These two excerpts perfectly describe and pinpoint the kind of Christian I want to be:
“What is a Christian? He can be described from many angles, but from what we have said it is clear that we can cover everything by saying: he is a man [or woman] who acknowledges and lives under the word of God. He submits without reserve to the word of God written in ‘the Scripture of truth’ (Daniel 10:21), believing the teaching, trusting the promises, following the commands. His eyes are to the trusting promises, following the commands. His eyes are to the God of the Bible as his Father, and the Christ of the Bible as his Savior. He will tell you, if you ask him, that the word of God has both convinced him of sin and assured him of forgiveness. His conscience, like Luther’s, is captive to the word of God, and he aspires, like the psalmist, to have his whole life brought into line with it. ‘O that my ways were directed to keep thy statues!’ ‘O let me not wander from thy commandments.’ ‘Teach me they statutes. Make me to understand the way of thy precepts.’ ‘Incline my heart unto thy testimonies.’ ‘Let my heart be sound in thy statutes.’ (Ps. 119:5, 10, 26, 36, 80.) The promises are before him as he prays, and the precepts are before him as he moves among men. He knows that in addition to the word of God spoken directly to him in the Scriptures, God’s word has also gone forth to create, and control, and order things around him; but since the Scriptures tell him that all things work together for his good, the thought of God ordering his circumstances brings him only joy. He is an independent fellow, for he uses the word of God as a touchstone by which to test the various views that are put to him, and he will not touch anything which he is not sure that Scripture sanctions.” (Knowing God, 1973 ed., p. 104-105)
“Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which no man feels by nature—which the Spirit puts in the heart of every believer when he is converted—but which some believers feel so much more strongly than others that they alone deserve to be called ‘zealous’ men [or women]…
A zealous man [or woman] in religion is pre-eminently a man of one thing. It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit. He only sees one things, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed up in one thing; and that one thing is to please God. Whether he lives, or whether he dies—whether he has health, or whether he has sickness—whether he is rich, or whether he is poor—whether he pleases man, or whether he gives offense—whether he is thought wise, or whether he is thought foolish—whether he gets blame, or whether he gets praise—whether he get honor, or whether he gets shame—for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God’s glory. If he is consumed in the very burning, he cares not for it—he is content. He feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach, work, and give money, he will cry, and sigh, and pray…If he cannot fight in the valley with Joshua, he will do the work of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, on the hill (Exodus 17:9-13). If he is cut off from working himself, he will give the Lord no rest till help is raised up from another quarter, and the work is done.” (Practical Religion, 1959 ed., p. 130)
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Saturday, June 26, 2010
The Severity of God
It is sad to see that many Christians pick and choose to study and emphasize the “milder” attributes of God. Many of them choose to ignore His attributes that may seem “unfair” or “unloving”—attributes like wrath, judgment, and severity. And yet, for instance, how can we praise Him for being righteous and seek to be righteous ourselves when we try to ignore the fact that, in His righteousness, God must (and does) hate sin and man’s fallen nature and that He cannot ignore unrighteousness? God would not be righteous if He did not deal with sin or expect anything less than perfection. We tend to err more towards God’s grace and think “Oh, He’ll forgive me when I sin.” And, yes, this is true, God will forgive, but that is because He poured out His wrath and judgment upon Jesus Christ as He died on the cross. God does still give consequences to sin and show His severity at times while we are alive.
In chapter 16 of J.I. Packer’s book Knowing God, he talks about the goodness and severity of God. God’s goodness is basically all of His qualities of “truthfulness and trustworthiness, His unfailing justice and wisdom, His tenderness, forbearance, and entire adequacy to all who penitently seek His help, His noble kindness in offering men the exalted destiny of fellowship with Him in holiness and love” wrapped up together. God’s severity is a little more sobering. Here are some excerpts from the chapter:
“What, now, of God’s severity? The word Paul uses in Romans 11:22 means literally ‘cutting off’; it denotes God’s decisive withdrawal of His goodness from those who have spurned it…The act of severity to which Paul referred was God’s rejection of Israel as a body—breaking them off from His olive tree, of which they were the natural branches—because they did not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. Israel has presumed on God’s goodness, while disregarding the concrete manifestation of His goodness in His Son; and God’s reaction had been swift—He had cut Israel off. […]
The principle which Paul is applying here is that behind every display of divine goodness stands a threat of severity in judgment if that goodness is scorned. If we do not let it draw us to God in gratitude and responsive love, we have only ourselves to blame when God turns against us…Those who decline to respond to God’s goodness by repentance, and faith, and trust, and submission to His will, cannot wonder or complain if sooner or later the tokens of His goodness are withdrawn, the opportunity of benefiting from them ends, and retribution supervenes.
But God is not impatient in His severity; just the reverse. He is ‘slow to anger’ (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalms 103:8, 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2) and ‘longsuffering’ (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 86:15). The Bible makes much of the patience and forbearance of God in postponing judgments in order to extend the day of grace and give more opportunity for repentance. […]
From the above lines of thought we can learn at least three lessons.
1) Appreciate the goodness of God. Count your blessings. Learn not to take natural benefits, endowments, and pleasures for granted; learn to thank God for them all. Do not slight the Bible, or the gospel of Jesus Christ, by an attitude of casualness towards either. The Bible shows you a Saviour who suffered and died in order that we sinners might be reconciled to God; Calvary is the measure of the goodness of God; lay it to heart. Ask yourself the psalmist’s question – ‘What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?’ Seek grace to give his answer – ‘I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord…O Lord, truly I am they servant…I will pay my vows unto the Lord now…’ (Psalm 116:12).
