Practicing the Fear of the LORD. A Final Mediation on the "I.O.U.S."

A few weeks ago I had "toyed" with adding a letter to the "I.O.U.S." of John Piper, the letter "P" representing the word "practice." (Last Meditation was on December 11th) Actually, I did a little more than toy with it; I actually wrote to Desiring God Ministries and explained my thoughts to them. I don't expect it'll amount to anything. Surely they receive hundreds of such emails. But I wasn't trying to be cute or clever. It just seemed a good thing. Let me explain.

Among my regularly scheduled devotional readings, Psalm 111:10 sort of "popped out" at me. It says,

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever. (ESV)

Now, if you consider that this is among the several "Praise Psalms," or "Hallel Psalms," (for Hallelujah, "praise the LORD"), these closing words exude a meaning all their own. But apart from these last words of Psalm 111 there is an interesting interplay between wisdom and our acquisition of it. "The fear of the LORD" is a not too unfamiliar phrase which we encounter in Scripture and which is rich with implications in itself. I am sort of (lovingly) setting aside these two phrases so that I can isolate the one I am interested in accentuating, namely, "all those who practice it have a good understanding." This is where my prayer centers--practice. All who practice "it" what? "It" refers to "the fear of the LORD." Notice it does not say, "all who know how to define it," or "all those who think it's a good idea." But all who practice it. It's the practicing of a virtue that evidences the reality of our faith in that virtue (or, rather in the God who prompts such virtues). Many in Bible-believing churches will grant that these things are true; they give them, as the OT says, "lip-service." They agree with the need for "the fear of the LORD." But, that, as we all know, is definitely NOT the same as exhibiting it, living it out in every day life, or . . . practicing it! Practicing the faith cannot be done by those who's only interest in God is circumstantial or from a distance.

For many in Bible-believing churches today, God is more of a name they respect at arm's length, not the intimate Lord of their heart. Thus, it is vitally necessary that we pray this prayer often:

Lord, guide me into a proper fear of God and then, help me to so embrace it, to so own it that I live it out, yes, practice it every day . . . as a lifestyle.

"Practical godliness is the test of wisdom," writes C. H. Spurgeon. "Men may know and be very orthodox, they may talk and be very eloquent, they may speculate and be very profound; but the best proof of their intelligence must be found in their actually doing the will  of the Lord."

Further, as we fear the LORD we gain a good understanding. What is God's will? How can we know? Answer? Fear the LORD, and the understanding will follow. Don't put the cart before the horse. Believe rightly (fear the LORD) and you will know God's will and live rightly (have a good understanding). We too often hear, "Show me your will and I will do it." God says, "Trust in me and I will show you my will."

One further thot: If we were to take the "P" of practice and place it at the beginning of Piper's "I.O.U.S." it would be "P.I.O.U.S." I don't know . . . it sorta works out. Right? Either way, even it doesn't "catch on," it'd be wise of us to pray for such a practicing heart. May our wise and loving God help us all!

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Preferring Heaven to this World--John Huss

What are the riches of the world to me! What affliction can their loss cause me! What is it to me to lose the favour of the world, which makes us swerve from the path of Christ! What signifies infamy, which, when supported with humility, proves, purifies, and illuminates the children of God in such a manner that they shine like the bright sun in their Father's kingdom.

And lastly, what is death, should this miserable life be torn from me! He who loses it in this world triumphs even over death, and finds true life in the next.

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A Christmas Prayer to Ponder

The following comes thanks to my friend, Jack Hager, who posted this on his blog.  Jack says, "This is astoundingly, personally applicable!" Agreed. Written by Scotty Smith, Pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, Tn:

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:16-19

Dear Lord Jesus, I’m very much convicted by and drawn to Mary’s response, early in her journey of nursing you and knowing you—the very God who created all things, sustains all things and makes all things new. She “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

“Hurrying off” like a shepherd to tell others about you has always been easier for me than sitting still… and letting you tell me about yourself.

It’s always been easier for me to talk than to listen, to stay busy than to relax, to be “productive” than to be meditative… I confess this as sin, Lord Jesus. This isn’t okay. It can be explained, but not justified. 

