10,000 Reasons

A great song from Matt Redman that came out last year. I love the verses to this song:

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore




Some powerful lines:

"Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me, Let me be singing when the evening comes"

"And on that day, when my strength is failing, The end draws near and my time has come, Still my soul will sing Your praise unending"

That's the prayer of my heart. That each day, whatever comes to pass, whether suffering, trials, loss, hardships, joy, lonliness, that my heart would still rejoice in God's goodness. And that on my last day, my legacy would be one of faith in God's promises that result in praise.

In the Morning...

"But I will sing of your strength;

I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning."

Psalm 59:16

Zack Eswine:

"In the morning, songs of praise and thanksgiving can rise because God's strength has gotten us through the night. The night didn't win. We awake and see once again that God's love hasn't quit on us, and we ask that he will go with us and guide us into what awaits us. The morning stirs us to pray, therefore, and to watch how God will answer these prayers through the day. 

The new dawn also calls out to us that the help of God has come. Morning is meant as a poem or sermon to console the downcast. Their soul cry is given new invitation to ask again to have hope that the dawn of God will soon come to answer. The morning enables us to think again of God's goodness and to ask him why he waits to reveal that goodness to us (Psalm 88:13-14). The ending of night also rouses us to a renewed conviction to use the day as a means of opposing what is wretched in the world and protecting what is good and beautiful and right. 

Because God gives this meaning to the morning, he poetically pictures the sun as a bridegroom love-struck and happily longing to see his bride. The sun is no melancholy like me, tired of shining again unnoticed, traveling the same old path everyday and bored with it all. No! The sun is like that running in the story 'Chariots of Fire', who, when he ran, lifted his head as one who joyfully feels the pleasure of God (Psalm 19:5)....

One of mistaken uses of the morning, therefore, is to look at the circumstances and appointments awaiting us on our calendar without attending them with an awareness of their service or surrender to God and what God may wish to reveal to us with them or in spite of them."


Zack Eswine, Sensing Jesus: Life and Ministry As a Human Being (Wheaton, Ill: Crossway, 2013), 74.

Courage for Tomorrow

"Let me never be ashamed of the truth of the gospel, that I may bear its reproach, vindicate it, see Jesus as its essence, know it in the power of the Spirit.

Lord, help me, for I am often lukewarm and chill; unbelief mars my confidence, sin makes me forget thee.

Let the weeds that grow in my soul be cut at their roots; Grant me to know that I truly live only when I live to thee, that all else is trifling.

Thy presence alone can make me holy, devout, strong and happy."

- Valley of Vision

....

I could have used these words on my heart earlier today. There was a moment when in conversation with a non-believer, I nonchalantly went along with a few statements that were made which were contrary to the gospel. It was no debate. I was tempted to gain approval from this person by just agreeing, and that is what I chose. I felt the very real war inside me of my flesh vs. the conviction of the Spirit.

Opportunities to uphold or refute the gospel occur every day. Earlier today was probably tiny in the grand scheme of things, who knows...but anyway, it sent a shock through me, because I saw that in my sin, I could probably habitually answer with indifference in the future, maybe without realizing. Let this prayer lead us against indifference, and remind of us of incomparable strength that is ours when we proclaim Christ. He has won already.

What is Your Drift?

"People do not drift toward holiness. Apart from grace-driven effort, people do not gravitate toward holiness, prayer, obedience to Scripture, faith and delight in the Lord. We drift toward compromise and call it tolerance; we drift toward disobedience and call it freedom; we drift toward superstition and call it faith. We cherish the indiscipline of lost self-control and call it relaxation; we slouch toward prayerlessness and delude ourselves into thinking we have escaped legalism; we slide toward godlessness and convince ourselves we have been liberated." 
-D.A. Carson-


In this quote, I think Carson touches on a very important trend I've noticed within myself, and also among Christians in general. The trend is this: Grace and disciplined effort are opposed to each other. I'm afraid we have created a dichotomy between resting in God's grace and grace-driven effort as if the two are mutually exclusive. Unfortunately, a lot of times I find myself drifting into this mentality that mistakes laziness with true gospel rest. 


