Abundance

You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. Psalm 4:7

Most of the Christian’s journey should be consumed with trying to grow our affection for God.  Once we have been brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ then our aim is to grow our understanding of the Gospel so that our affection for who God is and what He has done deepens.  It is out of this affection that our ability to obey God, fight sin, faithfully pursue God’s mission in the world, live in Christian community, etc… will grow as well.  If this understanding is correct then it stands to reason that what we are continually chasing after is the Psalmist’s posture here in verse 7.  If you’re anything like me you read a verse like this and think to yourself, “this sounds really good, I want that!”  The Psalmist is telling us to picture what great joy looks like by giving us this imagery of abundance.  The Psalmist says picture someone who has an absolute abundance of grain and wine.  Their needs are met, they are comfortable, content, and provided for.  They have more than they need and they are secure.  In the Psalmist’s world then, and in our world now, the thought is people like this are happy and filled with joy.  The Psalmist tells us that God has put more joy in his heart than someone in this position of abundance could ever know or experience from their earthly pleasures.  The joy that God has given them isn’t even worth comparing to the joy that the world can offer.  The one who has much grain and wine thinks they know abundance, but the Psalmist is letting us know where true abundance is found.  God is more…always abundantly more.  He abounds and when our joy is found in Him we know the posture of abundant joy.    

This sounds good right?  We want to feel the joy of God, and we want to feel as though it’s better than anything else.  This is what we’re striving for.  At least it should be.  This should be the desire of the Christian’s heart and mind.  This should be what we are pursuing…to know God more so that our affection for Him grows.  Thinking more on who our God in His abundant holiness, sovereignty, love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, justice, goodness, righteousness and glory.  Thinking more on what our God has done in sending Jesus as our sacrificial substitute, and the amazing truth that through Christ’s work we have been brought close to God.  Thinking more and more on the abounding blessings and provisions our God graciously brings to us each day.  Thinking regularly on the comfort, peace and sustaining power of our God that goes far beyond what the world can offer.  Church, do you want to feel the abundant joy of God?  Do you long to feel as though God is better than all earthly pleasures?  Then think on Him…think on Him continually.  It is impossible to find abundant joy in a God we do not know, so our task is to know Him more and more.  Trusting that as we know Him more and more the posture that the Psalmist has here will be real to us as well.  May we know the abounding nature of our God.

PRAYER OF THE DAY: God, thank you that You are all I need.  Help me to find my utmost joy in You!