worship

  • His sweetness in the great fish | update 3/16/2011

     
    Previously I’d written that I felt like Jonah, put into a time of waiting over the past several months.

    On and off over the past several years, not just the last several months, I’ve felt like I’ve been in a great fish . . . much of that time was God’s loving discipline to me because of my own sinfulness and impetuousness, impatience, my stubbornness and unwillingness to trust and yield to Him in our last church.

    Jonah 2:3  For you cast me into the deep,
    into the heart of the seas,
    and the flood surrounded me;
    all your waves and your billows
    passed over me…



    10  And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.


    And now, in God’s ordained way and time, like Jonah, I too am now being vomited out of the fish . . .

    I really do want to give you more of an update what God has been doing, but I have to say it really pales in comparison to His continuing persevering lovingkindness and mercies that followed me ALL the days of life, including all those days when I doubted and despaired, even those days when I questioned and shook my fist and my head at His workings.

    Psalm 23:6  (paraphrased)
    SURELY
    goodness and mercy
    HAS FOLLOWED me
    ALL the days of my life,
    EVERY MOMENT
    in the deep,
    in the seas,
    in the flood,
    in the waves,
    in the billows,
    EVERY MOMENT
    in the belly of the great fish…
    where even there
    EVERY MOMENT
    I dwelt in the house of the LORD,
    for all who are His dwell in His house forever!

    For where could I have gone that He did not go with me?
    (See Psalm 139:7-12)

    Isaiah 52:12b
    for the LORD will go before you,
    and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

    I keep finding my heart drawn out in love to God in the past couple days for all He has done in light of the wilderness journey He has had me on for several years. “Drawn out” is the only phrase I have for it. I can’t express it. I never used that word before in regard to my experiential understanding of the love of God for me in Jesus Christ.

    My hopes and dreams were broken and shattered.
    I was broken and shattered.
    I felt put to shame on many occasions.

    And yet . . .

    Isaiah 49:23 those who wait for me shall not be put to shame…

    Job 5:18  For he wounds, but he binds up;
    he shatters, but his hands heal.

    Those moments
    in the deep,
    in the seas,
    in the flood,
    in the waves,
    in the billows
    in the belly of the great fish…

    No, *I* would not have chosen them,
    but in His loving wisdom to me,
    my loving heavenly Father chose them for me
    because I am His chosen child
    and He loves me.

    Hebrews 12:6
    For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and chastises every son whom he receives.

    We cannot say we really know the love of God if we do not know and accept His discipline.
    (Every son – every one He loves – no exceptions!)

    Job 5:17  Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves;
    therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty.
    18  For he wounds, but he binds up;
    he shatters, but his hands heal.

    We cannot say we know the blessing of God if we do not know the reproof of God.
    We cannot say we know the binding and healing of God if we do not know the wounding and shattering of God.

    Because of His discipline toward me, I count Him as more precious.

    God’s refining work in His servants is as important as our work done as His servants.
    (I will even say it is even more important.)

    For how many words I usually have, how can I express or speak of His inexpressible, unspeakable Gift!

    God cast me into the deep . . . so I might begin to know the deep things of God!

    God cast me into the heart of the seas . . . so I might begin to know the heart of His love for me in the midst of His discipline!

    God cast me into the flood . . . so I might begin to cry out for Him to pour floods of His Spirit into my thirsty soul!

    God cast me into the waves . . . so I might begin to know His waves of mercy in light of my exceeding sinfulness of sin!

    God cast me into the billows . . . so I might begin to billow forth with songs of thanksgiving and praise to Him!

    Thank God for His persevering grace to His children, to Jonahs like me!

    I am overwhelmed at God’s continuing goodnesses to me in light of my continuing stubbornness and unbelief, and so I acknowledge here that IN ALL OF THAT TIME IN THE FISH, FOR EVERY MOMENT IN THE FISH WAS FOR MY GOOD AND HIS GLORY!

    Psalm 119
    65  You have dealt well with your servant,
    O LORD, according to your word.
    66  Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
    for I believe in your commandments.
    67  Before I was afflicted I went astray,
    but now I keep your word.
    68  You are good and do good;
    teach me your statutes.
    69  The insolent smear me with lies,
    but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;
    70  their heart is unfeeling like fat,
    but I delight in your law.
    71  It is good for me that I was afflicted,
    that I might learn your statutes.
    72  The law of your mouth is better to me
    than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

    In my Bible next to Hebrews 11:6, “He is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him,” a few years back I had written:

    “The rewards are bittersweet.”

