The object that is most worthy of my affections

"How common is it among mankind, that their affections are much more exercised and engaged in other matters than in religion!......How insensible and unmoved are most men about the great things of another world!  How dull are their affections!  How heavy and hard their hearts in these matters!  Here their love is cold, their desires languid, their zeal low, and their gratitude small.  How they can sit and hear of the infinite height, and depth, and length, and breadth of the love of God in Christ Jesus, of His giving His infinitely dear Son, to be offered up a sacrifice for the sins of men, and of the unparalleled love of the innocent, and holy, and tender Lamb of God, manifested in His dying agonies, His bloody sweat, His loud and bitter cries, and bleeding heart, and all this for enemies, to redeem them from deserved, eternal burnings, and to bring to unspeakable and everlasting joy and glory -- and yet be cold and heavy, insensible and regardless!  Where are the exercises of our affections proper, if not here?......If we ought ever to exercise our affections at all, then they ought to be exercised about those objects which are most worthy of them."

I read this the other day in Jonathan Edwards' Religious Affections and it strikes a chord with me.  The same chord is struck when I read David's words in Psalm 27:4 "One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple" and when I read Asaph's words in Psalm 73:25 "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you"  and when I read of Paul's affectionate passion for Jesus when he says, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him..." (Phil 3:8-9).  

That chord...

that chord that delivers up a sweet and unfamiliar sound to my soul...

that's the chord that's being played when I read these ideas (or, rather, this one great idea!) of God filling me with joyful emotions that are stronger than any of the happy emotions that I've ever had. 

This chord...

this chord that's finally being played in me...

this chord is worth turning the volume up to the highest level and singing (the way that Aaron Weiss of mewithoutYou sings) to every pitiful pleasure, "Apart from God I have no good thing/ He makes my heart glad/ He gives me fulfilling joy/ He gives me eternal pleasures!" (Ps 16)