Blog Journeys of a Lifelong Learner

Saints, stormed and surrounded by seismic seductions and slithering serpents, struggle and strive to stop serving sin, seeking, seeing, and spreading the satisfaction of the Savior.

I was recently given a free review copy of The Greener Grass Conspiracy, a new book by Stephen Altrogge. In exchange for my agreement to post a review of the book on my blog, Crossway sent me the book. I am fond of books in general and I was interested in this particular book even before becoming aware of this possibility of obtaining a copy.

The trailer from Crossway:

"Greener Grass Conspiracy" Trailer - Stephen Altrogge from Crossway on Vimeo.

Please read my review.

(All quotations taken from the English Standard Version.)

1 Chronicles 16:8

[8] Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!

Psalm 9:1

[1] I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 50:14-15,22-23

[14] Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and perform your vows to the Most High,
[15] and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.

[22] "Mark this, then, you who forget God,
lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!
[23] The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!"

Psalm 92:1-5

[92:1] It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;

[2] to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,

[3] to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.

[4] For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

[5] How great are your works, O LORD!
Your thoughts are very deep!

Psalm 97:12

[12] Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!

Psalm 100

[100:1] Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
[2] Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!

[3] Know that the LORD, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

[4] Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

[5] For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 105:1-2

[105:1] Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon his name;
make known his deeds among the peoples!

[2] Sing to him, sing praises to him;
tell of all his wondrous works!

Psalm 108:3-5

[3] I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.

[4] For your steadfast love is great above the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

[5] Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

Isaiah 12:1-6

[12:1] You will say in that day:
"I will give thanks to you, O LORD,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.

[2] "Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation."

[3] With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

[4] And you will say in that day:
“Give thanks to the LORD,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.

[5] "Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.

[6] Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."

Habakkuk 3:17-19

[17] Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,

[18] yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

[19] GOD, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places.
To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.

2 Corinthians 9:10-15

[10] He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

[11] You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.

[12] For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

[13] By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission flowing from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others,

[14] while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you.

[15] Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

Ephesians 5:15-21

[15] Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, [16] making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. [17] Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. [18] And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, [19] addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, [20] giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, [21] submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Philippians 4:6

[4] Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. [5] Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; [6] do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

[16] Rejoice always, [17] pray without ceasing, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

From The Valley of Vision:

GOD OF THE PASSING HOUR,

Another week has gone and I have been preserved in my going out, in my coming in.

Thine has been the vigilance that has turned threatened evils aside;
Thine the supplies that have nourished me;
Thine the comforts that have indulged me;
Thine the relations and friends that have delighted me;
Thine the means of grace which have edified me;
Thine the Book, which, amidst all my enjoyments, has told me that this is not my rest, that in all successes one thing alone is needful, to love my Saviour.

Nothing can equal the number of thy mercies but my imperfections and sins.

These, O God, I will neither conceal nor palliate, but confess with a broken heart.

In what condition would secret reviews of my life leave me were it not for the assurance that with thee there is plenteous redemption, that thou art a forgiving God, that thou mayest be feared!

While I hope for pardon through the blood of the cross, I pray to be clothed with humility, to be quickened in the way, to be more devoted to thee, to keep the end of my life in view, to be cured of the folly of delay and indecision, to know how frail I am, to number my days and apply my heart unto wisdom.

Psalm 119 is comprised of 22 sections of 8 verses each.

Here are some thoughts taken from the first four sections:

Section 1: (1-8)

Blessings are declared to exist upon those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord. Those who keep His testimonies and seek Him with their whole heart are blessed. God has commanded that His precepts be taught diligently. The godly man earnestly desires that his ways might be steadfast in keeping God's statutes. The one who does indeed faithfully follow the Word of God is enabled to praise God with an upright heart because he is well acquainted with the righteous rule of God's Word and delights in God. He pursues a path of obedience and seeks the aid of God, knowing it to be abundantly necessary.

Section 2: (9-16)

The only way for a young man to keep his way pure is to walk according to the Word of God. The heart of the godly man (his chief mental energy and the primary trajectory of his life) is directed toward the pursuit of God as He has revealed Himself in His Word. He is well aware of his own weakness and therefore boldly and reverently requests the power of God to keep him in the way of truth. The habitual mental work of the godly man is architected in such a way as to promote a disposition of godliness within himself, for he seeks to establish the authority of God's Word within his own life by being thoroughly mindful of it. The conversation of the godly young man is informed and reformed by that which is the object of his greatest focus, and (this being the Word of God and the divine perfections,) his enthusiasm is excited by the things of God. His interest in truth is abiding, compelling a lifestyle of continuous meditation upon and obedience to the Word of God. Knowing forgetfulness to be a common problem, the godly young man takes deliberate precautions to battle against it in this area.

Section 3: (17-24)

One who seeks to follow God necessarily acknowledges his own insufficiency, thrusting himself upon divine mercy. His petition is intense, but it has noble ends as the basis of personal requests. That which the psalmist has purposed in the preceding section is beyond his reach apart from the help of God, so he asks that God might enable him to do that which he must do if he is to correctly handle the Word of God. The psalmist's purpose to pursue the true knowledge of God is genuine and enduring, so he is fully engaged in prayer concerning this matter. The experience of the psalmist is consistent with that of God's people in every generation: the enemies of God oppose the works of God and are pleased to attack those in whom these works are evident. The godly response to all suffering and persecution is to trust the Word of God concerning such things and to take counsel from God's revelation rather than the school of personal rights and individual autonomy.

Section 4: (25-32)

Those who would be godly recognize their weak condition and earnestly seek divine favor. Requests for this gracious working of God must be consistent with God's revelation of Himself if they are to be effective, so the psalmist identifies the Word of God as the basis for his petition for life; he cannot personally improve his soul, but he knows the grace of God to be effective in the imparting of spiritual life to a soul. The answers of the Word of God are accepted and implemented by the people of God. The devotion of the psalmist invokes both the power of God and the responsibility of man in that instruction in and empowerment for the obedience to the word of God and the pursuit of faithful practices are presented side-by-side. Sanctified striving and sovereign supplying operate in surprising synergy.