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NASB | Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, And He will give you the desires and petitions of your heart. |
Bible Question: Is the prayer of Jesus in the garden, "not My will but Yours be done" (Luke 22:42) an example of "delighting in the LORD?" Can we understand suffering in this context? I'm wondering if seeking His kingdom and His righteousness first, also goes along here? Any insight would be appreciated. |
Bible Answer: Dear Momma, How are you doing, ma'am? I was actually thinking of you as I posted to hopalong the other day (post #215739). I was hoping that you would read about his current trials. Considering 2 Corinthians 1:4-5 and your own experiences, perhaps you are uniquely qualified to encourage our brother in your prayers. Regarding your question, I think that we need to regard Christ's prayer in the light of the full context of His work as the Lamb. I believe it was John Calvin who pointed out that the physical experience that Jesus was about to face was not the source of His anguish. Physically, our Lord's experience, though awful, was not worse than many other martyrs faced. (I would commend Foxes Book of Martyrs to anyone.) Rather it was the utterly horrendous cup of God's wrath that was to be poured forth on Him as a just and complete payment for the sins of the redeemed. Note how Christ goes from the garden, not in passive submission to that which He cannot avoid, but rather in love for the Father. The author of Hebrews notes just that kind of steadfast, active perseverance. He is willing to give everything for God's honor and glory. Why? Because that is His true worth! You know, Calvin once wrote, "it is only by temporary stripes that the Lord chastises His Church." It is hard for me to imagine. In some unfathomable way, Christ had an eternity of hell and damnation poured upon Him for me alone. Now multiply that by every one of God's elect. None of us can even begin to grasp it... But Jesus did. Doesn't that shed a very different light on the events in the garden? Sure looks like someone delighting in the Lord to me! Just my thoughts on the matter. My apologies to any others who may have responded. As of this writing I have yet to read through them. In Him, Doc "At the moment when Christ took on Himself the sin of the world, His figure on the cross was the most grotesque, most obscene mass of concentrated sin in the history of the world. God is too holy to look on iniquity, so when Christ hung on the cross, the Father, as it were, turned His back. He averted His face and He cut off His Son. Jesus, Who, touching His human nature, had been in a perfect, blessed relationship with God throughout His ministry, now bore the sin of God's people, and so He was forsaken by God." --R. C. Sproul |