From The Knowledge of the Holy:
In the chapter on the love of God this excerpt....
"God's love tells us that He is friendly and His Word assures us that He is our Friend and wants us to be His friends. No man with a trace of humility would first think that he is a friend of God; but the idea did not originate with men....Modesty may demur at so rash a thought, but audacious faith dares to believe the Word and claim friendship with God. We do God more honor by believing what He has said about Himself and having the courage to come boldly to the throne of grace than by hiding in self-conscious humility among the trees of the garden."
Monday, August 18, 2008
Thursday, August 07, 2008
A Different Tactic...
Greetings after such a long time....
This is a simple posting to say that since I fail so miserably to actually keep this updated with personal postings, I am going to endeavor to at least post verses and quotes/thoughts from the books and so forth that I am reading, so that perhaps you all can share in what the Lord is causing to filter through and challenge my thinkings. As always, the desire is that we might know Him and provoke each other to further diligent pursuit of that high calling.
Here is an excerpt from today's perusal of the writings of missionary Lilias Trotter:
Trained Faith
"As an eagle...fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings--so the Lord alone did lead him."
Fluttereth over--the early stages of faith are reaching upward, like the eaglets for their food when the mother-bird is overhead. it is an older faith that learns to swing out into nothingness and drop down full weight on God--the broken-up nest of former "experiences" left behind--nothing between us and the abyss by God Himself. Trained faith is a triumphant gladness in having nothing but God--not rest, no foothold--nothing but Himself. A triumphant gladness in swinging out into that abyss, rejoicing in every emergency that is going to prove Him true. "The Lord alone"--that is trained faith.
This is a simple posting to say that since I fail so miserably to actually keep this updated with personal postings, I am going to endeavor to at least post verses and quotes/thoughts from the books and so forth that I am reading, so that perhaps you all can share in what the Lord is causing to filter through and challenge my thinkings. As always, the desire is that we might know Him and provoke each other to further diligent pursuit of that high calling.
Here is an excerpt from today's perusal of the writings of missionary Lilias Trotter:
Trained Faith
"As an eagle...fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings--so the Lord alone did lead him."
Fluttereth over--the early stages of faith are reaching upward, like the eaglets for their food when the mother-bird is overhead. it is an older faith that learns to swing out into nothingness and drop down full weight on God--the broken-up nest of former "experiences" left behind--nothing between us and the abyss by God Himself. Trained faith is a triumphant gladness in having nothing but God--not rest, no foothold--nothing but Himself. A triumphant gladness in swinging out into that abyss, rejoicing in every emergency that is going to prove Him true. "The Lord alone"--that is trained faith.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
The Glory of God
The writing of this post was somewhat difficult because I had/have no words to truly define to working of the Lord in my heart throughout the semester, but my prayer is that what the Lord has begun to teach me will resonate with you and will cause you to worship our glorious Lord as it has caused me to. I repeat again the verses of my previous post.
Jeremiah 9:23-24,
“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
These have been the unofficial theme verses of this semester. As Dr. Olson challenged us in our last chapel of the semester to share which attribute of God we have learned this semester and I thought back over the course of the sixteen weeks, the attribute of my Lord which I have seen most clearly could, perhaps, be best summed up as The Glory of God.
God is a God of glory. He is inherently glorious, and His glory is full and complete in itself. There is nothing that I can do to add to or detract from His glory. (Yes, there are ramifications and factors on the human level which I do not understand in their horizontal outworkings, but in the big picture, God’s glory is wholly separate from me.) That being said, I cannot “glorify God.” But God can manifest His glory through me (which may perhaps be perceived by others as my “glorifying God).” In words this may be confusing, but a definitive difference lies between the two concepts.
The God of all glory began teaching me of His glory throughout the semester through revealing the weakness, the impotence, of my own mind and heart. I struggled with focus more than I ever had before. It was not that I was sidetracked onto any other issue in particular, it was simply that my mind and my spirit were not continually seeking His face—my “default” setting was not Christ alone. This was a source of frustration to be throughout the semester, for I was arriving at the end of day after day frustrated and confused, deploring the fact that I had not worshipped my God worthily nor glorified Him by my life that day. Yet just as often as I sought His face, pouring out my grief at my failure and my frustration at not “glorifying Him,” He would give me to know that His glory did not depend on me and on what I thought glorified Him or not. His glory IS. What I think glorifies Him may not glorify Him at all, and what I do not think glorifies Him may be the very thing that He has ordained to bring Himself great glory. He is God. Whether I walk worthy, whether I seek, whether I am focused or not, whether I am in fellowship, God’s glory will be untouched. Therefore, the only possible response is to praise Him, to worship Him. Simply the fact that He is God demands that I worship Him. He is so great that I have no recourse but to worship. He will bring glory to Himself. He will work. He will do all things to the praise of His glory. Let me but worship. Because He is my God, my King, and my Friend. Because He is the only One for me.
