Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. - Psalm 1:1-2
I’m drawn to the words, “his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night” For the Christian, meditation on God’s word is not a duty to be fulfilled, but a delight to be indulged! When you feed on the Word daily, you find your resistance to sin strengthened and your heart for God satisfied. For just as the man who's recently enjoyed an amazing steak dinner isn’t tempted to stop off on the way home for a quick McDonald's cheeseburger, so a Christian who’s belly is full of the good things of God is not easily tempted to “sit down” to the feast of the wicked.
It is only the hungry who are ready to eat anything set before them. But if you fill your mind with God’s Word so that it satisfies the longings of your heart, you soon find an ever-growing power to say “No!” to sin. “No!” to sin because you’ve been saying “Yes!” to better things in Christ! That's the power of a superior delight!
One of the things people often miss, is that our hearts were made to be satisfied by something. "Satisfy me in the morning, with your steadfast love" Moses writes in Psalm 90:14. Notice that. He does not say. "Make me a man who doesn't need satisfaction." He says, "Satisfy me in you, so that I won't seek satisfaction elsewhere -- in lesser things. The key to not finding satisfaction in that which is sinful, is to pursue something better!...to find a deeper more lasting satisfaction in that which God has provided in Christ!
Thus David writes in Psalm 19:7-11,
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.
10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
Let us make God’s Word our daily delight. Let it strengthen us in our fight against sin as we read and meditate on it daily, and as we join together with other believers each week in faithful , Christ-exalting churches.
4 comments:
I love this post! It is also dangerous to fill our minds and hearts with things that appear to satisfy or only offer a "temporary relief."
For instance, it is a known fact that eating an abundance of carbohydrates will only make you crave more of the same. Like eating cake and cookies, etc., may make you feel full, even bloated at times. However, what happens usually an hour later? You crash!
It is important that we not fill ourselves with other things that are enjoyable, profitable, and are useful in the proper place. I am thinking specifically of replacing listening to even "Christian Music" or simply reading other "books" or sitting around and discussing, reading blogs --ouch--- and all those other things are great, in their proper perspective. Oh may we head the truth of these Scriptures that Scott has pointed out. May we delight ourselves in His Word! Meditate on it! Chew it up like a cow eating grass, regurgitate it and chew it up some more....don't miss any little part that a casual consumer would miss. For those who are in to coffee tasting...take a whiff, hold it, and delight yourself in it's goodness!!!
Brother, thank you for this post. May I also add, here is the way that we fight for joy.
The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart!
Well, I guess i am going to go on about this. I am reading through Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion. I love the fact that he mentions:
Complete happiness is to know God! (Book One, Chapter 5).
How can one know God? By Grace through Faith in Christ Alone. How can one have faith? By the Word of Christ! Delight yourself in His Word!
Well, I don't know about anyone else out there, but I guess I'm going to have a little shouting session here!
Shout my brother, shout. I pray that God gives us all this great hunger for Himself and His delights. What a Faithful God we serve.
Amen! What a phenomenal Word from the Lord!
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