Our spiritual lives are a lot like the weather patterns. Times when the Spirit reigns in us and showers our souls with grace, love and power. –When the Great Eternal Power overwhelms us with sweet fellowship Other times, when we are in a drought, our souls are so parched that we struggle to remember what His reign was like. It’s as if our spiritual Hard drive has been deleted! As I write this the Spirit is telling me- “this is life! Expect seasons of both extremes. ” Now, if you are anything like me, you welcome the sweet reign of Jesus but would like to skip the drought. Now, I must make a clarification. This state of affairs we find ourselves in is Not what God intended. When sin entered our garden it brought the extremes with it. So, how do we handle the extremes of life and the soul? With Consistency. We must not become attached to the highs or lows, but see every circumstance through Christ and His word.
Here are a few verses to support my claim.
Philippians 4 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
1 Thessalonians 5 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Philippians 4 4Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 23 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
I have often thought about this statement- I shall not want. How do we reconcile this verse when our soul is so parched and our heart is broken. I believe it is in the knowing that The Lord is My Shepherd. Knowing in our hearts that whatever comes our way He will use for our good. ( Romans 8:28) We can rest in His Devine care no matter what extreme comes our way. It would be nice if we were like a computer or smart phone. Then we could push a couple buttons and restore ourselves to an earlier time when we were on the mountaintop in stead of the Valley of The Shadow Of Death. Oh, wouldn’t that be nice?! No, we can’t do that but we can bring to remembrance all the good memories of Gods goodness and faithfulness, his love and power. I call this a perspective reboot. Sure, acknowledge that your current situation is very difficult but don’t end there. Like King David, we must always steer our hearts, minds and emotions back to trust and obedience.
Remember this simple but profound song? ” Trust and Obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey”. Thy Kingdom Come Lord Jesus, Peace. Jonathan
PS. This Streams in The Desert ties in well.
It came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land (1 Kings 17:7).
Week after week, with unfaltering and steadfast spirit, Elijah watched that dwindling brook; often tempted to stagger through unbelief, but refusing to allow his circumstances to come between himself and God. Unbelief sees God through circumstances, as we sometimes see the sun shorn of his rays through smoky air; but faith puts God between itself and circumstances, and looks at them through Him. And so the dwindling brook became a silver thread; and the silver thread stood presently in pools at the foot of the largest boulders; and the pools shrank. The birds fled; the wild creatures of field and forest came no more to drink; the brook was dry. Only then to his patient and unwavering spirit, “the word of the Lord came, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath.” Most of us would have gotten anxious and worn with planning long before that. We should have ceased our songs as soon as the streamlet caroled less musically over its rocky bed; and with harps swinging on the willows, we should have paced to and fro upon the withering grass, lost in pensive thought. And probably, long ere the brook was dry, we should have devised some plan, and asking God’s blessing on it, would have started off elsewhere. God often does extricate us, because His mercy endureth forever; but if we had only waited first to see the unfolding of His plans, we should never have found ourselves landed in such an inextricable labyrinth; and we should never have been compelled to retrace our steps with so many tears of shame. Wait, patiently wait! –F. B. Meyer
He Hath Chosen Thee!
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
It’s cool how God works in the little things too. – I choose to write this message on suffering and it happens to be 8:18 when I start which reminds me of one of the verses I have been holding onto during my fiery furnace. It is crucial for us to not take the bait of thinking that God’s love is conditional or that he has forsaken us in our greatest hour of need. When he seems so distant and quiet, he is actually doing his greatest work in us. When our adversaries are the greatest and he lets us struggle and persevere – he is doing a great work. Oh how important it is that we know this and coach our hearts along the way. Telling ourselves the truth as much as needed. The greatest blessings are not at the Country Club of the prosperity Gospel but through your cross of affliction which liberates you from “this body of death”!
Jesus is committed to our refining which in reality is our freeing. It is his Good Work in you. Philippians 1:6
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Our job is to submit and trust no matter what. I know, easier said than done! I agree with you, but know this- He always reminds me of a promise he gave me on a Men’s Hike in 2011. He told me that he would give me everything I need to do the work he has for me to do. This promise is for you too!
I believe, our greatest works are that of suffering for righteousness sake. Look at Jesus’ great works- healing, raising the dead etc. but they pale in comparison to his work of suffering.
