Tried With Fire

“The LORD looses the prisoners: the LORD opens the eyes of the blind: the LORD raises them that are bowed down: the LORD loves the righteous: the LORD preserves the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked He turns upside down.” Psalm 146:7-9. Some are bowed down with bereavement. Well may she be bowed down who has just committed to the earth the beloved of her heart, and well may he go mourning whose first-born son has been taken from him by a sudden stroke. Well may some lament, who have lost the choicest friend that man ever had, and find that half their life is gone in the death of that beloved one; yet, “The Lord raises them that are bowed down.” Come; tell your grief to Him who pitied the widow at the gate of Nain. Come; pour out your sorrow before Him who wept with the beloved sisters at Bethany when Lazarus was dead. He can help you, for He “raises them that are bowed down." Some are bowed down sadly by the burdens of life. They have ...

"Hath God forgotten to be gracious?"—Psalm 77:9. Once more; if this were the case, the Lord must have forgotten his own self ; for grace is of the essence of his nature, since God is love. We forget ourselves and disgrace ourselves, but God cannot do so. Oh beloved, it is part and parcel of God's own nature that he should show mercy to the guilty and be gracious to those who trust in him. Hast thou forgotten as a father thy children? Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion upon the son of her womb? These things are barely possible, but it is utterly impossible that the great Father should forget himself by forgetting his children; that the great Lord who hath taken us to be his peculiar heritage and his jewels should cease to value us and forget to be gracious to us. I think I hear some one say, "I do not think God hath forgotten to be gracious except to me. " Doth God make any exceptions? Doth he not speak universally w...

Home To Thanksgiving: Currier and Ives Psalm 103, a psalm of David 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,  3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6 The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear ...

I have been having a Psalm 73 sort of day. Maybe more of a Psalm 73 sort of week. I need to write out the verses and tape them to my bathroom mirror, because I often find myself in a similar state as the psalmist. I try and refrain from using the age-old line, "But it's not fair!" so I content myself with "When will this be over?" But it's a complaint all the same. It's one thing to mentally acknowledge that the ministry of suffering has not finished it's work yet. It is another to joyfully submit to God's hand. Tonight at prayer meeting, we were reminded from John 11 that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and His disciples too well to give them just temporal good. This was so important to Jesus that He let Lazarus die for the sake of their eternal good. Exactly what I needed to hear. Isn't God good? So on my Psalm 73 day, I am thankful for the reminder that God loves me too well to grant me just temporal good. Although the temptation to get...

I am more of a pessimist by temperament. Worst case scenarios used to be my default setting. Some of them were quite outrageous and funny when seen in a rational light. However, I seem to be more prone to pessimism when I am tired, such as today. God has provided abundant grace, but there are some days when the cares of life and the unknown future loom very large. I know that God is in control and has ordained everything that takes place. I know that I should trust Him. I can look back and see how He has proven Himself again and again. But it's as though I am afraid to believe that things will improve circumstantially. It's almost easier for me to believe that things will get worse rather than better. I don't believe in the fairy tale "happy ending" anymore. Given the events of the last few years, I have a distinct aversion to personal fairy tales. Maybe I don't want to get my hopes up and have them be dashed again. But that raises the question as to the sourc...

He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. Psalm 112: 7 His heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. He is neither fickle nor cowardly; when he is undecided as to his course he is still fixed in heart: he may change his plan, but not the purpose of his soul. His heart being fixed in solid reliance upon God, a change in his circumstances but slightly affects him; faith has made him firm and steadfast, and therefore if the worst should come to the worst, he would remain quiet and patient, waiting for the salvation of God. C.H. Spurgeon from The Treasury of David

1 Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. 2 Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. 3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful. 5 He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. 6 He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations. 7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; 8 they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. 9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name! 10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever! This is something that I could never think ab...

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going . Hebrews 11:8 I don't know where I am going, literally. I honestly don't know what the next few months will hold. I may be working outside the home for the first time in 14 years. I may still be working in the home. I may continue homeschooling or my daughter may be enrolled in a local Christian school. I have no idea because anything could happen, one way or the other. Part of that scares me because it appears that my future lies in the hands of others which I don't like at all. But the truth is that my future lies in only one pair of hands. My future is in the hands of a sovereign and loving God. So here's a golden opportunity to trust Him and let Him choose for me my inheritance. He shall choose our inheritance for us , the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. Psalm 47:4 Trust in him at all times, O people;...

When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. Psalm 94:19 (ESV) When I read this verse this morning, I recalled the many times that I experienced God's consolations to my soul. There were times when I didn't think I could go on and God was merciful to give me hope. It may have been from my Bible reading, something from Spurgeon, a hymn by John Newton, or Sunday's sermon, but the common theme of what had lasting comfort was that I was pointed away from me to Christ. What better consolation is there when you feel like your world is falling apart then to behold the One who upholds the universe by the word of His power? There is no better consolation than Christ.