2) Appreciate the patience of God. Think how He has borne with you, and still bears with you, when so much in your life is unworthy of Him, and you have so richly deserved His rejection. Learn to marvel at His patience, and seek grace to imitate it in your dealings with other men; and try not to try His patience any more.
3) Appreciate the discipline of God. He is both your upholder and, in the last analysis, your environment; all things come of Him, and you have tasted His goodness every day of your life. Has this experience led you to repentance and faith in Christ? If not, you are trifling with God, and stand under the threat of His severity. But if, now, He, in Whitefield’s phrase, puts thorns in your bed, it is only to awaken you from the sleep of spiritual death, and to make you rise up to seek His mercy. Or if you are a true believer, and He still puts thorns in your bed, it is only to keep you from falling into the somnolence of complacency, and to ensure that you ‘continue in His goodness’ by letting your sense of need bring you back constantly in self-abasement and faith to seek His face. This kindly discipline, in which God’s severity touches us for a moment in the context of His goodness, is meant to keep us from having to bear the full brunt of that severity apart from that context. It is a discipline of love, and must be received accordingly. ‘My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord’ (Hebrews 12:5). ‘It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statues’ (Psalm 119:71).”
I just thought this was such a good reminder to not take advantage of God’s grace (although we must be careful not to reject it either and try to earn our salvation). I really liked Packer’s three lessons. I so easily forget to thank God for the blessings He has given me; I am seldom content with what I have and tend to look forward to the next thing I want. I need to be reminded constantly to be thankful for what I have and to find contentment in my Savior alone. Packer’s second lesson was very convicting! I know I am thankful for God’s patience with me, but this thankfulness does not often make it out of my head, into my heart, and out to my feet; oftentimes I do not live out my thankfulness and show God’s patience to others. I except God’s patience and I expect others to be patient with me, but I fail to extend grace and long-suffering to those around me. Moment by moment, I need to ask for God’s grace to imitate His patience in my interactions with others. Lastly, Whitefield’s analogy of the thorns in our beds as believers being there to “keep [us] from falling into the somnolence [or sleepiness] of complacency” and to make sure we turn to God in humility and self-denial, was very poignant. A lot of times believers look at trials and sufferings as consequences or punishment that God is giving us because we did something sinful. Yes, this can be the case, but God also gives us these trials to ensure that we do not become prideful or independent of Him. (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10) These thorns will prick and goad us into seeking dependency on God for our only relief from them is found in Him. The knowledge of God’s severity should make us that more thankful for His goodness for we know that we do not feel the full extent of His severity if we have received His salvation. Knowing what would happen to us without God’s grace [eternal damnation and separation from God] should cause us to run and throw ourselves down at the throne of God with hearts of worship, thankfulness, and praise for the work He has done to save us.
In chapter 16 of J.I. Packer’s book Knowing God, he talks about the goodness and severity of God. God’s goodness is basically all of His qualities of “truthfulness and trustworthiness, His unfailing justice and wisdom, His tenderness, forbearance, and entire adequacy to all who penitently seek His help, His noble kindness in offering men the exalted destiny of fellowship with Him in holiness and love” wrapped up together. God’s severity is a little more sobering. Here are some excerpts from the chapter:
“What, now, of God’s severity? The word Paul uses in Romans 11:22 means literally ‘cutting off’; it denotes God’s decisive withdrawal of His goodness from those who have spurned it…The act of severity to which Paul referred was God’s rejection of Israel as a body—breaking them off from His olive tree, of which they were the natural branches—because they did not believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. Israel has presumed on God’s goodness, while disregarding the concrete manifestation of His goodness in His Son; and God’s reaction had been swift—He had cut Israel off. […]
The principle which Paul is applying here is that behind every display of divine goodness stands a threat of severity in judgment if that goodness is scorned. If we do not let it draw us to God in gratitude and responsive love, we have only ourselves to blame when God turns against us…Those who decline to respond to God’s goodness by repentance, and faith, and trust, and submission to His will, cannot wonder or complain if sooner or later the tokens of His goodness are withdrawn, the opportunity of benefiting from them ends, and retribution supervenes.
But God is not impatient in His severity; just the reverse. He is ‘slow to anger’ (Nehemiah 9:17; Psalms 103:8, 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:2) and ‘longsuffering’ (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 86:15). The Bible makes much of the patience and forbearance of God in postponing judgments in order to extend the day of grace and give more opportunity for repentance. […]
From the above lines of thought we can learn at least three lessons.
1) Appreciate the goodness of God. Count your blessings. Learn not to take natural benefits, endowments, and pleasures for granted; learn to thank God for them all. Do not slight the Bible, or the gospel of Jesus Christ, by an attitude of casualness towards either. The Bible shows you a Saviour who suffered and died in order that we sinners might be reconciled to God; Calvary is the measure of the goodness of God; lay it to heart. Ask yourself the psalmist’s question – ‘What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?’ Seek grace to give his answer – ‘I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord…O Lord, truly I am they servant…I will pay my vows unto the Lord now…’ (Psalm 116:12).
2) Appreciate the patience of God. Think how He has borne with you, and still bears with you, when so much in your life is unworthy of Him, and you have so richly deserved His rejection. Learn to marvel at His patience, and seek grace to imitate it in your dealings with other men; and try not to try His patience any more.
