Thrilling!

As I began to pray over the idea of a NEW SEASON this morning, I was eventually led to Psalm One.  Here the psalmist seems to lay out some very specific guidelines in order for one to “bear fruit in due season.” (Psalm 1:3 – Moffatt)  He starts out with a definite statement about staying clear of the advice of the ungodly and of those who scoff at the truth of God’s Word.  Instead we are told to “thrill to God’s Word” and “chew on Scripture day and night.” (Psalm 1:2 -The Message)  The King James Version tells us to “delight” in the law of the Lord.”

I thought it was especially interesting that the writer used the idea of “delighting” or “thrilling” in the Word, or more specifically in “the law of the Lord.”  In the New Testament, Paul defined love as the “fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13:10)  Galatians 6:2 tells us to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” (Moffitt)  John Wesley in his Explanatory Notes states that “The law of Christ is the law of love: this our Lord peculiarly recommends; this he makes the distinguishing mark of his disciples.”  So therefore, the Psalmist is strongly encouraging us to “delight” or be “thrilled” in the love of the Lord!

I have found that this is also a good way to discern the source of any advice that is offered you according to verse one.  There was much advice given to me by Christians that carried no delight in it!  In fact, when you really decipher what was said, it was actually scoffing at the Word that the Lord had given us to stand on!  These folks had no joy.  They found no “thrill” at the truth of God’s Word in our situation at that time.  Their delight was in what they considered sound financial decisions and natural considerations to combat what was attacking my wife’s health.  What we considered to be the Word’s infallible truth was an obvious second or third choice in their minds.

Our delight and expectations in the Word was met with reactions of anger, criticism and strong doses of intellectualism. Let me tell you… the devil will use whoever or whatever he can to try and tell you how stupid and simple-minded you are to just delight or be thrilled in God’s Word!  But again, the Word tells us that this IS the answer and that the one who executes this type of faith will “bear fruit in due season.”

So if this truly is a NEW SEASON, I want to make sure that my vine is loaded and bearing large ripe fruit… How about you?  I have a good friend back in California that told me the other day of one of his tomato bushes that is bearing fruit as large as a tea saucer!  I can’t wait to see the pictures he is sending me.  My upside down tomato is also loaded, in fact we picked and devoured our first fruit of the season two days ago. (Not nearly as large as my friends though!)

The Word tells that in order to be like my friend’s or my tomato vines is to “delight” or be “thrilled” in the law of Christ’s love.  So I would encourage you today to stir it up!  Get happy!  Get joyful!  Get yourself so expectant in the Word of love that you simply can’t control yourself and have to spread the “thrill” of His joy to everyone that you come into contact with!  Let their encounter with you be one that leaves them with a sense of self-worth, expectancy and joy in the potential that God’s Good News holds for them!  Have a great day.  Stay in tune to His Word, and keep asking yourself… “What or Whom am I expecting to “THRILL” today?”