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The prophet Jeremiah expressed his delight in God’s word by telling God, “Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and delight of my heart; for I have been called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts” (Jer. 15:16).

Jeremiah’s statement is compelling, particularly in light of the difficult and grievous circumstances under which he ministered. In spite of the pain and sorrow he experienced, it was the Word of God which nourished and delighted his soul.

The same should be true for every child of God, in an ever-increasing way. It is by means of His Word that God sanctifies His people (Jn. 17:17). And the more we behold the glory of God in Christ in His Word, responding to Him in faith and obedience, the more our souls will be full of true joy and satisfaction in Him. So God graciously commands us through Peter: “…like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord” (1 Pet. 2:2,3).

How do you learn to feed on and delight in God’s Word? Let me give some brief bullet points to encourage the nourishment of your soul in the Truth.

• Be persuaded of the absolute importance of feeding on God’s Word. Meditate on the above passages, and others such as Ps. 119:98-100.

• Make a priority of Bible reading, study, meditation, memorization, and application. Passionately follow the example of Ezra (see Ezra 7:10). Is knowing God through His Word your ultimate priority?

• Have a plan for feeding on Scripture. On a daily basis, when will you sit down to eat God’s Word? Where will you read? Do you have a plan for memorizing God’s Word? Let me suggest two excellent plans for systematically reading through Scripture, both of which you can find with a simple “Google” search:

                Professor Grant Horner’s Bible Reading System         

                Robert Murray M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

• Continually pray for God to help you see and taste His glory and goodness as you devour His Word. Passages such as Ex. 33:18; Ps. 119:18,36, 37; and Mt. 7:7-11 are great encouragements in this regard!

• Find someone to partner with you in this pursuit of devouring God’s Word. The accountability and encouragement of one or two others in this gracious discipline is a great help!

• Be devoted to putting into practice what you are learning from God’s Word. Be a doer, and not just a hearer of God’s Word, lest you deceive yourself (James 1:22-25).

• Be committed to persevering. Learning to feed on and delight in the Word of God is a Christ-exalting, Gospel-centered, faith-driven HABIT that must be cultivated! Some days you’ll do better than others. But don’t quit! If you are genuinely seeking Him with a hungry and teachable heart, He’ll meet you, feed you, and satisfy your soul with His infinite grace and truth in Christ. Press on!

Learning to trust and feed with you,

The essence of God’s love in Jesus Christ is an active, sacrificial love that secures the eternal well being of those He has chosen. All of God’s saving purposes in Christ are the outworking not only of His sovereign love for the elect, but His love for Jesus Christ (John 17:20-26). Those who have tasted God’s transcendent love through faith in Christ have done so because God did something. Of His own initiative and design, God acted. And in a way that fully reflected His holy, righteous, just, and loving character, He acted to do that which alone could bring permanent salvation to those He loves – He gave His own Son. Hear how the New Testament writers speak of this:

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.(1 Peter 1:3)

As those who have received God’s love in Christ, Christians now have the privilege and responsibility of sacrificially loving others by His power and for His glory. Thus our love is radically distinct from the world’s ideas of love, because it is a love that is grounded in and flowing from the truth of all that God has given us in Jesus Christ.

This is what John goes on to speak of in 1 John 3:

16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. (1 John 3:16-18)

The point is clear: if you claim to be a Christian – if you testify that you’ve been born again – are you showing evidence of this by laying down your life for the brethren? Are you opening your heart to the needs of those around you, and seeking to meet those needs with the resources God has given you? Do you actively strive to love others in deed and truth?

Very practically, and with reference to Christ’s body at RCG (though our love for others should certainly extend beyond our church family), are you prayerfully seeking to notice the needs of others with the intent of actively responding to those needs? Think about when we gather on the Lord’s Day. Are you reaching out to others, lovingly taking the initiative to learn of and respond to their needs for the glory of Christ? There are myriads of needs: physical needs, spiritual needs, relational needs, etc. We only have to look!

I thank God that there is distinct and everincreasing evidence of the love of God in Christ wonderfully at work in and through so many at RCG. May it continue to increase – all for God’s glory. To that end, let me encourage you to be continually praying that God will give you and others greater apprehension of His immeasurable love in Christ (see Eph. 3:14-21). Pray also that God will give you greater sensitivity and strength for how you can actively love others for His glory.

What a joy to share life in Him with you!

This coming July 10, a very significant and special birthday will be celebrated. On that day 500 years ago, in the small town of Noyon, France, one of the prominent figures in church history was born - John Calvin. While Calvin only lived 54 years on this earth, in God’s providence his Christ-exalting, Biblically-saturated influence continues all around the world even to this day. Indeed, because Calvin was first and foremost a preacher of God’s Word, his works are perhaps more relevant today than ever.

My son, Zach, gave me a special book this last Christmas that was compiled in honor of this great reformer’s 500th birthday. It is entitled 365 Days With Calvin (Day One Publications, 2008.) It is edited by Joel R. Beeke, and has daily readings based on excerpts from Calvin’s Commentaries. Each reading is followed by a brief meditation from Beeke. The entry from January 23 was
particularly convicting, and therefore encouraging to my soul - I trust it will be to yours as well. It’s entitled “Ungodly Society.”

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” Psalm 1:1

Calvin’s Comments: “The psalmist says it shall go well with God’s devout servants whose constant endeavor is to progress in the study of His law. Most people derided the conduct of the saints as mere simplicity and regarded their labor as useless. So it was important that the righteous should be confirmed in the way of holiness. This is done, first, by considering the miserable condition of all men who are without the blessing of God. It is supported by the conviction that God favors no one but those who zealously devote themselves to the study of divine truth. Moreover, as corruption has always prevailed in the world to such a degree that the general direction of men’s lives is nothing but a continual departure from the law of God, the psalmist admonishes believers to beware of being affected by the ungodliness of the multitude around them. Beginning with a declaration of his abhorrence of the wicked, the psalmist teaches us how impossible it is for anyone to meditate upon God’s law without first withdrawing and separating himself from the society of the ungodly. This is surely a needful admonition, for we see howthoughtlessly men will throw themselves into the snares of Satan and how few there are who guard against the enticements of sin.

“To be fully apprized of our danger, we must remember that the world is fraught with deadly corruption. The first step to living well is to renounce the company of the ungodly; otherwise their conduct is sure to infect us with pollution.”

Beeke’s Meditation: “Calvin’s comment that it is impossible to meditate upon God’s law when surrounded by the ungodly is very applicable today. Cell phones, iPods, e-mail, and other technology can dominate our lives and surround us with ungodly influences. In our use of these technologies, are we taking care to avoid what the psalmist warns us against in Psalm 1:1?”