3) Appreciate the discipline of God. He is both your upholder and, in the last analysis, your environment; all things come of Him, and you have tasted His goodness every day of your life. Has this experience led you to repentance and faith in Christ? If not, you are trifling with God, and stand under the threat of His severity. But if, now, He, in Whitefield’s phrase, puts thorns in your bed, it is only to awaken you from the sleep of spiritual death, and to make you rise up to seek His mercy. Or if you are a true believer, and He still puts thorns in your bed, it is only to keep you from falling into the somnolence of complacency, and to ensure that you ‘continue in His goodness’ by letting your sense of need bring you back constantly in self-abasement and faith to seek His face. This kindly discipline, in which God’s severity touches us for a moment in the context of His goodness, is meant to keep us from having to bear the full brunt of that severity apart from that context. It is a discipline of love, and must be received accordingly. ‘My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord’ (Hebrews 12:5). ‘It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statues’ (Psalm 119:71).”
I just thought this was such a good reminder to not take advantage of God’s grace (although we must be careful not to reject it either and try to earn our salvation). I really liked Packer’s three lessons. I so easily forget to thank God for the blessings He has given me; I am seldom content with what I have and tend to look forward to the next thing I want. I need to be reminded constantly to be thankful for what I have and to find contentment in my Savior alone. Packer’s second lesson was very convicting! I know I am thankful for God’s patience with me, but this thankfulness does not often make it out of my head, into my heart, and out to my feet; oftentimes I do not live out my thankfulness and show God’s patience to others. I except God’s patience and I expect others to be patient with me, but I fail to extend grace and long-suffering to those around me. Moment by moment, I need to ask for God’s grace to imitate His patience in my interactions with others. Lastly, Whitefield’s analogy of the thorns in our beds as believers being there to “keep [us] from falling into the somnolence [or sleepiness] of complacency” and to make sure we turn to God in humility and self-denial, was very poignant. A lot of times believers look at trials and sufferings as consequences or punishment that God is giving us because we did something sinful. Yes, this can be the case, but God also gives us these trials to ensure that we do not become prideful or independent of Him. (see 2 Corinthians 12:7-10) These thorns will prick and goad us into seeking dependency on God for our only relief from them is found in Him. The knowledge of God’s severity should make us that more thankful for His goodness for we know that we do not feel the full extent of His severity if we have received His salvation. Knowing what would happen to us without God’s grace [eternal damnation and separation from God] should cause us to run and throw ourselves down at the throne of God with hearts of worship, thankfulness, and praise for the work He has done to save us.
Monday, June 21, 2010
God's Love
I read this excerpt this morning in a chapter called “The Love of God” in Knowing God . It was really good and such an encouraging reminder to trust God! =]
“As a believer, he finds in the cross of Christ assurance that he, as an individual, is beloved of God; ‘the Son of God…loved me , and gave Himself for me ’ (Galatians 2:20). Knowing this, he is able to apply to himself the promise that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Not just some things, note, but all things! Every single thing that happens to him expresses God’s love to him, and comes to him for the furthering of God’s purpose for him. Thus, so far as he is concerned, God is love to him – holy, omnipotent love – at every moment and in every event of every day’s life. Even when he cannot see the why and the wherefore of God’s dealings, he knows that there is love in and behind them, and so he can rejoice always, even when, humanly speaking, things are going wrong. He knows that the true story of his life, when known, will prove to be, as the hymn says, ‘mercy from first to last’ – and he is content.”
“As a believer, he finds in the cross of Christ assurance that he, as an individual, is beloved of God; ‘the Son of God…loved me , and gave Himself for me ’ (Galatians 2:20). Knowing this, he is able to apply to himself the promise that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Not just some things, note, but all things! Every single thing that happens to him expresses God’s love to him, and comes to him for the furthering of God’s purpose for him. Thus, so far as he is concerned, God is love to him – holy, omnipotent love – at every moment and in every event of every day’s life. Even when he cannot see the why and the wherefore of God’s dealings, he knows that there is love in and behind them, and so he can rejoice always, even when, humanly speaking, things are going wrong. He knows that the true story of his life, when known, will prove to be, as the hymn says, ‘mercy from first to last’ – and he is content.”
Friday, June 18, 2010
God Only Wise
Today I was reading Knowing God by J.I. Packer and I was really encouraged by this chapter. Here are some excerpts from it:
In talking about the wisdom of God in the lives of people during Bible times…
"What Abraham needed most of all was to learn the practice of living in God’s presence , seeing all life in relation to Him, and looking to Him, and Him alone, as Commander, Defender and Rewarder. This was the great lesson which God in wisdom concentrated on teaching him. ‘Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield , and they exceeding great reward ’ (Genesis 15:1). ‘I am God Almight; walk before me , and be thou perfect (single-eyed and sincere)’ (Genesis 17:1). […]
For what purpose did God in His wisdom plan that? […] So far as life of God’s people was concerned, Joseph himself gave the answer to our question when he revealed his identity to his distracted brothers. ‘God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God…’ (Genesis 45:7f.). Joseph’s theology was as sound as his charity was deep. Once again, we are confronted with the wisdom of God ordering the events of a human life for a double purpose: the man’s own personal sanctification, and the fulfilling of his appointed ministry and serve in the life of the people of God.