Yes, the gospel does save us from having to justify ourselves with our own works and from having to prove our selves day in and day out. However, it also saves us to something.  It frees us from the slavery of sin and of self-justification and, in turn, frees us to pursue righteousness. The gospel frees us to life as it was meant to be lived. 


In Christ, we are no longer slaves to drift into compromise, disobedience, and lifelessness. In Christ, we are free to drift towards God. We are free to experience his grace in such a way that we are driven to action. God's grace is the empowering force behind our discipline and it is our motivation. With that being said, diving deeper into in the gospel and the union we have with Christ necessarily results in actively sharing in this life. 


Further, as Carson points out, our default gravitation is not towards holiness. Our default mode is to sink deeper and deeper into self-worship. Therefore, we must run to the gospel everyday and look to God's grace as the source of our effort in order to live this life. It is a mistake to call this legalism or unnecessary effort. God longs for his children to live in him. He longs for his children to experience the power of his resurrection.  He longs for his children to freely obey him. We only find this in the gospel of God's grace. When we taste of this, only then will we be in hot pursuit of righteousness. 

Prayer

HT: Ray Ortlund

“See the man at midnight [described in Luke 11:5-8]. Imitate that man. Act it all alone at midnight. Hear his loud cry, and cry it after him. He needed three loaves. What is your need? Name it. Name it out loud. Let your own ears hear it. . . . The shameful things you have to ask for. The disgraceful, the incredible things you have to admit and confess. The life you have lived. The way you have spent your days and nights. And what all that has brought you to. It kills you to have to say such things even with your door shut. Yes, but better say all these things in closets than have them all proclaimed from the housetops of the day of judgment. Knock, man! Knock for the love of God! Knock as they knock to get into heaven after the door is shut! Knock, as they knock to get out of hell!”

Alexander Whyte, “The Man Who Knocked At Midnight,” in Lord, Teach Us To Pray (New York, n.d.), pages 174-176.

....

This is awesome. Lord, give us hearts of humility, confession and belief in your willingness to forgive, for the sake of Christ.

"And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he [Jesus] departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed."
(Mark 1:35 ESV)

The Grace of the Cross

"Make it the ground of all my comfort,
the liveliness of all my duties,
the sum of all thy gospel promises,
the comfort of all my afflictions,
the vigour of my love, thankfulness, graces,
the very essence of my religion;
And by it give me that rest without rest,
the rest of ceaseless praise."

- The Valley of Vision

....

I read that as the following.

May the cross of Jesus be...
1. our new identity,
2. our fuel to perform the work set before us,
3. the basis of our worldview,
4. our victory in every trial,
5. our excitement as we begin each morning,
6. the purpose of our short time on earth.

"But I have prayed for you"

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32 ESV

....

ESV study bible commentary says the word "your" in blue, clearly is singular in its use. I believe Jesus prays for his people corporately, which is cool. But here, Christ is praying for Peter personally.

When I am hurting in temptation, I want people to know and pray for me personally. I want them to feel my burden. It is one of those unique things about Christian fellowship that I am thankful for. Well, Christ is in on that. He is leading the charge. And for those who are in Him, He has already determined the outcome, that He will keep us close.

Praying to the Father

"And he said to them, 'When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be you name'"

Luke 11:2

Why does Jesus teach us to pray, starting with the word, 'Father'. I think it is easy to assume that the Lord's prayer is all about formula. If we say the right words then God will hear us. Yet, given the very first word of the Lord's prayer, I believe God is telling us that the basis of prayer is relationship, not formula. God doesn't hear us because our prayers are organized correctly, or because of how efficient they are, or because of how great our wording is. No, he hears us because he is our Father, who loves and delights in his sons and daughters. He loves when we come to him in humility, recognizing our need and helplessness as children. 

So, this morning, I am reminded to simply come to God as my Father. 