Jeremiah 9:23-24,
“Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
These have been the unofficial theme verses of this semester. As Dr. Olson challenged us in our last chapel of the semester to share which attribute of God we have learned this semester and I thought back over the course of the sixteen weeks, the attribute of my Lord which I have seen most clearly could, perhaps, be best summed up as The Glory of God.
God is a God of glory. He is inherently glorious, and His glory is full and complete in itself. There is nothing that I can do to add to or detract from His glory. (Yes, there are ramifications and factors on the human level which I do not understand in their horizontal outworkings, but in the big picture, God’s glory is wholly separate from me.) That being said, I cannot “glorify God.” But God can manifest His glory through me (which may perhaps be perceived by others as my “glorifying God).” In words this may be confusing, but a definitive difference lies between the two concepts.
The God of all glory began teaching me of His glory throughout the semester through revealing the weakness, the impotence, of my own mind and heart. I struggled with focus more than I ever had before. It was not that I was sidetracked onto any other issue in particular, it was simply that my mind and my spirit were not continually seeking His face—my “default” setting was not Christ alone. This was a source of frustration to be throughout the semester, for I was arriving at the end of day after day frustrated and confused, deploring the fact that I had not worshipped my God worthily nor glorified Him by my life that day. Yet just as often as I sought His face, pouring out my grief at my failure and my frustration at not “glorifying Him,” He would give me to know that His glory did not depend on me and on what I thought glorified Him or not. His glory IS. What I think glorifies Him may not glorify Him at all, and what I do not think glorifies Him may be the very thing that He has ordained to bring Himself great glory. He is God. Whether I walk worthy, whether I seek, whether I am focused or not, whether I am in fellowship, God’s glory will be untouched. Therefore, the only possible response is to praise Him, to worship Him. Simply the fact that He is God demands that I worship Him. He is so great that I have no recourse but to worship. He will bring glory to Himself. He will work. He will do all things to the praise of His glory. Let me but worship. Because He is my God, my King, and my Friend. Because He is the only One for me.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Jeremiah 9:23-24
Jer. 9:23-24 "Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD."
These two verses sum up this semester for me. How the resident pride in me has fought for its life this semester--rearing its abominable head in facet after facet of my life. But the Lord was continually gracious to keep pointing out its root and its manifestations. These two verses have rung in my head as the standard of truth and right. At times, it seemed to be the only truth that remained in my mind. But what a glorious truth it is. He is the LORD. He is the God of lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness. He allows Himself to be known by even me. In Him alone I may glory.
So this is my testimony of praise to my God who has shown me His grace and has not cast away His servant, His child, due to struggle and sin, but has chosen to sanctify and mold and purge until--glorious thought--Christ is formed in me. "But we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." O how I long to stand at last before my Lord and to be like Him! O for my Heavenly Home! With Amy Carmichael I say, "Of all our prayers, this is the sum, 'O come, Lord Jesus, come'."
These two verses sum up this semester for me. How the resident pride in me has fought for its life this semester--rearing its abominable head in facet after facet of my life. But the Lord was continually gracious to keep pointing out its root and its manifestations. These two verses have rung in my head as the standard of truth and right. At times, it seemed to be the only truth that remained in my mind. But what a glorious truth it is. He is the LORD. He is the God of lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness. He allows Himself to be known by even me. In Him alone I may glory.
So this is my testimony of praise to my God who has shown me His grace and has not cast away His servant, His child, due to struggle and sin, but has chosen to sanctify and mold and purge until--glorious thought--Christ is formed in me. "But we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." O how I long to stand at last before my Lord and to be like Him! O for my Heavenly Home! With Amy Carmichael I say, "Of all our prayers, this is the sum, 'O come, Lord Jesus, come'."
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Thought for Meditation
Ps. 111:2-4
"The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honourable and glorious: and His righteousness endureth for ever. He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion."
Who is like unto our God? Think upon Him.
"The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honourable and glorious: and His righteousness endureth for ever. He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion."
Who is like unto our God? Think upon Him.
