Meditations

Cleansed From Covetousness

Psalm 119:35, 36 

    Do you realize that Satan's approach to Adam and Eve was to get them to fall into covetousness?  His end was to get them to turn away from God and to live in hatred towards Him. But his means was to get them to covet God's wisdom and sovereignty. Therefore he told them that eating of the forbidden fruit would make them to be like God. And all our sin today is due to the fact that we covet God's unique position as our lawgiver, Lord and Master, Who may tell us what we must do and how to live.

    It is also for that reason that the psalmist in Psalm 119:35, 36 writes, "Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments;  for therein do I delight. Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies, and not to covetousness."  Or as we sing it:

    In Thy commandments make me walk
    For in Thy law my joy shall be;
    Give me a heart that loves Thy will,
    From discontent and envy free.

    Did you notice that the psalmist speaks again of the path of God's commandments and prays that he may walk therein with a heart that is not covetous? It is the discontent of covetousness that makes us walk in sin. Walking in God's law demands complete self denial. That is why the psalmist prays that his heart may be inclined to God's testimonies. Our hearts go out to the thing that pleases our flesh, not to what pleases God. When it comes down to it, we want to be God. Satan said that we could be like Him, and our old nature wants us to tell God to obey us, and be our servant.

    Our lips may not say that. Adam's did not either. But our walk does, and often our idea of heaven is that it is a place where all will serve us. Serving God there is not in our thoughts of heaven's blessedness.

    How necessary then that we pray earnestly and fervently that God will make us go in the path of righteousness. He must do it, and He sent His Son to earn the right for us to have it, and to incline our hearts to loving submission to Him. Make it your prayer today.

Read: Luke 12:13-31 
Psalter versification: #325:2

Meditations on the Heidelberg Catechism

Song for Meditation: Psalter number 21
Why not sing along??

Through the Bible in One Year
Read today:

 2 Samuel 23:24-39 
 2 Samuel 24:1-25 
 Acts 3:1-26 
 Psalm 123:1-4 
 Proverbs 16:21-23

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Quote for Reflection:

...it is certain that he did not suffer that punishment on his own account. It follows, therefore, either that he was crucified in vain, or that our curse was laid upon him, in order that we might be delivered from it. – John Calvin

Last modified on 04 June 2014

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  • Date: 5-June
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