Cause for singing…

Says C.H. Spurgeon on Isaiah 54:1:

"In this Western clime, we do not know all the misery which was felt by Eastern women who were childless; they were looked down upon and despised; yet here God bids them sing. And, dear friends, if you and I feel as if our hearts have become barren, so that we cannot think of God or raise our thoughts towards him as we would desire; if we feel that we have become useless, and for that reason our spirit is greatly depressed, let us give heed to this sweet, this charming exhortation of Jehovah: ‘Sing, O barren soul; break forth into singing, and cry aloud’; for God can turn our barrenness into fruitfulness, and make us to rejoice exceedingly before him. If we are now sighing and crying because we are not what we ought to be, or what we want to be, God can, in the richness of his grace, make us all that we desire. Therefore let us begin to be joyful even before the miracle of mercy is wrought; let us have unbounded faith in God, and expect him to bless us, even while we are in our lowest state."


Just another reminder that God can do exceedingly more than we can ever ask or think!! Press on, friends!

The roots of our souls

I read the conclusion of ‘Elizabeth Prentiss’ yesterday and was especially struck by Sharon’s reference to this quote from one of Elizabeth’s letters:

“God never places us in any position in which we can not grow. We may fancy that He does. We may fear we are so impeded by fretting, petty cares that we are gaining nothing; but when we are not sending any branches upward we may be sending roots downward. Perhaps in the time of our humiliation, when everything seems a failure, we are making the best kind of progress. God delights to try our faith by the conditions in which He places us. A plant set in the shade shows where its heart is by turning towards the sun, even when unable to reach it. We have so much to distract us in this world that we do not realize how truly and deeply, if not always warmly and consciously, we love Christ. But I believe that this love is the strongest principle in every regenerate soul. It may slumber for a time, it may falter, it may freeze nearly to death; but sooner of later it will declare itself as the ruling passion.”

How often I balk at the circumstances God puts me in, the things He calls me to bear, etc. Yet, how often I have found that when I am at the end of my resources and my ability to 'understand' God's dealings with me, I just know in my heart that I don't want to let go of Him. I don’t always ‘feel’ it but what I ‘know’ to be true, is that whatever He calls me to do or bear, it will be worth it!

Back to Hebrews 11 again, that great 'faith' chapter, and we see in Moses that very understanding of the value of Christ compared to every other thing:

“By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward” (11:24-26)

Steele on faith

I'm still thinking on faith and I read this great poem of Anne Steele's today…

✠ Humble trust ✠

Why should my pining spirit be
So long a stranger to my Lord,
When promises, divinely free,
Invite me to his sacred word?

Does he not bid the weary come,
And call the wretched sons of grief,
To him their refuge and their home,
Their heavenly friend, their sure relief?

Yes, by the kindest, tenderest names,
My Lord invites my humble trust;
My diffidence he gently blames,
How soft the censure, and how just!

This trembling frame, worn out with pains,
On thee, my guardian God, depends;
And while my fainting heart complains,
To thee the plaintive groan ascends.

Though all the powers of nature fail,
And life’s pale, trembling lamp decline;
Thy grace can bid my faith prevail,
Can give me fortitude divine.

That grace, which bids my hope aspire,
Can every anxious fear remove,
Can give me all my soul’s desire,
The full assurance of thy love.

—Anne Steele

So often, in our weariness, we come so slowly to God in faith and yet our “heavenly friend” calls us “by the kindest, tenderest names” and provides the grace to remove our fears, strengthen our love and enable our faith to prevail. There is much to be said here but mostly just to note how tied into grace our faith is. As you read Hebrews 11, it is striking to see how much grace (the unmerited favour of God) is displayed as the author goes through the list of Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, David, Samson, and so on. In each of their lives, the theme of grace runs deep. As God gave them the gift of faith, his love and promises were confirmed to them in grace. And one day, together with them(!), we will be made perfect (v. 40). Great thoughts for this evening!

More on faith

I know I wrote about faith back at the end of July (“Antedote to losing heart”), but it is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. These past few days I have been especially pondering Hebrews 11:6. There we read: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

I guess the most obvious thing to note is that faith pleases God. And “faith” is defined earlier in verse 1 as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” In a world that demands scientific proof and quantitative measurement, this might seem like a pretty lame thing. And, living in a fallen world — a world that rejects God, denies his existence, spurns his grace — being sure of a “hope” and certain of things that can’t be seen, seems very archaic, unenlightened, old-fashioned, and not very progressive. Perhaps people have told you that, as they have me.

