 Many are intrigued by spiritual experiences. There are numerous books and websites on this subject. They could be on different forms of awakening, Zen, meditation, or other methods. Why do these experiences fascinate us?
For Christians, the center of spiritual experience is God. But we cannot find God. Only God can reach out to us. Yet we seek Him because He has put such an urge in us. This desire is a blessing. To a certain extent, this desire is evidence of His presence. What are some marks of deep spiritual experience? David was a man after God’s heart (1 Samuel 13:14). Let’s learn from him. David wrote Psalm 63 when he was in a desert, in a dry and parched land where there was no water (v1). In Psalm 63, David addresses God as “my God,” not just God. This is one of emotional intimacy. In a dry, barren land of intense heat, David earnestly thirsted for God. His whole being longed for God (v1). Typically, we focus on our physical needs first, but David’s hunger for God totally transcended his physical needs. After physical needs, our concern usually shifts to security. Not David. He was hiding in the desert, running away from his enemies. But David didn’t ask God to protect him from his enemies. David’s hunger for God transcended his wish for survival. Why? David considered God’s love better than life. God would fully satisfy him, like the best food. God alone was his help, protecting and upholding him (v3, 5, 7-8). Thus, even in such dismal conditions, David was not concerned about his own needs. He was not thinking about food, water, or his enemies. Instead, he was even thinking of God in bed through the night. David was sure his enemies would be destroyed, eaten up by jackals. His lips glorified God, praising Him with songs as he rejoiced in Him(v3, 5-7, 9-11). These are signs of deep spiritual experience. Summarized from a Tim Keller sermon: https://gospelinlife.com/downloads/discipline-of-desire-5867/ 深刻属灵经验的印记 许多人对属灵的经验感兴趣。有无数关于这个问题的书籍和网站。它们可以有不同的形式，例如觉醒、禅宗或默想。为什么这些经验让我们着迷呢？ 对于基督徒来说，属灵经验的中心是上帝。但人靠自己找不到上帝，只有上帝才能主动就近我们。然而我们之所以寻求他，是因为他将这样的渴望放在我们里面。这种渴望是一种福份。在某种程度上，这种渴望表明了上帝的同在。 深刻的属灵经验有那些印记呢？大卫是一位合神心意的人 （撒母耳记上13:14），让我们向他来学习这一点。 大卫在旷野中写下诗篇63。那时他是在干旱疲乏无水之地（诗63：1）。 在这里大卫一开始就称上帝为我的上帝。祂不仅仅是上帝，而且是我的上帝，这是一种情感上的亲密关系。 大卫在荒芜炎热和缺水的旷野中，切切地尋求神, 渴想神；他的心切慕神 (诗63:1)。在这环境中， 一般人通常都会首先关注肉体的需求，大卫却不是这样，他对上帝的渴望远远超越了自己身体的需要。 通常在满足了身体需求之后，我们的关注点会转移到安全保障上，大卫却没有。那时大卫在旷野中四处躲避敌人，但是并没有要求上帝保护他免受仇敌的攻击。大卫对上帝的渴望超越了他求生的愿望。 这是为什么呢？ 大卫认为上帝的慈爱胜于生命 (诗63:3)。 上帝会完全满足他， 就像最好的食物一样(诗63:5)。 上帝是他的帮助，保护着他, 高举起他。(诗63：8)。 因此，即使在这种令人沮丧的情况下，大卫并不担心自己的需求。 他没有考虑到食物、饮水或仇敌。 相反地，他甚至整夜都在思想上帝。大卫坚信他的仇敌会被野狗所吞噬，完全被摧毁。他的嘴唇赞美神，歌颂祂。大卫因上帝而欢乐, 因祂而歌唱! (诗63：3, 5-7, 9-11)。 这些就是深刻属灵经验的印记。 Comments are closed.
|