"Give to the Winds Thy Fears"

Came across this poem by a man named Paul Gerhardt about our nights turning to day

Give to the winds thy fears,

Hope and be undismayed.

God hears thy sighs and counts thy tears,

God shall lift up thy head

Through waves and clouds and storms,

He gently clears thy way;

Wait thou His time; so shall this night

Soon end in joyous day.

Far, far above thy thought,

His counsel shall appear,

when fully He the work hath wrought,

That caused thy needless fear.

Leave to His sovereign sway

To choose and to command;

So shalt thou, wondering, own that way,

How wise, how strong this hand

"give to the Winds Thy Fears" (1656) Paul Gerhardt

Small Faith?

Do you ever feel down because of the size of your faith? I can get pretty discouraged by my lack of faith, it seems like it'll never grow it's so small. This quote from Spurgeon really helped me, it is very dangerous to live by how we feel.

"I often hear this from young beginners in the divine life, "I was so happy a month ago, but I have lost that happiness now." Perhaps tomorrow, after they have been at the house of God, they will be as cheerful as possible, but the next day their joy is gone. Beware, my dear Christian friends, of living by feeling. John Bunyan puts down Mr. Live-by-feeling as one of the worst enemies of the town of Mansoul. I think he said he was hanged. I am afraid he, somehow or other, escaped from the executioner, for I very commonly meet him; and there is no villain that hates the souls of men and causes more sorrow to the people of God than this Mr. Live-by-feeling. He that lives by feeling will be happy today, and unhappy tomorrow; and if our salvation depended upon our feelings, we should be lost one day and saved another, for they are as fickle as the weather, and go up and down like a barometer. We live by faith, and if that faith be weak, bless God that weak faith is faith, and that weak faith is true faith. If thou believest in Christ Jesus, though thy faith be as a grain of mustard seed, it will save thee, and it will, by-and-bye, grow into something stronger. A diamond is a diamond, and the smallest scrap of it is of the same nature as the Koh-i-noor, and he that hath but little faith hath faith for all that; and it is not great faith that is essential to salvation, but faith that links the soul to Christ; and that soul is, therefore, saved. Instead of mourning so much that thy faith is not strong, bless God that thou hast any faith at all, for if he sees that thou despisest the faith he has given thee, it may be long before he gives thee more. Prize that little, and when he sees that thou art so glad and thankful for that little, then will he multiply it and increase it, and thy faith shall mount even to the full assurance of faith

Does The Lord Hear My Cries?

Have there been times in your prayer life, when you feel like you're unable to put into words what you're feeling? or that your lack of appropriate language will jeopardize you prayers? I often wonder whether God really hears me. I often get really frustrated and then discouraged because I think that God won't hear me if I can't put my anxieties, feelings, or thoughts into words correctly. I foolishly believe that God's faithfulness to hear my prayers is contingent on me having adequate words. This bit of scripture and quote from theologian A.W. Pink returned to my attention and greatly encouraged me. We Christians come to a heavenly father who truly cares for us, communication will never be a problem with God. He knows, he hears, and will care for us.

"It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking I will hear" (Isaiah 65:24)

There is no cause for fearing that the petitions of the righteous will not be heard, or that their sighs and tears shall escape the notice of God, since he knows the thoughts and intents of the hearts. There is no danger of the individual saint being overlooked amidst the multitude of supplicants who daily and hourly present their various petitions, for an infinite mind is as capable as paying the same attention to millions as if only one individual were seeking its attention. So too the lack of appropriate language, the inability to give expression to the deepest longing of the soul, will not jeopardize our prayers ("The Attributes of God")

Freedom to Love

This is a section from Pastor Tullian Tchvidjian's book Surprised by Grace. If you have not read it, I highly recommend you pick it up. Reading it has helped me see how I need the gospel EVERY day, its not the first step we leave behind once we are saved, but is the medicine we need each and every day. The following section was one of my favorites, Tullian draws it out more, but this section is the crux. It has helped me in seeing how, as a believer, God's love for me should affect how I love and treat others.

In Jesus, we also have all the affection we long for. The gospel rescues us from the fear of not being loved as well as our fear of loving. The gospel tells us that God in Christ loved us a lot -- even while we hated him. Fully realizing this will pave the way for us to love others unconditionally as well. We realize and experience this liberating truth: "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers." (1 John 3:16) This kind of lay-down-your-life love is the clearest indicator of a gospel centered life. But laying down your life is impossible. It's too scary -- unless you know you've been eternally loved by Christ. Then your free to give your life to others, because you've received so much yourself.

