Pressing on

The power of faith

2008-05-14T21:07:00.002-04:00

Last year I looked at a variety of statements about the nature of faith. I came across a good quote today from an early Canadian Baptist pastor that illustrates the power of faith in the life of a believer:

"What else but faith, unfeigned faith in the death of Christ as the only atonement could make a man forsake all—all his self-righteousness, all his good works, prayers, tears, and religious feelings and exercises, &c—and take up his cross and follow Jesus Christ? What but real faith in the promise of Christ, of everlasting life, would, or could, make a man become the butt of the enmity, malice, revenge, and persecutions of his relations, friends, and neighbours, and deny himself to every fleshly, and every worldly gratification? What but faith in, and love to the Lord Jesus Christ, as the only Saviour of the guilty, could make a man devote himself and his all to the service of God—and make him willing to suffer even unto death, not only for Christ himself, but also for his laws, and his ordinances, and his people? How true is it that faith purifieth the heart (Acts 15:9), overcometh the world (1 John 5:4), worketh by love (Galatians 5:6) and leads us to endure every trial and every affliction in this world (Hebrews 11)."
—Alexander Stewart (1774-1840), pastor of the first Baptist church in York (Toronto), Upper Canada

"Hold Thou my hand"

2008-05-08T11:01:00.003-04:00

I've been thinking of the words of this hymn of Fanny Crosby's this morning. The tune is not that singable but the words are really rich, especially coming from a woman who was herself blind. I imagine that her sense of touch and her consciousness of needing help to walk around, just on a human level, were very real. But here, Fanny applies that to a higher plane - that of needing the help of God to navigate through life, to know God's nearness and touch, to fear his absence and the possibility of stumbling, to need his light to guide our steps, etc. It is encouraging that she sees this need right to the end of her life—right to the gates of death, we will need God's strength, his holding us so that we do not fall, so that we can experience joy and help in our weakness.

Hold Thou my hand: so weak I am, and helpless;
 I dare not take one step without Thy aid.
 Hold Thou my hand: for then, O Loving Saviour,
 No dread of ill shall make my soul afraid.

  Hold Thou my hand: and closer, closer draw me
 To Thy dear self, my hope, my joy, my all;
 Hold Thou my hand: lest haply I should wander,
 And missing Thee, my trembling feet should fall.

  Hold Thou my hand: the way is dark before me
 Without the sunlight of Thy face divine;
 But when by faith I catch its radiant glory,
 What heights of joy, what rapturous songs are mine!

Hold Thou my hand, that when I reach the margin
Of that lone river Thou didst cross for me,
A heavenly light may flash along its waters,
And every wave like crystal bright shall be.

—Fanny Crosby 1879

The value of poetry

2008-04-10T11:38:00.000-04:00

When we are harassed by sorrows or anxieties, or long oppressed by any powerful feelings which we much keep to ourselves, for which we can obtain and seek no sympathy from any living creature, and which, yet, we cannot, or will not wholly crush, we often, naturally, seek relief in poetry—and often find it too—whether in the effusions of others, which seem to harmonize with our existing case, or in our own attempts to give utterance to those thoughts and feelings in strains less musical, perchance, but more appropriate, and therefore more penetrating and sympathetic, and, for the time, more soothing, or more powerful to rouse and to unburden the oppressed and swollen heart.
—Anne Brontë (Agnes Grey)

A paradox

2008-02-27T11:49:00.001-05:00

Commenting on Mark 8:5-9 (and the feeding of the 4,000), Spurgeon writes:

Expect, beloved, to be enriched by your losses, to grow by that which looks as if it would crush you, and to become greater by that which threatens to annihilate you. Only put yourself into Christ’s hands, and he will make good use of you, and leave you better than you were before he used you as the means of helping and blessing others.

The tenderness of God

2008-02-26T22:35:00.002-05:00

"Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee" (Mark 5:19)

What a challenge from the lips of Christ — tell your friends and testify to the great things God has done in your life! And, tell with confidence, as such a God who has had compassion on us (and we know our sin, and the many ways in which God has been so kind), will he also not have compassion on others who come to him in their need? Tell of the tenderness, the undeserved kindness, the love, that God has shown to you, that it might woo others to him as well.

Says C.H. Spurgeon: "That is one of the chief points on which we ought always to speak, not only to tell of the greatness of the change which the grace of God has wrought in us, but especially to testify to the tenderness of God to us. Oh, how gently did he handle our broken bones! That good Physician of ours has a lion’s heart, but he has a lady’s hand; he does not spare us needful pain, but he never inflicts even a twinge that is unnecessary. And, oh! the pity of his heart toward us when he sees the sorrow which our sin has brought upon us."

And Bartholomew…

2008-02-12T11:46:00.000-05:00

Just working on a Spurgeon devotional on the Gospels at the moment and came across this helpful section on Bartholomew:

I think that, as a rule, God’s servants work best in pairs. In other senses than the matrimonial one, it is not good that man should be alone. Moses needs Aaron; Peter needs Andrew; James needs John. It is well to be of such a temperament and disposition that you can work harmoniously with another of your Lord’s servants. If ye cannot, pray God to alter you. Notice that expression, in [Matthew 10:3], ‘and Bartholomew’. I think there is not a single instance in the New Testament where Bartholomew is mentioned without the word ‘and’ before or after his name — ‘and Bartholomew’ or ‘Bartholomew and’ someone else. Perhaps he was not a man who ever began any work by himself, but he was a grand man to join in and help it on when somebody else had started it. So, dear friend, if you are not qualified to be a leader in the church of Christ, be willing to be number two; but do serve the Master, in some capacity or other, with all your might. Be a brother who carries an ‘and’ with him wherever he goes; be like a horse, that has his harness on, and is ready to be hooked into the team.

What a helpful word! We are not 'islands' in God's work. He calls us to work alongside others, joined to the harness with them, in willing and eager service to our God. How much we need to cultivate that bond of fellowship and joint ministry in his kingdom! And what a blessing it is to find others to work alongside and be their 'and' to complement the work that God has given them to do, truly fellow workers in God's cause.

Friendship…published at last!

2008-02-05T17:29:00.000-05:00

My friend Hilary and I have been trying to get a book on Friendship by Hugh Black into print for a while now. I came across this title many years ago and found it so helpful. So, after much planning, and me redesigning it and getting it ready for press, it's finally done! Praise God!

I'll give you the summary from the back blurb:

The high ideal to which friendship was held by the ancient writers, like Plato and Aristotle, seems to be an obsolete sentiment today. Western society, with its busyness and self-centredness, to many people, feels like a cold and lonely place. In this culture of cynicism and malaise Hugh Black directs our attention to the importance of friendship and the blessing that it can be. With elegantly poignant prose, Black draws on ancient writings, poetry and the Scriptures, helping us to rediscover the miracle of genuine friendship and to understand the care and keeping of such treasure.

Along the way, Black addresses the challenges and responsibilities associated with friendship including the tragic consequences of eclipsed or wrecked friendships. He defines the limitations of friendship but also highlights the blessings it can bring. In true friendship, accountability and love inspire us to live with more honour, integrity and grace. Ultimately, we see that in Jesus Christ we can have that “higher friendship”—friendship with God himself—which revolutionizes the way we live, the way we think and the things we value.

It is available in both hardcover (isbn 9781894400282) and softcover (isbn 9781894400275)

If you are interested in ordering a copy, contact Sola Scriptura Ministries International or call them toll free at 1-800-563-3529

The atmosphere of a good friend

2008-01-09T15:32:00.001-05:00

Hugh Black likens the choice of a good friend to breathing in 'a good atmosphere.' He writes:

Others have a good atmosphere; we can breathe there in safety, and have a joyful sense of security. With some of these it is a local delicate environment, sweet, suggestive, like the aroma of wild violets: we have to look, and sometimes to stoop, to get into its range. With some it is like a Scotch pine forest, or a eucalyptus grove of warmer climes, which perfumes a whole countryside. It is well to know such, Christ’s little ones and Christ’s great ones. They put oxygen into the moral atmosphere and we breathe more freely for it. They give us new insight, and fresh courage, and purer faith, and by the impulse of their example inspire us to nobler life.

How thankful I am for the atmosphere of sweetness that I can breathe around the great friends God has blessed me with!

Reflecting on a new year

2008-01-02T11:23:00.000-05:00

In this time of reflecting back and looking ahead, a few lines from Frances Ridley Havergal's new year verses:

One year less
Of wisely-ordered loss
Of sorrow and of weariness
Conflict and cross.

One year more
Of mercies ever new
Of love in never-failing store,
Faithful and true.

----------------------

The future! who may lift the veil
And read its yet unwritten tale?
But sorrow and joy alike we leave
In the Hand that doeth all things well,
And calmly from that Hand receive
All that each coming year may tell.
We would not ask of life or death,
It shall be as the Master saith.

----------------------

So, we rest in God, knowing that throughout the past year he has proved faithful. And we look with both faith and hope to a year of his kind care, knowing that he loves us as his very own!

Deep smiles

2007-10-20T09:21:00.000-04:00

I spoke recently with a friend and asked how the church was doing in the country where they minister. Her eyes lit up and she explained how some had come to faith and had been baptized this summer. Exciting indeed, especially in a country where the cost of following Christ can be huge.

Having visited her about 18 months ago and going to the house church in their city, I remembered a few things about the people who were there. As she related how one of the men was taking such a pastoring role with the people and was so passionate for evangelism, she started to try to explain to me who she meant. It took just a few words for me to figure out who she meant. It was "the man who is always smiling" — I knew right away. When I met this man, though I could not speak his language, you just knew that he had joy in his heart.

