"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1 John 3:1
His love is undeserved, yet unreserved. Oh, the glory of it!
Jesus said, "I AM the door."
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
sing a new song
Surprise, surprise - it's another quote from Spurgeon. But you know, what he says never gets redundant or becomes irrelevant, because he was in the business of making much of our blessed and victorious Saviour who ever liveth. So, I share this particular excerpt from his Morning and Evening in hopes that its bright truth resonates as deeply with you, as with me. It is as if this is one of those culminating entries in my journal - only Spurgeon wrote it for me decades ago in England.
This makes me think about how people like to label other people and themselves. "Well you know, he is the glass is half empty kind of person, while I try to see the glass as half full." Or "I really ought to see the glass as half full, but I just can't help myself." Or... etc. I'm sure you've heard this phrase, perhaps even used it yourself. Well, I propose that for the child of God, the glass is neither half fall nor half empty; it is over-flowing. My cup runneth over with moment-to-moment mercies.
This makes me think about how people like to label other people and themselves. "Well you know, he is the glass is half empty kind of person, while I try to see the glass as half full." Or "I really ought to see the glass as half full, but I just can't help myself." Or... etc. I'm sure you've heard this phrase, perhaps even used it yourself. Well, I propose that for the child of God, the glass is neither half fall nor half empty; it is over-flowing. My cup runneth over with moment-to-moment mercies.
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
He has made everything beautiful in its time.
Spring is here in all its fresh glory, and the world is becoming more colourful, one flower at a time, over time. This season the Great Gardener has been teaching me patience through His natural revelation and Special Revelation. It was just about the same time that I read this quote {below} when I noticed tight, tiny bulbs of green appearing on the rose bushes outside my door. I knew that colours were coming, and spring was humming about pretty petals and sweet smells. But I had to wait. And wait I did, with a camera in hand and excited anticipation in heart. Days passed, and the buds began their slow unfolding. Days passed, and the buds began to blossom. Days passed, and now they are blooming big.
"Cease meddling with God's plans and will. You touch anything of His, and you mar the work. You may move the hands of a clock to suit you, but you do not change the time; so you may hurry the unfolding of God's will, but you harm and do not help the work. You can open a rosebud, but you spoil the flower. Leave all to Him. Hands down. Thy will, not mine." - Stephen Merrit {Streams in the Desert}
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Monday, 28 February 2011
psalm one hundred and three
My faith is so small sometimes, and Jesus sadly says to me, 'O you of little faith'. I am sad and sorry, and I feel silly, because to have little faith in the perfectly faithful One is not only pathetic, but also preposterous. From eternity past He has proven Himself perfectly faithful, down to the details. He has performed great deliverances for His children, ever since Israel became a nation. He has guided and guarded the feet of His people through waterless wildernesses and vicious valleys. Then He made a way for us sinners to be rescued from darkness and redeemed to light.
He has forgiven all our iniquities,
redeemed our life from destruction,
crowned us with loving-kindness and tender mercies,
satisfied our mouth with good things,
and renewed us
time and time again.
Yet still, I forget His benefits, and let my faith falter, and I am ashamed for that. I beg His pardon and plead for help - that He would increase my faith, to match His faithfulness - that my faith would be steadfast because the Object of my faith is perfectly steadfast, that my faith would be joyful because the Object of my faith is abundantly kind, that my faith would be hopeful because the Object of my faith is the God of all hope, that my faith would be sure because the Object of my faith is truthful and trustworthy, that my faith would be big because the Object of my faith is almighty, that my faith would be patient because the Object of my faith is timely, that my faith would be liberating because the Object of my faith is wise, that my faith would be calm because the Object of my faith is sweetly sovereign, that my faith would be brave because the Object of my faith is very, very great, that my faith would be humble because the Object of my faith is worthy of all praise.
This is my prayer, yet He has humbled me enough times for me to know that these resolutions will be broken in some way or another. My faith will falter and fail sometimes, because I am fallen and finite. But what I will cling to in these failures is Him - Him Who falters not and fails not. If I am unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is. 2 Timothy 2:13
He knows my frame, and remembers that I am dust.
But His mercy to me is from everlasting to everlasting.
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise His holy name for that.
He has forgiven all our iniquities,
redeemed our life from destruction,
crowned us with loving-kindness and tender mercies,
satisfied our mouth with good things,
and renewed us
time and time again.
Yet still, I forget His benefits, and let my faith falter, and I am ashamed for that. I beg His pardon and plead for help - that He would increase my faith, to match His faithfulness - that my faith would be steadfast because the Object of my faith is perfectly steadfast, that my faith would be joyful because the Object of my faith is abundantly kind, that my faith would be hopeful because the Object of my faith is the God of all hope, that my faith would be sure because the Object of my faith is truthful and trustworthy, that my faith would be big because the Object of my faith is almighty, that my faith would be patient because the Object of my faith is timely, that my faith would be liberating because the Object of my faith is wise, that my faith would be calm because the Object of my faith is sweetly sovereign, that my faith would be brave because the Object of my faith is very, very great, that my faith would be humble because the Object of my faith is worthy of all praise.
