On Anxiety

But when once the light of Divine Providence has illumined the believer's soul, he is relieved and set free, not only from the extreme fear and anxiety which formerly oppressed him, but from all care. For as he justly shudders at the idea of chance, so he can confidently commit himself to God. This, I say, is his comfort, that his heavenly Father so embraces all things under his power—so governs them at will by his nod—so regulates them by his wisdom, that nothing takes place save according to his appointment; that received into his favour, and entrusted to the care of his angels neither fire, nor water, nor sword, can do him harm, except in so far as God their master is pleased to permit. (John Calvin, Institues of the Christian Religion, 1.17.11.)

Carson on Suffering

Over the last few years I've read and studied a fair amount on the subject of suffering. One of the best books out there is Carson's, How Long, O Lord? It is steeped with thoughtful, straight forward, Biblical advice and encouragement. I highly recommend it. One issue I see that comes to the forefront repeatedly is that of "what I deserve." Perhaps it's our age of medical advancement and/or prosperity but many of us seem to think we shouldn't suffer. We shouldn't be sick and if we get sick we need healing immediately. If we suffer some kind of emotional or financial loss loss we need to be able to recover without feeling the pain. "I deserve to be happy and pain free." Carson explains that that just isn't the case,

In fact we believe that sin properly deserves the wrath of God, then when we experience the sufferings of this world, all of them the consequences of human rebellion, we will be less quick to blame God and a lot quicker to recognize that we have no fundamental right to expect a life of unbroken ease and comfort. From the biblical perspective, it is because of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed (pg. 44).

Baxter on Joy

What a great quote:

I desire the dejected Christian to consider, that by his heavy and uncomfortable life, he seemeth to the world to accuse God and His service, as if he openly called Him a rigorous, hard, unacceptable Master, and His work a sad unpleasant thing. I know this is not your thoughts: I know it is yourselves, and not God and His service that offendeth you; and that you walk heavily not because you are holy, but because you fear you are not holy, and because you are no more holy. . . . If you see a servant always sad, that was wont to be merry while he served another master, will you not think that he hath a master that displeaseth him? . . . You are born and new born for God’s honor; and will you thus dishonor Him before the world? What do you (in their eyes) but dispraise Him by your very countenance and carriage? - Richard Baxter

On Adversity

On accepting adversity Margaret Clarkson wrote, Always it is initiated by an act of will on our part; we set ourselves to believe in the over-ruling goodness, providence and sovereignty of God and refuse to turn aside...no matter how we feel. (Margaret Clarkson, Grace Grows Best in Winter, page 21.) Thus, we must do our part in accepting and working through our difficult providences. We must have the knowledge of God (knowing He is good, loving gentle merciful, etc.) and then choose to trust Him or our feelings. Where do you stand today, are you trusting your feelings or are you trusting our Sovereign Lord?

Charnock on the Lord's Supper

He has left us this dark glass, wherein we may see His face till He return with a full glory; and is it an affection to Him never to look upon His picture, the medal of Himself, wherein He has engraver the tracks of His dying love, all that He did, all that He purchased, all His fullness, all His treasures. . . . ? Well, but we may remember Christ other ways without this ceremony? We may, but do we? - Stephen Charnock

Confession of Sin

Below was our confession of sin this morning. I was blessed by it.

Father in heaven, we confess our sin of trying to heal ourselves. Instead of trusting in the death of Jesus Christ, we have tried to work off our guilt and pile up good deeds that outweigh our sins. Quickly frustrated, we have turned to denial and distraction. Instead of trusting in the resurrection of Christ, we have tried to change through our own efforts. We have tried to transform our hearts through sheer willpower. This has left some of us arrogant and the rest of us anxious and depressed. Forgive us for trying to heal ourselves. Forgive us for neglecting your grace. Father, forgive us and heal us, for Jesus’ sake.

On Holiness

Pray not only against the power of sin, but for the power of holiness also. A haughty heart may pray against his sins, not out of any inward enmity to them, or love to holiness, but because they are troublesome guests to his conscience. His zeal is false that seems hot against sin, but is key–cold to holiness. A city is rebellious that keeps their rightful Prince out, though it receives not his enemy in. - William Gurnall

Constant Communion

To be in constant communion with the Lord, and to be habitually and frequently in meditation over the truth is its own reward. - George Muller

Rutherford - The Devil is but a Whetstone

Samuel Rutherford

Not one ounce, not one grain-weight more is laid on me than he hath enabled me to bare...Faith hath cause to take courage from our very afflictions; the devil is but a whetstone to sharpen the faith and patience of the saint. (Samuel Rutherford, The Loveliness of Christ, Banner of Truth, page 72.)

Perseverance and Patience in Prayer

George Mueller had this to say about prayer:

George Muelller

I am now, in 1864, waiting upon God for certain blessings, for which I have daily besought Him for 19 years and 6 months, without one day's intermission. Still the full answer is not yet given concerning the conversion of certain individuals. In the meantime, I have received many thousands of answers to prayer. I have also prayed daily, without intermission, for the conversion of other individuals about ten years, for others six or seven years, for others four, three and two years, for others about eighteen months; and still the answer is not yet granted, concerning the persons [whom I have prayed for nineteen-and-a-half years]... Yet I am daily continuing in prayer and expecting the answer...Be encouraged, dear Christian reader, with fresh earnestness to give yourself to prayer, if you can only be sure that you ask for things which are for the glory of God. (George Mueller, Autobiography of George Mueller, Nisbet and Co., page 296.)

Flavel on Guidance II

John Flavel

If therefore, in doubtful cases, you would discover God’s will, govern yourselves in your search after it by these rules:
1. Get the true fear of God upon your hearts; be really afraid of offending Him.
2. Study the Word more, and the concerns and interests of the world less.
3. Reduce what you know into practice, and you shall know what is your duty to practice.
4. Pray for illumination and direction in the way that you should go.
5. And this being done, follow Providence as far as it agrees with the Word, and no farther. - John Flavel

Suffering in the Western Church

In a response to his previous post on the Big Issues Facing the Western Church, Tim Keller responds with to one area where we as a church are severly deficient:

We must develop a far better theology of suffering. Members of churches in the west are caught absolutely flat-footed by suffering and difficulty. This is a major problem, especially if we are facing greater 'liminality'--social marginalization--and maybe more economic and social instability. There are a great number of books on 'why does God allow evil?' but they mainly are aimed at getting God off the hook with impatient western people who believe God's job is to give them a safe life. The church in the west must mount a great new project--of producing a people who are prepared to endure in the face of suffering and persecution.

Here, too, is one of the ways we in the west can connect to the new, growing world Christianity. We tend to think about 'what we can do for them.' But here's how we let them do something for us. Many or most of the church in the rest of the world is used to suffering and persecution. They have a kind of faith that does not wilt, but rather grows stronger under threat. We need to become students of theirs in this area.

This gives us much food for thought. We need to dig in and partake of the Bread of Life when suffering comes are way. We need to have courage and face are worst foes. Life is usually not about enjoyment, more often it is about suffering and we need to provide the means for a sinful world to see its Saviour.