A great many things in God's divine Providences do not look to the eye like goodness. But faith sits down before mysteries such as these, and says, "The Lord is good, therefore all that He does must be good no matter how it looks. I can wait for His explanations."
It is true ... there are excellent truths in [other writings], but yet they are far short of [the Scriptures]. Those may comfort against outward trouble, but not against inward fears; they may rejoice the mind, but cannot quiet the conscience; they may kindle some flashy sparkles of joy, but they cannot warm the soul with a lasting fire of solid consolations.
I'm so thankful that a very special friend (who sometimes fears she has a rampant ego, so I want to make sure she is properly noted) helped me understand this on an even deeper level this past week. What blessing; what freedom. I picked it as the quote of the week for both of us.
Our present enjoyment of God's grace is apt to be checked by the memory of yesterday's sins and blunders. But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them in order to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual culture for the future. God reminds us of the past lest we get into a shallow security in the present.
Then she heard the Shepherd saying, "I bring my people into Egypt that they, too, may be threshed and ground into the finest powder and may become bread corn for the use of others. But remember, though bread corn is bruised, no one threshes it forever; only until the bruised and broken grain is ready for its highest use."
While I was away, I was graciously and lovingly bestowed an award by two of my favorite blogging-friends. If you haven't met these lovelies yet, do visit Heidi Pocketbook at Bargain Hunting in the Corn and Becky at Holiday in the Sun. Thanks, Ladies. What a welcome back into blogging world! God knew I needed a little lift!
If The Shoe Fits is an award for those enthusiastic people who just bubble over!! I'd like to share it with my incredible sister-in-law Beth at It Is What It Is , my dear friend Liz at A Day in the Life of Liz, and my new bloggy friend, Isabel, whose life I can relate to in so many ways, at Thrills, Frills and Drills of Motherhood. Amazing Fiona at FeeBeeKay, who has a true-blue heart and the (6th!) most beautiful baby on the planet, also deserves the award but has already been granted it twice, otherwise, I'd share it with her too!
When I finally got out of the house today, this is the song that came on the radio. It was just what I needed:
I look forward to sharing what God has been doing in my heart and life, knowing full well that He only puts us through the fire so that we come out more refined and closer to His image than we were when we went in.
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James 1:2&3
God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.
Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of; they just turn up some of the ill weeds on to the surface.
When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.
My children love this one...
Obedience is doing what you're told, when you're told, with a respectful attitude. Anything less is not obedience.
I have come to the conclusion that none of us in our generation feels as guilty about sin as we should or as our forefathers did.
Our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength.