Affection, Emotion, Behavior

Synopsis     2Sam 22:6-24     2/1/2019 

King David was a poet and a warrior. So, he wrote figuratively of how God responded to his cries for help. He described the unleashing of God’s power as a fury of thunder and lightning. And he described the manner of God’s salvation from distressing circumstances in terms of the very forces of nature.  

The Emotion of David 

David knew the power of God through the extraordinary circumstances of his life. As a result, his experience of God’s faithfulness naturally stoked his positive affections for God.

In his writing, David represented the emotions he ascribed to both God and himself with powerful contrasts. For David, God’s burning desire to save him from difficulties was like the rushing wind, or burning fire, or fierce lightening. All of these things cause human beings intense feelings of fear or awe. Conversely, he described the places of God’s salvation as “open” or “on-high” – meaning above the fray. And these metaphorically described the sense of safety and protection and peace.  

Affection, Emotion and Behavior 

Powerful emotions drive human action. Of course, emotional energy is a response to the value (or disvalue) of my circumstances.

This is the things to remember: It’s the way I interpret my affections that determines whether I love, hate, desire or feel offended by my circumstances. My affections drive my emotions which in-turn drive my behavior.  

This is why examining my heart requires reconciling my affections against what is actually true, or what is really good, or what essentially beautiful.  

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” Phil 4:8