The Father Waits Me There

"Christians often complain that private prayer is not what it should be.  They feel weak and sinful, the heart is cold and dark; it is as if they have so little to pray, and in that little no faith or joy.  They are discouraged and kept from prayer that they cannot come to the father as they ought or as they wish.  Child of God!  Listen to your teacher .  He tells you that when you go to private prayer your first thought must be:  the Father is in secret, the Father waits me there. 

 

Just because your heart is cold and prayerless, get you into the presence of the loving Father.  As a Father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth you.  Do not be thinking of how little you have to bring to God, but of how much he wants to give you.  Just place yourself before, and look up into, His face; think of His love, His wonderful, tender, pitying love.  Just tell Him how sinful and cold and dark it all is:  it is the Father's loving heart that will give light and warmth to yours.  O do what Jesus says:  Just shut the door and pray to thy Father which is in secret.  Is it not wonderful to be able to go alone with God, the infinite God?  And then look up and say: My Father!"

 

Andrew Murray, With Christ in the School of Prayer, p.19

Feasting on the Steadfast Love of Jesus

A great prayer this morning from Scotty Smith's blog.

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Ps. 143:8

Dear Lord Jesus, I totally get why breakfast is the most important meal of the day. What we consume (or don’t consume) early greatly determines our energy level, rhythms and focus for the rest of the day. I always pay dearly for too little sleep followed by too much sugar and caffeine, and others are affected as well. The same is true spiritually. When I don’t begin my day feasting on the grace and truth of the gospel, not only do I rob myself, I rob others.

So out of equal measures of delight and desperation, I make the psalmist’s cry my own: “Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love” (Ps. 143:8). That’s what I need more than anything else. Your love is my present banquet and my eternal feast.

Jesus, only your love is better than life (Psalm 63). It doesn’t just give me life; it won’t just make this day more bearable and enjoyable; it is better than life. Only your love addresses my deepest needs. Foolishly, I often settle for the caffeine of being appreciated and admired, but you know the worst about me and you love me the most. You don’t love me because of anything I do, but because of everything you’ve done for me. How humbling… how freeing.

Only your love satisfies my most intense longings. The junk food of accomplishment, success and impact offer a brief relief, but they always leave me grabbing for more, only moments later. There’s a hole in my heart that is shaped like you, Jesus, and only you can really fill that place, that cavern, that vacuum.

Only your love is unwavering, Jesus, for all other loves are filled with conditions and contingencies. You’ve met every condition for me. Because you were nailed to the cross, there are no longer any strings attached to your love. The price of your love was the currency of your life, which you gladly paid that your affection might come to us freely and fully. Buckle our knees and thrill our hearts with this good news…

Only your love is unfailing, Jesus, for all other loves are fickle and finite. Only your love can expose and replace my idols; no other love is as beautiful. Only your love can break my self-indulgent chains and set me free to love well; no other love is as powerful.

Only your love can break the lingering power of shame and the ever-present seductions of temptation; no other love is as daily. Only your love can heal the greatest heart-wounds I carry; no other love is as kind and healing. Only your love can move me from navel-gazing to kingdom living; no other love is as transforming.  Jesus, there are so many more “only’s” about your love; and we will never fully scale the height, depth, width and breadth of you love—even in eternity. It will be measureless and ours forever. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

So this morning and every morning—afternoons and evenings too, Jesus, continue to bring the word of your unfailing love to our hearts. By the power of the Holy Spirit, preach the gospel of your unfailing love to our whole being. So very Amen we pray, in your merciful and mighty name.

Psalms: Highlight Reel

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
(Psalm 32:3-5 ESV)

.... We were dying. You are gracious ....

“O LORD, make me know my end
and what is the measure of my days;
let me know how fleeting I am!
Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths,
and my lifetime is as nothing before you.
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah
(Psalm 39:4-5 ESV)

.... We are finite. You give us hope in the eternal ....

Attend to me, and answer me;
I am restless in my complaint and I moan...
My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death have fallen upon me...
Cast your burden on the LORD,
and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
the righteous to be moved.
(Psalm 55:2,4,22 ESV)

.... We have angst. You are peace ....

