God, of Thy Goodness, Give Me Thyself;-Only in Thee I Have All
Julian of Norwich teaches that true rest and happiness can only be found in God, and that we must let go of all created things to rest in Him.
Julian of Norwich preaches about a spiritual vision where she sees God's homely loving nature, portraying Him as everything good and comforting, like clothing that wraps us in tender love. She reflects on a hazel-nut-sized object representing all of creation, emphasizing God's love as the sustaining force behind all things. Julian highlights the importance of recognizing the littleness of earthly things and seeking ultimate rest and bliss in God, who desires for us to find our rest in Him alone.
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IN this same time our Lord shewed me a spiritual25 sight of His homely loving. I saw that He is to us everything that is good and comfortable for us: He is our clothing that for love wrappeth us, claspeth us, and all encloseth26 us for tender love, that He may never leave us; being to us all-thing that is good, as to mine understanding. Also in this He shewed me a little thing, the quantity of an hazel-nut, in the palm of my hand; and it was as round as a ball. I looked thereupon with eye of my understanding, and thought: What may this be?
And it was answered generally thus: It is all that is made. I marvelled how it might last, for methought it might suddenly have fallen to naught for little[ness]. And I was answered in my understanding: It lasteth, and ever shall [last] for that God loveth it. And so All-thing hath the Being by the love of God. In this Little Thing I saw three properties. The first is that God made it, the second is that God loveth it, the third, that God keepeth it. But what is to me verily the Maker, the Keeper, and the Lover,--I cannot tell; for till I am Substantially oned27 to Him, I may never have full rest nor very bliss: that is to say, till I be so fastened to Him, that there is right nought that is made betwixt my God and me. 10 It needeth us to have knowing of the littleness of creatures and to hold as nought28 all-thing that is made, for to love and have God that is unmade.
For this is the cause why we be not all in ease of heart and soul: that we seek here rest in those things that are so little, wherein is no rest, and know not our God that is All-mighty, All-wise, All-good. For He is the Very Rest. God willeth to be known, and it pleaseth Him that we rest in Him; for all that is beneath Him sufficeth not us. And this is the cause why that no soul is rested till it is made nought29 as to all things that are made. When it is willingly made nought, for love, to have Him that is all, then is it able to receive spiritual rest.
Also our Lord God shewed that it is full great pleasance to Him that a helpless soul come to Him simply and plainly and homely. For this is the natural yearnings of the soul, by the touching of the Holy Ghost (as by the understanding that I have in this Shewing): God, of Thy Goodness, give me Thyself: for Thou art enough to me, and I may nothing ask that is less that may be full worship to Thee; and if I ask anything that is less, ever me wanteth,--but only in Thee I have all.
And these words are full lovely to the soul, and full near touch they the will of God and His Goodness. For His Goodness comprehendeth all His creatures and all His blessed works, and overpasseth30 without end. For He is the endlessness, and He hath made us only to Himself, and restored us by His blessed Passion, and keepeth us in His blessed love; and all this of His Goodness.
Sermon Outline
- I. God's Homely Loving
- A. God is our clothing, wrapping us in love
- B. God is our all, providing everything we need
- II. The Little Thing
- A. God made it, loves it, and keeps it
- B. The little thing represents all that is made
- III. The Cause of Our Restlessness
- A. We seek rest in created things, not in God
- B. We must let go of all things to rest in God
- IV. God's Pleasure in Our Simplicity
- A. God delights in a soul that comes to Him simply
- B. The soul's natural yearning is to rest in God
- V. The Sufficiency of God
- A. God is enough for us
- B. We can ask for nothing less than God Himself
Key Quotes
“For this is the cause why we be not all in ease of heart and soul: that we seek here rest in those things that are so little, wherein is no rest, and know not our God that is All-mighty, All-wise, All-good.” — Julian of Norwich
“For He is the Very Rest.” — Julian of Norwich
“God, of Thy Goodness, give me Thyself: for Thou art enough to me, and I may nothing ask that is less that may be full worship to Thee; and if I ask anything that is less, ever me wanteth,--but only in Thee I have all.” — Julian of Norwich
Application Points
- We must let go of all created things to rest in God.
- God is enough for us, and we can ask for nothing less than Him.
- We can receive spiritual rest when we are willing to be made nought as to all things that are made.