I don’t know where you are on your journey. If you are in the fire, I pray that this encourages you. If the fire has not knocked your door down yet, know that it is coming. When it does, know that it has been filtered through his loving hands and that you will come out the other side victorious and shining bright to the Glory of The Lamb.
In closing, remember this- He Has Chosen You for Glory!
Peace, Jonathan
“I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction” (Isa. 48:10).
Does not the Word come like a soft shower, assuaging the fury of the flame? Yes, is it not an asbestos armor, against which the heat has no power? Let the affliction come–God has chosen me. Poverty, thou mayest stride in at my door; but God is in the house already, and He has chosen me. Sickness, thou mayest intrude; but I have a balsam ready–God has chosen me. Whatever befall me in this vale of tears, I know that He has chosen me. Fear not, Christian; Jesus is with thee. In all thy fiery trials, His presence is both thy comfort and safety. He will never leave one whom He has chosen for His own. “Fear not, for I am with thee,” is His sure word of promise to His chosen ones in “the furnace of affliction.”
–C. H. Spurgeon
Pains furnace heat within me quivers,
God’s breath upon the flame doth blow;
And all my heart in anguish shivers
And trembles at the fiery glow;
And yet I whisper, “As God will!”
And in the hottest fire hold still.
He comes and lays my heart, all heated,
On the hard anvil, minded so
Into His own fair shape to beat it
With His great hammer, blow on blow;
And yet I whisper, “As God will!”
And at His heaviest blows hold still.
He takes my softened heart and beats it;
The sparks fly off at every blow;
He turns it o’er and o’er and heats it,
And lets it cool, and makes it glow;
And yet I whisper, “As God will!”
And in His mighty hand hold still.
Why should I murmur? for the sorrow
Thus only longer-lived would be;
The end may come, and will tomorrow,
When God has done His work in me;
So I say trusting, “As God will!”
And, trusting to the end, hold still.
–Julius Sturm
The burden of suffering seems a tombstone hung about our necks, while in reality it is only the weight which is necessary to keep down the diver while he is hunting for pearls.
–Richter
– taken from Streams In The Desert
Our Higher Calling
Psalm 46:10
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 37
7 Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
There is great wisdom in knowing when and what to let go. The Lord has made it very clear to me that I must let go of my burdens and my broken state of being. When I consider any one of them and choose to wrestle with God, I am none the better but worn out and have given the evil one good intentions to ride on ( Ps. 37:8
do not fret—it leads only to evil.)
which leads to the death of my peace, joy and strength. It is normal to want healing and to seek it with all your heart. But there is nothing normal about my situation. It is in the Fathers hand and I must leave it with Him.
Learning to completely trust and rest, when my brokenness and much around me screams otherwise, is my higher calling. While always reminding my heart, soul and mind of His love, sovereignty and power for those who believe.
This is Our higher calling!! No matter what you and I are facing today, let us keep our hand to the plow of patience, perseverance and love so that we may run well and obtain the prize.
James 1:2-4
Take Hope When Tests Come
2 My Christian brothers, you should be happy when you have all kinds of tests. 3 You know these prove your faith. It helps you not to give up. 4 Learn well how to wait so you will be strong and complete and in need of nothing.
The following is from Streams in The Desert, included for you. May we wait well and walk free. Peace, Jonathan
Neither know we what to do; but our eyes are, upon thee (2 Chron. 20:12).
A life was lost in Israel because a pair of human hands were laid unbidden upon the ark of God. They were placed upon it with the best intent, to steady it when trembling and shaking as the oxen drew it along the rough way; but they touched God’s work presumptuously, and they fell paralyzed and lifeless. Much of the life of faith consists in letting things alone. If we wholly trust an interest to God, we must keep our hands off it; and He will guard it for us better than we can help Him. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.” Things may seem to be going all wrong, but He knows as well as we; and He will arise in the right moment if we are really trusting Him so fully as to let Him work in His own way and time. There is nothing so masterly as inactivity in some things, and there is nothing so hurtful as restless working, for God has undertaken to work His sovereign will.
–A. B. Simpson
Being perplexed, I say,
‘Lord, make it right!
Night is as day to Thee,
Darkness as light.
I am afraid to touch
Things that involve so much;
My trembling hand may shake,
My skilless hand may break;
Thine can make no mistake.’
