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From B.C. to A.D., Genesis to Revelation
Posted by SelahV in Uncategorized
SIN HAS RULED AND GRACE HAS REIGNED SUPREME.
GOD HAS SHOWN HIMSELF FAITHFUL.
He is faithful to His word. Ask Noah. He is faithful to His promises. Ask Abraham. He is faithful to His call upon our lives. Ask Moses. Never does He lead us where He will not keep us. Ask Joshua. Even in the clouds of uncertainty, the turmoils of confusion, God is with us. Ask Moses. What we may not feel does not alter the reality of His presence. Ask David. What we may not understand, does not change the wisdom of His plan. Ask Elijah.
There are times in a Believer’s life when we feel abandoned, forsaken, ignored. There are times we find those we love coping with the same feelings. Ask Paul. There are times we find ourselves in a lonely desolate place struggling to draw our next breath. Ask Mary and Martha. There are times we are frightened and doubt all we’ve learned. Ask Thomas. There are times we are tempted to do the unthinkable, to give into our flesh, our pride and allegiance. Ask Peter.
“A man cannot be used greatly of God until he has hurt deeply.” A.W. Tozer.
What do we do when someone we love and care for is hurting?
It’s not the pain of failing health. You cannot suggest a doctor. It’s that deep gnawing pain within the deepest part of one’s soul. It’s the agony so gripping that the heart feels as though it will explode from the expanse of it. It’s the darkness that overshadows even a glimpse of hope or possibility. Have you ever been there?
I have. And when a friend emailed to share that she was going through that hour of despair, my mind immediately heard God’s voice. “Fear not.” For I AM with her.
I longed to reach across the 900-plus miles and embrace her pain and hold her. I wanted to let her cry it out. I wanted to be near her to walk along a wooded pathway and silently hold her hand. I wanted to lend my ear and let her share. I wanted to be a balm of Gilead for her. But I couldn’t. Limited by time and space, I could only pray and trust that the Lord would be all she needed in this difficult moment, her hour of need.
Transition is a difficult thing. Change is inevitable. But change forced upon us by flesh-driven Christians rips our hearts to shreds at times. I want to cry out like David that the Lord destroy the works of those who harm her and beat upon her Spirit. I want to call down the fire from Heaven, like the Sons of Thunder. But I cannot. God would rebuke me for such prayer as quickly as he rebuked Peter for drawing his sword. God has a purpose for this–He will guide her. He will strengthen her. He will meet her mountains with His grace. And He will carry her through the deep waters and restoreth her soul. Of this I am certain. For it is written:
“Who hath delivered us from no great a death, and doth deliver; in Whom we trust that He will YET deliver us.” II Corinthians 1:10 Emphasis mine. selahV
In the past month I have received more requests for prayer than I can recall I’ve ever received. From Australia to China, from Texas to New York, from just around the corner to a neighboring town. Deaths. Persecution. Tragedy. Divorce. Grief.
It seems there are many folks who are either hurting or know someone who is hurting. And for all the wisdom, resources and desire I have, I cannot do a thing about their hurting. I sit in my world and ponder my usefulness. I contemplate the call of believers to reach out to brothers and sisters in need of us. I long to make the difference in their lives and know I cannot. I sometimes feel an emptiness that contradicts the hope in my mind.
Yet, I cling to the faith within me that all will persevere, and those I love will endure. I write words of encouragement. I send prayers in black and white so they know I mean it when I say I will pray for them. I do not hesitate. I do it then. On the spot. Then I pray without ceasing for the needs in their lives and recall the promises of God. I claim them; I memorize them. They are shields against assault–a defense against the hope I have in the faithfulness of God.
In the difficulty of the day, we wrestle with principalities and realms of darkness and emplore the Lord for assistance. We seek our Lord on our knees in brokenness and shame, we raise our voices in wordless prayer. Our Spirit makes intercession for us. Then we commit ourselves and our concerns to Him once again.