These things are written for our learning: for the same wisdom which ordered the paths which God’s saints trod in Bible times orders the Christian’s life today. We should not, therefore, be too taken aback when unexpected and upsetting and discouraging things happen to us now. What do they mean? Why, simply that God in His wisdom means to make something of us which we have not attained yet, and is dealing with us accordingly. "
The fact that God uses the “same wisdom” now as He did in Bible times is so comforting! It reminds us that God is unchanging. Praise the Lord!
"Perhaps He means to strengthen us in patience, good humour, compassion, humility, or meekness, by giving us some extra practice in exercising these graces under specially difficult conditions. Perhaps He has new lessons in self-denial and self-distrust to teach us. Perhaps He wishes to break us of complacency, or unreality, or undetected forms of pride and conceit. Perhaps His purpose is simple to draw us closer to Himself in conscious communion with Him; for it is often the case, as all the saints know, that fellowship with the Father and the Son is most vivid and sweet, and Christian joy is greatest, when the cross is heaviest. Or perhaps God is preparing us for forms of service of which at present we have no inkling. "
Even though I have not been alive all that long, it has been neat to see how I have already been able to share with other girls about experiences I have gone through in a way that God is able to encourage them! I remember going through those times and wondering what use they had in my life; now I have begun to see part of God’s purpose in them. =] I am thankful that God allows us to see parts of His grander plan so that we can be reminded that He is in control and working all things together for good.
"Paul saw part of the reason for his own afflictions in the fact that God ‘comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God’ (2 Cor. 1:4). Even the Lord Jesus ‘learned…obedience by the things which he suffered’, and so was ‘made perfect’ for His High-Priestly ministry which means that, as on the one hand He is able to uphold us and make us more than conquerors in all our troubles and distresses, so on the other hand we must not be surprised if He calls us to follow in His steps, and to let ourselves be prepared for the service of others by painful experiences which are quite undeserved. ‘He knows the way He taketh,’ even if for a moment we do not. We may be frankly bewildered at things that happen to us, but God knows exactly what He is doing, and what He is after, in His handling of our affairs. Always, and in everything, He is wise: we shall see that hereafter, even where we never saw it here. (Job in heaven knows the full reason why he was afflicted, though he never knew it in this life.) Meanwhile, we ought not to hesitate to trust His wisdom, even when He leaves us in the dark.
But how are we to meet these baffling and trying situations, if we cannot for the moment see God’s purpose in them? First, by taking them as from God, and asking ourselves what reactions to them, and in them, the Gospel of God requires of us; second, by seeking God’s face specifically about them. If we do these two things, we shall never find ourselves wholly in the dark as to God’s purpose in our troubles. We shall always be able to see at least as much purpose in them as Paul was enabled to see in his thorn in the flesh (whatever it was). It came to him, he tells us, as a ‘messenger of Satan’, tempting him to hard thoughts of God. He resisted this temptation, and sought Christ’s face three times, asking that it might be removed. The only answer he had was this, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ On reflection, he perceived a reason why he should have been thus afflicted: it was to keep him humble, ‘lest I should be exalted about measure through the abundance of the revelations.’ This thought, and Christ’s word, were enough for him. He looked no further. Here is his final attitude: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me’ (2 Cor. 12:7-9).
This attitude of Paul is a model for us. Whatever further purpose a Christian’s troubles may or may not have in equipping him for future service, they will always have at least that purpose which Paul’s thorn in the flesh had: they will have been sent us to make and keep us humble, and to give us a new opportunity of showing forth the power of Christ in our mortal lives. And do we ever need to know any more about them than that? Is not this enough of itself to convince us of the wisdom of God in them? Once Paul saw that his trouble was sent him to enable him to glorify Christ, he accepted it as wisely appointed, and rejoiced in it. God give us grace, in all our own troubles, to go and do likewise. "
I love the conclusion that Packer gives to this chapter. If we cannot see any other reason we are going through trials or testings, we can at least be confident that God wants to keep us humble and to keep us totally dependent upon Him. This reason alone should be enough answer for us as to why things happen in our lives that test our faith.
In talking about the wisdom of God in the lives of people during Bible times…
"What Abraham needed most of all was to learn the practice of living in God’s presence , seeing all life in relation to Him, and looking to Him, and Him alone, as Commander, Defender and Rewarder. This was the great lesson which God in wisdom concentrated on teaching him. ‘Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield , and they exceeding great reward ’ (Genesis 15:1). ‘I am God Almight; walk before me , and be thou perfect (single-eyed and sincere)’ (Genesis 17:1). […]
For what purpose did God in His wisdom plan that? […] So far as life of God’s people was concerned, Joseph himself gave the answer to our question when he revealed his identity to his distracted brothers. ‘God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God…’ (Genesis 45:7f.). Joseph’s theology was as sound as his charity was deep. Once again, we are confronted with the wisdom of God ordering the events of a human life for a double purpose: the man’s own personal sanctification, and the fulfilling of his appointed ministry and serve in the life of the people of God.
These things are written for our learning: for the same wisdom which ordered the paths which God’s saints trod in Bible times orders the Christian’s life today. We should not, therefore, be too taken aback when unexpected and upsetting and discouraging things happen to us now. What do they mean? Why, simply that God in His wisdom means to make something of us which we have not attained yet, and is dealing with us accordingly. "
The fact that God uses the “same wisdom” now as He did in Bible times is so comforting! It reminds us that God is unchanging. Praise the Lord!
