Contrast in Deity and the Fallen Man

As of late I have been having the feeling of spiritual thirst. The dry feeling. The past several weeks I've been searching as to why. God promises those who seek will find. He gave me an answer.

Two nights ago, God directed my mind to the message preached in chapel by Dr. Berg. In it, he encouraged the student body to sometime take a day (or the bulk of it in the least) and spend it with God. This preposed idea has been looming in my mind the past several weeks-the Holy Spirit has been trying to direct my thoughts to it for a reason. So, yesterday not being busy, I decided to give it a try.

I’m starting a study in the book of Psalms for my devotions. Where better to start than chapter 1? God guided David’s writing to begin this great book with the perfect chapter. Verse 3 says “For his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate day and night.” God used this verse last February to totally direct my focus. Well, today I found Him doing just that again, and even with the same verse.

The satisfaction of spending time with God is the main theme in this chapter. When first reading it, rather it would seem the idea of being with “the right crowd” is the subject. When viewed at a different level, though, the root of choosing the broad or the narrow path can be traced back to the desire for happiness.

I once heard sin being explained by my youth pastor in a totally new way that I had never thought of before. Basically, every time someone sins, the motivation behind his actions can be boiled down to believing something false about God. The application of this to Psalm 1 is related to our belief about satisfaction. When we choose the sin of conforming to the world instead of God, where is the falsehood? It lays in in not believing that our Lord is able to bring us happiness and satisfy our souls.

Now back to verse 3--Christ promises the result of meditation on Him and the Word will indeed bring us joy. This is something which I, without a single doubt in mind, know to be true. Yet somehow the sin nature is easily deceived by the lies of Satan. He has twisted ways of making worldly things look beautiful, amen? I have been deceived by this again in the past couple weeks. It’s no wonder my soul has been feeling dry!

In contrast, “the ungodly are not so.” Panting for temporary treasure will forever leave their souls empty, and eventually will be driven away by the winds of time. The thought of how I’ve been slipping into this again terrifies me beyond measure. I can just thank God that He has other plans for me in life.

Unfortunately, the category of the ungodly is extended to both the saved and the unsaved. True, ultimately salvation is what will separate us at the throne of God (verse 5), but what’s separating Christians today? Just simply seeking after the wrong thing to water our souls during our earthly life.

A new recording was released from the Wilds this summer, and it contains the song ‘Fountain of Mercy’, which has really touched and challenged my heart. The text is as follows:

Wandering and lost in a desert so dry, heavy and burdened with sin,
Searching to know, thirsting to find peace and forgiveness within.
O Come to the fountain of mercy and find waters of hope and release,
Sin’s darkest night all washed away, drink from His well and find peace!

Fountain of mercy, Giver of grace, nothing to black for Your flow to erase,
Healing forgiving, flowing so free! Fountain of mercy, I come to thee.

Weary, defeated, and burdened by care, gone from the fountain too long--too long!
First love and passion now almost dry, lacking Christ’s joy and desire.
O come once again to the fountain and find waters abounding and fine,
Daily renewal, cleansing and peace, flooding each hungering soul.

Waters of life for the ones lost in sin, comfort and rest for the sheep,
Fountain of mercy, Constant supply, flowing so rich and so free!

Fountain of mercy, River of grace, nothing too black for your flow to erase,
Healing, forgiving, flowing so free! Fountain of mercy, I come to thee.
Wash over me... I come to thee.


Oh how I wish all of God’s children could understand this today! I’ve had to go through watching friends and others slip down into this wrong mindset, and it truly breaks my heart. Let me encourage anyone who would be reading this to always make God your ONLY source of joy! Spending time with my Lord today has been such a blessing which I will never be able to explain or even understand fully.

If I may, I would also like to request prayer while I am doing this study. This is exactly what Satan doesn’t want, and already he has put oppositions in my path, and I have no doubt he is going to do everything he can to keep me from growth. But, also I am so so thankful for God in all His glory being greater than anything the devil is. Through this study I’m praying earnestly for Him to develop roots in the Word that I’ll be able to keep with me all through life.

Thank you, and I wish all of y’all the same happiness that the Lord has given me! =)

pieces,
~chris~