take heart

We know that all things work together for good to them that love God -Romans 8:28

Upon some points a believer is absolutely sure. He knows, for instance, that God sits in the stern-sheets of the vessel when it rocks most. He believes that an invisible hand is always on the world’s tiller, and that wherever providence may drift, Jehovah steers it. That reassuring knowledge prepares him for everything. He looks over the raging waters and sees the spirit of Jesus treading the billows, and he hears a voice saying, “It is I, be not afraid.” He knows too that God is always wise, and, knowing this, he is confident that there can be no accidents, no mistakes; that nothing can occur which ought not to arise. He can say, “If I should lose all I have, it is better that I should lose than have, if God so wills: the worst calamity is the wisest and the kindest thing that could befall to me if God ordains it.” “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” The Christian does not merely hold this as a theory, but he knows it as a matter of fact. Everything has worked for good as yet; the poisonous drugs mixed in fit proportions have worked the cure; the sharp cuts of the lancet have cleansed out the proud flesh and facilitated the healing. Every event as yet has worked out the most divinely blessed results; and so, believing that God rules all, that He governs wisely, that He brings good out of evil, the believer’s heart is assured, and he is enabled calmly to meet each trial as it comes. The believer can in the spirit of true resignation pray, “Send me what thou wilt, my God, so long as it comes from Thee; never came there an ill portion from Thy table to any of Thy children.”

“Say not my soul, ‘From whence can God relieve my care?
Remember that Omnipotence has servants everywhere.
His method is sublime, His heart profoundly kind,
God never is before His time, and never is behind.’”

-CHS, Morning and Evening

i LOVE isaiah

struggling to hold onto truth while in a lot of pain, i went to one of my favorite places a few hours ago =)

yes. i know. this is kinda long, haha. but it’s also amazing. this is like… chapters 25-45′s promises/foreshadowings. throughout it, God’s calling Israel to repentance and prophesying judgment, but this is mostly what’s in between that.

and it’s so kool!!

…

O Lord, you are my God;
I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.

…

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.’”

…

You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

…

O Lord, we wait for you;
your name and remembrance
are the desire of our soul.
My soul yearns for you in the night;
my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.

…

“In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.

In that day,
‘A pleasant vineyard, sing of it!
I, the Lord, am its keeper;
every moment I water it.
Lest anyone punish it,
I keep it night and day…’
In days to come Jacob shall take root,
Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots
and fill the whole world with fruit.”

…

In that day the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory,
and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people,
and a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment,
and strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.

…

Therefore thus says the Lord God,

‘Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion,

a stone, a tested stone,

a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation.’”

…

Is it not yet a very little while

until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field,

and the fruitful field shall be regarded as a forest?

In that day the deaf shall hear

the words of a book,

and out of their gloom and darkness

the eyes of the blind shall see.

The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord,

and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel.

…

Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,
and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.

For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, ‘Be gone!’ …Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.

…

Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
‘Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert…

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord‘s hand
double for all her sins.

A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

…

Get you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good news;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good news;
lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Behold your God!”
Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
behold, his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.

…

Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God.”?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

…

Fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand...

For I, the Lord your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Fear not,
I am the one who helps you.”

Fear not, you worm [love the reminder, haha] Jacob,
you men of Israel!
I am the one who helps you, declares the Lord;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

…

And you shall rejoice in the Lord;
in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.

When the poor and needy seek water,
and there is none,
and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them;
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys…
that they may see and know,
may consider and understand together,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.

But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior…
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.

…

Woe to him who strives with him who formed him,

a pot among earthen pots!
Does the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’
or ‘Your work has no handles’?

…Behold, I am doing a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert…
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself
that they might declare my praise.

2 different truths :)

(::edit:: WOAH, Mainstay is really good… www.purevolume.com/mainstayrock. Away From You, Hang On, Take Away… some faves)

rid me of the notion
that i ever had any rights
cleanse me of the motives
that come in such a clever disguise
ruin my agenda
holy as it never was

Cause it’s all from your hand
and there’s nothing that’s mine
and all that you give
you’re free to take away

I’m just trying to hold on
clinging to the dream inside
I was only selfish,
and you were only part of my life

every breath
every word
there isn’t one
thing i deserve
all that i am

is yours

(Mainstay, Take Away)

…………

m+e :) 

“Fight the Lord’s battles.”
1 Samuel 18:17

The sacramental host of God’s elect is warring still on earth, Jesus Christ being the Captain of their salvation. He has said, “Lo! I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” Hark to the shouts of war! Now let the people of God stand fast in their ranks, and let no man’s heart fail him. …The Saviour is, by his Spirit, still on earth; let this cheer us. He is ever in the midst of the fight, and therefore the battle is not doubtful. And as the conflict rages, what a sweet satisfaction it is to know that the Lord Jesus, in his office as our great Intercessor, is prevalently pleading for his people! O anxious gazer, look not so much at the battle below, for there thou shalt be enshrouded in smoke, and amazed with garments rolled in blood; but lift thine eyes yonder where the Saviour lives and pleads, for while he intercedes, the cause of God is safe. Let us fight as if it all depended upon us, but let us look up and know that all depends upon him.