"Perhaps He means to strengthen us in patience, good humour, compassion, humility, or meekness, by giving us some extra practice in exercising these graces under specially difficult conditions. Perhaps He has new lessons in self-denial and self-distrust to teach us. Perhaps He wishes to break us of complacency, or unreality, or undetected forms of pride and conceit. Perhaps His purpose is simple to draw us closer to Himself in conscious communion with Him; for it is often the case, as all the saints know, that fellowship with the Father and the Son is most vivid and sweet, and Christian joy is greatest, when the cross is heaviest. Or perhaps God is preparing us for forms of service of which at present we have no inkling. "
Even though I have not been alive all that long, it has been neat to see how I have already been able to share with other girls about experiences I have gone through in a way that God is able to encourage them! I remember going through those times and wondering what use they had in my life; now I have begun to see part of God’s purpose in them. =] I am thankful that God allows us to see parts of His grander plan so that we can be reminded that He is in control and working all things together for good.
"Paul saw part of the reason for his own afflictions in the fact that God ‘comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God’ (2 Cor. 1:4). Even the Lord Jesus ‘learned…obedience by the things which he suffered’, and so was ‘made perfect’ for His High-Priestly ministry which means that, as on the one hand He is able to uphold us and make us more than conquerors in all our troubles and distresses, so on the other hand we must not be surprised if He calls us to follow in His steps, and to let ourselves be prepared for the service of others by painful experiences which are quite undeserved. ‘He knows the way He taketh,’ even if for a moment we do not. We may be frankly bewildered at things that happen to us, but God knows exactly what He is doing, and what He is after, in His handling of our affairs. Always, and in everything, He is wise: we shall see that hereafter, even where we never saw it here. (Job in heaven knows the full reason why he was afflicted, though he never knew it in this life.) Meanwhile, we ought not to hesitate to trust His wisdom, even when He leaves us in the dark.
But how are we to meet these baffling and trying situations, if we cannot for the moment see God’s purpose in them? First, by taking them as from God, and asking ourselves what reactions to them, and in them, the Gospel of God requires of us; second, by seeking God’s face specifically about them. If we do these two things, we shall never find ourselves wholly in the dark as to God’s purpose in our troubles. We shall always be able to see at least as much purpose in them as Paul was enabled to see in his thorn in the flesh (whatever it was). It came to him, he tells us, as a ‘messenger of Satan’, tempting him to hard thoughts of God. He resisted this temptation, and sought Christ’s face three times, asking that it might be removed. The only answer he had was this, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ On reflection, he perceived a reason why he should have been thus afflicted: it was to keep him humble, ‘lest I should be exalted about measure through the abundance of the revelations.’ This thought, and Christ’s word, were enough for him. He looked no further. Here is his final attitude: ‘Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me’ (2 Cor. 12:7-9).
This attitude of Paul is a model for us. Whatever further purpose a Christian’s troubles may or may not have in equipping him for future service, they will always have at least that purpose which Paul’s thorn in the flesh had: they will have been sent us to make and keep us humble, and to give us a new opportunity of showing forth the power of Christ in our mortal lives. And do we ever need to know any more about them than that? Is not this enough of itself to convince us of the wisdom of God in them? Once Paul saw that his trouble was sent him to enable him to glorify Christ, he accepted it as wisely appointed, and rejoiced in it. God give us grace, in all our own troubles, to go and do likewise. "
I love the conclusion that Packer gives to this chapter. If we cannot see any other reason we are going through trials or testings, we can at least be confident that God wants to keep us humble and to keep us totally dependent upon Him. This reason alone should be enough answer for us as to why things happen in our lives that test our faith.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
As I Labor Through This Storm
As I was working on a project in my room today, I was listening to Keith and Kristyn Getty’s CD In Christ Alone . The song “Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer” came on and my ears pricked up as I listened closely to the words for the first time. Here they are:
Jesus, draw me ever nearer
As I labor through the storm;
You have called me to this passage,
And I’ll follow, though I’m worn.
(Refrain)
May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart’s testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.
Jesus, guide me through the tempest
Keep my spirit staid and sure;
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.
Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go –
And at the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.
Last night I had many thoughts running rampant through my head. (It seems as if I think a lot more when I am not busy with school, etc. =] ) It is really neat, however, how I felt God drawing me nearer (as the song pleads) as I was processing different things. I know that God has called me to this time in life; right now He has a purpose for sending me through this “passage.” I was encouraged in seeing how the Holy Spirit is actively working in my heart and mind and how He is daily shaping my thinking. He has given me the mindset that, although “I’m worn” that “I’ll follow” no matter what. I was able to see a glimpse of God’s power and awesomeness as I was still able to find joy, hope, and thankfulness as I thought through my wonderings and worries. (This post is sort of tag-teaming with This Constant Battle which I posted on June 12th in which I talked about how I am a planner, worrier, and wonderer.) The thought process I was going through truly astounded me at first; it is definitely one that is foreign to the world. While the world would give reason to throw a fit or try to manipulate circumstances, the Holy Spirit gave me peace in trusting the Lord. The world would see no reason to be joyful or thankful in uncertainty, but the Holy Spirit was enabling me to be joyful and thankful because I can know that God knows what He is doing. This reminds me of my favorite verse in 2 Corinthians 12:7-12 where Paul talks about God’s power being made perfect in his weakness. I was able to see the power of God working in and changing my mind and thoughts towards this “trial” (although I know it is quite menial compared to what some people go through); only because of Him can I look at my weakness and praise Him for it.
