Obtaining Mercy

 

"For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;" Hebrews 3:14

 

"The problem of getting great things from God is being able to hold on for the last half hour." ~Selected from Streams in the Desert

 

"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry." Habakkuk 2:3

God's promises are not always swiftly kept,
    But they are surely kept! 
God moves at exactly the right time, every time.
.

 

 

"You will never learn faith in comfortable surroundings"~L.B. Cowman

 

"Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope.  This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me."  Psalm 119:49-50

 

Let despair drive you to the Word. 

Your faith will come alive as you trust in Him.

 

 

"He turned the sea into dry land; they went through the flood on foot :  there did we rejoice in him." Psalm 66:6

 

"How many there are who can endorse this as their experience: 

that "there", in their very seasons of distress and sadness,

they have been enabled, as they never did before,

to triump and rejoice."

~Dr. Macduff, Streams in the Desert

No matter where your "there" is…you can rejoice in the Lord today.

 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face;

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace.

~Helen H. Lemmel

 

 

 

"…in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;" Isaiah 49:2

"The photograph of His face can only be fixed in the dark chamber.

"But do not suppose that He has cast thee aside.  Thou art still in His quiver, He has not flung thee away as a worthless thing…" ~Meyer

 

Praise the Lord, He is holding me close, even in the darkness…I am hidden in His hand!

 

"Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon,  

Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught." Luke 5:4

"How far have we advanced into this river of life?  The Holy Sprit would have a complete self-effacement (modesty, constraint, humbleness, humility).  Not merely ankle-deep, knee-deep, loin-deep, but self-deep." ~J.G.M., Streams in the Desert

 

"…and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles." Ezekiel 47:3b

"…and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees." Ezekiel 47:4b

"…and brought me through; the waters were to the loins." Ezekiel 47:4c

"…and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over…Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river." Ezekiel 47:5b, 6b

In every instance, no matter how deep the water, God brought Ezekiel through…even when the water became a raging river, he was "caused" to "return to the brink of the river."

No matter how deep, He is with us. 

"How deep He does not say.  The depth into which we launch will depend upon how perfectly we have given up the shore…

"Jesus bids us launch.  He made us and He made the deep, and to its fathomless depths He has fitted our longings and capabilities." ~From Soul Food, Streams in the Desert

Have we given up the shore?

Have we launched out beyond our own abilities?

Are we "self-deep" in this river of God?

That gives me much to think on today. 🙂

 

"…let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually…"  Hebrews 13:15a

 

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;" II Corinthians 4:8

 

"These pains and troubles here are like the type wich the printers set; as they look now, we have to read them backwards, and they seem to have no sense or meaning in them;

but up yonder, when the Lord God prints us off in the life to come, we shall find they make brave reading."            ~Martin Luther on his sickbed

 

"And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest…And now I exhort you to be of good cheer" Acts 27:18a, 22a

One day, we will know the truth about every storm, every pain, every trial that we went through here on earth; and it will all make sense. 

We will see that God is a purposeful God.  He wastes no pain.  It all works for our good, and to His glory.

Keep on praising Him, my friend…even in the midst of your adversity!