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14 February 2016

Psalm 16

Those who say God is cold and joyless have obviously never read the Bible.

In The Screwtape Letters the senior devil Screwtape quotes this psalm specifically when he accuses God of hedonism. It's worth noting that those who know God best are always talking about his joys and gifts; it's only those who don't know him who think he's harsh or cruel.

1 comment:

  1. The Bible shows God seeking pleasure, not for the pleasure only, but as the flip side of fruitfulness. He expects man made in His image to be fruitful in His purpose and be pleasingly satisfied in doing so. When we find out that obeying God unto fruitfulness brings joy, for joy we may soon forget which one comes first and in a sense become Christian hedonists as John Piper likes to point out. This past Sunday one verse of my assigned study in Matthew 11 was: "At that time Jesus said, 'I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father because this was Your good pleasure'." The Father seeks His own good pleasure yesterday, today, and forever. He made us and by the Gospel redeems us to seek and experience the same pleasures with Him forever.

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