February is just about over, which means that those of us taking the "Book of the Month" challenge should just be finishing up The Pleasures of God by John Piper. So let the conversation begin!
As many of you know, I'm a big fan of Piper and I've read most of his books. While this was by no means his easiest to read, it has become my favorite. He has a gift for taking me out of myself and forcing me to give God my full attention. Given all the things to be anxious about today (failing economy, threats of terrorism, corruption in politics...), it was a transcendent encouragement to meditate upon the absolute greatness and perfect sovereignty of God...just to peek at his eternal happiness in Himself was all it took to lift my spirits.
Here is one quote from C.S. Lewis mentioned in chapter 2 that helped me put things in perspective:
"To be sovereign of the universe is no great matter to God...We must keep always before our eyes that vision of Lady Julian's in which God carried in His hand a little object like a nut, and that nut was 'all that is made.' God who needs nothing, loves into existence wholly superfluous creatures in order that He may love and perfect them." (p. 53)
I also never really considered the problem of God blessing and honoring sinners as something that "seems schizophrenic."
"Clearly God has a great passion to promote his glory. But the troubling thing that emerges is that God has chosen sinners. He is honoring and blessing and exalting a people who are sinners. And the essence of sin is the belittling of God's glory...The troubling thing is that God is so enthusiastic about adopting and exalting people whose sinfulness is a blight on his name. It seems schizophrenic. The Bible makes God our to love his name and his glory with ominpotent energy and unbounded joy. And then it pictures him choosing God-belittling sinners for his court, and rejoicing over the very people who have despised his glory and cheapened his name." (p. 158)
How about you? What are your reflections on this month's readings?