting before Him, turn all your attention toward your spirit. Do not allow your mind to wander. If your mind begins to wander, just turn your attention back again to the inward parts of your being You will be free from wandering—free from any outward distractions—and you will be brought near to God.

(The Lord is found only within your spirit, in the recesses of your being, in the Holy of Holies; this is where he dwells. The Lord once promised to come and makes his home within you. (john14:23) He promised to there meet those who worship Him and do His will. The Lord will meet you in your spirit. It was Saint Augustine who once said that he had lost much in time in the beginning of his Christian experience by trying to find the Lord outwardly rather than by turning inwardly.)

Once your heart has been turned inwardly to the Lord, you will have an impression of His presence. You will be able to notice His presence more acutely because your outer senses have now become very calm and quiet. Your attention is no longer on outward things or on the surface thoughts of your mind; instead sweetly and silently, your mind becomes occupied with what you have read and by that touch of His presence.

Oh it is not that you will think about what you have read, but you will feed upon what you have read. Out of a love for the Lord you exert your will to hold your mind quiet before Him.

When you come to this state, you must allow your mind to rest.

How shall I describe what to do next?

In this very peaceful state, Swallow what you have tasted. At first this may seem difficult, but perhaps I can show you just how simple it is. Have you not at times, enjoyed the flavor of a very tasty food? But unless you were willing to swallow the food you received no nourishment. I t is the same with your soul. In this quiet, peaceful, and simple state, simply take in what is there as nourishment.

What about distractions?

Let us say your mind begins to wander. Once you have been deeply touched by the Lord’s Spirit and are distracted, be diligent to bring your wandering mind back to the Lord. This is the easiest way in the world to overcome external distractions

When your mind has wandered, don’t try to deal with it by changing what you are thinking. You see, if you pay attention to what you are thinking, you will only irritate your mind and stir it up more. Instead withdraw from your mind! Keep turning within to the Lord’s presence. By doing this you will win the war with your wandering mind and yet never directly engage in the battle.

Before we close this chapter, I would like to bring up one or two more points.

Let’s talk about divine revelation. In the past your reading habit may have been to wander from one subject to another. But the best way to understand the mysteries that are hidden in the revelation of God and to enjoy them fully is to let them be imprinted deeply in your heart. How? You may do this by dwelling on one revelation just as long as it gives you a sense of the Lord. Do not be quick to go from one thought to another. Stay with what the Lord has revealed to you; stay there just as long as a sense of the Lord is also there.

As you begin this new venture you will, of course discover that it is difficult to bring your mind under control. Why is this? Because through many years of habit your mind has acquired the ability to wander all over the world, just as it pleases; so what I speak of here is something that is to serve as discipline to your mind.

Be assured that as your soul becomes more accustomed to withdrawing to inward things this process will become much easier.

There are two reasons that you will find it easier each time to bring your mind under subjection to the Lord. One is that the mind, after much practice, will form a new habit of turning deep within. The second is that you have a gracious Lord!

The Lord’s chief desire is to reveal Himself to you and, in order for Him to do that, He gives you abundant grace. The Lord gives you the experience of enjoying His presence. He touches you, and His touch is so delightful that, more then ever, you are drawn inwardly to Him.
Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ by Madame Jeanne Guyon
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