This is my prayer, yet He has humbled me enough times for me to know that these resolutions will be broken in some way or another. My faith will falter and fail sometimes, because I am fallen and finite. But what I will cling to in these failures is Him - Him Who falters not and fails not. If I am unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is. 2 Timothy 2:13
He knows my frame, and remembers that I am dust.
But His mercy to me is from everlasting to everlasting.
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise His holy name for that.
Friday, 11 February 2011
ruby windows and clean clothes
"Happy are you, my soul, if you know that God looks through Jesus' wounds on You, and through those wonderful ruby windows sees you so changed and beautiful that He can say, 'Thou art all fair, my love, there is no spot in thee.'" - S. Spurgeon
God calls for a wardrobe change before we can enter His heaven - a drastic wardrobe change. Thankfully, He supplies the clothes and does the dressing - on one condition, that we take off our filthy rags... all of them. Then, He can dress us in that gorgeous gown, that costly, gorgeous gown, purchased by His Son, years ago on Calvary Hill. Oh, what a glorious, undeserved exchange. And as if it couldn't get any better, it does! Not only are we given clean clothes, but also an invitation to an eternal banquet with the King. Those of us dressed in His clothes will dine with Him around a table, with Him on His throne at the head of it. Next to Him will be His Son, who paid for us all to enter this celebration. There will be fullness of joy forevermore, because God's steadfast love endures.
I know heaven has streets of gold, and walls of jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, and emerald; perhaps there will be ruby windows too.
"And all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." [Isaiah 64:6]
"We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." [Ephesians 1:7]
"I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness." [Isaiah 61:10]
God calls for a wardrobe change before we can enter His heaven - a drastic wardrobe change. Thankfully, He supplies the clothes and does the dressing - on one condition, that we take off our filthy rags... all of them. Then, He can dress us in that gorgeous gown, that costly, gorgeous gown, purchased by His Son, years ago on Calvary Hill. Oh, what a glorious, undeserved exchange. And as if it couldn't get any better, it does! Not only are we given clean clothes, but also an invitation to an eternal banquet with the King. Those of us dressed in His clothes will dine with Him around a table, with Him on His throne at the head of it. Next to Him will be His Son, who paid for us all to enter this celebration. There will be fullness of joy forevermore, because God's steadfast love endures.
I know heaven has streets of gold, and walls of jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, and emerald; perhaps there will be ruby windows too.
Monday, 7 February 2011
His/tory
I am currently reading a tremendous book by Nancy Leigh DeMoss called Lies Women Believe (and the Truth That Sets Them Free). If you are a woman, I implore you to find this book and get going immediately. It is a no-nonsense, practical, powerful read. Page by page, lies that we believe are uncovered and replaced with transforming truths.
This excerpt really struck me in a chapter engaging the lie, "It's all about you."
Jesus said, "Know the truth, and the truth will set you free." What's the truth? The truth is that you and I were purposefully created to live for His grand, gorgeous glory, to enjoy His excellence, to worship His wonderful worth. Unless we are doing so, we are not really, truly living; rather we are dead and disillusioned, in bondage to our-sinful-selves. We"-can't-get-no sat-is-faction" like the Rolling Stones sang, when we are living for ourselves, because we are fallen and finite, and made for more, a marvelous more. Perhaps the greatest lie each of us live by is that "it's about me". It's actually not! Look around, creation sings His song. Look back, redeemed saints sang His song. Look ahead, everybody will bow the knee and acknowledge their Creator. Better to face the fact sooner than later, that it's all about God, knowing Him, praising Him, enjoying Him. [This reconciled relationship made possible through His Son, the Saviour.]
Reality is ironic sometimes -
like how living as His servant is where true freedom is found.
This excerpt really struck me in a chapter engaging the lie, "It's all about you."
"History is the story of redemption. This story is much bigger than I. I am not the main character in the drama of redemption. I am not the point. But by God's grace I am part of it. My subplot is integral to the whole. It is far more significant to have a small part in this story than to star in my own puny production. This is a cosmic story that will run throughout eternity. Will I play my part with grace and joy, or will I go for the short-run, insignificant story that really has no point?"
- Susan Hunt
Jesus said, "Know the truth, and the truth will set you free." What's the truth? The truth is that you and I were purposefully created to live for His grand, gorgeous glory, to enjoy His excellence, to worship His wonderful worth. Unless we are doing so, we are not really, truly living; rather we are dead and disillusioned, in bondage to our-sinful-selves. We"-can't-get-no sat-is-faction" like the Rolling Stones sang, when we are living for ourselves, because we are fallen and finite, and made for more, a marvelous more. Perhaps the greatest lie each of us live by is that "it's about me". It's actually not! Look around, creation sings His song. Look back, redeemed saints sang His song. Look ahead, everybody will bow the knee and acknowledge their Creator. Better to face the fact sooner than later, that it's all about God, knowing Him, praising Him, enjoying Him. [This reconciled relationship made possible through His Son, the Saviour.]
Reality is ironic sometimes -
like how living as His servant is where true freedom is found.
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