Dusky Wisdom

I have been quite "under the weather" in recent days. I was lying in bed the other night after a strong coughing fit when it suddenly dawned on me I was in the middle of spiritual warfare. The devil doesn't want me to feel strong in any aspect of life and it's not unlike him to take advantage of those times when I feel especially weak and vulnerable. 

He doesn't want me to possess a grateful heart. He doesn't want me to give thanks for the good health I am so privileged to enjoy most days; he doesn't want me to be thankful for my comfortable bed and soft pillow. He would have me focus on the life events I am missing while my head pounds and my nose is clogged.

He doesn't want me to live out a servant life. He wants for me to be self-focused in a negative sense; He desires that I am alert enough to know what I am missing, but not alert enough to care. His goal is to keep me frustrated and sullen, robbing me of joys I might gain from rest, stillness, meditation, and supplication. He wants for me to be agitated and increasingly doubtful.

He definitely doesn't want me to humble myself under the mighty hand of God so that I might be lifted up in due time. He would not have me cast all my cares upon Christ and believe Christ cares for  me. He desires to keep me from submitting to God's will for my life. He wants for me to keep believing suffering is a bad thing. He would not have me be self-controlled despite my misery; he would not have me looking to humility as a means of dispensing grace or deliverance. Rather than seeking peace, praying for patience, and hoping for mercy, he would have me be disturbed, disgruntled, and distracted from the purposes of God. He doesn't look for me to demonstrate active dependence upon God anytime in my walk, he actively preys upon my weaknesses, desiring that I would grumble, complain, and moan about that which I am being kept from. 

He isn't looking for me to honor God in the midst of struggle; he doesn't want for me for me to see the grace and wisdom extended to me from the hand of the Almighty. 
Momentary insight from Someone quite beyond myself gives me what I need to sing in spite of the fact that my voice isn't strong and won't carry outside of my immediate circumstances. Beloved words from my childhood come to me in comfort, freedom, and strength: 

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
praise Him all creatures here below. 
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts,
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."

The song is perfect even when the singer is hoarse; the shadow flees even though the battles continue.

A Promise for My Heart...

Still...

"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God." (Psalm 92:12-13)

How blessed I am to know God can bring verses to my mind which comfort my heart at any hour of the day! He is not limited in His resources and He knows exactly what I need and when I need it. To exercise faith and trust in God is to believe He is sovereign no matter what happens next! 

God gave me this verse when I was Peru twelve years ago, but He knows it is appropriate for today too. My blessing is found in knowing Him; as I grow in relationship with Him, He causes my life to remain healthy and fruitful. He is the solid foundation upon which my life can be rooted and built up. By His grace and favor, He may yet cause me to flourish while those around me are defeated and face decay. 

As I stay to near to Him, He is able to make my life and testimony strong, prosperous,  and verdant despite the adversities which may arise against me in body and soul. The person who is found to be faithfully abiding in Christ bears much fruit.  Faithful, habitual, fellowship with the vine provides for vigorous fertility within the branches.What a comfort to know that when I am planted in Christ, I can never be uprooted. My roots will grow down deep as I derive what need from Him and His perfect strength. He will cause my limbs to bear fruit which will grow upward for His eternal glory (adapted from Charles Spurgeon).

I am weak in myself, but because of His relationship with me, I am being made strong. Spurgeon is excellent in his exposition and admonition to those who believe: His words give me hope in perilous hours and the joy of the Lord will continue to strengthen me as I grow and mature in Him:

"Grace does not leave the saint when the keepers of the house do tremble; the promise is still sure though the eyes can no longer read it; the bread of heaven is fed upon when the grinders fail; and the voice of the Spirit in the soul is still melodious when the daughters of music are brought low. Blessed be the Lord for this!" 

Blessed be the Lord, indeed!
Praise Him from whom all  blessings flow!

What does it look like for me to love with more than just tears and tongue?

I want to serve my Lord and those around me with rock-solid commitment. I don't desire for there to be any confusion about whose I am. I want to love through actions and life. I long for my faith to be displayed in vital, life-giving ways. I want to be more than just a good person; I want to become a person of uncommon devotion and sacrifice. I don't just want to be a professor; I want to be a possessor (www.bible.org).

I pray the Lord would help me to put no other gods before Him. By the grace of Christ, I want to keep being set apart to Him  and His service. I want to make myself available to Christ in such a way that I am unavailable to people, pursuits, and ideas which do not please Him and bring about His will. 

I pray the Lord would help me to look to Him alone for meaningful existence and exuberance. May I use the talents and gifts He has given me to make His name and person look great; may I  be willing when I feel lost and inept, to let my weaknesses magnify His perfect strength. In my brokenness, there will undoubtedly be times when I cannot, but He can.  I must trust Him to lead me in the midst of every time and season whether I am in deep in the valley or high upon the peak. Through the operation of the Holy Spirit, may I continue grow in the grace and knowledge of the One who is both saving me and making like Himself. May I know Him ever more fully...this One who already knows me so well.

I know not what of good or ill
May be reserved for me,
Of weary ways or golden days,
Before His face I see.

Refrain

I know not when my Lord may come,
At night or noonday fair,
Nor if I walk the vale with Him,
Or meet Him in the air.

But I know Whom I have believèd,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.



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