‘Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth’ (1 Corinthians 13:6)
Yesterday, someone drew my attention to this devotional by Charles Spurgeon, and I thought that it spoke directly to our theme of delighting in truth:
"The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." (Psalm 126:3)... Some Christians are sadly prone to look on the dark side of everything, and to dwell more upon what they have gone through than upon what God has done for them. Ask for their impression of the Christian life, and they will describe their continual conflicts, their deep afflictions, their sad adversities, and the sinfulness of their hearts, yet with scarcely any allusion to the mercy and help which God has vouchsafed them. But a Christian whose soul is in a healthy state, will come forward joyously, and say, "I will speak, not about myself, but to the honour of my God. He hath brought me up out of an horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings: and he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God. The Lord hath done great things for me, whereof I am glad." Such an abstract of experience as this is the very best that any child of God can present. It is true that we endure trials, but it is just as true that we are delivered out of them. It is true that we have our corruptions, and mournfully do we know this, but it is quite as true that we have an all-sufficient Saviour, who overcomes these corruptions, and delivers us from their dominion. In looking back, it would be wrong to deny that we have been in the Slough of Despond, and have crept along the Valley of Humiliation, but it would be equally wicked to forget that we have been through them safely and profitably; we have not remained in them, thanks to our Almighty Helper and Leader, who has brought us "out into a wealthy place." The deeper our troubles, the louder our thanks to God, who has led us through all, and preserved us until now. Our griefs cannot mar the melody of our praise, we reckon them to be the bass part of our life's song, "He hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." (June 9th, Morning and Evening)
RESPONSE
Are you and I delighting in evil? Even if we are not, are we giving more of our attention and meditations to our failures and sufferings than we are to our victories in Christ?
As the great hymn encourages us:
“When upon life's billows, You are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, Thinking all is lost; Count your many blessings, Name them one by one, And it will surprise you, What the Lord has done.” “Are you ever burdened, With a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy, You are called to bear? Count your many blessings, Every doubt will fly, And you will keep singing, As the days go by”
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