Driving home later that night I thought about this man’s smile... and this man’s story. Because of his faith in Christ, his Muslim wife eventually left him and divorced him. He hasn’t been allowed to see his children for years. In short, knowing Christ has meant big costs in this man’s life. But what was it that stuck out to both my friend and I? He had a JOY in his life that shone from his face into his whole life.

What an encouragement to "press on" is the memory of this man's radiant smile!

Cultivating friendships

2007-10-10T16:20:00.000-04:00

From Hugh Black's book Friendship, a few ways to cultivate friendship:

-------------------------
Attention to detail is the secret of success in every sphere of life, and little kindnesses, little acts of considerateness, little appreciations, little confidences, are all that most of us are called on to perform, but they are all that are needed to keep a friendship sweet. Such thoughtfulness keeps our sentiment in evidence to both parties. If we never show our kind feeling, what guarantee has our friend, or even ourself, that it exists? Faithfulness in deed is the outward result of constancy of soul, which is the rarest, and the greatness, of virtues. If there has come to us the miracle of friendship, if there is a soul to which our soul has been drawn, it is surely worth while being loyal and true. Through the little occasions for helpfulness, we are training for the great trial, if it should ever come, when the fabric of friendship will be tested to the very foundation. The culture of friendship, and its abiding worth, never found nobler expression than in the beautiful proverb, “A friend loveth at all times, and is a brother born for adversity."

Wilberforce and Bacon

2007-08-29T20:57:00.001-04:00

I am reading a great biography of William Wilberforce at the moment – Hero for Humanity by Kevin Belmonte [This being an important year in remembering the abolition of the slave trade in England (200 years ago).] It has been interesting to read how God worked in Wilberforce's life to bring him to salvation. Once he became a Christian, and already a member of Parliament, he struggled a bit with whether he should quit being an MP and pursue some type of "full-time" Christian service. Encouraged by William Pitt and others to remain in Parliament and serve God there (and obviously, God ended up using his position in a mighty way to end a horrible practice), Wilberforce remained an MP in following years and used his influence to effect much good.

An avid reader of Sir Francis Bacon, Wilberforce quotes this in his diary (around 1784/5):

Illi mors gravis incubat, qui notus nimis omnibus, ignotus moritur sibi
It is a sad fate for a man to die too well known to everybody else, and still unknown to himself.

Wilberforce concluded: "The shortening of private devotions starves the soul, it grows lean and faint. This must not be."

I find myself rebuked by these words.

A God who is near

2007-08-14T23:54:00.000-04:00

I was struck recently by some verses in Isaiah 63. The union of God with his people and the way he enters into their afflictions and upholds them is clearly revealed in this passage. This is no aloof God who has "wound up the world and it is just ticking away"… rather, he is engaged in the troubles of his people, cares for them like a father, showers them with undeserved kindness and grace, and carries them through the afflictions of life. Perhaps it is my mom's cancer and chemo treatments that have me looking to the Word for reassurance…I'm not sure… but how God delivers in verse 9!

In all their distress he too was distressed,
and the angel of his presence saved them.
In his love and mercy he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them
all the days of old.

I'll just share a little insight from John Calvin on this verse:
_________

In all their distress he too was distressed
"By speaking in this manner, he declares the incomparable love which God bears toward his people. In order to move us more powerfully and draw us to himself, the Lord accommodates himself to the manner of men, by attributing to himself all the affection, love, and compassion which a father can have."
_________

In his love
"…he shews that there was no other cause for so great benefits than the absolute and undeserved goodness of God."
_________

he lifted them up and carried them…
"The people experienced the grace of God, not only once, when they were redeemed, but during the whole course of their life, so that to him alone ought to be ascribed all the benefits which they have received."

The river of grace

2007-07-18T23:57:00.000-04:00

A friend sent me this quote from Spurgeon today. I thought it was a real gem of comfort:

"The heats of ...cares and scorching trials make me need the cooling influences of the river of His grace: I may go at once and drink to the full from the inexhaustible fountain, for in summer and in winter it pours forth its flood… The streams which take their rise on the mountains of divine sovereignty and infinite love shall ever be full to the brim…"
—C.H. Spurgeon

Value of blogging…and the challenges of life

2007-07-04T23:24:00.000-04:00

I see it has now been a year since I entered the world of blogging... strangely enough I think this blog has probably been more helpful for me than for anyone else. Just the discipline of having to articulate or share something has been good. And as I reflect on some of the things I have been thinking about this past year - faith, truth, friendship, encouragement, trust, etc. - and the sharing of poetry and things that have been so helpful to me throughout the year, I find myself both challenged and encouraged in my own faith once again. So, as I say, that seems a strange thing but I am thankful for it.

At the moment my mom is going through chemotherapy, she started yesterday, and it is a reminder to me of the frailty of life -- yet it also challenges me to reflect on God's care and to look with faith to him for the future. He is the One who holds the future and I need each day to rest in that. I am thankful that the One who made us is powerful, and able to heal and renew.

I have often been reminded of Psalm 139:13-18 these past few months:

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

There are many poignant lines in this psalm of David's. I am reminded that the One who knew us before one of our days came to be, who knit us together in our mother's womb, is able to knit mom's body back together. But most of all, I am blessed to know as vv.17-18 attests, that God remembers us, he thinks about us, and he is always with us. What a comfort that is when all around us seems to be in flux and turmoil! As David rested in the kind providence of God, I pray that I may too.

Books…books…books…

2007-06-28T23:41:00.000-04:00

I've always thought this quote of Baxter's very thought-provoking (odd, perhaps, for someone who loves books, designs books, edits books…)

It is not the reading of many books which is necessary to make one wise, but the well-reading of a few, could they be sure to have the best...
— Richard Baxter

Prayer…

2007-06-19T23:36:00.000-04:00

“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”
—Alfred, Lord Tennyson

The dawn of heaven breaks

2007-06-12T12:34:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to recommend a little book I worked on this year for Evangelical Press called The dawn of heaven breaks: Anticipating eternity by Sharon James (ISBN 9780852346419). It is a wonderful anthology of hymns, Bible verses and other writings on the theme of heaven. It is a great thing to give a believer, old or young, going through an illness, bereavement, struggles or even facing death.

I'll give you a little taste here from page 4-5 from Richard Baxter:

The Saints’ Everlasting Rest

How often do you think about heaven? One of the greatest pastors in church history, Richard Baxter (1615-1691) urged all Christians to set aside time each day to meditate on heaven. His first book was published in 1650, entitled The Saints’ Everlasting Rest. In it, he urged his readers to get alone, and think, and read, and pray:

Go away into a private place, at a convenient time, and put aside other distractions. Look up towards heaven. Remember that your everlasting rest is there. Meditate on its wonder and reality. Rise from sense to faith, by comparing heavenly with earthly joys, until you are transformed from a forgetful sinner, and a lover of the world, to an ardent lover of God. Meditate on heaven until you are changed from a fearful coward to a resolved Christian. Meditate until your unfruitful sadness is turned to joy. Meditate until your heart is weaned away from earth to heaven, until you are taken up with the delight of walking with God.

You will be as one who stands on the top of a high mountain looking down on the world below: fields, woods, cities and towns will seem like little spots. In fact that is how insignificant all earthly things will now appear! The most powerful rulers will seem as grasshoppers; the busy, contentious, covetous world, will be like a heap of ants. You will not fear the threats of men. You will not be attracted by the honours of the world. Temptations will lose their strong appeal. Afflictions will seem less grievous. Every mercy will be more greatly appreciated. And, by God’s grace, it is for you to choose whether you live this blessed life or not!

~ Richard Baxter ~

Helpful blog...

2007-06-08T00:04:00.000-04:00

Check out David Robinson's very helpful look at Psalm 88. If you, or someone you know, suffers from depression, he has some good words to share.

Thomas Watson on Romans 8:28

2007-06-03T13:00:00.000-04:00

I acquired a little book recently called A divine cordial by Thomas Watson (more recently published in the Banner of Truth Puritan paperback series as All things for good). I had read little of Watson prior to this but what a treasure this book is. Perhaps it is just that God provides just what we need at the time when we are able to receive it, I don't know. Anyhow, this book has been just a real encouragement.

It is written in a very Puritan style, with many points and divisions, in places more like a sermon outline it seems, but what deep truths I have found, seemingly in every paragraph. Full of pith and depth, Watson explores and mines Romans 8:28 like someone seeking to glean every last nugget out of a gold deposit.

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Here are a few points from Chapter One on how the best things work for good to the godly:

• God's power works for good in supporting us in trouble. Underneath are the everlasting arms (Deut. 33:27). What upheld Daniel in the lion's den? Jonah in the whale's belly? The three Hebrews in the furnace? Only the power of God. Is it not strange to see a bruised reed grow and flourish? How is a weak Christian able, not only to endure affliction, but to rejoice in it? He is upheld by the arms of the Almighty. My strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

• The goodness of God works for good to the godly. God's goodness is a means to make us good. The goodness of God leadeth to repentance (Rom. 2:4). The goodness of God is a spiritual sunbeam to melt the heart into tears. Oh, says the soul, has God been so good to me? ...