For knowing about you is not the same thing as knowing you. An informed mind is not the same thing as an enflamed heart.

To know you IS eternal life, and I DO want to know you, Lord Jesus, so much better than I already do. Lead me in the way of treasuring you in my heart and pondering who you are… and pondering everything you’ve already accomplished through your life, death and resurrection… and everything you’re presently doing as the King of kings and Lord of lords… and everything you’ll be about forever in the new heaven and new earth, as the Bridegroom of your beloved Bride. There’s so much to treasure and so much to ponder…

It’s not as though I’m a stranger to treasuring and pondering, for I treasure and ponder a whole lot of things, Lord Jesus—things, however, that lead to a bankrupt spirit and an impoverished heart.

May the gospel slow me, settle me and center me that I might be able to say with the Psalmist, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And being with you, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Ps 73:25-26). So very Amen, I pray, in Jesus’ name.

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THE DIVINE PURPOSE--A Book Recommendation

Recommended: 

THE DIVINE PURPOSE: Displayed in the Works of Providence and Grace in a Series of Letters to an Inquirer by John Matthews. 

Rev. John Matthews (1772-1848) tackles the thorny question of The Doctrine of the Divine Decree by expounding the following Question and Answer:

Q. 7. What are the decrees of God?

A. The decrees of God are, his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.

READ A SAMPLE:

In your evening walk you tread on a worm, and crush it to death; presently you observe a venomous serpent near your path, which you also kill. In the first case, the effect, as it respected yourself, was accidental; that is, it happened without your intention; you had no design to injure the worm. But in the latter, the effect, or event, was according to your intention; your killing the serpent was in consequence of a design, previously and deliberately formed, in your mind. And yet, in both cases you were the cause of death. In a thousand instances, the exertions of men produce Effects, not only without design, but contrary to their deliberate intentions. But nothing like this can possibly happen with God. It would be the height of absurdity, and manifest the greatest ignorance of his character to suppose, that his power was exerted in blind efforts, and was producing effects, which he had not previously designed. Every effect which his power produces, is according to the predetermination of his own wisdom.

Solid Ground Christian Books is honored and excited to be able to introduce a new title that first appeared in 1825, then again in 1828, and then in 1840, and most recently in 1843 with an excellent Preface by Archibald Alexander of Princeton Seminary.
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A Call to the Perseverance of the Saints-Helen Roseveare

This morning in Sunday School, we are going to view a video from the Desiring God National Conference held in Minneapolis, September 29, 2007. The following are a brief set of notes to capture the essence of what she said. God took Helen through a series of extremely difficult tests as a missionary, including being raped as a young lady. Her message does not come from some sheltered “ivory tower,” but from the trenches of warfare. I invite you to view this online if you are not a part of our adult Sunday School! May the Lord bless each of us as we tackle the certain warfare we are bound to endure IF we are to go on in grace unto glory.

“A Call for the Perseverance of the Saints”  

Message Notes

Just as Jesus endured until his "It is finished," so too we can endure if we keep our eyes on him. We can endure if we accept his loving discipline and endure, without giving up or getting bitter, the hardships that he gives.

It is utterly essential to persevere to the end. To start a race is fine; but it's much more important that we finish, that we hit the tape.

Three biblical "one things" pertain to this:

"One thing I know" (John 9:25). Past tense. It's the gospel. We come to know it at conversion, when we go from a state of blindness to seeing. This is the foundation of our joy and hope.

"One thing I do" (Philippians 3:13-14). Present tense and active. Our present activity is to tell others about Jesus, with earnestness, and to remain faithful to him in all that he has called us to do. We must continue daily in this, in order to please him, in choices big and small. There's a temptation to slack off, tone down, seek greener pastures, but we must remain committed. This means that we must be willing to go down into the valleys. And in our hardships we must trust that God is accomplishing his greater purposes for us.

