Comfort in the Midst of Trials

As I mentioned in my last post, the last couple weeks have been difficult. Soon after writing that post, things got even more complex and difficult. I'm learning to lean hard on the Lord, because He's really all I have. He's also all that I need, and is teaching me that He's all that I want. His comfort is so sure. No matter what happens, I know He will be there with me. He is the one constant in my life, and I am so grateful that He is a refuge when we need it. Seriously, no matter what you're going through, He will be there for you, just ask! Sometimes, it's so hard and I can't even figure out how to pray, but all I do is ask for help and strength and He gives both. I have some really godly people speaking truth into my life, and it's been a huge blessing. A friend encouraged me to read this passage, so I thought I'd share. I know everyone goes through trials and needs encouragement at times, and hope that God uses these verses to help you as He did for me.

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. - I Peter 5:6-11

Verse 7 is very popular ("casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you"). But so often, the emphasis is on the first part - we can cast our cares (as another version calls it) on Him. Which is so true. But people often forget the rest - the reason we are able to cast our cares on Him is because He cares for us. How awesome is that? He cares so much about us that He wants us to come to Him when we're hurting. We serve an awesome God, you guys. Also look at the hope in the last two verses - after suffering for a while, God will perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish us. So awesome to think about. And then it ends with pointing to where the focus of all this should be, on God, who has dominion forever. I am so thankful for His Word that is a constant comfort to me during this time.

Truth

The last couple weeks have been full of ups and downs. Some really high "ups" and some really low "downs". It's also been pretty crazy with school, so I haven't gotten a lot of sleep. Lack of sleep = lower lows than necessary, at least for me. Meredith was gone all last week, so there was a lot to catch up on when we met today. After recounting the mess that has been my life as of late (though God has been SO good to me during this time), she told me something that I'd heard a long time ago but forgotten. She said,

God doesn't waste pain.

This was such a good reminder. None of the pain we experience is wasted. There is always truth to learn. There is always room for sanctification. There is always hope. Most of all, there is always room to grow in love for God. So I would encourage you all to remember this truth when you encounter your own trials. Look for ways to grow. Look to God for comfort so that when others have similar trials, you can comfort them with the same comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). Look for ways to glorify God through your trials. Learn to not be selfish and have pity parties (have definitely failed in these lately). God will take you through trials. Just remember to look to Him in the midst of them, and you will come out better off than you did going into them. 

Reconciliation {Valley of Vision}

This is just an excerpt of the prayer entitled Reconciliation, found in The Valley of Vision (of course).

"Thou hast taught me the necessity of a Mediator, a Messiah,
to be embraced in love with all my heart,
as king to rule me,
as prophet to guide me,
as priest to take away my sin and death,
and this by faith in thy beloved Son who teaches me
not to guide myself,
not to obey myself,
not to try to rule and conquer sin,
but to cleave to the one who will do all for me."

So many times I've found myself trying to mortify (put to death) my sins by trying to just stop doing them. While getting rid of sin is obviously a good and necessary thing, I need to be reminded that on my own strength, I can't do it. I need to cling to God, because He's the only one who can really help me "rule and conquer sin". He was able to defeat sin once and for all, so why do I not come to Him for help whenever I try to get victory over particular sins in my life? This prayer was such a great reminder that I need to depend on Him, not myself.

Also, if you are able, I encourage you to read the rest of the prayer. It's a really good one over all. It contrasts what God does for us with what is our responsibility to do in response. And it is such a good reminder that I am often unable to do things on my own strength and how important it is to ask Him for help in those situations.

The Precious Blood

As I mentioned in my other blog, sometimes I find out songs I really like are based off of prayers from The Valley of Vision. The first one I found was from To The Cross I Cling (to see the post, click here). Today, while I was reading The V. of V. to calm myself (I've had a bit of a stressful morning with the wedding today, and I couldn't find my camera which was bad....but I did find it eventually), I came across The Precious Blood. I read it, and right away I realized it was the basis for a song I really like by Sovereign Grace Music with the same title. I figured I'd post the words to the prayer and the song, so you can enjoy them if you so choose.

The Precious Blood

Blessed Lord Jesus,

Before thy cross I kneel and see the heinousness of my sin,

my iniquity that caused thee to be 'made a curse',

the evil that excites the severity of divine wrath.

Show me the enormity of my guilty by 

the crown of thorns,

the pierced hands and feet,

the bruised body,

the dying cries.

Thy blood is the blood of incarnate God,

its worth infinite, its value beyond all thought.

Infinite must be the evil and guilt that demands such a price. 

Sin is my malady, my monster, my foe, my viper,

born in my birth,

alive in my death,

strong in my character,

dominating my faculties,

following me as a shadow,

intermingling with my every thought,

my chain that hold me captive in the empire of my soul.

Sinner that I am, why should the sun give me light,

the air supply my breath, 

the earth bear my tread, 

its fruits nourish me,

its creatures subserve my ends?

Yet thy compassions yearn over me,

thy heart hastens to my rescue,

thy love endured my curse,

thy mercy bore my deserved stripes.

Let me walk humbly in the lowest depths of humiliation,

bathed in thy blood,

tender of conscience,

triumphing gloriously as an heir of salvation.

The Spirit's Work

"O God the Holy Spirit,

Thou who dost proceed from the Father and the Son, have mercy on me.

When thou didst first hover over chaos, order came to birth, beauty robed the world, fruitfulness sprang forth. 

Move, I pray thee, upon my disordered heart;

Take away the infirmities of unruly desires and hateful lusts;

Lift the mists and darkness of unbelief;

Brighten my soul with the pure light of truth;

Make it fragrant as the garden of paradise, rich with every goodly fruit, beautiful with heavenly grace, radiant with rays of divine light.

Fulfill in me the glory of thy divine offices;

Be my comforter, light, guide, sanctifier;

Take of the things of Christ and show them to my soul;

Through thee may I daily learn more of his love, grace, compassion, faithfulness, beauty;

Lead me to the cross and show me his wounds, the hateful nature of evil, the power of Satan;

May I there see my sins as the nails that transfixed him, the cords that bound him, the thorns that tore him, the sword that pierced him.

Help me to find in his death the reality and immensity of his love.

Open for me the wondrous volumes of truth in his, 'It is finished'.

Increase my faith in the clear knowledge of atonement achieved, expiation completed*, satisfaction made, guilt done away, my debt paid, my sins forgiven, my person redeemed, my soul saved, hell vanquished, heaven opened, eternity made mine.

O Holy Spirit, deepen in me these saving lessons. 

Write them upon my heart, that my walk be sin-loathing, sin-fleeing, Christ-loving;

And suffer no devil's device to beguile or deceive me."

Last night I read this prayer from The Valley of Vision before I went to bed. It was amazing, so I knew I needed to post it. Hopefully it will be as encouraging to anyone else who comes across it as it was to me.

*As I read it again a few minutes ago, I realized I had no idea what "expiation" meant, so I looked it up on dictionary.com. It's defined as "the means by which atonement or reparation is made." I understand the concept of atonement, but since I was unable to define it well, I looked that one up also - "satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends." Jesus Christ died to satisfy God's wrath that existed toward us because of our sin. Sometimes it hits me how powerful this is. We serve an awesome God.