Tried With Fire

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...

It was so hard to avoid looking at the waves recently. Sure enough, I began to sink as soon as I did. This quote from Spiritual Depression was a lifeline today: [Y]ou and I can never doubt while we look at Him and are clear about Him. Without Him we are utterly hopeless. It does not matter how long you have been in the Christian life, you are dependent on Him for every step. Without Him we can do nothing. We can only conquer our doubts by looking steadily at Him and by not looking at them. The way to answer them is to look at Him. The more you know Him and His glory the more ridiculous they will become. So keep steadily looking at Him. Spiritual Depression ~ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Eerdmans, page 158. (emphasis mine)

That is the way faith reasons. It says: 'All right, I see the waves and the billows but' - it always puts up this 'but'. That is faith, it holds on to truth and reasons from what it knows to be fact. That is the way to apply faith. These men did not do that and that is why they became agitated and panic stricken. And you and I will become panic stricken and agitated it we fail to to the same. Whatever the circumstances, therefore, stand, wait for a moment. Say 'I admit it all, but-' But what? But God! but the Lord Jesus Christ! But what? The whole of my salvation! That is what faith does All things may seem to be against me 'to drive me to despair'. I do not understand what is happening; but I know this, I know that God has so loved me that He sent His only begotten Son into this world for me, I know that while I was an enemy, God sent His only Son to die on the Cross on Calvary's Hill for me. He has done that for me while I was an enemy, a rebelliou...

[Y]our business and mine is not to stir up our feelings, it is to believe. We are never told anywhere in Scripture that we are saved by our feelings; we are saved by believing. 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.' Never once are feelings put in the primary position. Now this is something we can do. I cannot make myself happy, but I can remind myself of my belief. I can exhort myself to believe, I can address my soul as the Psalmist did in Psalm 42: 'Why are thou cast down O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou'... believe thou, trust thou. That is the way. And then our feelings will look after themselves. Do not worry about them. Talk to yourself, and though the devil will suggest that because you do not feel, you are not a Christian, say: 'No, I do not feel anything, but whether I feel or not, I believe the Scriptures. I believe God's word is true and I will stay my soul upon it, I will believe in it come what may....

Are you interested in doctrine? Sometimes these people are foolish enough to contrast what they regard as spiritual reading of the Scriptures with doctrine. They say that they are not interested in doctrine, that they like Bible expositions but do not like doctrine. They claim to believe the doctrines which are in the Bible and which come out of the Bible, but (it is almost incredible but it is true) they draw this fatal contrast between Biblical exposition and doctrine. But what is the purpose of the Bible except to present doctrine? What is the value of exposition unless it leads to truth? But it is not difficult to understand their position. It is the doctrine that hurts it is the doctrine that focuses things. It is one thing to look at pictures and to be interested in words and shades of meaning. That does not disturb, that does not focus attention on sin, nor call for decision. We can sit back and enjoy that; but doctrine speaks to us and insists upon a decision. This is truth, an...

The main art in the matter of spiritual living is to know how to handle yourself. You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul: 'Why art thou cast down' - what business have you to be disquieted? You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and sat to yourself: 'Hope thou in God' - instead of muttering in this depressed, unhappy way. And then you must go on to remind yourself of God, Who God is, and what God is and what God has done, and what God has pledged himself to do. Then having done that, end on this great note: defy yourself, and defy other people , and defy the devil and the whole world, and say with this man: 'I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance, who is also the health of my countenance and my God.' Spiritual Depression - Its Causes and Cure ~ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Eedrmans, page 21.

Spiritual Depression by Martyn Lloyd-Jones arrived in the mail last week. I haven't started reading it yet because I promised myself to finish some other books first. I did glance at the table of contents, though, which made it quite difficult to not start. It looks like it will be very helpful book I am two chapters away from finishing Holiness by J.C. Ryle. I have been blessed by this book as it clearly lays out basic truths about the Christian faith and Christian life. Ryle is extremely readable. His writing style is very entreatable, and yet he doesn't mince words telling it like it is. Ryle also has a knack for asking very probing and convicting questions. I know I will be returning to this book often. Here is quote from Holiness from chapter 18, Unsearchable Riches : The best Christian among us knows but little of his glorious Savior, even after he has learned to believe. We see through a glass darkly. We do not realize the "unsearchable riches" there are ...