For though these stirrings be but little and venial, nevertheless they show well that there is much pride hid in the ground of thy heart, as the fox dareth in his den. These stirrings, with many more, spring so fast out of this image that thou scarcely canst do any good deed but it will be mingled with some pride or vain delight in thyself, and so with thy pride thou defileth all thy good deeds, and makest them loathesome in the sight of thy Lord. I say not that they are lost because they are mingled with this pride. But I say that those good deeds are not so pleasant to thy Lord as they would be if they were simple and truly rooted in the virtue of humility. And, therefore, if thou wilt have cleanness of heart, to come to the love of God, it behoveth thee not only to fly the rest and repose of thy heart in vain-glory, by willingly consenting to pride, and also the wretchless liking therein out of frailty against thy will, but also the very feeling itself of pride, as well as thou canst, which will not be done unless thou be full quick and diligent about the keeping of thy heart, as I shall tell thee hereafter. (John Climacus)

Just before turning to Climacus I read another online meditation. This morning what was posted for yesterday has not changed.

Responding to Psalm 18 the meditation asserts, "God does not simply tolerate us. God does not only pity us. God delights in us, finds pleasure in us, seeks us out to save us because we give him joy. Consider that you are God's joy, that God seeks you out to save you because God delights in you."

In Climacus and this other we have two different visions of God. In each you and I need to be saved. But in one we must earn God's pleasure. In the other God delights in us, even with our frailities.