Inspirational readings...

Saturday, December 24, 2011:

A short reading from one of my favorite authors, Charles H. Spurgeon.  He struggled with many medical problems, as well as depression.  For brevity, this will not be his entire entry:

Perfect in Weakness

Your faith will never be weak when you are weak. , but when you are strong your faith cannot be strong.  To the Apostle Paul, Jesus said, "My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 5:9).  The only way to increase our faith is through great trouble.  We do not grow strong in faith on sunny days; only in stormy weather do we obtain it.  Strong faith does not drop from heaven in a gentle dew; generally, it comes in the whirlwind and the storm....Great sailors are not made on calm waters, but in the deep , where the wild wind howls and the thunder rolls like drums.  Storms and tempests make tough and hardy sailors....It is that way with the Christian.  Great faith must have great trials.  We must expect great troubles before we can attain great faith.

 

December 31, 2011

From the "Letters of John Newton"

The Benefits of Affliction

LETTER XXXIII by John Newton

---

My dear Madam,

I have often preached to others of the benefit of affliction; but my own path for many years has been so smooth, and my trials, though I have not been without trials, comparatively so light and few, that I have seemed to myself to speak by rote upon a subject of which I had not a proper feeling. Yet the many exercises of my poor afflicted people, and the sympathy the Lord has given me with them in their troubles, has made this a frequent and favourite topic of my ministry among them. The advantages of afflictions, when the Lord is pleased to employ them for the good of his people, are many and great. Permit me to mention a few of them; and the Lord grant that we may all find those blessed ends answered to ourselves, by the trials he is pleased to appoint us. 

Afflictions quicken us to prayer. It is a pity it should be so; experience testifies that a long course of ease and prosperity, without painful changes, has an unhappy tendency to make us cold and formal in our secret worship; but troubles rouse our spirits, and constrain us to call upon the Lord in good earnest, when we feel a need of that help which we only can have from him. 

They are useful, and in a degree necessary, to keep alive in us a conviction of the vanity and unsatisfying nature of the present world, and all its enjoyments; to remind us that this is not our rest, and to call our thoughts upwards, where our true treasure is, and where our conversation ought to be. When things go on much to our wish, our hearts are too prone to say, It is good to be here. It is probable, that had Moses, when he came to invite Israel to Canaan, found them in prosperity, as in the days of Joseph, they would have been very unwilling to remove; but the afflictions they were previously brought into made his message welcome. Thus the Lord, by pain, sickness, and disappointments, by breaking our cisterns and withering our gourds, weakens our attachment to this world, and makes the thought of quitting it more familiar and more desirable. 

A child of God cannot but greatly desire a more enlarged and experimental acquaintance with his holy word; and this attainment is greatly promoted by our trials. The far greater part of the promises in Scripture are made and suited to a state of affliction; and, though we may believe they are true, we cannot so well know their sweetness, power, and suitableness, unless we ourselves are in a state to which they refer. The Lord says, " Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver."- Now till the day of trouble comes, such a promise is like a city of refuge to an Israelite, who not having slain a man, was in no danger of the avenger of blood. He had a privilege near him, of which he knew not the use and value, because he was not in the case for which it was provided. But some can say, " I not only believe this promise upon the authority of the speaker, but I can set my seal to it: I have been in trouble; I took this course for relief, and I was not disappointed. The Lord verily heard and delivered me." Thus afflictions likewise give occasion of our knowing and noticing more of the Lord's wisdom, power, and goodness, in supporting and relieving, than we should otherwise have known. 