And, were it not for the fact that we learn here that it “pleases God,” it might be possible to appreciate the world’s point of view. But actually, God’s point of view is what captures my attention here! The fact that I can please the eternal God by trusting in his Word, believing his promises, embracing the redemptive work of Christ on the cross for my sin, setting my sights on the hope of heaven — all these things, and many more — this is what is so heartening in verse 6.

In addition, the writer of Hebrews speaks of: “anyone who comes to him.” That tells me a few things as well. One, that ANYONE can come. And, that we CAN come to God. It’s open to all and all are invited! How encouraging to know that open invitation!

The writer speaks of requirements put on those who come to God. This is not an unusual thing. We cannot just go up to many important people in this world without certain protocols. I could not just go into the office of the prime minister of Canada without certain requirements, be they an appointment, a metal detector, etc. Yet here, God reveals that when we come to him we must have faith — we must believe in his existence. And, the verse continues, "that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."

At first, as I was thinking on this verse, I kept wanting to bypass this last part because it seemed to remind me of a reward scheme at the local supermarket. Do this, earn points, and get this. But what kind of rewards do you suppose the writer is speaking of here? Preminently, the reward of faith in God is "receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls" as Peter says in 1 Peter 1:9. That is a reward that no one else can offer and it is the greatest comfort a sinner could ever know. What hope and peace and joy is wrapped into that great reward!

So, as I've muddled through my thoughts on this great verse, I’ve come away encouraged. Encouraged to know that I can actually please God. And thrilled, that by faith in God and trust in the work of Christ, I can experience the reward of salvation. I can be sure and certain of all that God is, all he offers, all he declares. If that's not cause for amazement, comfort, praise... I don't know what is!

Tiny people, big voices

This week we had a vacation Bible school for the kids around our church - we're right in the heart of a low-income/working class neighbourhood. We had about 60+ kids come out and for many it was their first contact with GBC. It was so encouraging to see so many new faces and to have so many of our congregation all working together.

Last night we hosted a BBQ/carnival for the kids and their parents and to kick it off the kids sang and did the actions for some of the new songs they learned this week. What a testimony it was to my own heart of how big and awesome our God is! They sang of these attributes with great gusto and their tiny bodies and big voices just testified to God's greatness. Who knows what God will do in these young lives!

Nehemiah 1:5 speaks of this, and there is a parallel here — Nehemiah was out to rebuild the wall and reestablish God's name in Jerusalem, GBC is out to testify to God in our community and establish the gospel there. Nehemiah speaks of God as the "God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands." May he do great and awesome things in the hearts of those in our community!

The heart of Christ

A quote from Elizabeth Prentiss ...
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"I used to reproach myself for religious stupidity when not well, but see now that God is my kind Father — not my hard task master, expecting me to be full of life and zeal when physically exhausted. It takes long to learn such lessons. One has to penetrate deeply into the heart of Christ to begin to know its tenderness and sympathy and forbearance.."
[Sharon James, 'Elizabeth Prentiss' (Edinburgh, Banner of Truth Trust, 2006), 177]
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I'm always amazed to read such things from 'mighty' saints of the past! It is so encouraging to know that, no matter when we were born, each of us deals with similar issues or situations. As I was reading this chapter, this comment encouraged me to reflect on the love that is in the heart of Christ for me, specifically, and just the tender way he deals with me. I'm sure one of the things that heaven will reveal is that we have hardly begun to understand how much God loves us!

Longing for the morning...

Psalm 143:7,8 ‘Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me…Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.'

Psalm 90:14 'Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.'


Sometimes, in the 'midnight' times of the soul, we long for those mornings when we wake up just so assured of the love and grace of God. True enough, sometimes we do have 'songs in the night' (Ps. 77) and in the midst of troubles, our spirits soar and our faith is strong. At others, it seems God's mercy that he gives us sleep, a new day, and those new reassurances of his love. Isn't it amazing that in all our variableness, and our inability to grasp his love and the depths of his forgiveness, 'he remembers we are dust' (Ps.103)? Isaiah 40 says that 'he will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.'

Isaiah's comforting words continue (and notice the 'wills'!) --'He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.' Familiar verses and yet how much they speak to our daily need of strength, renewal, perseverance — and the ability just 'to stand.'