• The promises are notes of God's hand; is it not good to have security? ... They are called precious promises (1 Peter 1:4). They are as cordials to the soul that is ready to faint...
... Are we in great trouble? There is a promise that works for our good, I will be with him in trouble (Ps. 91:15). God does not bring His people into troubles, and leave them there. He will stand by them; He will hold their heads and hearts when they are fainting. And there is another promise, He is their strength in the time of trouble (Ps. 37:39). "Oh," says the soul, "I shall faint in the day of trial." But God will be the strength of our hearts; He will join His forces with us. Either He will make His hand lighter, or our faith stronger.

•... the mercies of God work for good... Lord, why is it that notwithstanding all my unworthiness, a fresh tide of mercy comes in every day?... The mercies of God have a melting influence upon the soul; they dissolve it in love to God.

The anchor of hope

2007-05-28T12:56:00.000-04:00

"The use of hope is to keep us from fainting, so that we be not confounded through any assaults of our enemies. Hope is the anchor that sees believers through storms and tempests, keeping the ship safe and sure… Hope empowers endurance, and patience, waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promises… The purpose of hope is to enable us to wait, and still to wait, and do it patiently… It is the function of hope to make us look so much the more steadfastly upon God, especially since we are prone by nature to suppose that God forgets us and remembers not his promise to us."
—William Gouge (The Whole Armour of God, 1627)

Rest on God's Word and promise

2007-05-28T12:37:00.000-04:00

"Resolve within yourself that you will believe and rest upon what God has said in his Word, though a thousand devils and your own heart also should say something to the contrary when you have no feeling or comfort at all in the assurance of his favour… Rest on God’s Word and promise… We live by our faith, and not by our feeling… Unbelief makes us vulnerable to every temptation… Trust in God, and be persuaded of his love."
—Arthur Hildersam (1563-1632)

One day at a time…

2007-05-17T23:42:00.000-04:00

Just a poem from the pen of Annie Johnson Flint that mom shared with me this morning:

One day at a time, with its failures and fears,
With its hurts and mistakes, with its weakness and tears,
With its portion of pain and its burden of care;
One day at a time we must meet and must bear.

One day at a time to be patient and strong;
To be calm under trial and sweet under wrong;
Then its toiling shall pass and its sorrow shall cease;
It shall darken and die, and the night shall bring peace.

One day at a time — but the day is so long,
And the heart is not brave and the soul is not strong.
O Thou pitiful Christ, be Thou near all the way;
Give courage and patience and strength for the day.

Swift cometh His answer, so clear and so sweet;
"Yea, I will be with thee, thy troubles to meet;
I will not forget thee, nor fail thee, nor grieve;
I will not forsake thee; I never will leave."

Not yesterday's load are we called to bear,
Nor the morrow's uncertain and shadowy care;
Why should we look forward or back with dismay?
Our needs, as our mercies, are but for the day.

One day at a time, and the day is His day;
He hath numbered its hours, though they haste or delay.
His grace is sufficient; we walk not alone;
As the day, so the strength that He giveth His own.

—Annie Johnson Flint

Sinking our hope in the depths of God's love

2007-05-15T23:39:00.000-04:00

The Apostle Paul writes "To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints" (Romans 1:7):

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
'For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.'
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39)

Today my mom had surgery for breast cancer and what verses these are to rest our hope upon! Nothing... nothing can/will or ever shall... separate us from the love of God that is in Christ. These are truly verses to sink our minds into and consider as we face "trials of many kinds." I am thankful for these mighty encouragements from His Word esp. at this time. We can look to our God with hope in this life, and ultimately, rest in the sure hope we have for the life to come. We have a kind God who loves his people with an incomparable love!

A few lines from Anne Steele…

2007-05-03T17:12:00.000-04:00

In every dark, distressful hour,
When sin and Satan join their power,
Let this dear hope repel the dart —
That Jesus bears us on his heart.

Great Advocate, Almighty Friend!
On him our humble hopes depend;
Our cause can never, never fail,
For Jesus pleads, and must prevail.
—Anne Steele

See also Hebrews 7:25:

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Even though...

2007-04-24T23:27:00.000-04:00

Psalm 23:4 "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

It's interesting how certain passages of Scripture remind you of certain people. I was reminded of that again this week. Meeting up with an old friend, I still remember her telling me many years ago how precious Psalm 23 was to her. And, as I got up-to-speed on her present circumstances — fighting breast cancer — I was reminded of this psalm once again. The Lord, our Shepherd, is there with her through that trial — upholding, comforting, sustaining. Her life is not "out-of-control" but in the hands of a tender Shepherd who loves each of his sheep with an unimagineable love!

I'm glad David penned these words, by the Spirit, so long ago and that they still hold such relevance today. Once again, a reminder, that God's care is so intimate and personal. No matter what we have faced, are facing, or will face — even up to death itself — we don't have to fear that God will ever leave us to face it alone. "Even though…" informs us that we will indeed face very difficult times, but he is there with us in the valleys just as much as he is present in the heights.

Blessing God

2007-04-20T00:38:00.000-04:00

Just musing on some psalms of David that speak of reasons for us to bless God...

Psalm 66:20 - "Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!"

Psalm 68:19 - "Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation."

David is referring to some wonderful qualities about God—the way his love is constant, unchanging and steadfast, and how he daily cares for us, bearing us up and saving us. These are very personal, intimate things that a Christian experiences every day, whether we realize it, at times, or not. But, as David reminds us, think about it and bless God for it!

I'm afraid I am often so often guilty of being an ungrateful child when it comes to acknowledging some of these qualities about my heavenly Father. And though my love is so inconstant and weak, I forget that his is not. And though I forget God in my daily life, he is never far from upholding me.

Lord, open my eyes to the many reasons I have to bless you each day and teach me to be more constant and faithful to you.

Love revealed

2007-04-05T16:42:00.000-04:00

Just another poem to share from Frances Ridley Havergal's Under His Shadow... this one written 128 years ago on Good Friday. It's amazing how 'visual' this poem is and how much it speaks to the heart at the same time. Spending some time thinking about the incredible grief and pain that Christ endured for sinners is something that boggles the mind. Indeed, as she concludes, it is a wondrous love displayed in wondrous woe!

Behold your King

Behold your King! Though the moonlight steals
Through the silvery sprays of the olive tree,
No star-gemmed sceptre or crown it reveals,
In the solemn shade of Gethsemane.
Only a form of prostrate grief,
Fallen, crushed, like a broken leaf!
Oh, think of His sorrow! that we may know
The depth of love in the depth of woe!

Behold your King! Is it nothing to you,
That the crimson tokens of agony
From the kingly brow must fall like dew,
Through the shuddering shades of Gethsemane?
Jesus Himself, the Prince of Life,
Bows in mysterious mortal strife;
Oh, think of His sorrow! that we may know
The unknown love in the unknown woe!

Behold your King, with His sorrow crowned,
Alone, alone in the valley is He!
The shadows of death are gathering round,
And the Cross must follow Gethsemane.
Darker and darker the gloom must fall,
Filled is the Cup, He must drink it all!
Oh, think of His sorrow! that we may know
His wondrous love in His wondrous woe!

— Frances Ridley Havergal, 1879

Tiny tokens

2007-03-29T15:08:00.000-04:00

From Frances Ridley Havergal's volume Under His Shadow, here is verse 2 of her poem "Tiny Tokens":

The memory of a kindly word
For long gone by,
The fragrance of a fading flower
Sent lovingly,
The gleaming of a sudden smile
Or sudden tear,
The warmer pressure of the hand,
The tone of cheer,
The hush that means "I cannot speak,
But I have heard!"
The note that only bears a verse
From God's own word: —
Such tiny things we hardly count
As ministry;
The givers deeming they have shown
Scant sympathy;
But, when the heart is overwrought,
Oh who can tell
The power of such tiny things
To make it well!

Real to my experience

2007-03-12T11:46:00.000-04:00

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God"?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 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.

Isaiah 40:26-31

I think it's amazing how real the Scriptures are to our experience as a Christian. We do get our focus messed up; we do complain and think God doesn't notice our struggles; we do forget about his great power; we do get weary.

How thankful I am that God has a word for me during such times! He reminds me in Isaiah 40 of his intimate care and power over even the farthest star; he reminds me that the power of the everlasting God is an incomparable power that knows no bounds; he reminds me that he understands me better than anyone; he reminds me that he can sustain and strengthen the weary and the weak like me; he reminds me that in hoping in the Lord my strength will be renewed.

It might not be easy to apprehend this truth sometimes but what a help it is to have such words in Scripture and realize how well God knows his people. As Psalm 103:13-14 says, "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust" (KJV).

Why Lord?

2007-03-03T23:12:00.000-05:00

Live By The Truth: But Why Lord?

Check out this very helpful exposition of 2 Corinthians 1 and how to deal with some of the why's in our lives...

Abolition and Wesley

2007-02-24T00:47:00.000-05:00

For those who are remembering the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade in England this year, you may be interested in a new book by Joshua Press (December 2006) called Social justice through the eyes of Wesley. It is subtitled John Wesley's theological challenge to slavery.

I had a hand in getting it into print and found it fascinating to learn more about Wesley and how he was able to exert considerable influence to help bring public opinion around on the issue. His support of William Wilberforce, Anthony Benezet, Thomas Clarkson, and others, was powerfully used of God to help propel political change on this issue.

Author Irv Brendlinger, a Methodist professor, really brings to light how Wesley's theology — his view of God, of man, etc. — was foundational to him using his influence to try to affect social change. You may not agree with all of Wesley's theology but hopefully, like I was, you will be drawn to admire the way God used him to help address this horrible trade.

Check it out at www.sola-scriptura.ca or www.joshuapress.com

Memories...

