Interview With A Man Who Desires to Be Happy

Before reading the following interview of myself (how vain is that?) ... I recommend you read Psalm 1. I: What does it mean to you to "delight" in the law of the Lord? Me: I think it means to find joy in the law... which we could glance over easily - but how many of us delight in being told not to do something we would like to do? Further, how many of us delight to read the passages that challenge us and cause us to submit our hearts when we are drawn to sin so strongly? There is a deep inner delight at the molding process of God's Spirit that is far removed from the way we generally use the word "delight" today. I: Do you think Christians "delight" to study the Word, or treat it as a task that needs to be done, or neglect it because it is time-consuming? Other thoughts? Me: I want to say that I delight to study the word, but when I do I am convicted that I do not study as much as I could / should. There are many causes of neglect ... a refusal to sit still long enough to engage Abba through the word ... An unwillingness to accept the challenges of the Word ... a poor perception of the Word, leading to a sense of boredom. I think I have experienced all of those perspectives at one time or another. (General vague term meant to disguise ongoing struggles!) I: Meditating day and night on the Word seems daunting. If you meditate on the Word, what forms of meditation do you regularly use? Share with us what you think the word "meditating" says to you as you consider the Scriptures. Me: Ben recently was here at Central sharing with us some meditation techniques. I have not tried them. My times of meditation have mostly been to be isolated times outdoors, speaking out loud to Abba, and then sitting quietly and just let my thoughts go. Sometimes this is a waste of time (it seems) ... at other times I feel that I have some new clarity. I: How does delighting and meditating on the Word of God help make our lives stable and stronger and prosperous? Me: Nobody knows what we need more than Abba. When His will becomes our own, there is no recourse but stabilty, strength, and prosperity. Although, I hasten to add, those may look differently in the reality of Abba's eyes, than in the deceptive shades through which humans view life. I: Do you feel more like the fruitful tree or the wind-driven chaff? If you feel like the chaff, how can you change your view of yourself to become more like the fruitful tree? If you feel like the fruitful tree, how do you use the spiritual fruit in your life to lead others to the water of life that you have found? Me: I feel differently at different times during the day. If I have allowed some sin to creep up on me, especially when I thought I had left it behind, then I feel like wind-driven chaff. The only plus there is that it drives me to remember God's merciful grace and seek His forgiveness. Sometimes I feel I haven't taken God's gifts to me and used them as clearly to point others to Christ as I should ... and sometimes I'm not sure how to do that. I: The Lord watches over the way of the righteous. Is this to determine if we are fruitful tree or chaff? Or, is this a protecting watch? Or is it simply observation? What do you think? Me: I think it is more than observation, I think it is the loving gaze of a Father who watches his children tirelessly. I have no idea how many things there are from which God has protected me. His providence is incredible.