I have seen God give me faith through this “journey” and I have seen Him renew my strength to continue many times. I love the last two lines of the refrain: “At the end of my heart’s testing, with Your likeness let me wake”! I can see that God is putting me through this trial to sanctify and purify me as a goldsmith puts raw gold through the fire to cleanse it from impurities. Just as the goldsmith skims the dross off the top of the melted gold, so too does God scrape off the sin and nastiness that rises to my surface as I am put through “fire” and “testing”; just as the goldsmith knows his gold is pure and ready by seeing his reflection, so too does God seek to cleanse and purify me so that He can see His reflection in my life. I pray that at the end of my life, I would be able to see the likeness of God in me.
In just thinking through things this summer and learning to wait patiently and silently, I am definitely gaining a greater love for Christ. As I thought about God’s faithfulness, mercy, and love in my life, my love for Christ was renewed as well as it was grown. I also pray that Christ would “keep my spirit staid and sure” and that I would not grow weary in doing good. (Galatians 6:9) It was so neat that the very next song to follow this one was "In Christ Alone." The first four lines of this song are amazing!
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my Light, my Strength, my Song;
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
Praise God that Christ is my light, my strength, my song, a cornerstone, and solid ground that is firm through trials and testings! Praise God that Christ carries me through life!
In the final stanza of "Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer," I liked how they worded the first two lines: “Let the treasures of the trial form within me as I go.” I can definitely see that the Holy Spirit is growing, producing, and forming these “treasures” in me; they are the Fruits of the Spirit! These supernatural fruits are becoming more and more evident to me as I am finding unspeakable joy, peace, and patience in my situation. The world might call me crazy for having this attitude; they might not understand why I have this mindset, but I do. I know that God is at work within me; I know that He is sanctifying me; I know He is making His likeness more clear in my life and this is the reason why I can find joy and peace in uncertainty as I “labor through this storm.”
Jesus, draw me ever nearer
As I labor through the storm;
You have called me to this passage,
And I’ll follow, though I’m worn.
(Refrain)
May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart’s testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.
Jesus, guide me through the tempest
Keep my spirit staid and sure;
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.
Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go –
And at the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.
Last night I had many thoughts running rampant through my head. (It seems as if I think a lot more when I am not busy with school, etc. =] ) It is really neat, however, how I felt God drawing me nearer (as the song pleads) as I was processing different things. I know that God has called me to this time in life; right now He has a purpose for sending me through this “passage.” I was encouraged in seeing how the Holy Spirit is actively working in my heart and mind and how He is daily shaping my thinking. He has given me the mindset that, although “I’m worn” that “I’ll follow” no matter what. I was able to see a glimpse of God’s power and awesomeness as I was still able to find joy, hope, and thankfulness as I thought through my wonderings and worries. (This post is sort of tag-teaming with This Constant Battle which I posted on June 12th in which I talked about how I am a planner, worrier, and wonderer.) The thought process I was going through truly astounded me at first; it is definitely one that is foreign to the world. While the world would give reason to throw a fit or try to manipulate circumstances, the Holy Spirit gave me peace in trusting the Lord. The world would see no reason to be joyful or thankful in uncertainty, but the Holy Spirit was enabling me to be joyful and thankful because I can know that God knows what He is doing. This reminds me of my favorite verse in 2 Corinthians 12:7-12 where Paul talks about God’s power being made perfect in his weakness. I was able to see the power of God working in and changing my mind and thoughts towards this “trial” (although I know it is quite menial compared to what some people go through); only because of Him can I look at my weakness and praise Him for it.
I have seen God give me faith through this “journey” and I have seen Him renew my strength to continue many times. I love the last two lines of the refrain: “At the end of my heart’s testing, with Your likeness let me wake”! I can see that God is putting me through this trial to sanctify and purify me as a goldsmith puts raw gold through the fire to cleanse it from impurities. Just as the goldsmith skims the dross off the top of the melted gold, so too does God scrape off the sin and nastiness that rises to my surface as I am put through “fire” and “testing”; just as the goldsmith knows his gold is pure and ready by seeing his reflection, so too does God seek to cleanse and purify me so that He can see His reflection in my life. I pray that at the end of my life, I would be able to see the likeness of God in me.
In just thinking through things this summer and learning to wait patiently and silently, I am definitely gaining a greater love for Christ. As I thought about God’s faithfulness, mercy, and love in my life, my love for Christ was renewed as well as it was grown. I also pray that Christ would “keep my spirit staid and sure” and that I would not grow weary in doing good. (Galatians 6:9) It was so neat that the very next song to follow this one was "In Christ Alone." The first four lines of this song are amazing!
In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my Light, my Strength, my Song;
This Cornerstone, this Solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
Praise God that Christ is my light, my strength, my song, a cornerstone, and solid ground that is firm through trials and testings! Praise God that Christ carries me through life!
In the final stanza of "Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer," I liked how they worded the first two lines: “Let the treasures of the trial form within me as I go.” I can definitely see that the Holy Spirit is growing, producing, and forming these “treasures” in me; they are the Fruits of the Spirit! These supernatural fruits are becoming more and more evident to me as I am finding unspeakable joy, peace, and patience in my situation. The world might call me crazy for having this attitude; they might not understand why I have this mindset, but I do. I know that God is at work within me; I know that He is sanctifying me; I know He is making His likeness more clear in my life and this is the reason why I can find joy and peace in uncertainty as I “labor through this storm.”