2007-02-15T23:27:00.000-05:00

Memories... they are a strange thing. Sometimes they bring comfort, sometimes they remind you of painful times, sometimes they just make you want to shut down. It's hard to find places for memories sometimes. Where do they fit into your current head space... or do you just try to block them out. Sometimes we relive memories. Memories of people we have loved and lost. Lost through circumstances, lost through that final of all veils, death. This week my mind is full of many things. And I just can't quite find the space to think clearly about them all. I wonder what to think, where to let my thoughts go.

The psalmist, David, in Psalm 13 seemed to have a similar struggle. He writes, "How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?" In the end, for David, it seemed to come down to trust. He just had to trust in his God. He continues in verse 5: "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me." It is strange, but it is hard to think about singing and rejoicing when you have a heavy heart... but, that I suppose is the wonder of someone who walked so close to God. In calling out to God with his thought-wrestling and sorrow he was able to get some perspective and remember the unfailing love of God. I hope I can come to that space too.

Two years ago today I lost a dear friend, Jane Almond, to cancer. I have many precious memories — of little adventures, jam sessions, road trips, long talks, photo sessions, golden glint times... A mix of fun, laughter, and sad moments too. I can't always figure out what to do with them in my head — but I am learning to treasure them all and every memory of her. And, at the end of a day like today, I remind myself of the unfailing love of God. And just try to rest in that.

Anticipation

2007-02-10T23:31:00.000-05:00

Christ and His cross are not separable in this life; howbeit they part at heaven's door, for there is no room for crosses in heaven. Not one tear, one sigh, one sad heart, one fear, one loss, or thought of trouble, can find lodging there. They are but the marks of our Lord Jesus down in this stormy country, on this side of death.
—Samuel Rutherford

Backslidings and returns

2007-02-05T15:22:00.000-05:00

Here is one of Isaac Watts compositions from an old edition of his works that I purchased a few years back. How much I see myself in his experience… and how grateful I am that "…my dear Lord returns again, He flies to my relief: Seizing my soul with sweet surprise, He draws with loving bands, divine compassion in His eyes, and pardon in His hands." The poem is long but the flow of his thought makes it necessary (and worth the read):

Backslidings and Returns

Why is my heart so far from Thee,
My God, my chief delight?
Why are my thoughts no more, by day,
With Thee, no more by night?

[Why should my foolish passions rove?
Where can such sweetness be,
As I have tasted in Thy love,
As I have found in Thee?]

When my forgetful soul renews
The savour of Thy grace,
My heart presumes I cannot lose
The relish all my days.

But ere one fleeting hour is past,
The flattering world employs
Some sensual bait to seize my taste,
And to pollute my joys.

Trifles of nature, or of art,
With fair deceitful charms,
Intrude into my thoughtless heart,
And thrust me from Thy arms.

Then I repent, and vex my soul,
That I should leave Thee so;
Where will these wild affections roll,
That let a Saviour go?

[Sin’s promised joys are turned to pain,
And I am drowned in grief;
But my dear Lord returns again,
He flies to my relief:

Seizing my soul with sweet surprise,
He draws with loving bands,
Divine compassion in His eyes,
And pardon in His hands.]

Wretch that I am, to wander thus,
In chase of false delight!
Let me be fastened to Thy cross,
Rather than lose Thy sight.

[Make haste, my days, to reach the goal,
And bring my heart to rest
On the dear centre of my soul,
My God, my Saviour’s breast.]

—Isaac Watts

Hang on

2007-01-30T22:39:00.000-05:00

"Hang on to the providence of God, not only when you have means to help you, but also when you have no means — yea, when all means be against you. Give Him this honour which He most chiefly requireth at thy hands — namely, believe that you are his children through Christ; that He is your Father and God through Him; that He loveth you, pardoneth all your offences; that "He is with you in trouble," and will be with you for ever."
— John Bradford

Sometimes just laying hold of the fact that you are 'a child of the King' is what we need to do. Circumstances may be difficult, our apprehension of truth may be weak, our faith may be wavering, our guilt may be rising up within us, but this simple fact speaks volumes of the love, grace, compassion, and worth that we have through the blood of Christ. Letting our mind rest on this simple but profound fact is able to calm distressed minds and hearts and bring some peace and perspective to times that would otherwise be so unsettling. God has given us so many things to 'hang on' to in Himself. And thankfully, through it all, He hangs on to us with an unshakeable grip!

A striking engraving

2007-01-29T12:01:00.000-05:00

I visited New York City recently — I found this particularly poignant engraving on the walls of the NYC Public Library in mid-town Manhattan:

But above all things truth beareth away the victory

In a culture that rejects truth, what an incredible statement...

The unchanging One

2007-01-19T14:19:00.000-05:00

I have a little book, Gems of Sacred Poetry, published circa 1840/1850, that is about 1-1/2"x2"... very tiny. It has some true gems in it though... Here is one about how unsteady and fluctuating we are in our devotion to God. In all our ups and downs, we resolve to do better, and so constantly fail. It seems that this is no new problem!! O for more stable hearts 'fix'd by thy grace alone on thee.'

Inconstancy lamented

The wandering star and fleeting wind
Are emblems of the fickle mind;
The morning cloud and early dew
Bring our inconstancy to view.

But cloud, and wind, and dew, and star,
Only a faint resemblance bear;
Nor can there aught in nature be
So changeable and frail as we.

Our outward walk and inward frame,
Are scarcely through an hour the same;
We vow, and straight our vows forget,
And then those very vows repeat.

We sin forsake, to sin return;
Are hot, then cold, now freeze, now burn;
Now sink to hell, in dark despair,
Then soar to heaven, and triumph there.

With flowing tears, Lord, we confess
Our folly and unsteadfastness;
When shall these hearts more stable be,
Fix'd by thy grace alone on thee?

Thankfully we have a God who does not change! May we find great comfort in that attribute of his today. His great unchanging nature — his love never wavers or diminishes, his grace is constant, his character is always the same, he never sinks or rises, he is the great unchanging One.

Stand with Him

2007-01-10T16:52:00.000-05:00

Just a little quote from Augustine to set my heart for the year.
Based on Psalm 37:7 "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him," he writes:

Stand with Him, and ye shall stand fast.
Rest in Him, and ye shall be at rest.
—Augustine

Simple words and yet profound… Often we struggle to "stand firm" in the faith and as we struggle, our peace and rest in God is disturbed. It is comforting to know that as God enables us to stand, He also gives us rest and comfort in our souls, and the knowledge that we are "in Him."

A day's march…

2006-12-31T13:02:00.000-05:00

"A day's march nearer home" (James Montgomery)

What wonderful hope is packed into that line of Montgomery's! I've been thinking on that line from his poem For ever with the Lord for the past day or so. What a lovely heavenly perspective and such a personal way to speak of heaven — our home! All the warmth and comfort of our heavenly Father, the presence of His Son, the fellowship of our brothers and sisters — all this (and much more!) awaits our arrival there.

He speaks also of a 'march' — reminding us with military and pilgrimage-type language that the path is sometimes difficult, there are pitfalls along the way, but also that it's a deliberate place our lives and steps are focused towards. We're heading home! And, whatever the march involves, it will all be worth it when we get to our destination. Lovely language to sink our hearts into.

And, we're a day closer, a breath closer — each moment is moving towards that glorious day when 'we will see Him', when 'we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is'!

Take heart friend, we are 'A day's march nearer home'!

The LORD will provide

2006-12-28T17:48:00.000-05:00

Just looking to a new year and considering the mighty promises of God's provision for whatever is to come. How comforting to be able to rest in his good care for 2007! John Newton aptly writes of this tremendous comfort for believers… 'no fearing or doubting with Christ on our side':

Though troubles assail,
And dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail
And foes all unite;
Yet one thing secures us,
However we're tried:
The Scripture assures us,
The LORD will provide.

When Satan appears
And hinders our path,
And fills us with fears,
We triumph by faith;
He cannot take from us,
Though often has tried,
This heart-cheering promise,
The LORD will provide.

No strength of our own
Or goodness we claim;
Yet since we have known
The Saviour's great name;
In this our strong tower
For safety we hide,
The LORD is our power,
The LORD will provide.

When life sinks apace,
And death is in view,
This word of his grace
Shall carry us through:
No fearing or doubting
With CHRIST on our side,
We hope to die shouting,
The LORD will provide.

—John Newton

Those who refresh our souls

2006-12-24T00:11:00.000-05:00

A generous man will prosper;
he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25

How thankful I am for those who come along and refresh my heart! I think it is interesting that the Word ties in such blessing to those who do so — they themselves will be refreshed. What an encouragement that is for us to be those eager to be a spiritual blessing and encouragement to those around us. Today, I am just thankful for those whom God has put in my path who deliberately seek to refresh me in my love for God and encourage me to press on. What an unhailed yet meaningful work that is!

Our comfort overflows into the lives of others

2006-12-17T22:58:00.000-05:00

Joni Eareckson Tada has a great meditation today on 1 Corinthians 1:5-7. She writes…

"If you are distressed, it is for the comfort of others. If you are suffering, it has a bearing on the salvation of those who, even at a distance, witness your perseverance. God invites unbelievers (and a few vacillating believers) to examine the foundations of your faith. Your witness is as bold as the claims upon which your faith rest … and this makes skeptical people think twice about God."