I have not time to take another sheet, and must therefore contract my homily. Afflictions evidence to ourselves, and manifest to others, the reality of grace. And when we suffer as Christians, exercise some measure of that patience and submission and receive some measure of these supports and supplies, which the Gospel requires and promises to believers, we are more confirmed that we have not taken up with mere notions; and others may be convinced that we do not follow cunningly devised fables. They likewise strengthen by exercise our graces: as our limbs and natural powers would be feeble if not called to daily exertion; so the graces of the Spirit would languish, without something provided to draw them out to use! And, to say no more, they are honourable, as they advance our conformity to Jesus our Lord, who was a man of sorrows for our sake. Methinks, if we might go to heaven without suffering, we should be unwilling to desire it. Why should we ever wish to go by any other path than that which he has consecrated and endeared by his own example? especially as his people's sufferings are not penal; there is no wrath in them; the cup he puts in their hands is very different from that which he drank for their sakes, and is only medicinal to promote their chief good. Here I must stop; but the subject is fruitful, and might be pursued through a quire of paper.

January 9, 2012 

From "Beside Still Waters" by C. H. Spurgeon:

"Do you feel marked for sorrow?  Are you the target of the arrows of affliction?  Are you punished more than others?  Do not sorrow.  The arrows of affliction are sent by covenant love to prepare you for a special work that will yield a great blessing from your Heavenly Father.

The day will come when you will be grateful for every blow, even grateful for the bitter pangs of unkindness from friends.  Joseph's brothers hated him (Gen. 37:4) and they sold him into slavery  (Gen. 37.28). "The archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him and hated him." (Gen. 49:23).  Yet see the reward, for Joseph had exclusive blessings: "His bow remained in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the mighty hands of the Mighty God of Jacob" (Gen. 49:24).  The abundance of God's revelation is usually accompanied by a thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12:7).

Grief notwithstanding, there will be born to you, as there was to Joseph, a Manasseh, for God will make you forget all your labor.  And there will be an Ephraim, for God will make you fruitful in the land of your affliction (Gen. 41: 51-52).

Instructed by affliction, you will become a comforter to the afflicted."

January 21, 2012

Another reading from "Beside Still Waters" by Charles H. Spurgeon:

"When called to serve or to suffer, we take inventory of our strength and find it to be less than we thought and less than we need.  Do not let your heart fail you when you have this promise to fall back on, for it guarantees all that you can possibly need: "So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will  uphold you with my righteous right hand" (Isaiah 41:10).

God has strength omnipotent, and He can communicate that strength to you, and His promise is that He will do so.  He will be the food of your soul and the health of your heart, and thus He will give you strength. There is no telling how much power God can put into a person.  When divine strength comes, human weakness is no longer a hindrance.

Do we remember times of labor and trial when we received such special strength that we wondered at ourselves?  In the midst of danger, we were calm.  Under bereavement, we were resigned.  In slander, we were self-contained.  In sickness, we were patient.  The fact is that God gives unexpected strength when unusual trials come.  We rise out of our feeble selves.  Cowards play the hero, foolish ones have wisdom given them, and the silent receive in that moment what they shall speak.

My own weakness makes me shrink, but God's promise makes me brave.  Lord, strengthen me according to Your Word."

January 27, 2012 

Another of John Newton's Letters:

The furnace of affliction

September 27, 1777.

My dear Friend,
I could not, at such a time as this, refrain from writing; and glad would I be, if the Lord may help me to drop a suitable word, and accompany it with a blessing to you in the reading.

I am glad to be assured (though I expected no less) that your sick wife happily feels herself safe in the Lord's hand, and under the care of the good Shepherd and Savior, to whom she has often committed herself; and finds him faithful to his promise, giving her strength in her soul according to her day, and enabling her quietly to submit to his holy, wise, and gracious will. And it is my prayer, that he may strengthen you likewise, and reveal his own all-sufficiency so clearly and powerfully to your heart, that you may not be afraid of any event--but cheerfully rely upon him, to be all that to you, in every circumstance and change, which his promise warrants you to expect.

I am willing to hope, that this is but a short season of concern, appointed for the exercise of your faith and patience, and to give you, in his good time, a signal proof of his power and goodness in answering prayer. He sometimes brings us into such a situation, when creature help is utterly unavailing, that we may afterwards be more clearly sensible of his interposition. Then we experimentally learn the vanity of all things here below, and are brought to a more immediate and absolute dependence upon himself. We have need of having these lessons frequently inculcated upon us; but when his end is answered, how often, after he has caused grief, does he show his great compassion, and save us from our fears by an outstretched arm, and with such a seasonable and almost unexpected relief, as constrains us to cry out, "What has God wrought!" and "Who is a God like unto you!" Such, I hope, will be the issue of your present trial, and that He who gave her to you at first, will restore her to you again. 

