Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Meat for the soul

These days I haven't found the kind of time I most enjoy to sit and read for hours, soaking in truth. Although time seems to be non-existent to pursue the things I most enjoy (reading, soaking in good words, working out consistently), I still find my heart and soul renewed with strength and joy at the most opportune times.

Take this a.m. Absolutely exhausted, my body longed for more time in bed. In the midst of this, I felt the presence of my Creator and King calling me to muster out of bed with a heart of joy.

Reading Charles Spurgeon this Morning brought a lot of insight too...

Psalm 149:2
Let Israel rejoice in him.

Our hearts can be glad because of Him no matter what we face. But we should be careful that our spring, our well of joy comes from Him and not that myriad of other things that are not authentic. "God my exceeding joy." We can be glad that He reigns, that He is King, that He sits upon the throne, and rules, even when we cannot see how. As Spurgeon wrote,

"Every attribute of God should become a fresh ray in the sunlight of our gladness. That He is wise should make us glad, knowing as we do our own foolishness. That He is mighty, should cause us to rejoice who tremble at our weakness. That he is everlasting, should always be a theme of joy when we know that we wither as the grass. That He is unchanging, should perpetually yield us a song, since we change every hour. That He is full of grace, that He is overflowing with it, and that this grace in covenant He has given to us; that it is ours to cleanse us, ours to keep us, ours to sanctify us, ours to perfect us, ours to bring us to glory-all this should tend to make us glad in Him. This gladness in God is as a deep river; we have only as yet touched its brink, we know a little of its clear sweet, heavenly streams, but onward the depth is greater, and the current more impetuous in its joy. The Christian feels that he may delight himself not only in what God is, but also in all that God has done in the past. The Psalms show us that God's people in olden times were wont to think much of God's actions, and to have a song concerning each of them."

Last night after Perspectives class, a group of students stuck around at Multnomah and sang worship songs. I thought that was pretty cool and would have stayed too if I didn't have to rush back to Carson with my mom.

It's good to worship. It's good to find time for joy and to draw upon the deep well of our Salvation. It is deeper than we know, this faith that we hold precious. It's richer than we've even begun to taste. Don't lose sight of that!