Streams in the Desert, October 31st
Likewise also the Spirit helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what to pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Rom. 8:26, 27).
This is the deep mystery of prayer. This is the delicate divine mechanism which words cannot interpret, and which theology cannot explain, but which the humblest believer knows even when he does not understand.
Oh, the burdens that we love to bear and cannot understand! Oh, the inarticulate out-reachings of our hearts for things we cannot comprehend! And yet we know they are an echo from the throne and a whisper from the heart of God. It is often a groan rather than a song, a burden rather than a buoyant wing. But it is a blessed burden, and it is a groan whose undertone is praise and unutterable joy. It is "a groaning which cannot be uttered." We could not ourselves express it always, and sometimes we do not understand any more than that God is praying in us, for something that needs His touch and that He understands.
And so we can just pour out the fullness of our heart, the burden of our spirit, the sorrow that crushes us, and know that He hears, He loves, He understands, He receives; and He separates from our prayer all that is imperfect, ignorant and wrong, and presents the rest, with the incense of the great High Priest, before the throne on high; and our prayer is heard, accepted and answered in His name.
--A. B. Simpson
It is not necessary to be always speaking to God or always hearing from God, to have communion with Him; there is an inarticulate fellowship more sweet than words. The little child can sit all day long beside its busy mother and, although few words are spoken on either side, and both are busy, the one at his absorbing play, the other at her engrossing work, yet both are in perfect fellowship. He knows that she is there, and she knows that he is all right.
So the saint and the Saviour can go on for hours in the silent fellowship of love, and he be busy about the most common things, and yet conscious that every little thing he does is touched with the complexion of His presence, and the sense of His approval and blessing.
And then, when pressed with burdens and troubles too complicated to put into words and too mysterious to tell or understand, how sweet it is to fall back into His blessed arms, and just sob out the sorrow that we cannot speak!
--Selected
Comments
I found this to be really comforting. I always find it so wonderful, how that when I read Scripture, the Lord just expunges all my stress and replaces it with such soothing comfort. I wish I could describe how thankful I am for that and how much He just takes care of me. Today, I am just so tired. I couldn't really pray anything good. Sometimes, that's how it is. And I have been frustrated that I'm not spending as much time with the Lord as I'd like - I never feel as if I follow Him properly. I look forward to His helping me with that - get better at it. But, this reading today reminded me that He already knows all my troubled mixed up state, and is praying through me better than I can do it. He knows what I mean. And silent fellowship with Him can be just as sweet. It brought me a lot of peace. It's something I already knew ... but sometimes, I forget what I know and it's good to be reminded.
Psalm 86
Bow down Your ear, O Lord, hear me;
For I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am holy;
You are my God;
Save Your servant who trusts in You!
3 Be merciful to me, O Lord,
For I cry to You all day long.
4 Rejoice the soul of Your servant,
For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive,
And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
And attend to the voice of my supplications.
7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon You,
For You will answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord;
Nor are there any works like Your works.
9 All nations whom You have made
Shall come and worship before You, O Lord,
And shall glorify Your name.
10 For You are great, and do wondrous things;
You alone are God.
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.
12 I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
13 For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, the proud have risen against me,
And a mob of violent men have sought my life,
And have not set You before them.
15 But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.
16 Oh, turn to me, and have mercy on me!
Give Your strength to Your servant,
And save the son of Your maidservant.
17 Show me a sign for good,
That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed,
Because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Comment: I just prayed this to the Lord. He's the one who perfects and cleanses me. It felt about right for today.
Psalm 95
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
5 The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you will hear His voice:
8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,[a]
As in the day of trial[b] in the wilderness,
9 When your fathers tested Me;
They tried Me, though they saw My work.
10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation,
And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,
And they do not know My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’”
Comment: I love this Psalm. It's beautiful. Verses 6-7 have been made into a song. Well. That's not unique - Psalms are songs - but it's one of my favorites.