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Waiting Silently
Another lesson I have been learning this summer is that of waiting…and more importantly waiting silently . This can be very hard for me at times because I like to know what is going on; I like to have answers and so I like to ask questions to get answers. But, circumstances being what they are, I MUST wait silently and patiently. I MUST trust in the Lord to act. (Psalm 37:5) Saying something or asking questions would be imprudent and would show a lack of trust in the Lord. Some verses that have been encouraging to me are:
Psalm 62:5-6, 8a, “ For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken…Trust in Him at all times.”
Isaiah 30:15a, “ For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
Isaiah 30:18, “ Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are those who wait for Him.”
Praise the Lord that He will bless those who wait upon Him. Although the world would mock and laugh at remaining silent, I know that God cares about obedience and I know that He will reward me one day.
Psalm 62:5-6, 8a, “ For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken…Trust in Him at all times.”
Isaiah 30:15a, “ For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
Isaiah 30:18, “ Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are those who wait for Him.”
Praise the Lord that He will bless those who wait upon Him. Although the world would mock and laugh at remaining silent, I know that God cares about obedience and I know that He will reward me one day.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
This Constant Battle
As I walk down the path of life, I am beginning to see that life is a constant struggle against sin, despair, worry, discouragement, etc. There are days when, by God’s grace alone, I am victorious over my sins and then there are days when I look away from Christ, ignore His help, and fall flat on my face with quite the resounding thud of failure. As I grow older and mature—or so I hope I am—in my walk with the Lord, I begin to feel the tension and battle between the flesh and the spirit more and more. The days I listen to the Holy Spirit within me are the days that I find joy, peace, and contentment; the days I listen to my flesh and revert back to the ways in which I walked before salvation, on the other hand, are the days that I find only despair, disappointment, and anxiety. This struggle poignantly reminds me of the war that Paul talks about in Romans 7:15-25. Praise God that Jesus Christ will deliver us “from this body of death” (verse 25)!!
I have always been a worrier or a wonderer (and yes, I know this is not a word); I am always planning ahead and looking forward to the “next event.” While this quality can be a good thing, I have seen that it causes me to neglect living in the moment and focusing on what God has for me here and now. This summer has been very much a redirecting and refocusing of my way of thinking. As I have been worrying and wondering what the future holds for me, I am becoming more and more aware of the fact that I need to live every moment of my life in full dependence on God. As I worry and wonder, I find that the only thing I can do it offer these things up to the Lord; all I can do is give them back to Him, trust Him with them, and move on in faith and obedience. Some days I do better than others; some hours I do better than others; it even boils down to the fact that there are some moments that I do better than others. I feel like I am living my summer days down to each agonizing minute at times; there are many days when my mind is in constant turmoil. It is almost like there is an argument going on in my head with little Katherines inside. One asks, “Will I give this thing to God and trust Him with it?” One pipes up with a determined, “Yes, it is the only thing I can do!” One shouts, “Squirrel!” and gets easily distracted while another defiantly says, “No, I can keep mulling it over in my mind; thinking about it will help me solve this problem by myself!” Still another dejectedly says, “God can’t do anything; nobody can do anything; the situation is hopeless!! We’re never going to know how this situation turns out!! Whahhhhh!!!” (That is sometimes how I literally feel although I know that it is ridiculous! =] ) I have to remind myself of Philippians 4:4-8. I must rejoice in all things; I must not worry about anything; I must pray and tell God my worries, fears, and desires; and most importantly I must think true thoughts; I cannot dwell on the “could have been’s,” “might have been’s,” “could be’s,” and the “might possibly happen’s.” I can only dwell on the things I know to be true and sometimes, at this point, sometimes the only thing I know to be absolutely true is that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; that He loves me and died to save me from my sins; that He has forgiven me; and that He wants HIS best possible plan for my life. They are times like this when I see the reality of 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 being made clear to me. I have pleaded, as Paul did, that the Lord would remove these worries from my mind, but they do not go away. The Lord tells me “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) I am truly a weak vessel, but I am coming more and more to see the truth that God and His grace is sufficient for me!!
There have been many times this past summer and even this past semester at school, when I have become discouraged with the struggle of constantly giving up everything to God. When I see no improvement in myself I can become very discouraged and sometimes I wonder if the struggle is worth the effort. There are times when I feel like I do not have the strength to go on. It is during these times when verses like Isaiah 40:27-31 and Lamentations 3:22-23 are so incredibly comforting to me! Isaiah 40:27-31 says, “Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God’? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be wear; they shall walk and not faint.” My struggles and worries are not too small that my God does not care about or notice them. He will give me strength to make it through those tough moments of doubt, despair, and exhaustion. Isaiah even says that He will not just give us enough strength to crawl across the finish line of life, but we will be strengthened enough to fly to the heights of eagles and to run the rest of the race with renewed endurance. Lamentations is the other verse I mentioned; it says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” I love this!!! It is so awesome! There have been mornings when I wake up and my worries and wonderings are the first things that pop into mind causing me to dread the day and to want to stay in bed; but when I remember this verse it gives me confidence and strength to face the day. God gives me renewed mercy each and every morning to make it through my day! Praise Him for that!! =]
As I was flipping through my Bible and sifting through my thoughts earlier I came across some verses that gave me a lot of hope and were very encouraging. Praise God for His timeliness and His Word being living and active and useful for all situations! The first verse I came across was 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 which says, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” There are times when I feel like I am wasting away with worry, but it is comforting to be reminded that there is more to life than this earth: there is eternity with God!!! This reminds me of a poem I have written in the back of my Bible; it says, “If life be long, I will be glad, that I may long obey; if short – then why should I be sad to soar to endless days?” I love this because it is so true! We can put up with obedience here on earth not matter the cost because we know that we will be rewarded and at rest one day in Heaven. The other verse that encouraged me is also from 2 Corinthians but in chapter 10 verses 3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every though captive to obey Christ.” I am thankful that we can have confident victory in Christ and that He gives us the power to win and conquer our sins.