“For I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.” Pause and think about it.
I believe God brings us to these desert times to remind us of our only need–HIM. Our rest is in Him. Our hope is in Him. Our love is in Him. Our future is in Him. Our provision is in Him. He will keep all that I commit to Him any time I bring it to Him. He will fill up my soul with His refreshment and grant me His peace which the world cannot give.
Grace, grace, marvelous grace; a grace that is greater than all my sin. Sufficient is our Lord. The Alpha and Omega, from Genesis to Revelation, God is with us and God is faithful. Before Christ and after the death of Christ, until Christ returns to reward us for what we have done in the flesh, God is faithful. Praise Him, all you people! Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord! selahV
[copyrighted, SelahV Today, 2008]
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Thank your for these sacred words. To many people the Old Testament is no longer relevant to our lives. However, I find that to be completely untrue. I so relate to those characters of old. Those men and women who were asked to do terribly brave things for God; yet they doubted and hurt at the same time. They were human–just like me.
In time, our hurts do pass on because are carried up on eagle’s wing to a higher plain. The suffering is left in a pit and joy is renewed in our hearts. BUT, waiting for the rescue is the difficult part, isn’t it?
SelahV,
The pen with which you write is filled from Him with liquid grace. The smears of ink on your own hand mark well the dead giveaway that what you write, you’ve lived…from what you’ve lived, you’ve reaped…from what you’ve reaped, you now sow. Sow, sister.
With that, I am…
Peter
SelahV
Thanks. May God continue to bless you as you bless others.
Bro. Robin
ENCOURAGED!!!- My friday night study pndered the question posed by Jesus in Luke 18; “Will I find faith on the Earth?” Well, dear sister, you model it well and express morsels for our benefit. THank you.
Chris
Dear Karen, without the Old testament we’d have no prophecies for which to validate the Sovereign Hand of God for the virgin birth, the crucifixion, the resurrection, the law fulfilled, references of Christ our Lord, or much of what Paul wrote to us in his many letters. Without the Old Testament, we’d have no “in the beginning” what God created, we’d have no examples of faith so clearly spelled out in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews and the balm of the Psalms God’s annointed poured out to give us comfort, consolation and hope. Without the Old Testament we’d have no wisdom from Solomon’s Proverbs or the almighty Sovereign grace of God’s sufficiency from the book of Job.
Indeed, those who’d claim the Old Testament is not relevant, need to have their heads examined to see if their brain cells are multiplying, dividing or dying by the second. selahV
Peter, thank you my dear brother in Christ. To you I owe so much of what I write today. For without you, I’d still be a clouded grief-stricken puddle on the floor or a vapor in the heaven above. “Write” you exhorted, “write.” “Keep on,” you encouraged, “Keep on.” “God will keep you and hold you no matter what satan disguises the world to be,” you comforted. Thank you my brother. Thank you. selahV
Robin, you too, my brother, you too. Hoping to meet you at your Baptist Distinctives Conference in February, Lord willing. selahV
Chris, may the morsels I offer fill you with the manna only God can provide. May your faith increase and show itself proven soon. selahV
SelahV,
I’m not sure, but I think you were trying to say that God is faithful
Wondeful writing.
Cyle
SelahV,
A great article. I’m glad that I set aside other things to read it. It lifts me up.
I thank you my friend for the post. The A.W. Tozer comment I have always personally hated – but realize it’s significance when I am hurting. God bless you for sharing from your journey to relate with ours.
Rob
CYLE…, was I too verbose in my message?
BART…
praying things are going well for you. I’m glad it met the goal I intended for you.
ROB…
that Tozer quote has always been tough for me to swallow, too. But so much of the greats in the Bible validate it. And some of the most deeply devoted spiritual giants I have known in my lifetime have been through fires beyond any I could imagine to come through at all, much less unsinged. Thanks for your comment and for fielding comments on that “other” post. whew! selahV