I appreciate the perspective she gives here. We might not see the purpose of some of the suffering and struggles in our lives. We might wonder how God could ever really use this. But God (who so often does the "impossible") can make even the fact that we persevere in the faith through testing, a means of good in the lives of others. Kind of along the lines of Romans 8, where Paul speaks about working all things for good. This is just so "other" focussed and reminds me that "It's not all about me!" I just find that a comfort and encouragement today.

Hanging our hope on God

2006-12-11T11:04:00.000-05:00

Just reading through some of William Cowper's Olney Hymns last night and came across this one. Rich in sea-faring imagery it speaks to the tempest of life and all the temptations that surround us and seek to turn us from God. Ultimately it is a plea for God to keep us when our "fears are great" and our "strength is small" and that we would continue to hang our hope in God, resting in his constant love and faithful care.

The billows swell, the winds are high,
Clouds overcast my wintry sky;
Out of the depths to thee I call, —
My fears are great, my strength is small.

O Lord, the pilot's part perform,
And guard and guide me through the storm,
Defend me from each threatening ill,
Control the waves, —say, "Peace be still."

Amidst the roaring of the sea,
My soul still hangs her hope on thee;
Thy constant love, thy faithful care,
Is all that saves me from despair.

Dangers of every shape and name
Attend the followers of the Lamb,
Who leave the world's deceitful shore,
And leave it to return no more.

Though tempest-toss'd and half a wreck,
My Saviour through the floods I seek;
Let neither winds nor stormy main
Force back my shatter'd bark again.

— William Cowper (Olney Hymns, XXXVII, Temptation)

Every day I live

2006-12-07T01:06:00.000-05:00

Christina Rossetti has a very lovely poem called "The thread of life"... speaking about how our lives are our own to give "to Him Who gave Himself for me." This is the last stanza:

Therefore myself is that one only thing
I hold to use or waste, or keep or give;
My sole possession every day I live,
And still mine own despite Time's winnowing.
Ever mine own, while moons and seasons bring
From crudeness ripeness mellow and sanative;
Ever mine own, till Death shall ply his sieve;
And still mine own, when saints break grave and sing.
And this myself as king unto my King
I give, to Him Who gave Himself for me;
Who gives Himself to me, and bids me sing
A sweet new song of His redeemed set free;
He bids me sing, O Death, where is thy sting?
And sing, O grave, where is thy victory?

It is lovely how she shows that in Christ, the bitterness and "sting" of death is removed... and there is actually singing! What an encouragement to live for Christ, persevere in the battle, stand firm — and look to that day of true joy.

Pearls of great price

2006-11-30T23:34:00.000-05:00

Joni Eareckson Tada has a new devotional out and it just landed on my doorstep this week! It's called Pearls of Great Price and is published by Zondervan (ISBN 0-310-26298-4). I decided that even though it wasn't the new year — which is when I usually tackle a new devotional — and since I was struggling in that department, I would just dig right in.

Joni's devotionals have been such a boon to my spiritual life over the years and I always find that in a simple but deep and solid way she is able to direct my focus to great truths about God and give me something to focus on for the day. (Just 3 days in and it's already been a blessing to my soul!) ..... so, if anyone is looking for a good book for a gift for someone, try this one out.

I must say... since it's not likely I'll ever meet Joni on earth, I sure am looking forward to meeting her in heaven one day! I'm sure she'll have many pearls in her crown, having sown such heavenly treasures...

... truth

2006-11-26T23:09:00.000-05:00

"Then Jerusalem will be called the City of Truth...
These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other...
Therefore love truth and peace" (Zechariah 8:3,16,19)

In our relativistic, post-modern world, these are radical statements.

Check out David Robinson's blog (livebythetruth.blogspot.com)
for a very good mediation on 2 Thess. 2:10 and what it
means to actually love the truth.

He restores my soul

2006-11-22T14:32:00.000-05:00

Years ago I heard a very powerful sermon on the phrase from Psalm 23, “he restores my soul.” I have often thought of that sermon and my own experience as a Christian has born it out. Our souls are often in need of tending and restoration, whether it be because of weariness, struggles with sin, faintness of faith, etc. … so many things that cause us to lose heart... But the preacher that day spoke of two ways that God works to restore my soul when it is in need of it:

(1) By truth (his Word)
(2) Through his people

It seems like a pretty simple exposition but as I have travelled this road of life I have known, again and again, how powerfully God's truth can transform my life and restore my soul … and how, so often, he uses his people to effect that in my life.

My experience this week of soul weariness and the way that God has used a few people to encourage me and bring God’s truth to bear on that, has just reminded me again of this passage. I am so thankful that God showed this truth to David (the psalmist) and that he continues to prove his promise to “restore my soul.”

John Newton on the death of a believer

2006-11-18T15:25:00.000-05:00

Just a little gem from John Newton's Olney Hymns on the death of a believer, as he tries to grasp what that moment must mean. Incredible!

Olney Hymns, Hymn LXXII
On the death of a believer

In vain my fancy strives to paint
The moment after death;
The glories that surround the saints,
When yielding up their breath.

One gentle sigh their fetters breaks,
We scarce can say, “They’re gone!”
Before the willing spirit takes
Her mansion near the throne.

Faith strives, but all its efforts fail,
To trace her in her flight:
No eye can pierce within the vail
Which hides that world of light.

Thus much (and this is all) we know,
They are completely blest:
Have done with sin, and care, and woe,
And with their Saviour rest.

On harps of gold they praise his name,
His face they always view:
Then let us follow’rs be of them,
That we many praise him too.

Their faith and patience, love and zeal,
Should make their mem’ry dear;
And, Lord, do thou the pray’rs fulfil,
They offer’d for us here!

While they have gain’d, we losers are,
We miss them day by day;
But thou canst ev’ry breach repair,
And wipe our tears away.

We pray, as in Elisha’s case,
When great Elijah went,
May double portions of thy grace,
To us who stay, be sent.

—John Newton

Freedom's price

2006-11-12T00:27:00.000-05:00

Today has been a day of remembering in Canada — remembering those who gave their lives in war to secure our freedoms. Many men and women, from all walks of life, all social standings, all areas of Canada, served in the Great Wars, in Korea, in Africa and parts of Europe on UN missions, and now, in Afghanistan. It is a very sobering thing to reflect on the price that these people paid, and their families too, so that we in Canada, and those in other lands, can enjoy peace. Peace can be such a fragile thing in some countries and yet in Canada we have known decades and decades of peace. It is an incredible blessing from God!

I haven't spent a great deal of time thinking about this over the years, but this year I have been struck by what a peculiar privelege I have enjoyed because of those whose names I don't even know. With well over 1 million Canadians serving in WW2 and over 42,000 killed, I realize that my freedoms came at a heavy price. Few families back then would have been unaffected by the war and many lived fatherless, husbandless and sonless, after it was over. It has been a timely reminder to me to remember and to thank God for such people.

One day we'll get it

2006-11-06T00:06:00.001-05:00

We heard Romans 8 expounded this evening, how God works all things in our lives for good, and I am reminded of this portion of a letter that I read recently and noted to myself in the margin “perspective of heaven on our earthly troubles." God’s ways are so strange sometimes. We cannot understand what he does in our lives and the lives of others—but heaven will bring such a different perspective on these things...

Writes Samuel Rutherford to the Lady Kenmure on June 26, 1630:

“…We may indeed think, cannot God bring us to Heaven with ease and prosperity? Who doubteth that he can? But his infinite wisdom thinketh, and decreeth the contrary; and we cannot see a reason for it, yet he hath a most just reason. We never with our eyes saw our own soul, yet we have a soul; we see many rivers, but we know not their first spring and original fountain, yet they have a beginning.

Madam, when ye are come to the other side the water, and have set down your foot on the shore of glorious eternity, and look back again to the waters, and to your wearisome journey, and shall see, in that clear glass of endless glory, nearer to the bottom of God’s wisdom, ye shall, then, be forced to say, ‘If God had done otherwise with me then he hath done, I had never come to the enjoying of this crown of glory.’

It is your part now to believe, and suffer, and hope, and wait on: for I protest, in the presence of that all-discerning Eye, who knoweth what I write, and what I think, that I would not want the sweet experience of the consolations of God, for all the bitterness of affliction: nay, whether God come to his children with a rod or a crown, if he come himself with it, it is well. Welcome, welcome Jesus, what way soever thou comest, if we can get a sight of thee. And sure I am that it is better to be sick, providing Christ come to the bed-side, and draw by the curtains, and say, ‘Courage! I am thy salvation!’ than to enjoy health, being lusty and strong, and never to be visited by God.”

Catching hold of a rock

2006-10-29T22:54:00.000-05:00

My pastor has been going through Revelations on Sunday evenings for the past few months. We are just now going through some of the judgement scenes (Rev. 14, 15, 16). Some of the imagery is quite striking and the book, as a whole, is very humbling. The justice and mercy of God is held in such tension. And to read, especially, of some of the judgements is very sobering.

It kind of ties in a bit with this quote of Samuel Rutherford's that I came across recently:

"There cannot be a more humble soul than a believer. It is no pride in a drowning man to catch hold of a rock."

Indeed! Yet if only more would reach out for that Rock, which is Christ!

A little less 'me'

2006-10-23T20:40:00.000-04:00

The book of Psalms is often such a refuge in struggling times. Whether they be moments of weariness, weak faith, frustration, confusion, suffering, struggling with sin, etc., it is the book to which Christians most often go to when they don't quite know what to read in the Word. That has been my testimony over many years and the testimony of many others. It must be something about the very heartfelt way in which David and the other psalmists express themselves in poetic verse. It has been the refuge of many hurting souls, the encouragement to praise of many joy-filled others and, indeed, even the source of Jesus' own meditation as he brought rebuttal to Satan in Luke 4.

