Thursday, February 18

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2016

Leviticus 6:1–7:27

Mark 3:7–30

Psalm 37:1–11

Proverbs 10:3,4

 

 

“Trust in the Lord and do good;

    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Take delight in the Lord,

    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

 

“Commit your way to the Lord;

    trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,

    your vindication like the noonday sun.” (Psalm 37:3–6)

 

 

Psalm 37 discusses the challenges we face in observing those who are succeeding in this world, tying it to Asaph’s reflections in Psalm 73.  The psalm urges the believer not to “fret” or be “envious” of those who appear to succeed in spite of “wicked” character.

 

Instead of focusing on others, the psalmist urges us to concentrate on God and trusting in Him.  The reading indicates that God will reward the righteous in His timing.

 

What does it mean to “take delight in the Lord”?  And how will this lead to His giving us “the desires of your heart”?  As Keesha wrote several weeks ago, we must seek God, becoming passionate about knowing Him.  This relational closeness will naturally draw us to “take delight” because of His awesome character.  In this “delight,” we will come to desire what He desires for us.

 

Theologically, Jonathan Edwards described our response to God as the awakening of a “new sense” within us, under the Spirit’s direction.  Edwards recognized early on that only with a proper knowledge of God’s excellency would individuals desire Him and seek to mirror His character.  Reason and truth alone do not bring about inward transformation, as the unredeemed “see nothing in Christ wherefore they should desire him; no beauty or comeliness to draw or incline their hearts to him.”  Without God’s intervention, individuals cannot demonstrate “any denomination or character” of being “spiritual.”   Edwards compared the common – that is, non-saving – grace in the Spirit’s work to the shining of light on a dark body since the body will neither reflect any light nor produce any of its own.  In his natural state, a person resists what God had prescribed for him to do in order to glorify Him.

 

Edwards encapsulated the transformational catalyst as the “new sense,” which yielded a spiritual “change of nature” and prominently marked the Spirit’s regeneration and the root of “all holy affection.”  This doctrine of the “new sense” notably removed “the customary dichotomy of cognition and affection, of head and heart.”

 

Through the spiritual affections, the Holy Spirit transforms an “opinion” of God’s excellency into a “sense” thereof.   Effective grace thus inclines the heart “towards God and divine things, with such strength and vigor, that these holy exercises do prevail in him above all carnal or natural affections.”  Not mere momentary guidance, this “new sense” realigns the soul’s faculties according to the Spirit’s direction and engender ongoing holiness.

 

We may therefore pray to receive a deeper revelation of God’s beauty and excellency – the doorway to experiencing eternal life, rooted in knowing God and Jesus Christ (John 17:3).

 

For us, practically speaking, we find direction in Matthew 6:33 (from Friday’s reading):  “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  This verse appears to offer a New Testament parallel to the Abrahamic promises.  It wraps up our commitment to Christ and His Kingdom above earthly ties and the promises of God’s provision in all times.  We seek God not for His benefits, but because of His awesome Person.  He is worthy of all honor and praise, due only to His lovingkindness and holiness.  Yet, in His wholly otherness, He loves us so much to give eternal life to those who have trusted in Christ and to bring “all things” into our lives.

 

 

Lord God, help us to know You fully and to receive fresh revelation of Your beauty and excellency.  Bring our hearts into line with Your desires.  Give us fresh eyes to perceive spiritual reality so that we may delight in You today.  We love You and worship You as King of kings and Lord of lords.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 

Keith Green:  “O, Lord, You’re Beautiful” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVgPQm06g2c)

 

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