Recently I have found myself praying to God almost moment by moment or hour by hour. When I feel anxiousness rising up in me, regrets or hopelessness, I am finding that I know I don’t have the strength to combat those feelings and thoughts on my own and so I am running to God for His help. There and there only, I find peace and truth for my fears. There the sweetness of His sovereignty overwhelms me. This practice of going to God more than I usually do has started to become like breathing to me, in a sense. My thoughts go to Him more often. My love for Him is growing. My desire to be near to His presence is stronger. This has only been possible through Him drawing me.
It saddens me to think that desperation often drives me to His throne of grace, but maybe He knew that is the only way I would go to Him…I pray that’s not true. My prayer and desire is to be just as close to Him, just as desirous for Him and just as desperate for Him, when everything in my life is going well. You see, I said that desperation drove me to Him, but the truth is, no matter how well I think things are going or I am doing, I will always be just as desperately in need of God and His grace.
Charles Spurgeon said that some people have learned to trust the smiles of God’s face, but they must also learn to trust the blows of His fists, and I see that as true in my own life. One of the ways God has been graciously speaking this truth to me has been through the Come Weary Saints cd. Every song is filled with the truth of scripture and it often seems like every song was written just for me. As I listen to it everyday, it convicts, strengthens and encourages me in a way that I am beyond grateful for. So, if someone were to ask me if I am thankful for all the hard times I have been through (and my hard times are nothing compared to most peoples!)…I would say absolutely, yes! It’s through difficulties that I have learned about God’s holy ways and how to trust in Him at all times. It’s through difficulties that I have grown to love more and love deeper. It’s through difficulties that I have seen what truly matters and what doesn’t. It’s through difficulties that God is refining and molding me. It’s through difficulties that I have seen God’s unchanging faithfulness and power. So, though I love when everything is going well in my life and I am certainly not asking for trial upon trial, I see that it’s through the fire that God’s work has been most affective in making me more like Christ. In a book called “Stepping Heavenward”, the author writes that there is a chain in between us and God. God is on one end and we are on the other. He is using every trial and difficulty in our lives to remove link after link in order to shorten the chain and draw us closer to Himself. No matter how strong sin patterns or idols may be in our lives, it's encouraging to know that God can break them! With every link removed, He often bring new blessings better than we could have imagined. I know I will never be deserving of my relationship with God or even of the people He has placed in my life, but I know that He has saved me and promises to continue His work in me until He returns or calls me home. And I know I can trust in that.
“I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me…and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” – Jeremiah 30:21 & 22
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” – John 12:32
It saddens me to think that desperation often drives me to His throne of grace, but maybe He knew that is the only way I would go to Him…I pray that’s not true. My prayer and desire is to be just as close to Him, just as desirous for Him and just as desperate for Him, when everything in my life is going well. You see, I said that desperation drove me to Him, but the truth is, no matter how well I think things are going or I am doing, I will always be just as desperately in need of God and His grace.
Charles Spurgeon said that some people have learned to trust the smiles of God’s face, but they must also learn to trust the blows of His fists, and I see that as true in my own life. One of the ways God has been graciously speaking this truth to me has been through the Come Weary Saints cd. Every song is filled with the truth of scripture and it often seems like every song was written just for me. As I listen to it everyday, it convicts, strengthens and encourages me in a way that I am beyond grateful for. So, if someone were to ask me if I am thankful for all the hard times I have been through (and my hard times are nothing compared to most peoples!)…I would say absolutely, yes! It’s through difficulties that I have learned about God’s holy ways and how to trust in Him at all times. It’s through difficulties that I have grown to love more and love deeper. It’s through difficulties that I have seen what truly matters and what doesn’t. It’s through difficulties that God is refining and molding me. It’s through difficulties that I have seen God’s unchanging faithfulness and power. So, though I love when everything is going well in my life and I am certainly not asking for trial upon trial, I see that it’s through the fire that God’s work has been most affective in making me more like Christ. In a book called “Stepping Heavenward”, the author writes that there is a chain in between us and God. God is on one end and we are on the other. He is using every trial and difficulty in our lives to remove link after link in order to shorten the chain and draw us closer to Himself. No matter how strong sin patterns or idols may be in our lives, it's encouraging to know that God can break them! With every link removed, He often bring new blessings better than we could have imagined. I know I will never be deserving of my relationship with God or even of the people He has placed in my life, but I know that He has saved me and promises to continue His work in me until He returns or calls me home. And I know I can trust in that.
“I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me…and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” – Jeremiah 30:21 & 22
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” – John 12:32
"As Long As You Are Glorified" - Come Weary Saints
Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt
Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified
Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are You King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night
So quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart, in You
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