Today's classic devotion comes from Julian of Norwich (1343-1413). Julian was an English mystic who wrote about various encounters with God. At one point in time, Julian was delivered from a sickness that had taken her to her last breaths, and in that experience, she received several revelations from Christ. An excerpt from her Revelations of Divine Love:
"...it brings more honor to God and more true delight if we faithfully pray to him for his goodness than if we employ all the intermediaries in the world. Why? Because his goodness is full and complete, and in it there is nothing lacking.
We pray to God to know his passion, death, resurrection- which come from the goodness of God. We pray to God for the strength that comes from his Cross- which also comes from the goodness of God. We pray to God with all the help of the saints who have gone before us- which, again, comes from the goodness of God. All of the strength that may come through prayer comes from the goodness of God, for he is the goodness of everything. For the highest form of prayer is to the goodness of God. It comes down to meet our humblest needs. It gives life to our souls and makes them live and grow in grace and virtue. It is near in nature and swift in grace, for it is the same grace which our souls seek and always will.
Just as our flesh is covered by clothing, and our blood is covered by flesh, so are we, soul and body, covered and enclosed by the goodness of God. Yet, the clothing and the flesh will pass away, but the goodness of God will always remain and will remain closer to us than our own flesh.
God only desires that our soul cling to him with all its strength in particular, that it clings to his goodness. For of all the things our minds can think about God, it is thinking upon his goodness that pleases him most and brings the most profit to our soul."
This week, focus on the goodness of God, point out the goodness of God, live in the goodness of God!
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