So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
(Psalm 90:12-14 ESV)

.... We are empty. You are filling ....

My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
(Psalm 119:25 ESV)

I will thank you forever,
because you have done it.
I will wait for your name, for it is good,
in the presence of the godly.
(Psalm 52:9 ESV)

Oh To Behold the Glory of Christ!

"Oh to behold the glory of Christ!

Here in would I live.

Here in would I die.

Here on would I dwell

in my thoughts and my affections,

until all things here below 
become as dead and deformed things,

and in no longer,

any way,

calling out for my affections."

John Owen

A great post from Scotty Smith's blog found on the gospel coalition website. 

Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” Isa. 46:8-10

Holy and gracious Father, I offer you no pushback this morning for being addressed as a rebel. I not only rebel against your commandments, I also rebel against your gospel—for it seems too good to be true. That’s why I need a Savior as big as Jesus. My only hope is in knowing that you will complete the good work of salvation you began in me. Your purposeswill stand. You do all that you please, and it pleases you to justify, transform and glorify rebels like me… Hallelujah!

Indeed, I have great hope in knowing you are God and I am not. This truth is both disruptive and comforting. Disruptive, because there are some things I’m desperate for you to do—things that make all the sense in the world to me—things that seem in line with the truth of the gospel. But they’re not going to happen. You haven’t decreed them and no amount of fasting and praying will alter the perfection of your plan… Hallelujah!

Yet your sovereignty is profoundly comforting, because there are other things for which I don’t have the faith to trust you—things I cannot imagine coming to pass. Like an ax head floating on water, pebbles taking down a giant, lepers being instantly healed, dead churches becoming gospelicious communities, again… these things happen according to your pleasure and in your timing.

Father, help me “fix it in mind and take it to heart.” You are God and you do as you please. No one can ultimately resist your will, and we’re foolish when we try. You’re not a manageable deity; you’re not predictable; you’re not programmable. You are mysterious—good, but mysterious. Hallelujah, many times over!

As I head squirm in a season of difficult decisions, I’m so thankful that you are a sovereign Father, having equal care for each of your children. I can trust you. I don’t have to panic. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to take matters into my own hands. I don’t have to fear outcomes, “what ifs,” or “if only’s.” Second-guessing must surrender to gospel sanity.

Father, help me to want your purposes to stand more than I want life not to be messy. Help me to glory in your pleasure more than I obsess about my future. Help me to accept disruption as a necessary part of transformation. There’s no comfort like the comfort which comes from knowing you, and calling you Abba, Father. So very Amen I pray, in Jesus’ trustworthy name.

Vast, Unmeasured, Boundless, Free!

"so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."  Ephesians 3:17-19


This past tuesday I had the privilege to join my friends/classmates in a time of worship through the singing of hymns and reading of Scripture. I was particularly struck by this song, 'O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus' and its description of Christ's love; vast, unmeasured, boundless, free. How easily I forget how truly amazing Christ's love is for His people. I am reminded of Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3, that they would know the fullness of God's immeasurable love for them. That is my prayer now. That God would awaken me to the vastness and depths of His love in Christ. 

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me,
Is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward
To Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth,
Changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones,
Died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth,
Watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
Love of every love the best!
’Tis an ocean vast of blessing,
’Tis a haven sweet of rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus,
’Tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory,
For it lifts me up to Thee!

Come and See What God Has Done

"Come and see what God has done: 

he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man"

Psalm 66:5

What are the awesome deeds that God has done? The psalmist goes on to describe them.

1. "He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot" (vs. 6)
2. He has defeated his enemies. (vs. 3)
3. He rules and keeps watch over the nations. (vs. 7)
4. He has given life to our souls (vs. 9)
5. "Yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance." (vs. 12)
6. "But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer." (vs. 19)
7. He is steadfast in his love. (vs. 20)

This morning, let us recall the awesome deeds of God. Let us remember the faithfulness and steadfast love of our Lord, who has created us, and who has saved our life from the destruction of sin. Because of who God is, and because of what He has done, our response should be the same of the psalmist in Psalm 66.