Now, by the lilies of Christian purity, and by the roses of the Saviour’s atonement… we charge you who are lovers of Jesus, to do valiantly in the Holy War, for truth and righteousness, for the kingdom and crown jewels of your Master. Onward! “for the battle is not yours but God’s.”

what will i become?

wow. this quote hit on everything I’ve been thinking about recently… training, waiting, being productive, etc. Are you waiting for something? for a relative to be saved, for healing, for guidance and wisdom, for a relationship, for change, for friendships… whatever it is, most of us can relate to the struggle. This was such a helpful reminder to me that the state of waiting is also a time of training. I’ve been working thru a time of training. I’ve seen God shape me in various ways thru waiting over the past 2 years… and He is faithful! Waiting is essential to our growth. this quote was so encouraging as it strengthened my resolve to work hard and keep fighting… without anxiety, but instead peace in the Lord: “for i know the plans i have for you…”

Credit to Jen for sending this to me today (actually credit to…girl talk blog i think) 

“Waiting on God isn’t about the suspension of meaning and purpose. It’s part of the meaning and purpose that God has brought into my life.  Waiting on God isn’t to be viewed as an obstruction in the way of the plan.  Waiting is an essential part of the plan. For the child of God, waiting isn’t simply about what I’ll receive at the end of my wait.  No, waiting is much more purposeful, efficient, and practical than that. Waiting is fundamentally about what I’ll become as I wait.  God is using the wait to do in and through me exactly what He’s promised. Through the wait He’s changing me.  By means of the wait He’s altering the fabric of my thoughts and desires.  Through the wait He’s causing me to see and experience new things about Him and His kingdom.  And all of this sharpens me, enabling me to be a more useful tool in His redemptive hands.”

The part about what we’ll become and being sharpened reminded me of Isaiah 54:16-17… 

“‘See, it is I who created the blacksmith
       who fans the coals into flame
       and forges a weapon fit for its work.
       And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;

   no weapon forged against you will prevail,
       and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
       This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
       and this is their vindication from me,’ 
       declares the LORD.”

(Lamentations 3:25-26)“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”

Praise God!!! Every time i think of His GREAT plan for us… for creation… for his church… for Heaven… I stand in complete awe and amazement. How great is our God? We have a beautiful inheritance.

the sun :will: rise, uploaded by elvestar.

…wow

God is so good

I don’t know how else to say it! He continues to amaze, comfort, challenge, strengthen, and fascinate me. The past few weeks have been filled with amazement at my Savior and how good he is. Every day i have is another day to fall more in love with Him!!

Thanks to everyone who encouraged me on my birthday: prayers, emails, letters, etc. They brought me much joy!

Life has never been more confusing… there is SO much… i have never needed more wisdom. But God is strengthening and training me in trust/faith, wisdom, fighting my sin, joy, and so much more. He is so good. His word is my delight. His people (you guys!!) amaze me with your friendship. God has used you more than you know. Thank you =)

Don’t waste your life!

oh. my. gosh. I hadn’t heard this message by John Piper, but we’re going over it in cg tonight. Guys, it is SO good!! I was so convicted of ways i’m wasting the gift of life God’s given me, and SO inspired to live and die in a way that Christ will say ”well done, good and faithful servant!”

honestly, even if you’ve already heard it, you should listen to this message. In Gethsemane Christ asked the disciples, “could you not stay awake with me for one hour?” I was convicted of putting off listening to this message, i had other things to do and delayed it till the morning of cg. But reading Jesus’ words reminded me… can’t we stay awake with him for one hour? an hour isn’t that long. can’t we pray longer, read his word more, listen to it preached with more excitement, stay awake long enough for God to speak to us? Can’t we spend time with him and use our time for him, instead of wasting the gift of life? I don’t do this nearly as much as i should. But i’m working on it. I’d encourage ya’ll to think about ways you can use your time more wisely, and make more time for your Lord and Savior, the one who died for you, and loves to satisfy you more than anyone or anything else can.

Some quotes from the message… 

It is possible to waste your life. Few things make me tremble more.

The unwasted life is the life puts Christ on display as supremely valuable. You have life given to you by God for this one main reason: make Christ look great.

The answer to the question ‘How can my life and my death glorify God?’ is found in: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

“My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” It is gain! Die in a way that shows the proportion of affection to Christ compared to everything you leave behind! When a person dies like that, the world looks on and says, ‘this Christ must be valuable.’

 

Here is the radical way Paul put it in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, where Christ refused to remove Paul’s painful thorn in the flesh:

He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly [don’t miss that amazing, counter-intuitive word!] of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

 

Are you going to throw your life away? Are you going to strive to minimize suffering and maximize your comfort in this life? Or will you see Christ crucified and risen as the all-satisfying treasure of your life?

 

If you embrace Christ, embrace suffering, and embrace the reward of knowing him, if your passion is to take risks for the sake of displaying Christ–then thousands of people will see the supreme value of Jesus Christ shining through your lives. Then on their lives and on your life the words will be written: “This life gladly displayed the glory of Christ, both in life and in death. This life was not wasted.”

 

listen to the message: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ConferenceMessages/ByDate/1858_Dont_Waste_Your_Life/

 

my notes: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgm4g493_1djktcq