This week, as I've struggled with my own health, it is the book to which I once again turned. As I turned the pages and read portions here and there, I felt like I was looking for something and just not really finding it. And yet, how true to the mark are God's arrows in our life! Sometimes we are going through something, we think we'll know just the comfort we need when we hear it, we almost know what we want that comfort to be... and then God uses his Word in a very different way.

And so as I looked for words about suffering and comfort today, I did find those -- many of them -- but I was also struck by just how, in so many different 'life' circumstances, the psalmists were drawn to praise and declare the greatness of their God. Just for who he is, for how he displays his glory, for how he loves, cares, protects and helps his people. For his mercies in the past, his present deliverances, his promises for the future. There is just so much about God's character that luminates from these texts. And, at the end of the day, no matter what we are going through, sometimes what we most need to do is to get our focus right on God.

It is easy in painful times to just think about ourselves, to wallow in worry, fear or self-pity, but I found my time in the Psalms to be something that helped to put my thoughts back into better order. And I'm glad. Looking at life with a more God-ward focus is hugely comforting. He is on his throne; he does what is good; he is unfailingly kind to his people. So, a little lesson 're'-learned(!). A little less 'me' and a lot more 'God' in my thoughts is a mighty encouragement and a much brighter focus than I've had for a few days.

There is a Name…

2006-10-19T00:21:00.000-04:00

Just a few verses from a hymn I've been meditating on today. Seems like God has brought me a little low physically this week and through some painful days, I'm just particularly trying to focus on his goodness.

Oh, how I love Jesus, by Frederick Whitfield, 1855

There is a Name I love to hear,
I love to sing its worth;
It sounds like music in my ear,
The sweetest Name on earth.
…
It tells of One whose loving heart
Can feel my deepest woe;
Who in each sorrow bears
A part that none can bear below.

It bids my trembling heart rejoice.
It dries each rising tear.
It tells me, in a “still small voice,”
To trust and never fear.

Jesus, the Name I love so well,
The Name I love to hear:
No saint on earth its worth can tell,
No heart conceive how dear.

This Name shall shed its fragrance still
Along this thorny road,
Shall sweetly smooth the rugged hill
That leads me up to God.

And there with all the blood-bought throng,
From sin and sorrow free,
I’ll sing the new eternal song
Of Jesus’ love for me.

A good note on a familiar verse

2006-10-12T23:21:00.000-04:00

David Robinson has a good read of Philippians 4:19 which is well worth a read. Interesting to see that often our 'needs' can be the wisdom, strength and resources to meet the needs of others!

Live By The Truth: Caring For Others

The simple in the difficult

2006-10-09T00:18:00.000-04:00

Desiring a firmer affiance in God under afflictions

Why is my heart with grief opprest?
Can all the pains I feel or fear,
Make thee, my soul, forget thy rest,
Forget that God, thy God is near?

Hast thou not often call'd the Lord
Thy refuge, thy almighty friend?
And canst thou fear to trust that word
On which thy hopes of heaven depend?

Mortality's unnumber'd ills
Are all beneath his sovereign hand;
Each pain which this frail body feels
Attends, obedient, his command.

Lord, form my temper to thy will!
If thou my faith and patience prove,
May every painful stroke fulfil
Thy purposes of faithful love.

O may this weak, this fainting mind,
A father's hand adoring see;
Confess thee just, and wise and kind,
And trust thy word and cleave to thee.
—Anne Steele

Sometimes it is grasping on to simple truths that sees us through troubling times. I know there are times these past few years when I've just reminded myself that God is good and He is kind. Simple... but in the flurry to trouble, sometimes it is the foundational things that speak peace to our souls. Here, as Anne reflect on the need to rest in God during her afflictions, the one on which her hopes of heaven depend, she finds comfort in remembering that God is just, and wise and kind. She is able to trust his word and cleave to him. What a refuge and comfort that is in trying times: God will be near and he will be true to his character, fulfilling his purposes of faithful love in our lives.

Take comfort, friend, in that almighty friend and don't forget that God, thy God is near. How much I need to remind myself of these things... and indeed, what courage it gives when the battle is fierce, when our faith is dim, when our minds don't seem to be able to take in deeper things... rest in God, the God you know is good and kind, and whose mercies are new every morning.

More Steele on Ps. 139

2006-10-07T01:27:00.000-04:00

I’ll pick up Anne Steele’s poetical version of Psalm 139, continuing from last blog entry (… interesting how this kind of poetry reminds one of reading the Amplified Version of the Bible!)

…
If I look back, thy awful steps I see;
Before me, thou art there; thy potent hand
Restrains and guards, upholds and guides my feet.
Infinite knowledge; my astonish’d mind
Sinks down with awe, and wonders, and adores.
Imagination droops her trembling wing,
Nor vainly tempts the height and depth stupendous.
To shun thy spirit whither shall I fly?
Where shall I hide me from a present God?
Could I ascend to heaven, thy throne is there,
And thy full rays would meet my dazzled sight.
Or if to hell I force my desperate way,
Thy dreadful presence there for ever frowns.
If mounted on the morning’s lightsome wings,
Swift to creation’s utmost bounds I fly,
Thy hand alone sustains and guides my flight.
Shall I, to shun the terrors of thine eye,
In midnight’s sable mantle wrap me round?
Vain thought! At one tremendous glance of thine,
The midnight shade shall blaze with sudden day.
From thee no darkness hides; at thy command
Night’s deepest gloom shall spread meridian beams
And light and darkness are alike to thee.
—Anne Steele (from Psalm CXXXIX)

The psalmist provides such a visual experience and Anne just follows through on that with her paraphrase. It’s interesting how the heights and depths of our senses are touched by these lines. From touch (’thy potent hand Restrains and guards, upholds and guides my feet’) to sight ( ‘thy full rays would meet my dazzled sight’ and ‘At one tremendous glance of thine, The midnight shade shall blaze with sudden day’) and then to sound (‘at thy command Night’s deepest gloom shall spread meridian beams…’)

And perhaps, most of all, besides touching our senses, our understanding of God is blown away: ‘Infinite knowledge; my astonish’d mind Sinks down with awe, and wonders, and adores’

Are we, like the psalmist, as we contemplate this inescapeable, all-knowing God, humbled with awe and wonder and adoration? Or are we just afraid and fearful...

Steele on Ps. 139

2006-10-04T00:17:00.000-04:00

Psalm 139 is one of those psalms that seemingly no matter how many times you read it you are again struck by its poignancy. It just seems to take you down at the knees, as it were! Very humbling and searching verses.

We read it Sunday evening and it has been on my mind off-and-on ever since. I read Anne Steele’s paraphrase of this psalm tonight — and when I did, I found it also had the same effect. Anyhow, here are the first ten lines (perhaps some more tomorrow) —

O Lord, thy awful searching eye hast trac’d
My heart through every secret winding fold,
And all its inmost powers to thee are known.
Thou see’st my rising and my resting hours,
And every latent thought within my breast
Is bared to thee; my path by thee surrounded,
My bed encircled; God is ever near.
My steps are all before thee, not a word
Can steal in softest whisper from my tongue,
But thou canst hear and mark its whole intent.
—Anne Steele (Psalm CXXXIX)

A key ingredient

2006-09-30T22:13:00.000-04:00

Andrew Bonar in his introduction to The Letters of Samuel Rutherford (1881 edition), writes:

“It might be instructive to inquire why it is that wherever Godliness is healthy and progressive we almost invariably find Learning in the Church of Christ attendant on it; while on the other hand, an illiterate state is attended sooner or later by decay of vital godliness. Not that all are learned in such times; but there is always an ‘ingredient’ of the kind among some of those whom the Lord is using. It may be that the energy of soul created by a revival leads on to the study of whatever is likely to be useful in the defence or propogation of the truth, whereas, when decay is progressing in a church, sloth and ease prevail, and are causes why theological learning is thought too heavy to be plodded through. With Samuel Rutherford and his contemporaries we find learning side by side with vital, and singularly deep godliness.”
—Andrew Bonar

It is a challenging thing to be learning and studying theology — indeed, sometimes one’s head just hurts! But obviously, Bonar has hit upon an interesting point here. The value, besides getting to know God more and understanding his purposes in salvation, etc., is that it will spur us on to holy living. It is interesting that there is such a tie here but when you spend a moment thinking about it you realize that the first step in LIVING to please God is KNOWING what pleases God. In my experience, it is also the greatest safeguard against following error, whether in our thoughts or in our actions — when God’s Word is planted in our hearts, it is then that his Spirit can call it to mind and challenge us with it.

Be strong and courageous...

2006-09-27T00:19:00.000-04:00

Joshua 1:9 says, 'Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.'

This is the third time in the space of three verses that the Lord uses the words, 'Be strong and courageous'! I think that is very telling... We, like Joshua, though perhaps not faced with such a daunting task as he faced, are prone to be 'terrified' or 'discouraged' at the prospect of really stepping out for God, whether it be moving forward in some area of service, taking a stand on something, even in resisting temptation and standing against sin in our lives.

How evident it is that the One who made us, knows us so well! He speaks to the very need of our hearts — and of Joshua's. We are prone to fear, concern, discouragement, weariness, and even of terror, at the prospect of some of the things God calls us to do. But then, how suited are the Lord's next words: 'the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.'