Psalm 115 (KJV)
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:
6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
11 Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: he is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
13 He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.
14 The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
15 Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
17 The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the Lord.
Comment: This Psalm is special to me, especially verses 9-15. There was one point, what seems like a long time ago, that I was talking to different people about the Salaita lab and different labs... I think it was a few weeks after the Tech visit. I knew I was supposed to be in the Salaita lab at that point. And I knew that the Lord had answered all my prayers in directing me to Khalid. But it seemed too good to be true. And one thing someone said just filled me with terror that Khalid would change and start being unpleaseable, push me and act like, well, Bijoy. This used to be something that scared me to death. I wasn't sure I could trust anyone I worked for not to turn into Bijoy or even imagine anything else was possible. I couldn't believe that the Lord would really do what He had told me He was doing, and was praying about this in terrible anguish of soul. But, He gave me this Psalm, verses 9-15, and I felt as if He'd told me that He'd blessed me, and wasn't going to suddenly turn it into a curse or offer it and then take it away and say - HA! Gotcha! Which is what I was terrified about. It was incredibly comforting. I still find this Psalm tremendously comforting. These days, I just realized thinking about it, that fear is completely gone, even the whispers of it. Somewhat surprising. I think the Lord knows what He's doing. I trust Him. And I've gotten to the point that I trust Khalid thoroughly. I'm not scared of him any more.
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Psalm 107
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, 3 And gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south. 4 They wandered in the wilderness in a desolate way; They found no city to dwell in. 5 Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them. 6 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He delivered them out of their distresses. 7 And He led them forth by the right way, That they might go to a city for a dwelling place. 8 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 9 For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. 10 Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons-- 11 Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High, 12 Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help. 13 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. 14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces. 15 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 16 For He has broken the gates of bronze, And cut the bars of iron in two. 17 Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. 18 Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death. 19 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. 20 He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. 21 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 22 Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing. 23 Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, 24 They see the works of the Lord, And His wonders in the deep. 25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26 They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29 He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. 31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders. 33 He turns rivers into a wilderness, And the watersprings into dry ground; 34 A fruitful land into barrenness, For the wickedness of those who dwell in it. 35 He turns a wilderness into pools of water, And dry land into watersprings. 36 There He makes the hungry dwell, That they may establish a city for a dwelling place, 37 And sow fields and plant vineyards, That they may yield a fruitful harvest. 38 He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly; And He does not let their cattle decrease. 39 When they are diminished and brought low Through oppression, affliction, and sorrow, 40 He pours contempt on princes, And causes them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way; 41 Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction, And makes their families like a flock. 42 The righteous see it and rejoice, And all iniquity stops its mouth. 43 Whoever is wise will observe these things, And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord. October 29, 2013, Steams in the Desert He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver (Mal. 3:3). Our Father, who seeks to perfect His saints in holiness, knows the value of the refiner's fire. It is with the most precious metals that the assayer takes the most pains, and subjects them to the hot fire, because such fires melt the metal, and only the molten mass releases its alloy or takes perfectly its new form in the mould. The old refiner never leaves his crucible, but sits down by it, lest there should be one excessive degree of heat to mar the metal. But as soon as he skims from the surface the last of the dross, and sees his own face reflected, he puts out the fire. --Arthur T. Pierson He sat by a fire of seven-fold heat, As He watched by the precious ore, And closer He bent with a searching gaze As He heated it more and more. He knew He had ore that could stand the test, And He wanted the finest gold To mould as a crown for the King to wear, Set with gems with a price untold. So He laid our gold in the burning fire, Tho' we fain would have said Him 'Nay,' And He watched the dross that we had not seen, And it melted and passed away. And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright, But our eyes were so dim with tears, We saw but the fire--not the Master's hand, And questioned with anxious fears. Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow, As it mirrored a Form above, That bent o'er the fire, tho' unseen by us, With a look of ineffable love. Can we think that it pleases His loving heart To cause us a moment's pain? Ah, no! but He saw through the present cross The bliss of eternal gain. So He waited there with a watchful eye, With a love that is strong and sure, And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat, Than was needed to make it pure. From Streams in the Desert, October 13th (yes, I now realize it's the 14th)