Being in doubt I say,
‘Lord, make it plain;
Which is the true, safe way?
Which would be gain?
I am not wise to know,
Nor sure of foot to go;
What is so clear to Thee,
Lord, make it clear to me!’ It is such a comfort to drop the tangles of life into God’s hands and leave them there.
1 Peter 5:7
7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
Liberty- Ours For The Taking
I don’t know about your life, but if its anything like mine, there are giants, dragons and all sorts of evil.
First of all is this body of death I carry with me- my flesh or sin nature that wars against my new heart. The new heart Jesus gave me when I said yes to His gift of Life. The other is the Thief, the father of lies- our “external” enemy. To live a victorious life we must be wise to both enemies.
Over the last three years God has led me on an adventure of extremes. I have experienced tremendous good and evil, light and darkness, truth and lies, power and weakness. There really is no grey area in these realms but degrees. We are walking in one or the other. One minute in one and then the next minute the other- The old Jekyll and Hyde maneuver.
Life really is a long war – a series of battles. I believe each battle to be a fight of the heart. Our two enemies are fighting to enslave us while Christ is fighting to free us. But, as you see in the following verses, we have a vital role to play in achieving our freedom. Salvation is given us on a blood- stained silver platter but our freedom must be fought for every day.
I close with this command given to Joshua many years ago. God had won Israel’s freedom in dramatic fashion but there were many more battles to fight to stay free and lay hold of what had been promised. This is true of us as well. Let us take this command to heart and fight for freedom- Ours and Others! Let Freedom Ring! Jonathan
Joshua 1:9.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Freedom Verses
Notice key action words like; press on, make it my own, strip off, run with endurance/ patience, keeping our eyes, be firm, continue, established and firm and do not move.
Philippians 3:12
Pressing toward the Goal
12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
Hebrews 12
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.
Galatians 5:1
Christ has freed us so that we may enjoy the benefits of freedom. Therefore, be firm [in this freedom], and don’t become slaves again.
Romans 6:22
But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.
Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
Romans 8:21
that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
John 8:32
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Galatians 5
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Ephesians 3
12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Colossians 1
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation- 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
1 Peter 2
16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.
Streams In The Desert
“There we saw the Giants” (Num. 13:33).
Yes, they saw the giants, but Caleb and Joshua saw God! Those who doubt say, “We be not able to go up.” Those who believe say, “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able.” Giants stand for great difficulties; and giants are stalking everywhere. They are in our families, in our churches, in our social life, in our own hearts; and we must overcome them or they will eat us up, as these men of old said of the giants of Canaan. The men of faith said, “They are bread for us; we will eat them up.” In other words, “We will be stronger by overcoming them than if there had been no giants to overcome.” Now the fact is, unless we have the overcoming faith we shall be eaten up, consumed by the giants in our path. Let us have the spirit of faith that these men of faith had, and see God, and He will take care of the difficulties.
–Selected ***
It is when we are in the way of duty that we find giants. It was when Israel was going forward that the, giants appeared. When they turned back into the wilderness they found none. There is a prevalent idea that the power of God in a human life should lift us above all trials and conflicts. The fact is, the power of God always brings a conflict and a struggle. One would have thought that on his great missionary journey to Rome, Paul would have been carried by some mighty providence above the power of storms and tempests and enemies. But, on the contrary, it was one long, hard fight with persecuting Jews, with wild tempests, with venomous vipers and all the powers of earth and hell, and at last he was saved, as it seemed, by the narrowest margin, and had to swim ashore at Malta on a piece of wreckage and barely escape a watery grave. Was that like a God of infinite power? Yes, just like Him. And so Paul tells us that when he took the Lord Jesus Christ as the life of his body, a severe conflict immediately came; indeed, a conflict that never ended, a pressure that was persistent, but out of which he always emerged victorious through the strength of Jesus Christ. The language in which he describes this is most graphic. “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed, always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be manifested in our body.” What a ceaseless, strenuous struggle! It is impossible to express in English the forcible language of the original. There are five pictures in succession. In the first, the idea is crowding enemies pressing in from every side, and