What is the Bible Basically About?

Confession: I've always had a hard time with the old testament. All the strange stories for the longest time never made sense to me. In my confusion, I've often been tempted to just stay away from the old testament and stick to the new testament. The thing is, ALL the bible is God's word, all of it is "sharper than any two-edged sword" all of it is vital. But what has the old testament have to do with Jesus?

Awhile back I came across this video by Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York. I find myself coming back to it because it has really encouraged and helped me in seeing how everything in the old testament points to Christ; that the stories and scenes are shadows of the glorious gospel to be revealed. All of if is dripping with gospel truth that has since shaped how I view the old testament. I hope it encourages you and spurs you on toward more reading. This is what the bible is really about.

Happy New Year!

In a matter of hours we will be celebrating the beginning of a new year. I am looking forward to celebrating with some good friends. Reading through tweets and posts, I see a lot of people hoping 2011 will be better than 2010. For some there's been heartache and losses. I have had my share of junk, but I have also remembered good. I have seen and rejoice in God's faithfulness in the lives of my brothers and sisters in Christ. I remember that while I've had a lot of failures this past year, God's faithfulness has remained and I have not frustrated his plans for me. His love for me all through the past year never shifted. So with the new year about to come in I pray this prayer for us all:

Heavenly Father, as I sit quietly before you on the eve of a New Year, I’ve got a healthy case of sad and glad going on inside of me. As I reflect over the past year, both of these emotions dance about, more like allies than enemies… for both are evidence the gospel is at work.

The glad? The highlights and headlines of the past twelve months compel me join the Psalmist, in praising you for your love and your faithfulness. Abba, as with each of your children, you loved me all year long with an everlasting, engaged, unwavering love…irrespective of anything I did or didn’t do. You didn’t love me more when I acted like your beloved child. You didn’t love me less when I acted like an orphaned fool.

You loved me every moment just as much as you love your Son, Jesus, for you’ve hidden my life in his. Thank you, for your steadfast love and fresh mercies that came every single day this past year… when I was aware of them and when I wasn’t. Great is your faithfulness. Concerning my life, you did everything this past year that pleases you. Not one of your plans devised for me was foiled or failed. This makes me very glad.

The sad? It’s precisely because you love your children so irrepressibly that I also feel grief in my breast. There were more than a few times this past year when I joined the nations in saying, “So where is your God?” You usually heard this complaint from me when you were busying doing what pleases you, and not what pleases me. When I wanted a butler you remained God. When I wanted a masseur you remained Master. Those were the times I began to look to my voiceless, sightless, senseless, powerless idols more than I trusted you. I own and grieve my foolishness.

Father, here’s where the gladness trumps the sadness. I will not always be a man in two minds with a divided heart. You will bring to completion the good gospel-work you’ve begun in each of your children. One Day we’ll no longer even be tempted to worship anything or anyone but you. Hasten that glad and glorious Day.

Until that Day, even on the eve of a New Year, prepare us for the next twelve new months of groaning and growing in grace. Bring much glory to yourself, as the gospel does its work in and though our lives. So very Amen, we pray, in Jesus’ faithful name.

(scotty smith)

"The church has waited long"

The Church has waited long,
Her absent Lord to see,
And still in loneliness she waits,
A friendless stranger she.
Age after age has gone,
Sun after sun has set,
And still in weeds of widowhood,
She weeps a mourner yet.

Saint after saint on earth
Has lived, and loved, and died;
And as they left us one by one,
We laid them side by side;
We laid them down to sleep,
But not in hope forlorn;
We laid them but to ripen there,
Till the last glorious morn.

The serpent’s brood increase,
The powers of hell grow bold,
The conflict thickens, faith is low,
And love is waxing cold.
How long, O Lord our God,
Holy, and true, and good,
Wilt Thou not judge Thy suffering Church,
Her sighs, and tears, and blood?

We long to hear Thy voice,
To see Thee face to face,
To share Thy crown and glory then,
As now we share Thy grace.
Should not the loving bride
Her absent bridegroom mourn?
Should she not wear the signs of grief
Until her Lord return?

The whole creation groans,
And waits to hear that voice
That shall her comeliness restore,
And make her wastes rejoice.
Come, Lord, and wipe away
The curse, the sin, the stain,
And make this blighted world of ours
Thine own fair world again.

- hymn by Horatius Bonar