Check out this amazing imagery from Scripture’s anthropomorphic language. Consider this an update on my previous post on our tininess. The scripture, it speaks for itself here. Latin experts, would the phrase “res ipsa loquitur” work here?

Thus says the LORD:
“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool;
what is the house that you would build for me,
and what is the place of my rest?
All these things my hand has made,
and so all these things came to be,
declares the LORD.
But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word. – Isaiah 66

Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. – Ecclesiastes 5:2

For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. – Mal 3:6

James reminds us that every good gift comes from God, “with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” God is unchanging in his “being” and in his “perfections.” He is also unchanging in His purposes and promises.

The Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck points out that God’s immutability of being is of the utmost importance for maintaining the Creator/creator distinction and for our worship of God.

The doctrine of God’s immutability is of the highest significance for religion. The contrast between being and becoming marks the difference between the Creator and the creature. Every creature is continually becoming. It is changeable, constantly striving, seeks rest and satisfaction, and finds this rest in God, in him alone, for only he is pure being and no becoming. Hence, in Scripture God is often called the Rock…
-The Doctrine of God, trans. by William Hendriksen (Banner of Truth, 1977), p.149.

I am not the same person I was 4 years ago. (Hopefully, I’ve changed for the better!) But Praise God, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. – Deut 29:29

In the Institutes, Johny C warns Christians not to “pry into the secret things of God.” As we study theology, it would do us well to remember that God has not revealed all things to us. We need to come to God with respect and humility. Are we questioning God to learn or are we questioning Him because we feel that we can put Him on trial? Consider God’s response to wrongful probings.

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
“Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Dress for action like a man;
I will question you, and you make it known to me.
“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements–surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy? – Job 38

You will say to me then, “Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?” But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honored use and another for dishonorable use? – Romans 9

Have you ever considered that God may not have answered some of our questions in His word, because it would simply be above our heads?! How arrogant of us to think that we would comprehend His mysteries if He simply told us. We will never achieve the depth of knowledge and wisdom that God has. But consider God’s graciousness to those who come to Him with humility!

My son, 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; – Proverbs 2

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:5

What do George Washington, the Apostle Paul, and Thomas Edison have in common?

The answer: they have all died. I know, how morbid of me.

People naturally (and maybe subconsciously) try not to think about death. But it is good for us to think about death. Hebrews 9:27 says that “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” Let’s be realists and consider our brevity. We will all die! Do you know where you are going when you die? Hebrews 2 and 1 Corinthians 15 explains that Christians don’t have to fear death.

But even so, Christians would do well to consider their mortality. Thomas Watson suggests the following:

If we should be humble, let us contemplate our mortality. Shall dust exalt itself? The thoughts of the grave should bury our pride. … The serious meditation of death is enough to cure the swelling of pride. – (p.87 of A Godly Man’s Picture)

Whenever we come to a genealogy in scripture, study history, or watch the news, we can be reminded of man’s mortality.

James 4:13-17:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”– yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Will you serve God with the time he has given you? Pastors should cultivate humility and prepare to be replaced. Are you training up leaders to take your spot? Are you willing to leave your position if God so calls? You are God’s instrument. You are important, but not indispensable.

(FYI: Check out points 4 and 5 in “Don’t Waste Your Cancer“)

The worship of God is both a privilege and a duty of men. Christians would do well to consider how they worship. Consider the example that Psalm 136 sets out for us. A chorus of praise is given to God for His creative power and transcendent character and His providence in redemptive history.

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever. …

5 to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever; …

16 to him who led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever; …

23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever; ….

25 he who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

Many astute Christians warn against vain repetition in worship. In some circles, it is common place to sing a chorus over and over and over again. I’m not a fan of “vain” repetition. This said, I believe some repetition is appropriate and useful. I am a forgetful sinner and need to be reminded of God’s goodness. But God, His steadfast love endures forever!

