The sweet taste and rational knowledge

From God's Passion for His Glory (John, Piper,. God's passion for His glory living the vision of Jonathan Edwards, with the complete text of The end for which God created the world. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway, 1998. Print.)

It is not in vain to do rational work, Edwards says, even though everything hangs on God’s free gift of spiritual life and sight. The reason is that “the more you have of a rational knowledge of divine things, the more opportunity will there be, when the Spirit shall be breathed into your heart, to see the excellency of these things, and to taste the sweetness of them.”(43, Edwards quote from The Religious Affections, p. 120)

I am continually reminding myself, as I read theological books and listen to gospel-centered preaching a participate in (hopefully) rational discussions about God-things, that it should be preparing me, more and more, to taste the sweetness and see the excellency of the very things I am reading, hearing, and discussing. Help me Holy Spirit! Help me to see with clarity of vision the excellency of Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Help me to taste and savour the sweetness of the cross and the One who hung on it for my redemption.