“In nothing be anxious” (Phil. 4:6). No anxiety ought to be found in a believer. Great, many and varied may be our trials, our afflictions, our difficulties, and yet there should be no anxiety under any circumstances, because we have a Father in Heaven who is almighty, who loves His children as He loves His only-begotten Son, and whose very joy and delight it is to succor and help them at all times and under all circumstances. We should attend to the Word, “In nothing be anxious, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” “In everything,” that is not merely when the house is on fire, not merely when the beloved wife and children are on the brink of the grave, but in the smallest matters of life, bring everything before God, the little things, the very little things, what the world calls trifling things–everything–living in holy communion with our Heavenly Father, arid with our precious Lord Jesus all day long. And when we awake at night, by a kind of spiritual instinct again turning to Him, and speaking to Him, bringing our various little matters before Him in the sleepless night, the difficulties in connection with the family, our trade, our profession. Whatever tries us in any way, speak to the Lord about it. “By prayer and supplication,” taking the place of beggars, with earnestness, with perseverance, going on and waiting, waiting, waiting on God. “With thanksgiving.” We should at all times lay a good foundation with thanksgiving. If everything else were wanting, this is always present, that He has saved us from hell. Then, that He has given us His Holy Word–His Son, His choicest gift–and the Holy Spirit. Therefore we have abundant reason for thanksgiving. O let us aim at this! “And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” And this is so great a blessing, so real a blessing, so precious a blessing, that it must be known experimentally to be entered into, for it passeth understanding. O let us lay these things to heart, and the result will be, if we habitually walk in this spirit, we shall far more abundantly glorify God, than as yet we have done. –George Mueller, in Life of Trust Twice or thrice a day, look to see if your heart is not disquieted about something; and if you find that it is, take care forthwith to restore it to calm.–Francis De Sales Comment I read this one today, thinking it was the 13th. I think it's the one the Lord wanted me to read though because I needed to hear it. Surprises don't have to be scary. Sometimes, they're like a flower on your desk that someone left, a sunset or a glowy mushroom in a cave that you didn't expect to see or a new fact about science. That's what I felt from the Lord today. Perhaps I'll get some cool data! That would be pretty exciting. I hope all of you peoples have a good week! Love, Jess Day 16: Lord, Surprise Us“The wind blows wherever it pleases.” ~ John 3:8 A few years ago, a rather routine staff meeting turned into a prayer meeting. All of our staff ended up on their knees. I ended up on my face on the floor. And I prayed a prayer that has been repeated hundreds of times since then. IN fact, it has become a prayer mantra: Lord, surprise us. In one respect, this feels like a dangerous prayer because we have to put our plans on the altar. We have to relinquish control. We have to trust God’s timing. But that prayer was motivated by a genuine desire to see God do something unprecedented – something that superseded our plans, something that we could not take credit for or control. And God has answered this prayer a thousand times in a thousand ways! One of the most dramatic surprised happened a few weeks after praying that prayer for the first time. Our family was vacationing at a friend’s cabin at Lake Anna, about ninety miles south of Washington, D.C. On the first day we heard a knock on the door. It was a neighbor named Harry, who asked if he could see the cabin. He looked harmless enough so I invited him in. Within five minutes Harry had offered to let us use his pontoon boat for the week. When we went to his cabin to get the keys, I noticed a book his coffee table written by a former senator who attended our church. I had a hunch when I saw the book that he might know the senator’s good friend and my mentor, Dick Foth. Sure, Harry knew Dick. So I told Harry I would send him a copy of a book I had dedicated to Dick titled Wild Goose Chase. The week after our vacation ended, I sent Harry a copy, and he liked it enough to recommend it to his friend Tom. Nearly a year after meeting Harry, I got a call from Tom, a deacon at Glen Echo Baptist Church. He introduced himself and explained that GEBC was once a thriving witness in their community but had dwindled to a dozen members. Then he told me they wanted to consider giving their two properties, valued at approximately $2 million, to National Community Church. I couldn’t have been more surprised if he’d said I’d won the lottery without even buying a ticket. And that’s what it felt like. What profoundly impacted me was the fact that GEBC was courageous enough to recognize that the church was dying and generous enough to give its building to another church. We were surprised and humbled beyond words. Then I remember our prayer: Lord, surprise us. Can I make an observation? And I mean this with all due respect. Baptist churches don’t have their churches to non-Baptist churches. To the best of my knowledge, it’s unprecedented. But God always has a holy surprise up His sovereign sleeve. And when we pray, God throws surprise parties! Every miracle, every blessing, every diving appointment has a genealogy. If we trace tem back, we’ll find a genesis prayer that set in motion the sovereign act of God. Am I saying that God cannot do it without us? No, I’m not saying He cannot; I am simply saying He will not. In His omniscience and omnipotence, God has determined there are some things He will only do in response to prayer. The Bible puts it bluntly: “You do not have because you do not ask God.” (James 4:2) If we don’t