"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4
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Yesterday, I went shopping at the mall with my friend Dana. We were just browsing, looking for sale items, enjoying ourselves, etc. We went into the jewelry store, "Icings" to see if they were still holding their sale that I had come across a few weeks ago. The sale had ended unfortunately. We didn't really see much we liked so we started meandering out of the store. As I was walking out, I had some very intense thoughts enter my mind about materialism in my life. I suddenly became aware that what I was seeking that day was definitely not Jesus Christ or His glory. (Which I have every reason to be seeking!) In the past, I have never really been one to get caught up in glamor and fashion world. My family and close friends I've grown up with would probably tell you that I do not like to be showy or flashy with my wardrobe. Not until the last few weeks or so have I started getting this itch to have more (clothes, jewelry, accessories that draw attention to me) when it comes to wardrobe.
So it hit me that my desires were not for Jesus, but for things that do not produce lasting fullfillment. I said to myself, "Renae, Jesus is worth so much more than these things! Why do you even want them?"
To actually say no to my selfish desires like that was so wonderful! It got me thinking about how few times do I actually put off selfish things and seek Jesus instead. Then, the sermon this morning by Pastor Viars....The Discipline of Delight; The Foundation of our Discipline- Delighting in our Savior. :)
We looked at Psalm 34 and 37.
3 Principles to help us develop a disciplined life for the right reason:
1. We choose the object of our delight.
"When principles or steps wander from Christ himself, they become self-serving guidelines. They make our marriages, families, friendships, and work go better, but the goal is our own betterment more than the glory of God...! 'Be good' and 'Do right' are fine messages , but when they stand alone they have more in common with the Boy Scouts' Handbook than Scripture. Remember that in the Bible, 'This is who God is and what He has done' always precedes 'This is what you must do.' Action follows our knowledge of God and trust in Him. It is as if God has said to us, 'Now that you have seen who I am, you will want to love Me in return..."
- Edward T. Welch - Addictions: A banquet in the Grave p. 155
2. Delighting in God Begins in the Soul but it can never remain there
-v.1 and v.2
-It is personal, continual, and genuine.
"We approach the Bible with a 'where can I find a verse on ________' mentality. We forget that the only hope the principles offer rests on the Person, Jesus Christ...We cannot treat the Bible as a collection of therapeutic insights. To do so distorts its message and will not lead to lasting change. If a system could give us what we need, Jesus would never have come...He is the only answer, so we must never offer a message that is less than the good news. We don't offer people a system; we point them to a Redeemer." - Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands, Paul David Tripp. p. 8,9
"Ephesians gives us no Reader's Digest of 'six principles for successful marital conversation' or 'four keys to getting your life organized.' Such advice is often reasonably OK, though rather pale and powerless." Seeing with New Eyes, David Powlison. p. 43
3. Delighting in the Lord is a Firm foundation for spiritual growth and Vitality
(This is the point that hit me the most! I think I have grown the most when I actually make decisions to delight in Jesus and who He is and the gift of the cross, instead of worthless desires.)
-34:10 - Young lions - people who delight in falsehood (Psalm 62:4), scoffing (Proverbs 1:22), in doing evil (Proverbs 2:14), in sexual sin (Proverbs 7:18).
-John Piper "Sin is what we do when we are not satisfied in God."
Righteousness that is built on a growing love for Christ will stand the test of time.
(This is one of my favorite quotes right now!!!) :
"Holiness does not come merely by creating a list of moral taboos and then exerting our willpower to resist them. 'Just say no' alone doesn't work. Of course, we must say 'No.' Please don't misunderstand me. But lasting, meaningful victory will come only if there is something more enticing to which we can say 'Yes!' ....We must swallow up the flicker of sin's pleasure in the forest fire of holy sanctification. The only thing that will ultimately break the power of sin is passion for Jesus. The only thing that will guard me from being entrapped by sin is being entranced by Jesus. In other word, the key to holiness is falling in love!!" Pleasures Evermore, Sam Storms p. 31-32
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God was so gracious to give me a message like that this morning. I guess I really needed it to remind me to be active in delighting in HIM!
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