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Topic of the Week: Saint Dimitry of Rostov: Where God is, There is All Good

“…. [in this work Saint Dimitry] addresses how to abide with God and conversely how a person separates himself from God. 

The reader will note that St. Dimitry makes it very clear that where God is not allowed to work, there begins the work of the demons. 

I believe that this passage has important application to current events. 

If something or someone is willfully working against the clear holy things of God, then this is indeed the work of demons. He teaches that just as a Christian is striving to become one with God, so those in active rebellion are becoming one with the demons….” 

Excerpted from Where God is Not – The Inkless Pen

Adult/Family:

“…When a person ceases to gaze on God and stops fearing Him, not even thinking about God in his mind, and when he behaves as if He does not even exist, then such a one begins to live godlessly. 

 He forgets the fear of God and goes after unrighteous thoughts and iniquitous gain; he reaches his hands to what is not his, even to the holy. He stretches out his hands to thievery and robbery, and he infringes upon those close to him and begins to seek their destruction. 

 The person working all this is nothing less than a demon, for in him, as in Judas, Satan enters and he becomes one spirit with Satan. 

 

What a great evil it is not to keep God before your eyes!...”

Excerpted from Where God is Not – The Inkless Pen, see also St.Dimitry.Instructions on the Path of Virtue.pdf

Preschool/Elementary:

“…If God is with us

then even cobwebs become like fortified walls for us;

if God is not with us

then even fortified walls will be like gossamer and fail to protect us.

The person who is with God – to him all is good,

but the person who is without God, to him all is bad.

So, with whom is God and with whom is He not?

To this the answer is simple: whoever works good and is a God-pleaser – in this God abides,

and whoever works evil and displeases God – God is not in this.

Thus, God is with the good person, but He is not with the evil doer….”

Excerpted from Where God is Not – The Inkless Pen, see also St.Dimitry.Instructions on the Path of Virtue.pdf

Look at the photos above of the stone fortress wall and the cobweb. Which one would you rather have protecting you from danger?

Saint Dimitry of Rostov teaches us that if God is not with us, then even stone walls are like cobwebs! We will not be protected! How does he say we can keep God with us? What will you do in your life to keep God with you?

Middle School:

“It is, of course, true that God is Everywhere-present and the Filler-of-all-things, with His almighty, all encompassing and all guiding power, is near every person; He is near the evil, and He is near the good….

But His special grace, His merciful salvation, which helps, covers, and guides, does not abide with every person. It resides only with those who in heartfelt love and fear turn the eyes of their mind to Him and always behold Him as if present before them….

Thus, for the sake of His presence and for love and fear of Him, every deed, whatever is spoken or thought, is done in a God-pleasing manner, every spoken word is honest, and all thoughts are good and profitable.

 

For such a person all of life is lived in good works and a soul-saving manner, as if before the All-seeing Eyes of God, and he often repeats within himself the words of the prophet Elijah: The Living Lord, before whom I stand (cf. 1 Kings 17:1). Or it may be said in this manner: the Living Lord, before Whose All-seeing Eyes I walk, stand, sit, work, eat, drink, speak, converse and think.

 

Everything I do, I do before His most-bright eyes; therefore I dare not do something wicked, or say, or think anything impure, so that He, in displeasure, would not strike me suddenly and unexpectedly with all my lawlessness. In this manner, where a person contemplates God with the eyes of the mind, there God abides.

For He draws near to those who themselves draw near to Him. He is present with those who seek His presence, and He gazes upon those who gaze on Him. Such a phenomenon is in some respect like a mirror. Whoever looks in a mirror sees a face reflected in the mirror, but when he turns from the mirror he also turns from the face he beheld in the mirror.

In a similar manner, our Lord God turns to those who turn to Him and looks upon those who look upon Him.

His face turns from those who turn away from Him, and He does not gaze upon those who do not look to Him, for they are those who do not desire to see His presence in themselves….”

 

Excerpted from St.Dimitry.Instructions on the Path of Virtue.pdf, pp13-14

Do you live every moment of your life as if you are ‘walking, standing, sitting, working, eating, drinking, speaking, conversing and thinking’ before God? If not, what will you do to correct this so that God is not turning away from you?

High School:

“Consider this: God is unafraid of great evil, and it has no place in Him…. it is clear that the ways of a sinful person are defiled at all times; this happens because he does not set God before himself.

Why does a person transgress the commandments of God, which are good, holy and soul-saving? A person trespasses because God is not before him. Why does a person dare to offend his neighbor, or to rob and steal, or to be forceful in evil deeds, or to lead others to anger? God is not before him. Why does a person steal or the outlaw kill or the robber rob? God is not before him. Why does a shameless person speak profanity, and the liar become more accustomed to telling lies, or the oath-breaker take vain oaths before God, or the malicious person provoke others? Why does a person, himself full of sin, judge others? God is not before him. Why does… the angry person act insidiously? God is not before him….

Such a person does not have the fear of God before his eyes, he does not remember God, does not fear His judgment, and does not tremble before eternal suffering; neither does he eagerly await the Kingdom of Heaven….

If only a sinner kept God before his eyes, if only he would remember the coming judgment and sentencing, he would not dare to transgress and anger God, his judge and creator….”

Excerpted from St.Dimitry.Instructions on the Path of Virtue.pdf, pp16-17

What if the next time you find yourself transgressing the commandments of God in whatever way mentioned above, or any other way, you stopped to ask yourself if you have the fear of God before you, and then remembered the final judgment of God? If you do this, see if you will still be able to continue with the sinful act you had intended.

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