    This morning I woke up thinking of the time I’d written that, but then I was rebuked and all but shouted out, “No, no! The rewards are NOT bittersweet – the rewards are sweet! Wholly sweet!” As the Psalmist said, God is good and does good! When is there a time that God is not good? When is there a time that God does not do good? Oh, yes, it seemed bittersweet to me at times (it is true that the discipline of the Lord often seems grievous and painful to us, rather than pleasant), and I confess there are times it even in retrospect it still does seem to be, but know this: our God can give His children NOTHING BUT SWEETNESS. Nothing but sweetness! For Jesus Christ IS nothing but sweetness to us! Hallelujah!

    Song of Solomon 2
    3  As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,
    so is my beloved among the young men.
    With great delight I sat in his shadow,
    and his fruit was sweet to my taste,
    4  He brought me to the banqueting house,
    and his banner over me was love.

    Was there a day, or even a moment, when His banner over me was not love? No, there was not!
    That banner of love includes our Father’s discipline.

    I confess there were times I did not sit with great delight in that chastening time in the great fish! I hope and pray that as I am disciplined in the future (for I certainly will be!), that by God’s grace I will be able to sit with great delight there and be able to taste that His fruit is sweet to me even there and be assured that His banner over me continues to be love – from henceforth and forevermore! He has loved His children with an everlasting love! We were loved in Christ Jesus before time began! God’s discipline is not separating us FROM His love, it is drawing us INTO a greater experiential understanding of His love – to eat of His sweet fruit! Hallelujah! I hope and pray all of you who are Christ’s are enabled to come into a greater understanding of God’s love for you through His discipline toward you.

    Job 5:17  Behold, blessed is the one whom God reproves;
    therefore despise not the discipline of the Almighty.

    Hebrews 12:5 “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
    nor be weary when reproved by him.
    6  For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and chastises every son whom he receives.”

  • “To keep the lamp alive with oil we fill the bowl”

    Dear friends in Christ,

    I’d hoped to update you last night, but didn’t have opportunity to do so. I do want to let you know I’m about to leave for a couple day retreat, and I would appreciate prayers for me, in particular for clear leading regarding the opportunity I have at our church (for more on that, please see the end of my last post).

    William Cowper’s hymn “Dependence” wonderfully expresses my heart this morning, and I hope yours at well. May we always see that we are wholly  dependent on the Lord so we might continue to ask for Him to fill us with His fullness and His Spirit to overflowing – and then once we are filled, that we might return and again and again and ask again and again. He will in no wise cast us out! We are but poor beggars but He welcomes us as His sons and daughters and delights to lavish His unsearchable riches on us! We live from grace to grace. Let us continue to avail ourselves of His grace poured out through Jesus Christ at the cross and now through His Spirit who dwells within us.

    LXII. DEPENDENCE.

    To keep the lamp alive,
    With oil we fill the bowl;
    ‘Tis water makes the willow thrive,
    And grace that feeds the soul.

    The Lord’s unsparing hand
    Supplies the living stream;
    It is not at our own command,
    But still derived from him.

    Beware of Peter’s word,
    Nor confidently say,
    “I never will deny thee, Lord,”
    But, “Grant I never may!”

    Man’s wisdom is to seek
    His strength in God alone;
    And e’en an angel would be weak,
    Who trusted in his own.

    Retreat beneath his wings,
    And in his grace confide;
    This more exalts the King of kings
    Than all your works beside.

    In Jesus is our store,
    Grace issues from his throne;
    Whoever says, “I want no more,”
    Confesses he has none.

    Along with Charles Wesley, I continue to find myself lost in wonder, love and praise, and with George Whitefield I cannot comprehend His love for me but  only adore!

    All by His grace and of His grace, all to His glory and His praise alone,
    Karen

  • Trust, delight, commit (Psalm 37:3-5)

    LORD, thank You for showing me
    it is much more fun and much more freeing and much more fruitful
    to let You run the universe
    rather than trying to do it myself in vain.

    Psalms 37:3: Trust in the LORD, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

    Psalms 37:4: Delight yourself in the LORD,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

    Psalms 37:5: Commit your way to the LORD;
    trust in him, and he will act.

    LORD, remind me, when I am tempted to take things into my own hands.

    Help me to
    trust in You,
    delight myself in You,
    commit my way to You.

    Your Word is true.
    You are not a man that You can lie.
    You are ever faithful, ever true.

    II Corinthians 1:20: For all the promises of God find their Yes in him.
    That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

    Psalms 25:3: Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame…

    Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.