Valley dwellers

I will lift up my eyes unto the hills, from there comes my help. (Ps. 121:1)

"It is wise to look to the strong for strength. Dwellers in valleys are subject to many disorders for which there is no cure but a sojourn in the uplands, and it is well when they shake off their lethargy and resolve upon a climb. The holy man, who here sings a choice sonnet, looked away from the slanderers, by whom he was tormented, to the Lord, who saw all from his high places and was ready to pour down succour for his injured servant. Help comes to saints only from above; they look elsewhere in vain.

"Let us lift up our eyes with hope, expectancy, desire, and confidence. Satan will endeavour to keep our eyes upon our sorrows that we may be disquieted and discouraged, be it ours firmly to resolve that we will look out and look up, for there is good cheer for the eyes, and they that lift up their eyes to the eternal hills shall soon have their hearts lifted up also. The purposes of God; the divine attributes. The immutable promises, the covenant, ordered in all things and sure. The providence, predestination, and proved faithfulness of the Lord — these are the things to which we must lift up our eyes, for from these our help must come." (Charles Spurgeon)


… How Spurgeon is feeding my soul these days! And what encouragement this is to "keep our eyes on Jesus" as the author of Hebrews also exhorts. The psalmist says, "I will" — and we must! If we are to know perspective, peace, hope — we must look WAY UP!

Fainting and hoping

Psalm 119:81 "My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word."

Says Spurgeon on this verse: "What! faint and hoping, too? Yes, a Christian man is a wonder and a contradiction to many, and most of all to himself. He cannot understand himself; he faints, and yet he hopes."

Indeed, what a contradiction we are at times! O for that grace to know, in our weakness, in our fainting times, that we can yet have a firm hope in God, his Son, his Word, his truth.

Sweet to the ears of God

Psalm 30:4-5, 11-12 — Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.… You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever.


It is interesting how the Lord deals with us. Some days it seems as though we are overwhelmed with stress or sorrow or circumstance… other days we really grasp what it means to be a child of God, we enjoy his presence, we know peace in our souls. How is it that we are so up and down?

I reckon the psalmist knew something of this himself. Verse 2 speaks of how “I called to you for help and you healed me.” Verse 7 speaks of how “when you hid your face, I was dismayed” and verse 3: "O Lord, you brought me up from the grave." Just like us, his experience was up and down.

It is interesting that the exhortation the psalmist leaves with us is for us to "sing"… to "praise"… to "give thanks." These are not mindless, heartless acts. Rather, as the Lord shows his favour, as he brings days when we wake up rejoicing and gives us real joy, as he brings these deliverances — whether from sins or from sorrows — as we get through the days we cannot seem to see God or see past our troubles, it is then that we should “not be silent.” We should, first of all, express to God our appreciation for his kindnesses, his grace, his love, his salvation. We should praise him, audibly, and express our thanks. I think this is not only so that we would hear this ourselves and have a reason to articulate it (for that is so helpful), but that our praises are sweet to the ears of God. He loves to hear us express it and give him the honour he is due!

Anne Steele, poet extraordinaire

Over the past few years, I have come to appreciate the eighteenth-century poet Anne Steele a great deal. Sharon James devotes a section to her in her book “In trouble and in joy.” She was a single woman who, despite her ill-health, was cheerful and had a deep and rich faith. Her writings and poetry speak with real depth and experience and I have often found her poems and hymns a real blessing to my soul. (She is the author of the well-known hymn, “Come ye that love the Saviour’s name.”)

Last year I was finally able to track down a volume of her poems on eBay. It is very difficult to come by any of her books! I now dip into it quite regularly… here is a poem on the consolation that Christ is for the believer. I find it a helpful re-focus for me today...

Rest and comfort in Christ alone

Where shall I fly but to thy feet,
My Saviour, my almighty friend?
Dear names, beyond expression sweet!
On these my hopes of bliss depend.

Where shall I rest but on thy grace,
Thy boundless grace, divinely free?
On earth I find no resting place;
Dear Saviour, bid me come to thee!

Though sin detains me from my Lord,
I long, I languish to be blest:
O speak on soul-reviving word,
And bid me come to thee my rest.

When I this wretched heart explore,
Here no kind source of hope appears;
But O my soul, that grace adore,
Free grace, which triumphs o’er my fears.

Jesus, from thy atoning blood,
My only consolation flows;
Hope beams from thee, my Saviour God,
My soul no other refuge knows.

—Anne Steele