August 27, 2012
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you drink, but you never have your fill... | letter 145 on assurance & fighting for joy
Haggai 1:6 ... you drink, but you never have your fill...
Psalm 45:10
Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear:
forget your people and your father's house...
I Corinthians 15:34
Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning.
For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.John 4:10
Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God,
and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’
you would have asked him,
and he would have given you living water.”
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
(Martin Janus, tr. to English by Robert S. Bridges)Jesu, joy of man’s desiring,
Holy wisdom, love most bright;
Drawn by Thee, our souls aspiring
Soar to uncreated light.Word of God, our flesh that fashioned,
With the fire of life impassioned,
Striving still to truth unknown,
Soaring, dying round Thy throne.Through the way where hope is guiding,
Hark, what peaceful music rings;
Where the flock, in Thee confiding,
Drink of joy from deathless springs.Theirs is beauty’s fairest pleasure;
Theirs is wisdom’s holiest treasure.
Thou dost ever lead Thine own
In the love of joys unknown.Is Jesus the joy of your desiring?
Are you drinking from deathless springs – or lifeless cisterns?
This is eternal life: that you might come to Him, believe on Him, drink of Him, live by Him, desire Him, be filled with Him, enjoy Him, and be satisfied in Him –– to the glory of God!
John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst...53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not as the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”Isaiah 55
1 “Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
and delight yourselves in rich food.
3 Incline your ear, and come to me;
hear, that your soul may live;
and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
my steadfast, sure love for David.
Dearly-beloved Brethren,—Grace, mercy, and peace, from our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, be greatly multiplied to you. I remember you every day in my prayers before God, giving thanks to Him who called you out of darkness to His marvellous light.
It is true that formerly you were children of darkness, dragged along to eternal perdition by the prince of darkness; but now ye are children of light, being born of the Spirit by the Word of the living God. Walk in a way worthy of the Father of lights, who shone into your hearts to enlighten you in the knowledge of His divine glory in the face of Jesus Christ. Walk constantly, very dear brethren, after our beloved Lord Jesus Christ; for He assures you, in the Gospel of John, viii. 12, 'I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.' It is evident, then, that we cannot walk in the saving light which brings us eternal life, without continuing to walk after Christ. Light, life, salvation, the hope of glory, all spiritual and eternal blessings, are found in Christ Jesus our Lord; neither can they be found anywhere else. Christ is the storehouse of all the heavenly goods—Christ is the treasure of all the riches of Divine goodness—Christ is the fountain from which rivers of living water are always flowing—Christ is the sea, without either bottom or shore, which makes all the waves of grace, mercy, and love, pass on the believing soul—Christ is the Sun of the highest heavens, which scatters and throws all the rays of Divine wisdom and knowledge both among the angels above and the believers below. Whatever blessing you need, seek from Christ Jesus. It hath pleased the Father that in Him should be fully, and abundantly, all things. In Christ dwelleth all the grace and glory of the Godhead bodily. It is in Him that ye are full.
~ Excerpt from W.H. Hewitson's pastoral letter, written in 1846 to his flock in Madeira, Portugal. Found in "Memoir of the Rev. W.H. Hewitson: late minister of the Free Church of Scotland at Dirleton by the Rev. John Baillie," 4th edition, (London: James Nisbet & Co, 1853), 229-230, emphasis mine.
Revelation 22:17
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.”
And let the one who hears say, “Come.”
And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.Zechariah 10
16 On that day the LORD their God will save them,
as the flock of his people;
for like the jewels of a crown
they shall shine on his land.
17 For how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!
Grain shall make the young men flourish,
and new wine the young women.
Related:
my other posts on assurance & fighting for joy
my posts on Christian hedonism
Are you a radiant Christian or a drunken old woman? (letter 82 on assurance & fighting for joy)
As a deer pants ... Is your soul panting for God? (Psalms 42 & 43)
"Saving faith is wanting Jesus" ~ Are you loving His appearing or this present world?
The Father's Inheritance (Eleven days' journey ~ A lamentation & an exhortation)
five years ago ~ for your joy (AND an inheritance | Richard Sibbes & the Sealing of the Spirit) ~ Letter 136
Herein is love ... Vast as the ocean ~ And let him that is athirst come!
Two Fountains ~ Where are you drinking? What is flowing? Don't waste your drinking!
don't waste your new year ~ teach us, satisfy us, make us glad (Psalm 90:12-15)
Advent #1 WHY HAS JESUS COME? that we might have life & life more abundantly
Advent # 5 WHY HAS JESUS COME? So we might draw near to God | Even a Vapor
Advent # 7 WHY HAS JESUS COME? So we might be satisfied with Him
Finding pleasure in Him
Moderation in pursuing God? An answer from Jonathan Edwards
Moderation in pursuing God? An answer from George Whitefield
How's your spiritual appetite? (Jonathan Edwards)
Happy Birthday, John Piper ~ reflections on year-ends, aging, fruit bearing & Christian hedonism
this earthly manna ~ the Christian hedonist's plea
she shall rejoice ~ our citizenship is in heaven – Rejoice! | letter 134 on assurance & joy
consider ... our ways, the great cloud of witnesses, Susanna AnthonyScripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Photo credits:
Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_drunkard_Glyptothek_Munich_437_n1.jpg /CC BY-SA 3.0
Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jesus_and_the_Samaritan_woman_%28Jruchi_Gospels_II_MSS,_Georgia,_12th_cent.%29.jpg / CC BY-SA 3.0 / {{PD-Art|PD-old-100}}
Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mineral_Water_,_Tian_,_Azna.jpg / CC BY-SA 3.0
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Comments (2)
Nicely put and written, Karen.
I love my morning dose of scripture and prayer. My life, strange as it is, just works better going to God's filling station every morning.
It is an adventure. We are all happy remembering one man who walked on the moon and he was also an exceptional human being, but that is nothing compared to God's creation of the moon and the entire universe.
It is called perspective and you do help me keep my eye on the spiritual ball.
have a very nice evening,
frank
Yes, it's definitely better going to "God's filling station every morning" – but not only then ~ Psalm 1:1-3. We all need to constantly check our perspective and encourage one another to do the same; it's far too easy for us to take our eyes off the spiritual ball.
Frank, what a wonderful contrast you made between the created and the Creator, with your example of Neil Armstrong & the moon! That really puts us in our place ~ Isaiah 66:1-2, Psalm 95:6.