So although I know that there will still be many days ahead that I will continue to fight this constant battle of offering God my material for sacrifice, I can be confident that He will and has already given me strength, mercy, and the weapons to combat my fear, anxiety, worries, and wonderings. Praise God for His great faithfulness! Praise God that He is causing me to live in the moment and to be dependent upon Him down to the smallest details of my life!!
I have always been a worrier or a wonderer (and yes, I know this is not a word); I am always planning ahead and looking forward to the “next event.” While this quality can be a good thing, I have seen that it causes me to neglect living in the moment and focusing on what God has for me here and now. This summer has been very much a redirecting and refocusing of my way of thinking. As I have been worrying and wondering what the future holds for me, I am becoming more and more aware of the fact that I need to live every moment of my life in full dependence on God. As I worry and wonder, I find that the only thing I can do it offer these things up to the Lord; all I can do is give them back to Him, trust Him with them, and move on in faith and obedience. Some days I do better than others; some hours I do better than others; it even boils down to the fact that there are some moments that I do better than others. I feel like I am living my summer days down to each agonizing minute at times; there are many days when my mind is in constant turmoil. It is almost like there is an argument going on in my head with little Katherines inside. One asks, “Will I give this thing to God and trust Him with it?” One pipes up with a determined, “Yes, it is the only thing I can do!” One shouts, “Squirrel!” and gets easily distracted while another defiantly says, “No, I can keep mulling it over in my mind; thinking about it will help me solve this problem by myself!” Still another dejectedly says, “God can’t do anything; nobody can do anything; the situation is hopeless!! We’re never going to know how this situation turns out!! Whahhhhh!!!” (That is sometimes how I literally feel although I know that it is ridiculous! =] ) I have to remind myself of Philippians 4:4-8. I must rejoice in all things; I must not worry about anything; I must pray and tell God my worries, fears, and desires; and most importantly I must think true thoughts; I cannot dwell on the “could have been’s,” “might have been’s,” “could be’s,” and the “might possibly happen’s.” I can only dwell on the things I know to be true and sometimes, at this point, sometimes the only thing I know to be absolutely true is that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever; that He loves me and died to save me from my sins; that He has forgiven me; and that He wants HIS best possible plan for my life. They are times like this when I see the reality of 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 being made clear to me. I have pleaded, as Paul did, that the Lord would remove these worries from my mind, but they do not go away. The Lord tells me “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) I am truly a weak vessel, but I am coming more and more to see the truth that God and His grace is sufficient for me!!
There have been many times this past summer and even this past semester at school, when I have become discouraged with the struggle of constantly giving up everything to God. When I see no improvement in myself I can become very discouraged and sometimes I wonder if the struggle is worth the effort. There are times when I feel like I do not have the strength to go on. It is during these times when verses like Isaiah 40:27-31 and Lamentations 3:22-23 are so incredibly comforting to me! Isaiah 40:27-31 says, “Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God’? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be wear; they shall walk and not faint.” My struggles and worries are not too small that my God does not care about or notice them. He will give me strength to make it through those tough moments of doubt, despair, and exhaustion. Isaiah even says that He will not just give us enough strength to crawl across the finish line of life, but we will be strengthened enough to fly to the heights of eagles and to run the rest of the race with renewed endurance. Lamentations is the other verse I mentioned; it says, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” I love this!!! It is so awesome! There have been mornings when I wake up and my worries and wonderings are the first things that pop into mind causing me to dread the day and to want to stay in bed; but when I remember this verse it gives me confidence and strength to face the day. God gives me renewed mercy each and every morning to make it through my day! Praise Him for that!! =]
As I was flipping through my Bible and sifting through my thoughts earlier I came across some verses that gave me a lot of hope and were very encouraging. Praise God for His timeliness and His Word being living and active and useful for all situations! The first verse I came across was 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 which says, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” There are times when I feel like I am wasting away with worry, but it is comforting to be reminded that there is more to life than this earth: there is eternity with God!!! This reminds me of a poem I have written in the back of my Bible; it says, “If life be long, I will be glad, that I may long obey; if short – then why should I be sad to soar to endless days?” I love this because it is so true! We can put up with obedience here on earth not matter the cost because we know that we will be rewarded and at rest one day in Heaven. The other verse that encouraged me is also from 2 Corinthians but in chapter 10 verses 3-5, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every though captive to obey Christ.” I am thankful that we can have confident victory in Christ and that He gives us the power to win and conquer our sins.
So although I know that there will still be many days ahead that I will continue to fight this constant battle of offering God my material for sacrifice, I can be confident that He will and has already given me strength, mercy, and the weapons to combat my fear, anxiety, worries, and wonderings. Praise God for His great faithfulness! Praise God that He is causing me to live in the moment and to be dependent upon Him down to the smallest details of my life!!
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