It has been discouraging for me that I have felt very tired, weak and even dizzy this weekend, when I thought I had finally shaken off this illness. I was not able to go to church today, and Peter was too tired as well. Thankfully Tim, though very tired yesterday, was able to go to church with Isaiah and Elizabeth.
We have had so many ups and downs with this illness. When I think I'm better, it comes back almost as hard. I have not been to church for five Sabbaths!
But praise God for His wonderful, encouraging Word. It is my strength. I came across a lovely quote on trials by Spurgeon today:
"The night of affliction is as much under the arrangement and control of the Lord of Love as the bright summer days when all is bliss. Jesus is in the tempest. His love wraps the night about itself as a mantle, but to the eye of faith the sable robe is scarce a disguise. From the first watch of the night even unto the break of day the eternal Watcher observes His saints, and overrules the shades and dews of midnight for His peoples' highest good. We believe in no rival deities of good and evil contending for the mastery, but we hear the voice of Jehovah saying, "I create light and I create darkness; I, the Lord do all these things." (From Morning and Evening, Dec. 23)
God's love is greater than any storms. When Peter looked to Jesus, he could walk on the water. When he focused instead on the waves about him, he began to sink. And yet Jesus in His mercy saved him. He will never let us go. How wonderful that our God is the great, Almighty, sovereign God, whom we can trust completely in all things, and that He is our loving Father, to whom we can pray and take all our concerns, and that He never gives up on us, no matter how much we fail, but always is seeking our good and our growth in Him. "He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 1:6) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Sorry to hear you're still not feeling well! We are still up and down with the blahs here as well. I was hoping the warm weather would help, since we were up in the 50's last week, but then it got cold and snowed again, so we didn't try to go to church yesterday. (My parents did and skidded off the road and damaged their wheel rim. They also had a major flood in their house this week, so it's been pretty trying for them!)
I like the part in the Spurgeon quote about not believing in rival deities of good and evil. It is so comforting to know that we can trust that whatever God brings to us is for our good, even when it it's not pleasant.
God bless you all today!
Post a Comment