Greetings All,
Today's 'thoughts' come to you
from Thomas Watson
(1620-1686), and are found in a recent devotional book containing
various selections from his writings. The book is entitled "Glorifying God - A Year Long
Collection of Classic Devotional Writings by Thomas Watson."
It was complied and adapted by Patti M. Hummel.Watson was an English Puritan who was widely read in days past, and both inspired and mentored (through his many books) the great Charles Spurgeon. In fact, what Spurgeon says of one of his books could summarize most every one he wrote: "This is a happy union of sound doctrine, heart-searching experience, and practical wisdom." Today's selections have to do with glorifying God by being cheerful and delighting in Him. Enjoy.
"Serve the Lord
with gladness." (Psalm 100:2)
"It brings glory
to God when the world sees a Christian who is cheerful in the worst times; who,
with the nightingale, can sing in the dark of night as well as the light of
day. The people of God have many reasons to be cheerful. They are
justified and adopted, and this creates inward peace, and makes music in their
hearts, whatever outer storms may be buffeting them. If we consider what Christ
has done for us by His blood, and wrought in us by His Spirit, it is a reason
for great cheerfulness, and this cheerfulness glorifies God.
It reflects upon a
master when the servant is always drooping and sad. It speaks of his life
being hard because his master does not give him what is fitting. When God's
people hang their heads, it looks as if they do not serve a good master, or
have fallen from their choice to follow Him, which reflects dishonor upon God.
As the gross sins
of those who claim to be believers bring scandal on the gospel, so do
the uncheerful lives of the godly. Our service to God does not glorify
Him unless we do so with gladness. A Christians cheerful looks glorify
God. Our Christian faith does not take away our joy, it refines it.
It does not break our violin, but tunes it and makes the music produced by it even
sweeter."
"Though you have
not seen Him, you love Him..." (I Peter 1:8)
"God is a
delicious good. That which is the chief good must ravish the soul with
pleasure. There must be in it a rapturous delight and quintessence of joy.
There is certain sweetness about God's person which delights, even ravishes,
the soul. God's love drops such infinite sweetness into the soul that is
unspeakable and full of glory.
When we delight in
God even though we see Him only by faith, what will our joy be when
we see Him face to face? If the saints found so much delight in God while they
are suffering, oh what joy and delight will they have when they are being
crowned!
God is a superlative
good. He is better than anything you can compare with Him. He is better than
health, riches, and honor. Other things maintain life, He gives life. Who would
weigh anything on a scale opposite the Deity? Who would weigh a
feather against a mountain of gold? God excels all things more infinitely than
the sun outshines the light of a candle.
God is an eternal
good. He is the Ancient of Days, yet never decays nor grows old (Daniel 7:9).
The joy He gives is eternal, the crown does not fade way. The glorified soul
shall forever comfort itself in God, feasting on His love, and sunning itself
in the light of His countenance. God is the chief good, and the enjoyment of
God is the highest contentment any soul is able to know."
The first question of
the Westminster Shorter Catechism, along with its answer, are
well-known to many. Question: "What is the chief
end of man? Answer: "To glorify God and
enjoy Him forever."
Yet John Piper
is well-known for changing two words in that answer and suggesting it should
instead be: "To glorify God by enjoying Him
forever." In fact Piper goes on to suggest: "God
is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him."
Who could disagree? It fits perfectly with Watson's thoughts.
We glorify God most
fully when we show the onlooking world that God fully satisfies our soul.
And in keeping with that, what better visible expression is there of that
satisfaction of soul than a cheerfulness that radiates from our
countenance?
Of course, we are not
to fake smiles, or pretend to be cheerful when we are not -- for that would
dishonor God as well. Likewise, Watson and Piper are not suggesting
we will never have down days where we must work through sorrow
or disappointment. But I believe they are suggesting we should not get
stuck there.
In fact, when we find
ourselves there, our aim should be to seek His face with all our
hearts, reflect on all He has done for us, bask in His comforting
presence, call to mind all His infinite perfections, and feast on the Gospel
truth of His incomprehensible and irrevocable love for us in Jesus. We are to
let the remembrance of His great grace toward us warm our hearts,
stir our souls, and dispel the gloom that can overtake us when we focus on our
circumstances, instead of our merciful and wise Father in heaven who
loves us and grows us through them.
Blessings on your
day, Pastor Jeff