Now... if we could just remember that, at those times, how strengthened and courageous of heart we would be!

The loveliness of Christ

2006-09-23T23:14:00.000-04:00

Reading through Andrew Bonar's introduction to Samuel Rutherford's letters last night I came across this wonderful anecdote…

Said a merchant of Rutherford:

"I went to St. Andrew's, where I heard a sweet majestic looking man (R. Blair) and he showed me the majesty of God. After him I heard a little fair man, (Rutherford) and he showed me the loveliness of Christ."

Oh, to be people who show others the loveliness of such a Saviour as we have in Christ! What a blessing it must have been to hear Rutherford preach of Christ so that others were attracted to the loveliness of His person. If any have read Faith Cook's "Grace in Winter" (poetry based on the letters of Rutherford) you will already know something of the vibrant way in which Rutherford testified of the beauty of Christ.

Gregory of Nyssa on faith...

2006-09-23T00:25:00.000-04:00

Just returning to this theme of faith once again and reading one of the early church fathers, Gregory of Nyssa (mid to late 300s). I picked up 'From glory to glory' when I was in Oxford earlier this year - it is a compilation of some of his writings on various topics. To be honest, I haven't read a lot of the early church fathers but working on Michael Haykin's 'Defence of the truth' for Evangelical Press in 2004, did spark some interest... mostly I think because I was amazed at how similar to us their battles for truth were!

Anyhow, back to Gregory of Nyssa. From what I gather, many of his writings are quite mystical and devotional. I found this section from ‘The Symbol of Abraham’s Migration’ quite helpful and it follows this thread of faith that I have been considering:

"… it is only through faith that the questing soul can unite itself with the incomprehensible Godhead.

Abandoning, then, the curiosity of the mind, Abraham, says the text, ‘believed God, and it was reputed to him unto justice’ (Romans 4:3; cf. Genesis 15:6). And this, says the Apostle, was written not for Abraham but for us, for it is by faith and not knowledge that men are accounted just before God. For knowledge has a kind of market value, accorded to the knower alone. But this is not so of Christian faith. For it ‘is the substance of things to be hoped for’ (Hebrews 11:1), not of things that are known. We do not hope for what we already possess. As the Apostle says, ‘For what a man hath, why doth he hope for?’ (Romans 8:24).

Faith, therefore, take the place of that which escapes our knowledge, being by its own security a guarantee for what is invisible. So the Apostle says of the faithful soul: ‘he endured as seeing him that is invisible’ (Hebrews 11:27). …

Listen to the counsel of Ecclesiastes: ‘Do not utter a word before God. For God,’ he says, ‘is in heaven, and thou upon earth’ (Eccles. 5:1). And he shows, I think, especially by the distance that separates heaven and earth, despite their mutual affinity, how far the divine nature surpasses the compass of man’s thought. For as much as the stars are beyond the grasp of the fingers, so much and many times more does that nature which is above all human minds transcend our earthly thoughts."
— Gregory of Nyssa

A season of clear shining

2006-09-19T23:02:00.000-04:00

Just a few lines from Cowper tonight… and thinking on how God, in a myriad of ways, ministers his grace to "cheer" our souls:

Sometimes a light surprises
The Christian while he sings;
It is the Lord who rises
With healing in his wings:
When comforts are declining,
He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining
To cheer it after rain
—William Cowper

Spur one another on

2006-09-18T00:23:00.000-04:00

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:23-24)

I have found Hebrews a book that I constantly delve into this last while. Partly, I suppose, because I have been studying the nature of faith and Hebrews deals a lot with that, and partly because I find it so stirring to my thoughts about the reality of what it means to be a Christian who perseveres, who stands, by the grace of God, and keeps seeking that “better,” heavenly country.

What I like about the author of Hebrews is that he really urges us to remain true to our calling. He is very real about what the battles are, what some are giving in to, etc. etc. and yet always his focus is to urge us on—be faithful, fix your thoughts on Jesus, hold unswervingly, encourage one another daily, go on to maturity, endure hardship, strengthen your feeble knees and weak arms, keep on loving each other, remember God has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Much urging!

And, just as the author of Hebrews urges us to press on with Christ, he also encourages us to “spur one another on.” What a challenge that is! It is so clear that we have a spiritual responsibility for one another. We are to desire the spiritual growth of those Christians around us and find ways to encourage them along in the walk of faith. It is amazing how 'corporate' the body of Christ is. We are not islands, making our way through suffering and struggles on our own—we have a whole body around us! I think if we realized how much we needed one another, and cared for one another like the author of Hebrews urges us to, there would be much more love and care being expressed in the body of Christ than is often apparent. We can be so selfish, so concerned about our own situation, and so unmindful of the spiritual needs of those around us. We need to see that it matters if those around us stand firm just as much as it matters that we do! They are facing the same enemy as we are and God often will use the "instrument" of another believer, to keep us keeping on.

How can we hold unswervingly to the hope we profess? Well, we can only do it because HE is faithful and he often accomplishes that goal by giving us one another to spur us on! How gracious God is to not only save us and keep us, but also to give us the community of faith to bolster our courage and to urge us to live for him!

In His grip

2006-09-14T01:09:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, when the days seem to swirl by and life feels like it's going a little too fast, I find particular comfort in just plain knowing that God has his firm grip on me — or, that I'm 'In the grip of grace', as Max Lucado puts it! I may not always have my focus right, I might get distracted and wander, I might even feel just overwhelmed with life, but my Sovereign God has his solid, guiding and gracious grip upon my life.

Here's a few poetic thoughts along this line from Augustus Toplady's pen:

The work which his goodness began,
The arm of his strength will complete;
His promise is Yea and Amen,
And never was forfeited yet.
Things future, nor things that are now,
Nor all things below or above,
Can make him his purpose forgo,
Or sever my soul from his love.

My name from the palms of his hands
Eternity will not erase;
Impressed on his heart it remains,
In marks of indelible grace.
Yes, I to the end shall endure,
As sure as the earnest is given;
More happy, but not more secure,
The glorified spirits in heav'n.

—Augustus Toplady (v2-3, from 'A debtor to mercy alone')

A DEEP love

2006-09-10T23:40:00.000-04:00

How Deep the Father's Love for Us

How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure
That he should give his only son, to make a wretch his treasure
How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turned his face away
As wounds which mar the chosen one, bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon his shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held him there until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life; I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything: no gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ; his death and resurrection
Why should I gain from his reward? I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart: his wounds have paid my ransom

We sang this song by Stuart Townend tonight... I always find it a very humbling song to sing and it expresses so poignantly the depths to which the Father's love to me was expressed in the giving of his son, Jesus Christ, to pay "my ransom." "I cannot give an answer" as to why he should do this, except to say it was all grace... grace.. grace... I think the more I experience God's patience and grace to me, day by day—and many days even as a Christian—I am more humbled by my sin and unworthiness. His love and kindness are unexplainable on any human level and yet I know and experience them moment by moment. And every day I need to come back to God and find my daily refuge in him. What an incredible "Father of compassion and God of all comfort"—whose mercies are truly new every morning!

Christina Rossetti

2006-09-06T23:49:00.000-04:00

How can we say ‘enough’ on earth—
‘Enough’ with such a craving heart? …

Not in this world of hope deferred,
This world of perishable stuff: —
Eye hath not seen nor ear hath heard
Nor heart conceived that full ‘enough’:
Here moans the separating sea,
Here harvests fail, here breaks the heart:
There God shall join and no man part,
I full of Christ and Christ of me.

— Christina Rossetti, lines from ‘The heart knoweth its own bitterness’

Just a few lines, but they speak volumes! Rossetti reminds me that heaven will put such a different spin on things, whether it be 'hope deferred', 'perishable stuff' or 'the separating sea' — and thinking about heaven now gives me some perspective on all these things that 'will not be' then. And where, one day, we will be supremely 'satisfied' — wonderful hope to keep in my sights!

Cause for singing…

2006-08-31T17:37:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-29T12:00:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-26T00:50:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-22T01:46:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-19T13:42:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-17T00:13:00.000-04:00

A quote from Elizabeth Prentiss ...
--------------
"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]
--------------
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...

2006-08-12T22:41:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-09T16:10:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-03T23:26:00.000-04:00

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

2006-08-01T13:41:00.000-04:00

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

Antedote to losing heart

2006-07-28T01:10:00.000-04:00

Just thinking a bit about faith today and what it means to trust God. As you read Hebrews 11 and come to verse 39, it is striking to read: "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised." None of them received what had been promised... In the face of all the, essentially, "no, not yet" answers to their prayers, God commends their faith.

This is immediately followed in the letter by: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" — exhortations to follow in those same footsteps, throw off sin, run the race of faith — all this, despite the seeming lack of answers to prayer. This seems to be asking a lot!

What are we to make of all this? Well, thankfully, there is verse 2 and 3... and 4 — we are pointed to Jesus, the one who perfects our faith, the one who has gone before us. And, as the author of Hebrews says, "Consider him... so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." How much we are tempted to lose heart when our faith is stretched, when prayers aren't answered, when the life of faith seems like a hard road to travel, or the "here and now" is full of disappointments. I appreciate this reminder in Hebrews. It is at those times that I just need to focus my mind to "Consider Jesus" — that is the biblical antedote to my growing weary and losing heart.

More on Prentiss...