"Shout for joy to God, all the earth;

sing the glory of his name;

give to him glorious praise!

Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!

so great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.

All the earth worships you 

and sings praises to you;

they sing praises to your name."

This day, let us shout for joy, and glory in the awesome deeds of our God!

A Prayer for Finishing Well in the Gospel with Our Friends

HT: Scotty Smith

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end. Heb. 3:12-14

Dear Jesus, I’m so grateful for the dear friends you’ve woven into my life—a Gospel posse of rich diversity. Since I’m an introvert, the journey of investing my heart in long-term relationships has required, and still requires, a lot of your grace—grace that you’ve been faithful to supply.

I’ve already gripped the handle of a couple of friends’ caskets, and other friends will do the same for me one day. More than ever, I want us to finish well together—together in the gospel. What will this look like and what will it require of us, Jesus?

My temptation is to treat my easiest friendships like a broken-in pair of Birkenstocks—I just enjoy them without much thought or effort. It’s a great gift to have a few friends who can finish each other’s sentences, endure one another’s jokes, appreciate each other’s quirks, and accept one another’s weaknesses. Surely this is a gospel gift.

Yet, Jesus, we’re still foolish people, capable of acting out in very destructive ways, prone to wander, easy targets for temptation. We can play games and avoid one another at precisely the times we need each other the most. Help us never to minimize or marginalize the deceitfulness and hardening power of sin. Help us take each other’s heart struggles seriously.

With all of my being, I trust in the grip and sufficiency of your grace; I know that you willcomplete the work of salvation in us. But your Word is so very clear that continuance in gospel faith is a sign of a real faith. “We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.” That doesn’t scare me, but it does sober me.

Jesus, may we hold each other accountable for believing and trusting fully in the gospel. There’s no greater gift we can give each other, none. Keep giving us fun times together, but even more so, give us a growing faith in you, our all-gracious Savior. Give us passion and persistence in preaching the gospel to our hearts daily, until this day gives way to the Day of your longed-for return. So very Amen I pray, in your all-glorious and loving name.

God All-Sufficient

O Lord of Grace...

Accept His worthiness for my unworthiness,
his sinlessness for my transgressions,
his purity for my uncleanliness,
his sincerity for my guile,
his truth for my deceits,
his meekness for my pride,
his constancy for my backslidings,
his love for my enmity,
his fullness for my emptiness,
his faithfulness for my treachery,
his obedience for my lawlessness,
his glory for my shame,
his devotedness for my waywardness,
his holy life for my unchaste ways,
his righteousness for my dead works,
his death for my life.

-Valley of Vision, A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions

Busyness and Prayer

"Tomorrow I plan to work, work from early until late. In fact I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer."

-Martin Luther

..........................................................

"Sometimes we think we are too busy to pray. That is a great mistake, for praying is a saving of time."

-Charles H. Spurgeon

Patience and Steadfastness in Suffering

"As an example of suffering and patience, brothers,

take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 

Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. 

You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, 

and have seen the purpose of the Lord,

how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.....

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray."

James 3: 10-13

The idea of patience and steadfastness in God's compassion and mercy amidst suffering is truly a foreign idea in our western culture today. In fact, most people spend their lives, striving everyday towards the goal of comfort and security. Suffering is something to be avoided at all costs. Amidst suffering, people may exhibit patience and steadfastness, but it is the hope that if they keep holding on, eventually the suffering will be gone, and they will return to their 'good life'. However, we see in these verses from James that our patience and steadfastness in suffering should be in God's glory. We should be patient and steadfast in suffering, not because we are consumed with ourselves, in the hope of a cushy life again, but because we are consumed with our God, and know that through our suffering, his purposes are being revealed, and his mercy and compassion are being displayed to us. The glory of our Creator is primary. This is the difference between worldly patience in suffering and Christian suffering. Suffering is not to be sought, yet it is to be expected, and embraced when encountered. James gives us every reason to embrace suffering with a steadfast hope in God. In verse 13, he exhorts his readers to look to the example of the prophets which came before. 