ask, God can’t answer. It’s as simple as that. The greatest tragedy in life is the prayers that go unanswered because they go unasked. I don’t pretend to understand where the sovereignty of God and free will of humans meet, but it motivates me to work like it depends on me and pray like it depends on God. And if we do these two things, God will keep surprising us. God Knows Every Tom, Dick and Harry Our family has a handful of saying that have been passed down from generation to generation. They are part of our family folklore. I’m not sure where this one originated, but I remember my grandma stating it more than once: you can’t never always sometimes tell. That tongue twister is a mind bender, so here’s the translation: anything could happen! Now let me redeem this saying and give it a prayer twist. When you circle a promise in prayer, you can’t never always sometimes tell. Anything could happen. You never know when or how or where God will answer it. Prayer adds an element of surprise to your life that is more fun than a surprise party or surprise gift or surprise romance. In fact, prayer turns life into a party, into a gift, into a romance. God has surprised me so many times that I’m no longer surprised by His surprises. That doesn’t mean I love them any less. I’m still in awe of the strange and mysterious ways in which God works, but I have come to expect the unexpected because God is predictably unpredictable. The only thing I can predict with absolute certainty is this: the more you pray, the more you will experience holy surprises. I love the reference to the wind in John 3. I can’t think of a better description of the way the Holy Spirit works. He is uncontrollable, unpredictable – which can cause angst or excitement. The choice is ours. About the wind, Jesus states, “You cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.” So it is with the Holy Spirit, says Jesus. In other words, you can’t never always sometimes tell. But one thing is certain: if we follow Jesus, our lives will be anything but boring. When I think about the degree of probably of what happened, it’s mind-boggling. I have no idea what promoted Harry to knock on our door that day. If he hadn’t knocked, I would not have gove over to his cabin, seen a book on his coffee table, mentioned Dick Foth, or sent him a copy of Wild Goose Chase. And, of course, I didn’t know Tom from Adam! But God knows every Tom, Dick and Harry! And He can orchestrate diving appointments with anyone, anytime, anywhere. Lord surprise us! Related Scripture*I absolutely love John 3, that Mark mentions. Here it is: John 3 The New Birth *Here is the verse from which the saying, "we have not because we do not ask God" comes. The book of James is a very short, but powerful and convicting book. James 4 Pride Promotes Strife Note: More passages from Draw the Circle by Mark Batterson. I felt it was important I share these. I read this one this week, leaving out a part, which I felt wasn't important. Day 15: Contend for Me“Contend for me, my God and Lord.” ~ Psalm 35:25 God loves it when we fight for Him. But God loves it even more when we let Him fight for us! How do we do that? When we hit our knees, God extends His mighty right hand on our behalf. When we pray, He fights our battles for us. So keep fighting the good fight, but let God fight for you. Prayer is the way we let go and let God. Prayer is the way we take our hands off and let God put His hands on. Prayer is the difference between you fighting for God and God fighting for you. Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; Fight against those who fight against me … Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord. I love the Hebrew word translated “contend” in these verses. It’s two-dimensional. It refers to both physical combat and verbal combat. So it runs the gamut from cage fighting to courtrooms. In terms of physical combat, God is like the mother grizzly that protect her cubs. It is God’s instinctive nature because we are the apple of His eye. If anyone messes with us, they are messing with our heavenly Father. In terms of verbal combat, God is like the defense attorney that pleads our case, pleads our case. When our backs are against the wall, God has our backs. When everything is on the line, God steps in. Satan is the accuser of the brethren, but he’s no match for the Paraclete. The New Testament depiction of his is a little more defined. We actually have two intercessors. The Holy Spirit is interceding for us with groans that cannot be uttered. Long before we woke up this morning and long after we go to sleep tonight, the Holy Spirit was and is circling us in prayer. And if that doesn’t infuse us with holy confidence, I don’t know what will. But it isn’t just the Holy Spirit who is interceding for us; the son og God is interceding for us as well. They are interceding for the will of God to be accomplished in our lives. We are double circled. They are circling us all the time with songs of deliverance. […] The First Official Prayer On September 7, 1774, the Continental Congress held its first official meeting at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia. Their first official act was prayer. And it wasn’t some perfunctory prayer that was nothing more than protocol; it was a good old-fashioned prayer meeting. Our founding fathers prayed with fervency and intensity. Earwitnesses heard them interceding several blocks away. Eyewitnesses said Henry, Randolph, Rutledge, Lee, and Jay were doubled over as they bowed in reverence before God. John Adams later recounted that it “has had an excellent effect upon every body here.” And not surprisingly, General George Washington ended up on his knees. These revolutionaries knew their case was doomed to fail without divine intervention. They prayed like it depended on God because they knew it did. The pastor who led them in prayer that morning was Dr. Jacob Duche. The Scripture he turned to? Psalm 35. He prayed that just as the Lord contended for David, God would contend for their cause if it were a righteous one. Dr. Suche’s prayer is more than just a piece of our history; it’s a piece of our destiny. O Lord, our heavenly Father, high and might King of kings and Lord of lords, who dost from Thy throne behold all dwellers on the earth, and reignest