Scripture

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.

~I John 2:15, NLT

Quote

Our love for the world, and our love for God, are like the scales of a balance: as one falls, the other rises.

~Henry Scougal

The devil can deceive us and we can deceive ourselves. I am reading Henry Scougal’s THE LIFE OF GOD AND THE SOUL OF MAN. It is one of the Puritan Classic written and published in 1868, which was 155 years ago. It is almost like reading Augustine or Lewis. Everyday I am force to look up the meaning of English words that I have never heard like inveigle and postern. We don’t use the word inveigle anymore but it is a kin to our idioms  bamboozle, hornswoggle or hoodwink. Most of us have a postern in our house which is a back or side entrance. So much for your vocabulary lesson. I began reading reading chapter 42, STRIVING TO PUT OURSELVES OUT OF LOVE WITH THE WORLD, thinking to myself, finally something that I am not guilty of doing. I didn’t read far until I realized, I still love this world. Granted, that is the bad news, the good news is that I love it much less than before. Henry says, “We must wean our affections from created things, and all the delights and entertainments of the lower life, which sink and depress the souls of men, and retard their motions toward God and heaven.” Wow! I am very afraid; actually I am positive, I love comfort. I love A/C and sleep number beds. I love creature comforts and I love some forms of entertainment like a good western. My love for sports in diminishing. I have watched less than two innings of baseball this spring. I have not watched professional basketball for 20 years and I watch very little football. I didn’t watch half of the Alabama games this past year. I am not doing this intentionally; I just lost my desire for these things. I think it is the grace of God at work but there is a lot left to be done.

YES, I have a long way to go. The world caters to the natural man and his inclinations. It competes for the affections that belong to God. We cannot become engrossed or enamored by the world without it shrinking our soul’s capacity to enjoy our relationship with the holy Trinity. The world will not help us grow spiritually. The world will not help us see the beauty and majesty of God, which the angels see clearly. The world will not warm the seeds of grace so that they take root and the divine nature flourish. Here is the question: if I pursue my love for this world, will it satisfy my soul? The answer is no and every true believer knows this to be true. No matter how much you indulge in the pleasures of this world, they will never satisfy. The world is like salt water; it cannot satisfy, it only makes you crazy and more thirsty. The more you get, the more you will want. It is like drug addiction: you will never reach the high you are longing for. Why is that? It is the way God created us. He created us to need Jesus and nothing else will satisfy.

Don’t beat yourself up too bad. Sanctification is a process, not an event; it doesn’t happen in an instant. Just think like John the Baptist: “My love for Jesus must increase and my love for this world must decrease.”

Extra

Have you ever read something disturbing and after reading it, you wish you hadn’t. They is the way I felt about reading Scougal but I am going to continue even though it is painful.

Melanie Mitchell is at home. Her immune system in low. Pray for Melanie and Brent; they are dear friends. Melanie will be going to M.D. Anderson the middle of next month. Gregg and Traci also have to go back to Little Rock the middle of May. My sister Holly is doing a bit better, PTL. She completed her treatments last week.

June and Holly are going to Nashville today: June has a doctor’s appointment. Josh is preaching Sunday so I have a little extra time but the rain may hinder me. I have a couple of projects I would like to check off my list. The problem is I have a long list and I am old. I don’t have the energy to match the list. Have a great day and thanks for reading the blog.

A special thanks to those who read it everyday. I don’t know them all but I know Teddy Turrentine, Rex Looney, Carol Bennich, Belinda Childers, Carol Southern, Mickey Childers and Big Mama read it daily. I think Kip reads it daily also. I am sure there are a few others and I thank you.