"Raking is easier than digging, but you only get leaves. If you dig you may get diamonds."
This hit me like a ton of bricks about 15 minutes ago. I am weary. I am fighting to have joy in Christ. I'm reading When I Don't Desire God by Piper. I dusted off the book from my shelf because well, I can relate to the title right now.
Read on:
"I have the profound sense that many people who complain of not being able to rejoice in God treat the knowledge of God as something that ought to be easy to get. They are passive. (me) They expect spiritual things to happen to them from out of nowhere. (me again) They don't grasp the pattern of the Bible expressed in Proverbs 2:1-6."
"If you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding."
"Look at all those aggressive words: "receive . . . treasure up . . . make your ear attentive . . . incline your heart . . . call out . . . raise your voice . . . seek . . . search" --if you do these, then knowledge of God will be yours. Not because you can make it happen. The giving of the knowledge is still in the hands of God: "For the LORD gives wisdom" No, the pursuit of the knowledge of God is not because you can make it happen, but because God freely chooses to bless seeking with finding. The pattern is seen in 2 Timothy 2:7 where Paul says, "Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything." You think. The Lord gives. Our thinking does not replace his giving. And his giving does not replace our thinking."
-John Piper
Can you relate to this at all? I certainly have been doing a lot of "raking" lately. I don't think (study, read, pray, dig) enough and I am passive. Digging is hard work. AND HARD IS GOOD! (I had to throw in a Brad Stine quote there:) Okay, good night. I need to go study!
5 comments:
Ahhh, that was good. The Word is wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
Hope it was ok that I linked to you on this post.. it really brought encouragement to my day today.
Thanks Tiffany for the reminder to dig, not just be content with swiping the surface. Your words were encouraging.
Tiffany, thanks for sharing your heart and how the Lord is working! May He be praised to see your desire to want to desire Him!
it was great to get to meet you and your family tonight.
i look so forward to getting to know you in the coming months. this entry shows me your heart. it makes me SO excited to be around women who are running (or striving to) run after our God.
good times ahead!
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