2006-07-26T23:40:00.000-04:00

I mentioned Sharon James' new book on Elizabeth Prentiss (Banner of Truth) recently and I've been enjoying the read the past few weeks. She goes through some traumatic losses, including the death of two of her children. She wrote this verse after that time and I am awestruck at her submission to God's heavy providences:

One child and two green graves are mine
This is God's gift to me;
A bleeding, fainting, broken heart —
This is my gift to Thee.

... that is just an incredible expression of submission and honesty about her grief. It is humbling to read of her life and the way that God strengthened her and renewed her faith day by day.

Art thou so weary...

2006-07-23T04:29:00.000-04:00

Just a little dip into Rossetti this morning and something that speaks to my weariness — but gives me some perspective…

Art thou so weary then, poor thirsty soul?
Have patience, in due season thou shalt sleep.
Mount yet a little while, the path is steep:
Strain yet a little while to reach the goal:
Do battle with thyself, achieve, control:
Till night come down with blessed slumber deep
As love, and seal thine eyes no more to weep
Through long tired vigils while the planets roll.
Have patience, for thou too shalt sleep at length,
Lapt in the pleasant shade of Paradise.
My Hands that bled for thee shall close thine eyes,
My Heart that bled for thee shall be thy rest:
I will sustain with everlasting strength,
And thou, with John, shalt lie upon My breast.

(verse 2 of 'There remaineth therefore a rest for the people of God')

How much we all need that 'everlasting strength', and the hope that one day we will truly rest with Christ, having survived the 'battle'! Press on...

Spurgeon on prayer…

2006-07-20T14:16:00.000-04:00

"…as our life is made up of breathing in and breathing out, so we should breathe in the atmosphere of heaven by prayer, and then breathe it out again in praise."
— C.H. Spurgeon

Haystacks and hard work

2006-07-19T14:19:00.000-04:00

One of the recurring sights of summer in my part of Canada is the presence of haybales lining invisibles rows down farmers' fields. Besides the fact that they have been the theme of painters from Van Gogh to Millet and many others down to the present (including a lovely 'modernist' painting by Christopher Roberts that hangs in my living room), they also serve to remind me of the value of hard work. That is in large part due to the fact that growing up in Grey County near Owen Sound, I used to help a few local farmers bring in their hay. At that time, it was quite the community effort. Square-baling was what they did and it required a lot of 'hands on deck.' We used to have such a great time, challenging each other with how fast we could unload a wagon into the barn, or how quickly we could send the bales up the elevator into the mow -- to the poor guy who was trying to stack them up top! We had fun but, boy, we were exhausted by the end of it! Tired barely begins to describe how you'd feel by the time you went to sleep that night. Anyhow, it is just a good little reminder today to me that I need to keep pressing on, working hard, with the present work that God has given me to do. He provides, and amazingly sometimes, but I need to keep slugging the bales as well! And, as He did for me then, He can give me much joy in the doing of it!

Sharing for the encouragement of others

2006-07-13T23:24:00.000-04:00

Nehemiah 2:18 "I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me…"

Nehemiah, in the midst of all his busyness and plans for rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, encourages the others by sharing with them the ways that God's gracious hand had been on him so far. This was not an appendage to his 'pep-talk', I wouldn't think, but rather the force behind it all! If they were going to do this great thing, they were going to need to know that God was already at work.

The writer to Hebrews also emphasizes this in regards to fellow believers: "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness (Hebrews 3:13). And, Jonathan also, in 1 Samuel 23 "went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God."

These are all great reminders to speak about what the Lord is doing in our lives -- so that others will be encouraged and assured of God's good hand. What a boost it is to one's own faith when you hear of what God is doing in the lives of others!

More thoughts from Rossetti

2006-07-11T19:46:00.000-04:00

I am back to reading Christina Rossetti's Poems again. If you ever get a chance to read 'From house to home,' it is a gem!

This poem starts off with the alluring nature of something in the world that drew the subject away from God. It was pleasurable and she was seemingly blind to what was happening -- "I felt no thorn-prick when I plucked the flower." Eventually her world came crashing down -- "That night destroyed me like an avalanche" ... "Until my heart broke and my spirit broke." God then gave her a sight of things from heaven’s perspective. How gracious He is with us! “The fallen was lifted up.” Here are a few of the final verses…

Therefore, O friend, I would not if I might
Rebuild my house of lies, wherein I joyed
One time to dwell: my soul shall walk in white,
Cast down but not destroyed.

Therefore in patience I possess my soul;
Yea, therefore as a flint I set my face,
To pluck down, to build up again the whole—
But in a distant place.

These thorns are sharp, yet I can tread on them;
This cup is loathsome, yet He makes it sweet:
My face is steadfast toward Jerusalem,
My heart remembers it.
…
Although to-day He prunes my twigs with pain,
Yet doth His blood nourish and warm my root:
To-morrow I shall put forth buds again
And clothe myself with fruit.

Although to-day I walk in tedious ways,
To-day His staff is turned into a rod,
Yet will I wait for Him the appointed days
And stay upon my God.

This poem speaks to my experience and that of all believers. We struggle with some sin, we thankfully are finally confronted with it -- we are reminded by the Word or by someone of ‘who we are and who we serve’ -- and then, painful as it is, God prunes us so that He can restore us and make us useful (‘fruitful’) to Him again. It reminds me of David in Psalm 51 after he has confessed his sin and where he pleads with the Lord to ‘Restore to me the joy of your salvation.’ We serve a kind Saviour, friends – hold on to Christ! He is worth forsaking everything else for.

Fellowship in prayer...

2006-07-10T00:07:00.000-04:00

There is a scene where spirits blend,
Where friend holds fellowship with friend;
Though sundered far, by faith they meet
Around one common mercy seat. (Hugh Stowell)

Prayer can be such a difficult discipline sometimes, even though it is an incredible priviledge. One of the paradoxes of the Christian life, I suppose -- that which we have free and open access to can be such a difficult thing to practice! Yet how much we need to be praying and praying for one another. This is part of 'bearing each other's burdens' and taking them to the Lord. I'm encouraged to know that others pray for me, and have done so, and I hope that I will pray more for others in the days to come. God promises to hear the prayers of His people and as my last post spoke of (1 John 2:1), Christ Himself prays for us as well. Pray on friends!

Someone who speaks in my defense

2006-07-08T23:12:00.000-04:00

1 John 2:1b "But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One"

How comforting to know that there is one who pleads for defenseless sinners! What do I bring? Nothing that can speak to the righteous God. What a joy to know that there is Someone who can plead for sinners before the throne of God! Just reflecting on the fact that Jesus pleads for me is an amazing thought. His pleading on my behalf is a blood-bought thing. To my shame, I don't take sin near as serious as He does. Yet, what grace! Even at my lowest, struggling times, there has been Someone pleading the grace of God, showing His own righteousness on my behalf. A comforting thought this evening...

Elizabeth Prentiss

2006-07-08T00:39:00.000-04:00

Sharon James' new book, published by The Banner of Truth Trust, is finally out -- it's called 'Elizabeth Prentiss: More love to Thee'... I just received my copy and am quite looking forward to reading it. I designed the cover for it, so had a small part in seeing it come to be, but it's the writing I'm looking forward to. Sharon's other books have been superb - 'My heart in his hands: The life of Ann Judson of Burma', 'God's design for women', 'In trouble and in joy: Four women who lived for God.' Elizabeth Prentiss is a full-scale biography of her life (she was a 19th century author (ie. Stepping Heavenward) and pastor's wife, having a wide influence in Amercia during her lifetime). Sharon has a wonderful ability to dig deep historically, bring a very rounded view of the person and provide real application/inspiration for believers today... Looks like a good read!

The providence of God

2006-07-05T22:52:00.000-04:00

I have taken up reading "The mystery of providence" (John Flavel) again. It is one of those books that I re-read quite regularly, perhaps for its usefulness to me early on in my Christian life -- and the fact that it has so much practical counsel for the Christian life. This week I read the chapter on "The duty of meditating on providence." Flavel outlines the importance of reflecting on what God has done in our lives, "whether of mercy or judgment." It is important because it gives us opportunity to praise God -- for his deliverances, his kindnesses, his rebukes, his salvation, etc.. It also enables us to speak to others about the ways that we have experienced God working in our lives, plus, thinking about God's providences, gives us much food for prayer! I love William Cowper's lines, esp. verses 3 and 4:

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense.
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own Interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Sea-sand and sorrow

2006-07-04T23:36:00.000-04:00

Christina Rossetti has always been an intriguing poet to me. The poignancy and spareness of her words are very striking. I read a biography on her some time ago... and today my mom gave me a lovely 1923 edition of her poems. I was perusing through a few of them just now and was struck by this one:

Sea-sand and sorrow

What are heavy? sea-sand and sorrow:
What are brief? to-day and to-morrow:
What are frail? spring blossoms and youth:
What are deep? the ocean and truth.

There's a lot of truth knit together in those few lines. Good food for thought…

A few words on friendship

2006-07-04T00:36:00.000-04:00

"Mutual communion is the soul of all true friendship...and Friendship is most maintained and kept up by visits: and these, the more free and less occasioned by urgent business..the more friendly they are...we use to check our friends with this upbraiding; You still come when you have some business, but when will you come to see me?...The very sight of a friend rejoiceth a man...Personal communion with God is the end of our graces...and as for duties, the journey's end of them is fellowship with God"
—Thomas Goodwin

It's always good to reflect... and one of the great blessings of a friend is the way you can share the joys and sorrows of life. God has blessed me richly in this regard! So, as I start my blog, I'd just like to thank Him for the richness of friendship in Christ and express my thanks to those who have encouraged me to keep on in Christ.