Presbyterians need a dose of passioned orthodoxy. Worship that is theologically informed should engage our whole being in “religious affections.” We are to avoid the shallowness of pure emotionalism. (Ever hear praise music that sounds more like a secular love song?) Still, avoiding emotionalism doesn’t mean being void of emotions. Presbyterians do not need to hide their emotions. We should praise God for who He is and what He has done. Sing loudly and be glad!

I’ve not been praying enough. I know this because the Bible says pray without ceasing. I know this because I struggle with having joy and peace. God also used the evening sermons on prayer at Grace OPC to convict me. If I had communed with God, my emotions would be more stable. I can go too long without praying! Prayer is acknowledging ones dependence upon God. J.C. Ryle says that a person’s prayer reveals the health of his relationship with God.

God in his goodness, will drive us to prayer. He might bring relational conflicts, internal sin, or stressful situations in life. (Not that we should wait for these things to pray!) Work can drive us to prayer:

Work, work, from morning until late at night. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall have to spend the first three hours in prayer. -Martin Luther

Lust can drive us to prayer:

But some might say, “Waiting for marriage is unbearable and aggravating!” They’re right. It’s very similar to other difficulties requiring patience that believers must face, such as fasting, imprisonment, cold, sickness, and persecution. Lust is a serious burden. You must resist it and fight against it. But after you have overcome it through prayer, lust will have caused you to pray more and grow in faith. – Martin Luther

Here’s an article for you to consider: “Why Should Reformed Christians Pray?“

In Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones writes:

Perhaps there is nothing so frequently encountered as a cause of spiritual depression and unhappiness in the Christian life as this very problem of feelings. Where do they come in, and what should they be? People are constantly troubled about the matter, and I am sure that all who have ever been engaged in pastoral work will agree that there is no particular subject that brings people so often to the pastor as this very problem of feelings.

I regard it as a great part of my calling in the ministry to emphasize the priority of the mind and the intellect in connection with the faith; but though I maintain that, I am equally ready to assert that the feelings, the emotions, the sensibilities obviously are of very vital importance. We have been made in such a way that they play a dominant part in our make-up. Indeed, I suppose that one of the greatest problems in our life in this world, not only for Christians, but for all people, is the right handling of our feelings and emotions. Oh, the havoc that is wrought and the tragedy, the misery and the wretchedness that are to be found in the world simply because people do not know how to handle their own feelings! Man is so constituted that the feelings are in this very prominent position, and indeed, there is a very good case for saying that perhaps the final thing which regeneration and the new birth do for us is just to put the mind and the emotions and the will in their right positions.

As Christians, we must preach the gospel to ourselves and remind ourselves to base our emotions in truth. As John Piper points out in “Let Your Passion be Single,” the Bible is full of verses which tell us how to direct our emotions. Take a look at the emotions commanded by Scripture!

Rejoice in the Lord – Phil 4:4
Hope in God – Psalm 42
Fear him who can cast both soul and body into hell. – Luke 12
Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart. – Col 3

Never flag in zeal. – Romans 12:11
Weep with those who weep. – Romans 12:15
Brokenness and contrition are commanded… Be wretched, mourn, weep – James 4
Earnestly desire the sincere spiritual milk of the word – 1 Peter 2:2

Tenderheartedness Eph 4:32
Gratitude is commanded. Give thanks for everything – Eph 5:20
Do not let the sun go down on your anger.- Eph 4:26

God wants us to take command of our emotions. In times of loneliness, I need to remind myself to be at peace because God is at my right hand. In times of suffering, I need to remind myself to rejoice because God is good and sovereign. In times of stress, I need to remind myself to trust God and not stress out. How kind of God to provide a way out of spiritual depression!

To take command of our emotions, we must believe in Jesus Christ and His promises. (Many of the emotions above are given as commands. We have a responsibility to control our emotions. At the same time, the ability to control our emotions and faith is a gift that can only come from God. Remember Augustine’s famous prayer: “Grant what Thou commandest, and command what Thou dost desire.”) May God grant us the grace we need for faith and life.