with power supreme and uncontrolled over all the kingdoms, Empires, and Governments; look down in mercy, we beseech thee, on these our American states who have fled to Thee from the rod of the oppressor and thrown themselves on Thy gracious protection, desiring to be henceforth dependent only on Thee… Be Thou present, O God of wisdom, and direct the councils of this honorable assembly … Shower down on them and the millions they here represent, such temporal blessings as Thou seeist expedient for them in this world and crown them with everlasting glory in the world to come. All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and our Savior. Amen. Our prayers don’t have expiration dates. That’s why I believe this prayer is still being answered 238 years later. It is part of our prayer genealogy as Americans. This was a genesis prayer. It was the very first prayer uttered at the start of the revolution. It was a prayer for every American henceforth. And it is still being answered. There is no other explanation for the improbability of America. God contended for our cause. That is our history. That is our destiny. I’m certainly no suggesting that America is always right and never wrong. Like every nation’s history, ours is dotted with grievous sins. But the only explanation for the blessings we’ve experienced is the favor of God. If you are on God’s side, then God is on your side. God will fight for you as you fight for Him. And you can live with holy confidence, knowing that when God is contending for your cause, your cause is destined to succeed. This doesn't mean there won’t be setbacks and sacrifices along the way; it just means the war has already been won. Relevant Scripture*Here is some of the Scripture that Mark refers to in the short chapter above, or other Scripture that his words reminded me about. It is in the NKJV translation. 1. Title and paragraph 1: Psalm 35 2. Paragraph 4, when Mark mentioned the grizzly bear, I thought of the following verses: Matthew 18:1-7 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Matthew 18:10-14 10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven. 11 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. Matthew 18:18-19 18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 3. Paragraph 5, Jesus is our High Priest, Intercessor and Defender Hebrews 4:14-16 14 Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 9:16-28 16 For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. 17 For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. 18 Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. 19 For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people,20 saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.”[b] 21 Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. 22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. 4. Paragraph 6, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us Romans 8:26-39 26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us[b] with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 5. Verses that contending just reminds me of in general, some of my favorites: Ephesians 6:10-20 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. *Note: I have comments for this but it'll have to wait til tomorrow or Sunday. Too tired. I read this today while my gel was finishing up, before I imaged it. Devotional - Streams in the Desert Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” — John 11:40 NET Mary and Martha could not understand what their Lord was doing. Both of them said to Him, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” Back of it all, we seem to read their thought: “Lord, we do not understand why you have stayed away so long. We do not understand how you could let death come to the man whom you loved. We do not understand how you could let sorrow and suffering ravage our lives when your presence might have stayed it all. Why did you not come? It is too late now, for already he has been dead four days!” And to it all Jesus had but one great truth: “You may not understand; but I tell you if you believe, you will see.” Abraham could not understand why God should ask the sacrifice of the boy; but he trusted. And he saw the glory of God in his restoration to his love. Moses could not understand why God should keep him forty years in the wilderness, but he trusted; and he saw when God called him to lead forth Israel from bondage. Joseph could not understand the cruelty of his brethren, the false witness of a perfidious woman, and the long years of an unjust imprisonment; but he trusted, and he saw at last the glory of God in it all. Jacob could not understand the strange providence which permitted the same Joseph to be torn from his father’s love, but he saw the glory of God when he looked into the face of that same Joseph as the viceroy of a great king, and the preserver of his own life and the lives of a great nation. And so, perhaps in your life. You say, "I do not understand why God let my dear one be taken. I do not understand why affliction has been permitted to smite me. I do not understand the devious paths by which the Lord is leading me. I do not understand why plans and purposes that seemed good to my eyes should be baffled. I do not understand why blessings I so much need are so long delayed. Friend, you do not have to understand all God’s ways with you. God does not expect you to understand them. You do not expect your child to understand, only believe. Some day you will see the glory of God in the things which you do not understand.—J. H. McC Sovereignty of God in Things We Don't Understand and Satan as the Accuser of the Brethren, a Whirlwind Tour of the Life (and the book) of JobJob 1 Job and His Family in Uz Job 2 Satan Attacks Job’s Health Job 10 Job: I Would Plead with God Job 38 The Lord Reveals His Omnipotence to Job Job 39 “Do you know the time when the wild mountain goats bear young? Job 40 Moreover the Lord answered Job, and said: Job 41 “Can you draw out Leviathan[a] with a hook, Job 42 Job’s Repentance and Restoration *Something that Esther sent me and turned out to be very relevant to what the Lord has been telling me recently. He's reminding me that He wants me to continually be looking for what He is pointing out to me and to pray that He keeps showing me things.