Isaiah 40:31
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint."
A close friend and I discussed this passage the other day, and she brought out some thoughts that I had never considered before, but that I found to be very challenging and edifying. I share them now with you.
It is interesting to note the progression in the verse: "mount up with wings"-->"run and not be weary"-->"walk and not faint." In all three cases (whether one is soaring, running, or walking), it is the LORD Who gives the strength. Sometimes He gives us strength to soar; sometimes He gives us strength to run without growing weary; and sometimes He gives us just enough strength to walk and to not faint. He knows that we do not need to soar or to run. We need to slowly and painfully put one foot ahead of the other. We need to feel the rising faintness, and still, by His strength, not faint. We need to feel our desperate weakness. It is what we need. It is what He Who has our best interests at heart knows that we need most in order to know Him. We need strength to walk and not faint.
In times of walking, do we trust Him? Do we recognize that it is His strength which keeps us from fainting? Do we praise Him and worship Him and adore Him even as we do when by that same strength we soar with wings as eagles? Are we content to walk, and to let His strength be perfected in our weariness and weakness? Are we willing to accept His strength in times of walking, rather than proudly and coldly requesting to soar? What if walking is what we need right now? Do we take walking from His hand as readily and gratefully as mounting up with wings or running tirelessly? Let us trust our God supremely. Let us know Him and prove His faithfulness whether we soar, whether we run, or whether we walk without fainting.
A close friend and I discussed this passage the other day, and she brought out some thoughts that I had never considered before, but that I found to be very challenging and edifying. I share them now with you.
It is interesting to note the progression in the verse: "mount up with wings"-->"run and not be weary"-->"walk and not faint." In all three cases (whether one is soaring, running, or walking), it is the LORD Who gives the strength. Sometimes He gives us strength to soar; sometimes He gives us strength to run without growing weary; and sometimes He gives us just enough strength to walk and to not faint. He knows that we do not need to soar or to run. We need to slowly and painfully put one foot ahead of the other. We need to feel the rising faintness, and still, by His strength, not faint. We need to feel our desperate weakness. It is what we need. It is what He Who has our best interests at heart knows that we need most in order to know Him. We need strength to walk and not faint.
In times of walking, do we trust Him? Do we recognize that it is His strength which keeps us from fainting? Do we praise Him and worship Him and adore Him even as we do when by that same strength we soar with wings as eagles? Are we content to walk, and to let His strength be perfected in our weariness and weakness? Are we willing to accept His strength in times of walking, rather than proudly and coldly requesting to soar? What if walking is what we need right now? Do we take walking from His hand as readily and gratefully as mounting up with wings or running tirelessly? Let us trust our God supremely. Let us know Him and prove His faithfulness whether we soar, whether we run, or whether we walk without fainting.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Hunger and Thirst
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness."
"I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Thy Commandments."
"Thy Words were found, and I did eat them, and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart."
"As the hart panteth for the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee."
Should I keep going?
"O God, Thou art my God, early will I seek Thee. My soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is."
"My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God."
"The desire of our soul is to Thy name and to the remembrance of Thee. With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early:"
I could keep going on, but I think you understand. At least, I hope you do. O my friends, in a sense I hesitate to post this for fear of being redundant (a majority of my posts already deal with this topic), but I have to. I cannot write about anything else.
Knowing Christ. "...all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord..." All things. Loss. For Christ. Think about those words individually. Think about the passion that must grip your very soul before you can say those words truly with Paul. All things. Loss. So that I may know Christ. How can we not hunger and thirst after this? Two answers spring with equal speed to my thoughts: 1. Easily. 2. We cannot. Diametrically opposed answers. (Should this surprise me? No, not really.) The first answer would not have leaped to my mind so quickly three months ago. Why? Well, to my shame, I had begun to unwittingly walk in spiritual arrogance. It had been so long since the Lord had permitted me to go through a lengthy spiritually dry time, that I had begun to think that I sought the Lord, that I hungered and thirsted of my own volition. Ah, my foolishness! Ah, my pride! And so the Lord allowed me to go through the last two and a half months fighting for spiritual life in a heart that had suddenly gone cold and apathetic. My desire for the Word evaporated--there was none left. My joy in prayer diminished. My fellowship with my beloved Lord, became formal and/or forced. Just writing this down sends cold fingers of sorrow and dread around my heart. In myself, I cared less about spiritual things, but that tiny part of my heart would not be silent. That tiny part of my soul "still desired Him in the night." That part still had a desire to His name. That is why I was miserable. Miserable, yes; hungering and thirsting, no. And powerless to do so until my Lord did again implant that within me. And so I learned to do again what I had not done for several years: to seek without wanting to seek, to dig though I was finding no treasure, to show my Lord by my actions as well as my words that in the deepest part of me, I cannot live without Him. Until He rebuked and renewed and restored my soul two weeks ago. And the joy of restored fellowship? Indescribable. So, yes, it would be only too easy to not seek. But I still contest, how can we not seek? Knowing Christ. Everything in life comes down to that. Quote from Tozer: "God desires and is pleased to communicate with us through the avenues of our mids, our wills, and our emotions. The continuous and unembarrassed interchange of love and thought between God and the souls of redeemed men and women is the throbbing heart of the New Testament." May we go on to know Him--to truly know Him as He can be known. O be satisfied with nothing less! Know Christ! Hunger and thirst for Him. And you will be filled. He has promised it.
