Over the next nine weeks we will be going through The Dangerous Duty of Delight by John Piper. (Click here to download a free copy and see the reading schedule.)

Today, we begin by considering Psalm 27:4 and the "Preface" of the book. At the heart of this book is the argument that we should have a singular focus of seeking our greatest joy and pleasure in God. As Piper notes, "...the human race does in fact crave the experience of awe and wonder. And there is no reality more breathtaking than Jesus Christ." The psalmist, David, describes this as a singular focus in Psalm 27:4: "One thing I have asked of the LORD, that will I seek after..." This singular focus is to "dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gave upon the beauty of the LORD and inquire in his temple."

As we go through The Dangerous Duty of Delight, you will be challenged to ask yourself, "Where do I seek to find my greatest and ultimate pleasure and satisfaction in life?" The answer to that question will reveal a great deal about what fundamentally drives you. What this book will argue is that you should seek to find your ultimate and greatest pleasure, satisfaction, and delight in God himself. As we will see, the argument is not that we should not seek pleasure. Quite the contrary. We not only should seek pleasure; we unavoidably seek pleasure. The questions at hand are "where do you seek pleasure?" and "do you seek it in an intentionally and distinctively Christian way?"

Let's read on as we consider what it means to seek the "dangerous duty of delight" by "daring to make God your greatest desire."

To access the book (The Dangerous Duty of Delight),
reading plan, and series of devotionals, click the button.