We’re often looking for God’s will—especially when we’re in a difficult situation. We wonder, What will happen to me here? Should I stay or does God want me somewhere else? The only way to know for sure is to do what He asks you to do right now—the duty of the present moment—and wait for God to reveal the next step. As you obey what you know, you will be strengthened to take the next step and the next. Step by step, one step at a time. That’s how we learn to walk with God. But you say, “Suppose I take the first step. What will happen next?” That’s God’s business. Your task and mine is to obey this day and leave the future to Him. The psalmist says our steps are “ordered by the Lord” (37:23). This day’s direction is all we need. Tomorrow’s instruction is of no use to us at all. George MacDonald said, “We do not understand the next page of God’s lesson book; we see only the one before us. Nor shall we be allowed to turn the leaf until we have learned its lesson.” If we concern ourselves with God’s will and obey each day the directions and warnings He gives, if we walk by faith and step out in the path of obedience, we will find that God will lead us through this day. As Jesus put it, “Tomorrow will worry about its own things” (Matt. 6:34). God knows each winding way I take, And every sorrow, pain, and ache; His children He will not forsake-- He knows and loves His own. —Bosch Blessed is the person who finds out which way God is moving and then goes in that direction. The following is a passage from Draw the Circle, Day 11, that jumped out at me and I knew immediately that it was supposed to go here. It's not long. Draw the Circle, Day 11, partial passage"...We often think of prayer as nothing more than words spoken to God, but maybe it's more than that. Prayer it not a monologue; it's a dialogue. We speak to God with everything from words to groans to thoughts. And God speaks to us through dreams, desires, promptings, impressions, and ideas. The Sixth Sense There is an old adage: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In reality, everything is in the eye of the beholder. The emotions we experience don't reflect our external reality; they reflect our internal reality. We don't see the world as it is; we see the world as we are. That's why prayer is so critical. It's a way of seeing reality - and, more specifically, the reality that is beyond that reality we can perceive with our five senses. Some things cannot be perceived with the five sense; they can only be conceived by the Holy Spirit. Some things cannot be deduced via deductive reasoning; they can only be imagined by the Holy Spirit. Some things cannot be learned by logic; they can only be revealed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit compensates for our sensory limits by enabling us to conceive of things we cannot perceive with our five sense. Think of it as a sixth sense. The revelation of the Spirit gives us extrasensory perception in the truest sense of that phrase. He helps us see the invisible and hear the inaudible. But that sixth sense has to be cultivated, much like our five sense do. Our spiritual vision develops much like our physical vision does. When babies make their grand entrance into the world, their visual resolution is one-fortieth of that of a normal adult. They lack depth perception. And their visual range is only about thirteen inches. The world is low-definition, two-dimensional, and only thireen inches in diameter. Slowly yet sovereignly the world beings to take on width and breadth and depth. By four months, a baby can perceive stereoscopic depth. By six months, visual acuity has improved five-fold. Their black-and-white world has burst into a kaleidoscope of colors, and they have volitional control of their eye movements. And by his or her first birthday, the child sees the wold almost as well as an adult. Our spiritual eyes develop in much the same way. And prayer is the key to perception. Before our spiritual eyes are opened, the world is only thirteen inches in diameter. It's like living in a low-definition, two-dimensional world. Then the Holy Spirit gives us depth perception. He opens our eyes to see the ordinary miracles that surround us, the ordinary miracles that are us. It's like our spiritual cataracts are removed to reveal a reality that was always there. Like Jacob, we come to the ultimate realization: 'Surely the Lord is in this place and I was not aware of it.' When we open our spiritual eyes, we start seeing God everywhere we look. We see the image of God in others. We see His fingerprints on His creation. We see God-ordained opportunities all around us all the time. It's something like what happens when we watch a film with 3D glasses; when we prayer, God comes at us in ways that startle and thrill us." International House of Prayer, Prophecy MinistryA long time ago, Esther told me about a conference she went to at the International House of Prayer church and how people who had served in a prophecy ministry prophesied over her and how amazingly relevant it was to her. Other RandomnessI printed out reams of papers this evening with a kind of giddy glee. Most of them were from the 2013 sections of Methods in Molecular Biology on nanotechnology and nanoparticles that I found a while ago. I spam downloaded about thirty 500 page pdfs of these things in a mad binge of excitement. Now I'm trying to print out select interesting chapters for reading, of which there is quite a few. *slaps and rubs hands together, with mischievous face* Can't wait til tomorrow!
