Comforts from the Cross

I have been reading Elyse Fitzpatrick's book Comforts from the Cross this last month and today came across the following paragraph that really caused me to stop and think. It still has me a little boggled. I thought I would share the love for all of you to read as well:

"So much of our lives as Christians is spent in futile doubt, weak questionings, and apathetic, self-serving strategies. In part, we fail in our war for purity because we spend too much time meditating on ourselves, our work, our growth. We have little hope for change because our hope is grounded in ourselves, in how we're doing, in whether God is proving His love by granting us every trifling desire or delivering us from heartbreaking trial. We've been deceived into belieivn that His love is passe, something we've already comprehended. It bores us. John's message, through the Spirit of the living Christ, calls to you today: "See!" See him. See what your adoption cost Him. See His commitment to His family, to you. Steep your coul in the warmth of His desire to have you for His own, and after you have done that, pursue the purity that is a mark of this fierce love."

some wisdom from Spurg...

“Unerring wisdom ordained your lot, and selected for you the safest and best condition. Remember this, had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there. You are placed by God in the most suitable circumstances. Be content with such things as you have, since the Lord has ordered all things for your good.”

Charles Spurgeon

a little neglect...

I have neglected the ol' blog for some time now so I thought a recent pic might revitalize the page for the time being!

Enjoy!

Truth from Elyse!

God's goal in all things whether good or hard is that we would know how wonderful He is!

Holla!! Such incredible truth!

In the Valley

I first heard this song at Truth & Life last week. The words made me stop and really consider the truth of what was being sung. I was so encouraged and challenged to keep this perspective in the midst of trials and heartache, great or small. I pray you are just as encouraged and that this too would be your thinking in the midst of loss and disappointment.

Our God is so good! May we never forget this.

In the Valley
Sovereign Grace Ministries

When You lead me to the valley of vision
I can see You in the heights
And though my humbling wouldn’t be my decision
It’s here Your glory shines so bright
So let me learn that the cross precedes the crown
To be low is to be high
That the valley’s where You make me more like Christ

Let me find Your grace in the valley
Let me find Your life in my death
Let me find Your joy in my sorrow
Your wealth in my need
That You’re near with every breath
In the valley

In the daytime there are stars in the heavens
But they only shine at night
And the deeper that I go into darkness
The more I see their radiant light
So let me learn that my losses are my gain
To be broken is to heal
That the valley’s where Your power is revealed

Elijah & the Widow of Zarephath

I have been reading through 1 Kings recently and came across the portion of Scripture that speaks of Elijah and the destitute widow of Zarephath.

In a time of great famine and drought, Elijah came to the widow asking her to make him a cake, using the last of the flour and oil she had. She knew that this little amount of flour and oil stood between her son's and her own starvation; however, because this request came from the Lord, she obeyed and offered all she had, not questioning the Lord's goodness to her but trusting in His character, His infinite mercy and His overwhelming desire for her ultimate good--in the midst of suffering and even potential death for her self and her son. (...and, not to mention, without understanding why God would ask her to make Elijah a cake when her and son had nothing more to eat and really nothing to give another?!) Oh, to have a trust like hers, to obey without reservation. I pray that this characterizes me one day!

The widow at Zarephath never imagined the far-reaching effects of her obedience. "There was food for him and for her and her family for a long time. The jar of flour did not give out nor did the flask of oil fail" (1 Kings 17:15-16). God is so good--and does far more than we can ever imagine with our suffering, our loss, our heartache, our weaknesses, our poverty, our misery!

Amy Carmichael wrote a poem that provides an incredible analogy between suffering and the poverty of the widow of Zarephath.

Nothing in the House

Thy servant, Lord, hath nothing in the house,
Not even one small pot of common oil;
For he who never cometh to spoil
Hath raided my poor house again, again,
That ruthless strong man armed, whom men call Pain.

I thought that I had courage in the house,
And patience to be quiet and endure,
And sometimes happy songs; now I am sure
Thy servant truly hath not anything,
And see, my song-bird hath a broken wing.

***

My servant, I have come into the house--
I who know Pain's extremity so well
That there can never be the need to tell
His power to make the flesh and spirit quail:
Have I not felt the scourage, the thorn, the nail?

And I, his Conqueror, am in the house,
Let not your heart be troubled: do not fear:
Why shouldst thou, child of Mine, if I am here?
My touch will heal thy song-bird's broken wing,
And he shall have a braver song to sing.

The Lord redeems our pain, our misery, our hurt. He heals our broken wings and gives us a braver song to sing--if only we will trust, if only we will risk. The Lord can bring such beauty from even the worst pain and hurt. Will we trust Him to do that? Will we offer him that which exposes us and leaves us so vulnerable before Him and even others? I pray that I too can offer what I believe is my last bit of flour and oil with a heart believing that Christ, in the midst of the heartache and the pain, is doing far more than I ever can imagine with my finite, little mind.

How People Change, Tripp--Part 4

Our wrong responses are not forced on us by situations and/or people. They come out of our hearts.