Quotes for the Afflicted

Though it may feel impossible today-the truth is that THROUGH CHRIST you are able to bear the burden in front of you right now. And my prayer is that in the midst of a good things being “robbed” from our lives-that the amazing gift of being God’s beloved becomes a consuming comfort and treasure.

“Indeed, our afflictions may be heavy, and we cry out, Oh, we cannot bear them, we cannot bear such an affliction. Though you cannot tell how to bear it with your own strength, yet how can you tell what you will do with the strength of Jesus Christ? You say you cannot bear it? So you think that Christ could not bear it? But if Christ could bear it why may you not come to bear it? You will say, Can I have the strength of Christ? Yes, it is made over to you by faith: the Scripture says that the Lord is our strength, God himself is our strength, and Christ is our strength. There are many Scriptures to that effect, that Christ’s strength is yours, made over to you, so that you may be able to bear whatever lies upon you,”

― Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

“Christian, how did you enjoy comfort before? Was the creature anything to you but a conduit, a pipe, that conveyed God’s goodness to you? ‘The pipe is cut off,’ says God, ‘come to me, the fountain, and drink immediately.’ Though the beams are taken away, yet the sun remains the same in the firmament as ever it was.”

― Jeremiah Burroughs, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

Love,

Betty

Two Spurgeon Quotes For Sufferers

I was surprised at the Passion Conference I attended earlier this week, with how much the speakers taught on suffering. They prayed we would thank God, and even one day cherish “the nightmare” he allows in our lives. Thinking about that [difficult] concept brought these two quotes to mind. I pray they bless you, and that God gives us eyes to see!

“I bear my witness that the worst days I have ever had have turned out to be my best days. And when God has seemed most cruel to me he has then been most kind. If there is anything in this world for which I would bless him more than for anything else it is for pain and affliction. I am sure that in these things the richest tenderest love has been manifested to me. Our Father’s wagons rumble most heavily when they are bringing us the richest freight of the bullion of his grace. Love letters from heaven are often sent in black-edged envelopes. The cloud that is black with horror is big with mercy. Fear not the storm. It brings healing in its wings and when Jesus is with you in the vessel the tempest only hastens the ship to its desired haven.” ―C. H. Spurgeon

“No stars gleam as brightly as those which glisten in the polar sky. No water tastes so sweet as that which springs amid the desert sand. And no faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs through adversity. Tested faith brings experience. You would never have believed your own weakness had you not needed to pass through trials. And you would never have known God’s strength had His strength not been needed to carry you through.”
― C.H. Spurgeon

 

 

Guest Blog: My Sister’s Truth

If you only read ONE of my blogs this year-PLEASE READ THIS ONE. My sister, Glenda, beautifully wrote about the hardest year of her life-and tells us what she’s learned. If you want to be encouraged by honest struggles and God’s grace-read on and know that “God is faithful. He is good, and He’s got you!”

If I Had a Blog….

Summer is coming to an end. Warm is becoming cool. Leaves are turning brilliant shades and falling to ground. The season of hoodies and all things pumpkin (can I get an amen?!?) is upon us. Beautiful! If you haven’t guessed yet fall is my favorite season! Along with the changing season I find it has become a season of reflection in my life; a time to look back and see where the seasons of the last year have taken me. And let me tell you, the last four seasons have brought on more raging storms, blizzards, and drought in my life than I thought could ever be possible! But these same four seasons have also brought calming winds, warm sun kissed skies and brilliant rainbows of promise,

The past year was hands down the hardest year of my life. I have cried (more than I thought humanly possible), yelled, cursed and then cried some more. I even felt like giving up and walking away from every thing I believed. I was so angry with God. I felt like He had abandoned me. I was going through this crap day after day; tear after tear with no end in sight. Where was God? Why wasn’t he fixing it? When was this stormy season going to be over?

Here is what I learned….

God hadn’t forsaken me! He heard every prayer, caught every tear and walked every step with me and even carried me when I was at my worst. No, He didn’t instantly fix things. But when I looked up through my tear filled eyes, He was there! He showed up in big ways! Not in the ways I wanted or thought I needed, but in ways that He knew I needed. See, I learned that God actually knows me better than I know myself and loves me far more than I could possibly comprehend!