I'm so thankful for the Lord and how good He is. Always He is there. He gave me more good things to thank Him for today, and spoke over me more encouraging things. For some reason, I've been reading Ps. 71 a lot - almost every other day. It's not one I usually read, but it's really good. I love how it talks of quietly trusting the Lord, and how the Lord's righteousness has no limits and the Psalmist says he'll praise the Lord more and more continually - those are some of my favorite parts.
This is what I thought I should post today. I also read Draw the Circle, Day 10, about the crazy widow and her persistent faith and how bold, crazy prayers honor God, but I don't have time to write that up here, though I really want to. Everything I've posted spoke to me, though I am not going to take the time to say how. Maybe the Lord will say to other readers something different. Streams in the Desert September 5 — When We Are Ready For this reason the Lord is ready to show you mercy; he sits on his throne, ready to have compassion on you. Indeed, the Lord is a just God; all who wait for him in faith will be blessed. — Isa 30:18 NET We hear a great deal about waiting on God. There is, however, another side. When we wait on God, He is waiting till we are ready; when we wait for God, we are waiting till He is ready. There are some people who say, and many more who believe, that as soon as we meet all the conditions, God will answer our prayers. They say that God lives in an eternal now; with Him there is no past nor future; and that if we could fulfill all that He requires in the way of obedience to His will, immediately our needs would be supplied, our desires fulfilled, our prayers answered. There is much truth in this belief, and yet it expresses only one side of the truth. While God lives in an eternal now, yet He works out His purposes in time. A petition presented before God is like a seed dropped in the ground. Forces above and beyond our control must work upon it, till the true fruition of the answer is given.—The Still Small Voice I longed to walk along an easy road, And leave behind the dull routine of home, Thinking in other fields to serve my God; But Jesus said, “My time has not yet come.” I longed to sow the seed in other soil, To be unfettered in the work, and free, To join with other laborers in their toil; But Jesus said, “’Tis not My choice for thee.” I longed to leave the desert, and be led To work where souls were sunk in sin and shame, That I might win them; but the Master said, “I have not called thee, publish here My name.” I longed to fight the battles of my King, Lift high His standards in the thickest strife; But my great Captain bade me wait and sing Songs of His conquests in my quiet life. I longed to leave the uncongenial sphere, Where all alone I seemed to stand and wait, To feel I had some human helper near, But Jesus bade me guard one lonely gate. I longed to leave the round of daily toil, Where no one seemed to understand or care; But Jesus said, “I choose for thee this soil, That thou might’st raise for Me some blossoms rare.” And now I have no longing but to do At home, or else afar, His blessed will, To work amid the many or the few; Thus, “choosing not to choose,” my heart is still. —Selected “And Patience was willing to wait.”—Pilgrim’s Progress Psalm 71 (NKJV) In You, O Lord, I put my trust; Let me never be put to shame. 2 Deliver me in Your righteousness, and cause me to escape; Incline Your ear to me, and save me. 3 Be my strong refuge, To which I may resort continually; You have given the commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress. 4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, Out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. 5 For You are my hope, O Lord GOD; You are my trust from my youth. 6 By You I have been upheld from birth; You are He who took me out of my mother’s womb. My praise shall be continually of You. 7 I have become as a wonder to many, But You are my strong refuge. 8 Let my mouth be filled with Your praise And with Your glory all the day. 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; Do not forsake me when my strength fails. 10 For my enemies speak against me; And those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together, 11 Saying, “God has forsaken him; Pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver him.” 12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! 13 Let them be confounded and consumed Who are adversaries of my life; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor Who seek my hurt. 14 But I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more. 15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And Your salvation all the day, For I do not know their limits. 16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, of Yours only. 17 O God, You have taught me from my youth; And to this day I declare Your wondrous works. 18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come. 19 Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? 20 You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, Shall revive me again, And bring me up again from the depths of the earth. 