Obtaining Mercy

 

"…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!

 

 

When I read about the humaness of the disciples, I am encouraged.

 

They were confused by the words of Jesus:

"And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean." Mark 9:10

They were inconsistent in their serving:

"And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?" Mark 9:28

They were afraid to ask Him questions:

"But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him." Mark 9:32

 They were embarrassed by their desire for greatness:

"And he came to Capernaum: and being in the house he asked them, What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?
 But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest." Mark 9:34

If Jesus used this group of men – with all their frailties and failures – to begin his earthly ministry, and later allowed them to continue that work as missionaries and preachers, I have no doubt that He can use us too.

His ministry through us is in direct proportion to our submission to Him.

As we surrender our confusion, our weakness, our fear and our pride, He will use us for His glory.

What weakness is stopping you from serving Him?

Surrender it…and enter in to the joy of serving Jesus!

 

This quote from Streams in the Desert really ministered to my heart today, along with this wonderful verse, that I have somehow overlooked before.  I pray it is a blessing to you, too.

 

"And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true."

~John 10:41

 

"You may be very discontented with yourself. 

You are no genuis, have no brilliant gifts,

and are inconspicuous for any special faculty. 

Mediocrity is the law of your existence.

You days are remarkable for nothing,

but sameness and insipidity. 

Yet you may live a great life…

"We are doing more good than we know, sowing seeds, starting streamlets, giving men true thoughts of Christ, to which they will refer one day as the first things that started them thinking of Him…" ~George Matheson

 

May we never fail to speak true things of our Saviour!

 

 

"Little faith will bring your souls to Heaven,

but great faith will bring heaven to your souls."

~C.H. Spurgeon

He has enough of whatever we need…we just have to believe it!

 

"The very tabernacle of God was covered with badgers' skins…one would not think there would be any glory there.  The Shekinah of God was manifest under that kind of covering." ~C.H.P. (Streams in the Desert)

 

The inside of the tabernacle in the Old Testament held

beautiful materials of linen in blue, purple and scarlet;

fine vessels of gold;

lovely tables of solid wood;

decor of silver;  

veils of fine linen.

 

All of that beauty on the inside, covered by badgers' and rams' skins…

A rough exterior to hold a wondrous interior.

But God was there.

"And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat…" Exodus 25:22a

We come to see the magnificent beauty of God, often, in the distasteful things of life.

Let us not shy away from the hideous, but embrace it;

and find the glory of God where we least expect it.

 

Some days I read the Word, and it is not enough.  So, I read on, seeking an answer in its pages.

Other days, I read one verse, and it is too much.  My mind staggers at the promise, the reality, of all that God is.

On these days, I echo the father of the demon-possessed child in Mark 9:24 –

"And straightway the father of the child cried out, and saith with tears,

Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief."

We don't have to get it right – knowing the entirity of God's personality and wisdom.

We simply keep going to the Word, letting it fill our minds with It's truth.

His Holy Spirit gives us exactly what we need for each day.

Even when we don't understand, we still believe.