Learning these truths did not make all storms stop. I still cry. I still get angry. But God is always there, showing up. Being God, loving on me! Maybe it comes in the form of a still small voice. Maybe it’s a sweet friend showing up at your doorstep with the perfect pair of brand new black boots just for you! Maybe it’s the kind lady in line a head of you, who sees you with two crying kids and she simply starts to unload your groceries. Maybe it’s talking and laughing with your sister. Maybe it’s snuggles from your kiddos. Maybe it’s coffee! Maybe it is all these things and more!

I am now in a season of waiting (boo!) I don’t know why God has me here. I am ready to move on! But clearly God has me here for a reason! And no matter what comes along in this season, I know that my God is faithful, that He is good and that He’s got me!

No matter what season your life is in, God has not forsaken you! He knows you! He loves you! And He knows what is needed at the exact moment it is needed. And He shows up!

Thank you, Glenda-for being an example of strength in my life. Thank you for being transparent in your wrestling with God and your pain. Thank you for always listening to and praying for my burdens and trials and heartaches-even when you had plenty of your own to worry about. Thank you for laughing with me and encouraging me so many days and nights when I know you were running on empty. Thank you for loving your children well and being an example in prayer and steadfastness to them. You were the big sister that God chose to be mine, and He did so perfectly. I love you, Glenda Elizabeth!

Talk Yourself Out of Lies

I was recently praying to the Lord about my future-my desires, my heartaches, my deeps hope that only He and I know about. After expressing them to Him, I ended with “not my will, but yours be done” and I started to cry. I cried because I was scared that God’s will looks very different than what I hoped for my life. I cried because I feared God’s will would be difficult and painful and possibly opposite of me getting what I want so badly.

And then I stopped myself, and asked God to search my heart.

I was quietly speaking and believing lies to myself. My tears said: “My desire is for my comfort and happiness. If God is good and loves me deeply, then He should go after that for me because I know what’s best for me. But I fear that God is not good and his love for me not deep enough to care about my heartache or my pains. He might, in fact, PURPOSEFULLY make it difficult or opposite if what I want”.  That’s what my heart believed in that moment!

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit who resides in me fought those lies with truth from Scripture. I then thought:

“…YOU God, are the ultimate joy, prize, and satisfaction (Ps. 16:11). Getting ____________ is NOT what will “make or break” my life-KNOWING AND LOVING YOU will. If I seek you-I WILL find you (Matt. 7:7), and in finding you, getting to know how amazing you are will be ABOVE and beyond all I could imagine (Eph. 3:20). And you’ve already promised me you’ll be here-you’ll never leave me (Heb. 13:5). You’ll not stop loving me, and everything you do is good and right (Rom. 8:28-19). Your will is PERFECT! (Ps. 18:30) You’ll fulfill and satisfy me, direct me, and give me EVERYTHING I need (Phil. 4:19)”.

This is the Word of the Lord; thanks be to God.

One of my burdens right now in life is singleness. Maybe yours is a wayward child, or a jobless future, or an unloving spouse. As you run to God with your desires for the future, remember to combat any lies that sneak into your heart. Any doubts that creeps in that tells you God isn’t good, or isn’t working-need to be immediately fought with truth from Scripture and a reminder of the eternity to come. I ended my prayer like this:

“Oh dear Father. Please help me not to get tangled up in lies and distracted by thoughts about a possible (but not guaranteed) future marriage. Because I AM guaranteed a wedding and a groom-a PERFECT one-Christ in glory. I have salvation! Forgiveness of sins! I am your daughter! Knowing, believing, and clinging to THAT truth will propel me through all seasons of doubt, loneliness, rejection, or whatever else. Because even if you see fit to allow me to endure suffering through singleness for the rest of my life-I’ll choose to believe that you always give what is best for me. YOU ARE ENOUGH. YOU ARE WORTH IT. YOU WILL SATISFY.”

“There are no disappointments to those who wills are buried in the will of God.” Frederick William Faber

Encouraging Truth

Settle this in your heart: “Whether I am up or down, the Lord Jesus Christ is the same. Whether I sing or sigh, the promise is true and the Promiser is faithful. Whether I stand on the summit or am hidden in the vale the covenant stands fast and everlasting love abides.” 

– Spurgeon