21 You shall increase my greatness, And comfort me on every side. 22 Also with the lute I will praise You-- And Your faithfulness, O my God! To You I will sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul, which You have redeemed. 24 My tongue also shall talk of Your righteousness all the day long; For they are confounded, For they are brought to shame Who seek my hurt. Proverbs 1 (NKJV) The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: 2 To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding, 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity; 4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion-- 5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. Shun Evil Counsel8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; 9 For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. 11 If they say, “Come with us, Let us lie in wait to shed blood; Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; 12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol,[a] And whole, like those who go down to the Pit; 13 We shall find all kinds of precious possessions, We shall fill our houses with spoil; 14 Cast in your lot among us, Let us all have one purse”-- 15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, Keep your foot from their path; 16 For their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird; 18 But they lie in wait for their own blood, They lurk secretly for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; It takes away the life of its owners. The Call of Wisdom20 Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. 21 She cries out in the chief concourses,[b] At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words: 22 “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. 23 Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. 24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, 25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, 27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the Lord, 30 They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke. 31 Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. 32 For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.” I'm always amazed how the Lord shows me exactly what I need to see every day. He reminded me this morning that I cannot accomplish work or be productive by over working myself - which I was just about to do. I need to trust Him to do it and rest in his overflowing Spirit by faith to accomplish it, not getting worked up about anything.
Here's the passage I read in Streams in the Desert that I found particularly relevant: September 3 — Walk Without Strain He saw them straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. As the night was ending, he came to them walking on the sea, for he wanted to pass by them. — Mark 6:48 NET Straining, driving effort does not accomplish the work God gives man to do. Only God Himself, who always works without strain, and who never overworks, can do the work that He assigns to His children. When they restfully trust Him to do it, it will be well done and completely done. The way to let Him do His work through us is to partake of Christ so fully, by faith, that He more than fills our life. A man who had learned this secret once said: “I came to Jesus and I drank, and I do not think that I shall ever be thirsty again. I have taken for my motto, ’Not overwork, but overflow’; and already it has made all the difference in my life.” There is no effort in overflow. It is quietly irresistible. It is the normal life of omnipotent and ceaseless accomplishment into which Christ invites us today and always.—Sunday School Times Be all at rest, my soul, O blessed secret, Of the true life that glorifies thy Lord: Not always doth the busiest soul best serve Him, But he that resteth on His faithful Word. Be all at rest, let not your heart be rippled, For tiny wavelets mar the image fair, Which the still pool reflects of heaven’s glory-- And thus the image He would have thee bear. Be all at rest, my soul, for rest is service, To the still heart God doth His secrets tell; Thus shalt thou learn to wait, and watch, and labor, Strengthened to bear, since Christ in thee doth dwell. For what is service but the life of Jesus, Lived through a vessel of earth’s fragile clay, Loving and giving and poured forth for others, A living sacrifice from day to day. Be all at rest, so shalt thou be an answer To those who question, “Who is God and where?” For God is rest, and where He dwells is stillness, And they who dwell in Him, His rest shalt share. And what shall meet the deep unrest around thee, But the calm peace of God that filled His breast? For still a living Voice calls to the weary, From Him who said, “Come unto Me and rest.” —Freda Hanbury Allen “In resurrection stillness there is resurrection power.” |
AuthorThis is the blog for what God has been teaching me, prayer adventures, quotes from men of faith, spiritual books, songs and detailing the amazing roller coaster ride adventure as I live with Him! I reserve the right to be wrong. I am always learning. Archives
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