"I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Thy Commandments."
"Thy Words were found, and I did eat them, and Thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart."
"As the hart panteth for the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee."
Should I keep going?
"O God, Thou art my God, early will I seek Thee. My soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is."
"My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God."
"The desire of our soul is to Thy name and to the remembrance of Thee. With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early:"
I could keep going on, but I think you understand. At least, I hope you do. O my friends, in a sense I hesitate to post this for fear of being redundant (a majority of my posts already deal with this topic), but I have to. I cannot write about anything else.
Knowing Christ. "...all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord..." All things. Loss. For Christ. Think about those words individually. Think about the passion that must grip your very soul before you can say those words truly with Paul. All things. Loss. So that I may know Christ. How can we not hunger and thirst after this? Two answers spring with equal speed to my thoughts: 1. Easily. 2. We cannot. Diametrically opposed answers. (Should this surprise me? No, not really.) The first answer would not have leaped to my mind so quickly three months ago. Why? Well, to my shame, I had begun to unwittingly walk in spiritual arrogance. It had been so long since the Lord had permitted me to go through a lengthy spiritually dry time, that I had begun to think that I sought the Lord, that I hungered and thirsted of my own volition. Ah, my foolishness! Ah, my pride! And so the Lord allowed me to go through the last two and a half months fighting for spiritual life in a heart that had suddenly gone cold and apathetic. My desire for the Word evaporated--there was none left. My joy in prayer diminished. My fellowship with my beloved Lord, became formal and/or forced. Just writing this down sends cold fingers of sorrow and dread around my heart. In myself, I cared less about spiritual things, but that tiny part of my heart would not be silent. That tiny part of my soul "still desired Him in the night." That part still had a desire to His name. That is why I was miserable. Miserable, yes; hungering and thirsting, no. And powerless to do so until my Lord did again implant that within me. And so I learned to do again what I had not done for several years: to seek without wanting to seek, to dig though I was finding no treasure, to show my Lord by my actions as well as my words that in the deepest part of me, I cannot live without Him. Until He rebuked and renewed and restored my soul two weeks ago. And the joy of restored fellowship? Indescribable. So, yes, it would be only too easy to not seek. But I still contest, how can we not seek? Knowing Christ. Everything in life comes down to that. Quote from Tozer: "God desires and is pleased to communicate with us through the avenues of our mids, our wills, and our emotions. The continuous and unembarrassed interchange of love and thought between God and the souls of redeemed men and women is the throbbing heart of the New Testament." May we go on to know Him--to truly know Him as He can be known. O be satisfied with nothing less! Know Christ! Hunger and thirst for Him. And you will be filled. He has promised it.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
He is able
The past couple of days, as I have been made acutely conscious of my own incapability in so many areas of my life, I have been vastly encouraged by the following meditations on our God.
The LORD is able to give thee much more than this.
Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us
God is able to make him stand.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you;
Able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.
He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.
He is able to succour them that are tempted.
Able to save...from death
He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God
Able to raise...up, even from the dead
Able to keep you from falling,
Able...to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
Believe ye that I am able to do this?...Yea, Lord….According to your faith be it unto you.
The LORD is able to give thee much more than this.
Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us
God is able to make him stand.
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you;
Able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,
He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.
He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.
He is able to succour them that are tempted.
Able to save...from death
He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God
Able to raise...up, even from the dead
Able to keep you from falling,
Able...to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
Believe ye that I am able to do this?...Yea, Lord….According to your faith be it unto you.
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