Tried With Fire

We'll be covering Philippians 4:13 tonight. This is a verse that is yanked out of its context too often - "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." But what are the "all things"? Here's D.A. Carson's take:  This verse is often wrenched out of its context. Paul is not claiming to be a kind of superman because he is a Christian and God is on his side. The "everything"in this verse is certainly not unlimited, as if Paul could be read to mean: "I can raise the dead" or "I can walk on water" or "I can show you how cold fusion is a practical possibility." By the same token, the verse should not be deployed by well-meaning but ill-informed church leaders who are trying to manipulate church members into doing something they really do not think they should do: "But Mrs. Jones, you can't say no to our invitation to teach ten-year-old boys, just because you've never taught a Sunday School class bef...

I was flipping through Hope by Jeremiah Burroughs when I came to the appendix, containing a reprint of one of his works. I wonder what Joel Osteen would think of the title,  The Misery of Those Whose Portion is in This Life ? Be content with your portion here; do not murmur and repine, for though you have not so much as others have yet you have what will make you happy forever...  So may I say to you who are godly, has God given you Jesus Christ? Has He given you Himself to be your portion? And are you troubled that you have no more of what beasts may have as well as yourselves? Oh, be ashamed of any mournful discontentments for want of the comforts of this world! From The Misery of Those Whose Portion is in This Life , appendix in Hope by Jeremiah Burroughs, Soli Deo Gloria, pg. 141.

It's been snowing since last evening.  When I retrieved the shovel from the shed an hour ago, the snow was 6-7 inches deep on the ground.  The worship service was cancelled this morning, so I am at home reading the word and hymns.  I'm also resisting the temptation to grumble because my daughter won't be coming home today due to the road conditions.  I also pray the roads will be clear enough to get her tomorrow. As I was looking out the window and watching the snow get deeper and deeper, I remembered this verse from Psalm 148: Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy winds fulfilling his word! God is sovereign over this snow storm.  He could have easily sent it tonight rather than last night or not at all, but it's snowing like crazy to fulfill His word. So rather than indulge in a bout of sinful complaining, which won't change the weather, bring her home any sooner, or help my attitude, ...

1. Conditions are always changing, therefore I must obviously not be dependent upon conditions. 2. What matters supremely and vitally is my soul and my relationship to God - that is the first thing. 3. God is concerned about me as my Father, and nothing happens to me apart from God.  Even the very hairs of my head are all numbered.  I must never forget that. 4. God's will and God's ways are a great mystery, but I know that whatever He wills or permits is of necessity for my good. 5. Every situation in life is the unfolding of some manifestation of God's love and goodness.  Therefore my business is to look for this peculiar manifestation of God's goodness and kindness and to be prepared for surprises and blessings because 'His ways are not my ways, neither His thoughts my thoughts.'  What, for example is the great lesson that Paul leaned in the matter of the thorn in the flesh?  It is that: 'When I am weak then am I strong.'  Paul was taught throu...

In contrast to David Wells' accurate assessment of our discontented culture, here are a Puritan's thoughts on the grace of contentment: That I may show it further I would add, there is more comfort even in the grace of contentment than there is in any possessions whatsoever; a man has more comfort in being content without a thing, than he can have in the thing that he in a discontented way desires. You think, if I had such a thing, then I should be content. I say, there is more good in contentment, than there is in the thing that you would fain have to cure your discontent, and that I shall show in several particulars: 1. I would fain have such a thing, and then I could be content; but if I had it, then it would be but the creature that helped my contentment, whereas now it is the grace of God in my soul that makes me content, and surely it is better to be content with the grace of God in my soul, than with enjoying an outward comfort? 2. If I had such a thing, granted my po...

Read this post by Kevin DeYoung. Better yet, read this book.

I struggle with this. Particularly when it seems that justice is not being served in my situation. If it doesn't come out of my mouth, it certainly is in my heart. Why do I, why do we, think this way? I think it's because we think that we deserve something. We deserve justice. We deserve to be treated right. If we are wronged, the perpertrator should be held accountable. But what if that doesn't happen? What happened to Joseph? What happened to Isaiah and Jeremiah? But more importantly, what happened to Jesus? Christ teaches the soul this, so that, as in the presence of God on a real sight of itself, it can say: 'Lord, I am nothing, Lord, I deserve nothing, Lord, I can do nothing, I can receive nothing, and can make use of nothing, I am worse than nothing, and if I come to nothing and perish I will be no loss at all and therefore is it such a great thing for me to be cut short here?' A man who is little in his own eyes will account every affliction as little, a...