Throughout the Scriptures, most of the major players in the Bible story encounter some form of suffering. Why does this happen? Isn't suffering just a punishment for our mistakes? In Tullian Tchividjian's 'Surprised By Grace', the author dissects the story of the prophet Jonah, certainly someone from whom we could learn a thing or two about suffering. One thing that is clear from reading the book of Jonah, along with Tullian's book, is that God is sovereign over our situations, especially our sufferings. But this begs the question, why? Why does God allow suffering? Further, the even tells Christians that they in fact will suffer, not might suffer. 

Jonah was swallowed by a whale, and spent three days in the whales belly. What was it like in there? Well, I've  never been inside a fish, so I can't say for sure, but I imagine it was terrifying. Surrounded by darkness, and filled with uncertainty, Jonah indeed was suffering. But this brings us back to the question of 'why?'. 

Taking heed from James, as we look back at the prophets, it is clear that suffering has a purpose. Suffering brings us to a posture of desperation. Desperation leads us to turn our eyes to God. Desperation shatters all of our false hopes. When we are stripped of everything, we are left only to cling to God. Through our suffering, we are able to taste God's compassion and mercy in a fresh new way. We are able to know God's grace, and to trust in his purposes in ways in which we would not have otherwise. Suffering leads to desperation, and desperation leads to us crying out to God. Take a look at these examples. (these are taken from Tchividjian's 'Surprised By Grace')

In desperation, Jonah prayed. "I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me" (Jonah 2:1)

In desperation, David prayed. "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles" (Psalm 34:6)

In desperation, Hannah prayed. "She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly" (1 Samuel 1:10)

In desperation, Jeremiah prayed. "Water closed over my head; I said, 'I am lost.' I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea, 'Do not close your ear to my cry for help!'" (Lamentations 3: 54-56)

And with Job. "My relatives have failed me, my close friends have forgotten me. The guests of my house and my maidservants count me as a stranger; I have become a foreigner in their eyes....My breath is strange to my wife and I am a stench to the children of my own mother. Even young children despise me; when I rise they talk against me. All my intimate friends abhor me, and those whom I loved have turned against me......For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God." Job 19: 14-25

And lastly, with Jesus, who like Jonah, faced three days and nights in the darkest of places. "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22: 44). 

In sum, in our times of suffering and affliction, we are to be patient and steadfast. We are to trust God. We can trust God because we have seen throughout history his faithfulness to his children. He may bring times of suffering, but it is not the end of the story. Our present suffering and afflictions reveal God's glory. In our desperation, we are able to see God's goodness, and plentiful redemption that is in Christ. 

Like James says, those who are steadfast and patient in their sufferings are blessed. They are blessed because through their situations, they come out knowing God's grace in a radical new way. Through our sufferings we are made more acutely aware of our sonship

Positioning

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."

Luke 18:9-14

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This passage gets me every time. I am so similar to the Pharisee Jesus describes. I often find myself too concerned with the spiritual resume I'm building in my heart. If I only really grasped my appropriate position before my Almighty and Holy Lord, like the tax collector. He had nothing of his own to claim. He knew he was scum. He was ashamed to enter fully into the temple, as he stood far off, and he knew he was far from worthy to even raise his eyes to heaven. His only words in prayer were a simple plea, claiming God's mercy! The text is clear. Jesus welcomes this plea. In fact, that is exactly what He desires for us. Period.

My prayer for renewal in this comes from an excerpt from Whiter than Snow by Paul Tripp:

"So I am hoping for wise eyes that are able to see through the cloud of self-righteousness and see myself as I actually am. I am praying for wise ears that are able to hear through the background noise of well-used platitudes and hear myself with clarity. And I am longing for a humble spirit that is willing to accept and confess what you reveal as You break through my defenses and show me to me. I am hoping for a broken heart."

Psalm 51:17 "A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

Praise the Lord for His love for prodigal love for sinners!