You are in the furnace of affliction; but the Lord is sitting by it as a refiner of silver, to moderate the fire, and manage the process, so that you shall lose nothing but dross, and be brought forth as refined gold, to praise his name. Apparent difficulties, however great, are nothing to him. If He speaks--it is done; for to God the Lord belong the issues of life and death. Should his pleasure be otherwise, and should he call your dear partner to a state of glory before you--still I know he is able to support you. What he does, however painful to the flesh, must be right, because He does it. Having bought us with his blood, and saved our souls from hell, he has every kind of right to dispose of us and ours--as he pleases. And this we are sure of, he will not lay so much upon us--as he freely endured for us; and he can make us amends for all we suffer, and for all we lose--by the light of his countenance. A few years will set all to rights; and those who love him and are beloved by him, though they may suffer as others, shall not sorrow as others; for the Lord will be with them here--and he will soon have them with him! There, all tears shall be wiped from their eyes!

February 7, 2012

Taken from Charles H. Spurgeon:

"My dear friends, when grief presses you to the dust, worship there!  Remember David's words, "Pour out your heart."  But do not stop there;  finish the quotation.  "Pour out your heart before Him."  Turn your heart upside down, empty it, and let every drop run out.  "Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62"8).  

Let your tears flow and your hurt be made known to God, although He already knows and is waiting to restore you.

God sees your present pain and grief.  He also sees the future joy and the usefulness that will come from this.  He observes not only the plow tearing the soil, but also the golden harvest produced.  He sees the consequences of affliction and knows that it will lead to much blessed happiness. 

 

Realize God's personal and continuous presence.  Say to Him, "You are here, Father.  I know that you are here.  I realize that You are here in my pain and sorrow.  I put myself in Your hands.  You are my God.  You have covered my head...under Your wings I will trust."



May 18, 2011 

Another classic by Charles H. Spurgeon on dealing with life's troubles:

Hebrews 12:11..."Later on."

How happy are tested Christians...later on.  No calm more deep than that which succeeds a storm.  Who hasn't rejoiced in clear shinings after rain?   Victorious banquets are for well-exercised soldiers. 

  After killing the lion, we eat the honey;  after climbing the Hill Difficult, we sit down in the arbor to rest;  after traversing the Valley of Humiliation, after fighting with Apollyon,, the shining one appears, with the healing branch from the tree of life.

Our sorrows, like the passing keels of the vessels upon the sea, leave a silver line of holy light behind them...later on.

It is peace, sweet, deep peace, which follows the horrible turmoil which once resigned in our tormented, guilty souls.  See, then, the happy estate of a Christian!  He has the best things last and in this world receives the worst things first.  But even the worst things are "later on" good things...harsh ploughings yield joyful harvest. 

Even now he grows rich by his losses, he rises by his falls, he lives by his dying, and becomes full by being emptied;  if then, his grievous afflictions yield him so much peace and fruit in this life, what shall be the full vintage of joy... "later on"... in heaven?

If dark nights are as bright as the world's days, what shall the days be?  If even the starlight is more splendid than the sun, what must the sunlight be?  If we can sing in dungeons, how sweetly will we sing in heaven!  If we can praise the Lord in the fires, how will we extol Him when we stand before His eternal throne!  Oh, the joy of praising him... "later on".

If evil is good to us now, what will the overflowing goodness of God be to us then?  Oh, blessed "later on"!    Who wouldn't be a Christian?  Who wouldn't bear the present cross for the crown which comes later on?  But herein is work for patience, for the rest is not for today, nor the triumph for the  present, but for  "later on".

Wait, Oh my soul, and let patience have her perfect work