Joy In Christ's Presence

"In Thy presence there is fulness of joy." ~Psalm 16:11

I started a book today by Charles H. Spurgeon. Most of you probably know who he is. It's called Joy in Christ's Presence. An excellent read so far. I have to confess that as of late, my reading and prayer time in the mornings has been lacking...trouble focusing, falling asleep...it's not good. As I've been reading this book today, I've been struck with a couple of things...in His presence there is fullness of joy; I should be thrilled to enter into His presence, humbled that I might come before the throne of Almighty God and repent, praise Him, and make my requests known Him. But lately, I've just not experienced that 'fulness', and it is, of course, my own sinfulness keeping me from it. As Paul said in Romans 7:24, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" My heart longs for the day when we will see Him as He is, and be perfectly like Him, glorifying Him perfectly for eternity. But for now, there is a war in my members; a battle between my flesh and my spirit. May God give me grace that my spirit might win.

The other thing that struck me was Spurgeon's description of being "visited by Christ" (not physically, of course, but his spirit being "visited" with Christ's presence). It brought to rememberance the night I was drawn to Him by His Holy Spirit, and turned from my sins in repentance. There was a joy that's quite unlike any joy I have yet to feel. The sweetness of being filled with His spirit, but at the same time, a painful recognition, perhaps for the first time, of how truly wretched I am. O that I might have that same joy again!

This passage was probably my favorite part of the book from what I read today, so I'll end this post with it:

"My first discovery of Christ's injured love was overpowering, and its very hopefulness increased my anguish, for then I saw that I had slain the Lord who had come to save me. I saw that mine was the hand that made the hammer fall,the hand that had driven the nails with fasted the Redeemer's hands and feet to the the cruel tree. This is the sight that breeds repentance: 'They shall look upon [Him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him' (Zech. 12:10). When the Lord visits us, He humbles us, removes all hardness from our hearts, and leads us to the Savior's feet." ~Charles Spurgeon, Joy in Christ's Presence