yet not crushing him because the police of heaven cleared the way just wide enough for him to get through. The literal translation would be, “We are crowded on every side, but not crushed.” The second picture is that of one whose way seems utterly closed and yet he has pressed through; there is light enough to show him the next step. The Revised Version translates it, “Perplexed but not unto despair.” Rotherham still more literally renders it, “Without a way, but not without a by-way.” The third figure is that of an enemy in hot pursuit while the divine Defender still stands by, and he is not left alone. Again we adopt the fine rendering of Rotherham, “Pursued but not abandoned.” The fourth figure is still more vivid and dramatic. The enemy has overtaken him, has struck him, has knocked him down. But it is not a fatal blow; he is able to rise again. It might be translated, “Overthrown but not overcome.” Once more the figure advances, and now it seems to be even death itself, “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus.” But he does not die, for “the life also of Jesus” now comes to his aid and he lives in the life of another until his life work is done. The reason so many fail in this experience of divine healing is because they expect to have it all without a struggle, and when the conflict comes and the battle wages long, they become discouraged and surrender. God has nothing worth having that is easy. There are no cheap goods in the heavenly market. Our redemption cost all that God had to give, and everything worth having is expensive. Hard places are the very school of faith and character, and if we are to rise over mere human strength and prove the power of life divine in these mortal bodies, it must be through a process of conflict that may well be called the birth travail of a new life. It is the old figure of the bush that burned, but was not consumed, or of the Vision in the house of the Interpreter of the flame that would not expire, notwithstanding the fact that the demon ceaselessly poured water on it, because in the background stood an angel ever pouring oil and keeping the flame aglow. No, dear suffering child of God, you cannot fail if only you dare to believe, to stand fast and refuse to be overcome.
–Tract
In All Things
I could not help but see The Promise of Romans 8:28 in the following passage in Isaiah.
My life, the last 9 years, hath caused me to lean hard on the promise that all things work together for our good. Yes, even the hardest things like death and suffering.
If we are to be victorious in this life we must not give into the temptation of grumbling and complaining, doubt and fear- shaking our fists at God in anger and despair. We must remember that we are at war and there is an evil enemy around the corner. No, we must not live on fear! To the contrary- we must walk wisely and humbly with our Commander- The Lord Jesus. We are in His Army if we are His. He has promised us victory! We know the outcome! Rejoice then for our Saviour has won our victory!!
But, we must remember that He told us this sobering truth –
John 16:33
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
So if trouble with a capital T has found you- remember that Your loving, good and powerful God will use it for good and has promised you victory! Trust His words, though spoken many years ago, they will speak to your weary heart if you let them.
I choose Peace. Jonathan
Grain is crushed, though one certainly does not thresh it forever. The wheel of one’s wagon rolls over it, but his horses do not crush it. (Isa 28:28)
Many of us cannot be used to become food for the world’s hunger until we are broken in Christ’s hands. “Bread corn is bruised.” Christ’s blessing ofttimes means sorrow, but even sorrow is not too great a price to pay for the privilege of touching other lives with benediction. The sweetest things in this world today have come to us through tears and pain.
—J. R. Miller
God has made me bread for His elect, and if it be needful that the bread must be ground in the teeth of the lion to feed His children, blessed be the name of the Lord.
—Ignatius
“We must burn out before we can give out. We cease to bless when we cease to bleed.”
“Poverty, hardship and misfortune have pressed many a life to moral heroism and spiritual greatness. Difficulty challenges energy and perseverance. It calls into activity the strongest qualities of the soul. It was the weights on father’s old clock that kept it going. Many a head wind has been utilized to make port. God has appointed opposition as an incentive to faith and holy activity.
“The most illustrious characters of the Bible were bruised and threshed and ground into bread for the hungry. Abraham’s diploma styles him as ’the father of the faithful.’ That was because he stood at the head of his class in affliction and obedience.
“Jacob suffered severe threshings and grindings. Joseph was bruised and beaten and had to go through Potiphar’s kitchen and Egypt’s prison to get to his throne.
“David, hunted like a partridge on the mountain, bruised, weary and footsore, was ground into bread for a kingdom. Paul never could have been bread for Caesar’s household if he had not endured the bruising, whippings and stonings. He was ground into fine flour for the royal family.”
“Like combat, like victory. If for you He has appointed special trials, be assured that in His heart He has kept for you a special place. A soul sorely bruised is a soul elect.”
– from Streams In The Desert
