Fighting for joy is a daily battle. (I realize I have been posting a lot about battles and fighting, but it’s so true and it’s what the Lord has been helping me see.) I know for myself, I am for the most part a pretty joyful person, but I still need to preach the “truth” of what my circumstances really are to myself everyday, so that when those difficult times come, I know where my help comes from and I will remember that my joy and comfort is not based in circumstances, but in the truth of God and the Gospel. I heard a quote by Martin Luther’s wife one time to the effect of she never would have understood certain scriptures, never would have appreciated certain difficulties or known the inner workings of the soul, never understood the Christian life and work if God had not brought difficult times or circumstances into her life. God is showing me more and more that I cannot base my trust in Him on how I feel or what I think is going right, but instead I need to base it on the truth of His word, knowing that He will never fail me. Even if all beneath me falls away I still know that He is God. And like the following quote says, even though visible signs that we can trust Him are good, we will appreciate it so much more after we have trusted Him without them.God knows exactly when to withhold or to grant us any visible sign of encouragement. How wonderful it is when we will trust Him in either case! Yet it is better when all visible evidence that He is remembering us is withheld. He wants us to realize that His word – His promise of remembering us – is more real and dependable than any evidence our senses may reveal, it is good when He sends the visible evidence, but we appreciate it even more after we have trusted Him without it. – Charles Gallaudet Trumbull
One way that the Lord has graciously given me to preach His truth to myself is through music. I love to listen to songs that don’t encourage my struggles and weaknesses, but ones that challenge them. I am hoping to make it my practice to grow in honoring God by trusting Him not only when it’s easy to, but much more so when it’s not. His faithfulness will never fail and His mercies are new every morning. The pursuit of God and holiness is a long road, but one worth traveling...
Joy In My Morning
When darkness falls
Temptations call
And all around me seems undone
You hear my pleas
Supply my needs
And tell me of Your wondrous love
You are the joy in my morning
You’re my song of praise
Just like the new day dawning
Flooding my world with grace
Though trials come
And every one
Can take me further from Your truth
You calm my fears
Dry all my tears
And draw me closer, Lord, to You
In You there’s no shadow of turning
Constant in all Your ways
2 comments:
I often find when I am not trusting God for the every day things of life I often find it is because I am not trusting and loving Jesus Christ in the gospel as I should. To actually believe all my sins are forgiven today, by Jesus. Anyway, thats the way its with me.
Hebrews 10:22, "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."
Where exactly does this "full assurance" come from? We are told a few verses previously that we have "boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus." In other words, if you find you a lacking in motivation, assurance, comfort and readiness to come to God as your Father trusting Him with our entire life, then it goes back to the fact you are not, in faith, spending enough time seeing Jesus shed His blood to save you and cleans your conscience pure white.
Thanks for the post lana
"God is showing me more and more that I cannot base my trust in Him on how I feel or what I think is going right, but instead I need to base it on the truth of His word, knowing that He will never fail me."
Thanks, Lana for this post! What you quoted above is something that God has been revealing to me as well. I need to remind myself daily that even though, at times, I might not feel like God isn't there, He is faithful and will not let me be tempted beyond my ability. Thanks for your humility in sharing. Love ya darling!
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