Devotional
Never reduce Christianity to a matter of demands and resolutions and willpower. It is a matter of what we love, what we delight in, what tastes good to us.
When Jesus came into the world humanity was split according to what they loved. The light came into the world and men loved darkness rather than light (John 3:19). The righteous and the wicked are separated by what they delight in—the revelation of God or the way of the world.
But someone may ask: How can I come to delight in the Word of God? My answer would be twofold: 1) pray for new taste buds on the tongue of your heart; 2) meditate on the staggering promises of God to his people.
The same psalmist who said How sweet are your words to my taste (Psalm 119:103), said earlier, Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law (Psalm 119:18). He prayed because to have holy taste buds on the tongue of the heart is a gift of God. No man naturally hungers for and delights in Gods wisdom. Ask God to work this miracle in your life.
Psalm 119:97 (ESV) - Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day!
I have to share something I felt yesterday, and I have not had these kind of feelings in a long time. Monday, after the public order to stay inside, my wife called with what was going on in the store. She said the people were coming in droves grabbing this or that like ants from a disturbed nest. Funny thing is these ants were not the year round, but people from other places. Yesterday, my heart was in a bad place. My attitude was more of the James and John wanting to rain down fire in Luke9:54 or the spirit of Jonah's hatred towards Nineveh or the psalmist who wrote Psalm 137. I have seen a ton of stupid. One says that they were up to open up their cabin. Another called and asked for store hours because they were coming up for the weekend. Others are hording staples that we don't have alot of to begin with. At the store, the air is heavy with fear, anxiety, and disdain for those who do not take this seriously. Do not they understand that we and others that must work to keep the necessary functions of society going put our health and possible lives on the line. We are not compensated any differently and we are not looking for that or not wanting a pat on the back. What we want is that you take our lives more seriously. We have families at home we are a risk to. Some are young or some are old. This stuff is nothing to mess with. Anyways, my heart was in a bad place yesterday. I understand completely now why Paul, James, and Peter wrote those letters of encouragement and rebuke to the people of faith and churches wavering in front of persecution, heresy, and sin. I understand now why pastors need others to vent to, and why we as followers need one another. Please take care and God Bless - Jeff L.