"One thing I seek after" (Psalm 27:4). Future orientation. We must make it our priority at all times to seek to love him above all things, dwelling and gazing upon his beauty. Have you let Jesus Christ into your life in a way that you are withholding nothing from his influence? Do you treasure your early morning hour with him? Do you guard the sanctity of the Sabbath? Do you love him more than the things that keep you from fellowshipping with his people? Do you long to gaze upon his face in order that you might be like him? 

2 Kings 3. The Lord is calling us to trust him to fill our valleys with the perfectly-timed waters of his grace. Press on. God is faithful. 

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Doing The Will of God From the Heart-Eph. 6:6

The manner in which we do God's will is as important as the thing itself.  We obey acceptably when we obey from the heart.  We do God's will acceptably when we do his will as it is done in heaven, that is, as the angels do it.  How do the angels obey?

(1.) They do it regularly, without wavering.  Angels do not do anything but that which is commanded.  Obedience must be set by the sundial of God's Word.

(2.) Angels obey God's will entirely with nothing cut away.  The least command cannot be left undone.  Every command has the same authority, and if we do God's will uprightly, we do it uniformly; we obey every branch of his will with unlimited obedience.  Many do God's will by halves.  They pick and choose like a lame horse that favours one leg.  To play a lute you must strike every string or spoil the music.  Hypocrites profess fair, but when it comes to sacrficing their Isaac, crucifying a beloved sin, or parting with some estate for Christ, they pause and say as Naaman, 'In this matter may the Lord pardon your servant' (2 Kings 5:18).  It is acceptable with God, though we fail in some measure, that we desire to do all of God's will and that it grieves us that we do not do better.

(3.) Angels obey sincerely; first, by pure respect to his command.  It was a hard service for Abraham to sacrifice his son, and though he surely did not feel present joy, he obeyed, because God commanded it.  The command, not comfort, is the ground of duty.  Secondly, we obey sincerely when we do God's will with a pure eye to his glory.  The Pharisees obeyed for vain-glory.  He that does God's will rightly desires God's honour to be lifted up in all the world rather than his own glory.  A gracious soul makes God his focus and obeys his commands with the pure motive of lifting up his glory.

Thomas Watson, The Lord's Prayer, pp. 156-159, from new book from Banner of Truth, Voices From the Past.

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Satisfied ONLY in Christ! Meditation 6 on the I.O.U.S.

The fourth and final verse John Piper uses as an aid to keep himself engaged with God's Word and Life through Christ is the "S" of the IOUS:

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days (Psalm 90:14).

Here is a call to engage God with divinely enabled pleasure. "Satisfy us." I don't want to learn just what you say--doctrine. Or, learn how to live, application. Both of these are vital and together form the basis of all Christian growth. To learn the truth and then to live it out comprises most of the believer's energies. Still, combined they are not precisely where the Christian should aim. Rather, Psalm 90:14 brings the two together--doctrine and application--and drives them to the land where God himself is my pleasure and to be in his presence results in my highest joy!

Why Pray This?
FIRST, because we sin. Because the essence of sin is the attempt to replace my satisfaction in Jesus Christ with . . . well . . . just about ANYTHING! Even church, or Bible, or kindness. But we also find ourselves finding happiness in lesser, God-denying things too like gossip, anger toward someone, pornography, or love of money. We pray because we desperately need God's help! And we have it. Praise the Lord we have an Advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the Righteous (1 John 2:1).

SECOND, we pray this because we want something better . . . much, much better! Probably the greatest of sins we commit with regularity (and don't realize it) is the sin of dull, puny expectations. When a believer does not KNOW what he is missing, it is easy to loiter around the back streets when a superior road belongs to him! God has saved us to a higher life, life IN Christ! This is the "light of life" (John 8:12). Don't underrate that Jesus came that we might have "life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). An old and maybe unfamiliar hymn emphasizes this:

I'm pressing on the upward way;
New heights I'm gaining ev'ry day,
Still praying as I'm onward bound,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

And for the tension of this world? Stanza 2:

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay.
Tho' some may dwell where these abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

Now, that's the heart! "Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love . . ." Amen!

(Please see my post for Nov. 16th for the first of these meditations)

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