God, contentment, and me

So, last night was the ladies fellowship and Kelly shared her testimony.  It was so good if you weren't able to be there.  But I wanted to share some things that really convicted and encouraged me for those of you who weren't able to attend last night.

This is a poem from her notes--It is taken from the devotional Steams in the Desert.

My goal is God Himself, not joy, nor peace,

Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God;

Tis His to lead me there, not mine, but His-

At any cost, dear Lord, by any road!

So faith abounds forward to its goal in God,

And love can trust her Lord to lead her there;

Upheld by Him, my soul is following hard

Til God hath full fulfilled my deepest prayer.

No matter if the way be sometimes dark,

No matter though the cost be oft times great,

He knoweth how I best shall reach the mark,

The way that leads to Him must needs be straight.

One thing I know, I cannot say Him nay;

One thing I do, I press towards my Lord;

My God, my glory here, from day to day,

And in the glory there my great Reward.

So good, so convicting in whatever trial or storm you are going through right now.  God should be our ultimate joy and goal.  He is all we need--and even if we lose everything we hold dear He is enough, He will always be enough.  God is doing a work in your life and making you look more like Him.  He is fulfilling your "deepest prayer" and it is beautiful, though sometimes hard.  Trust in Him during this time, He is good and gracious and loving.  He promises to give us the strength to get through anything and everything that comes our way.

Psalm 57 says,

Be merciful to me O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, til the storms of destruction pass by.  I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.  He will send from Heaven and save me; He will put to shame him who tramples on me.  God will send out His steadfast love and His faithfulness..... (vs 10) for Your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.  Be exalted I God above the heavens!  Let Your glory be over all the earth.

God is merciful and He is our refuge.  We should run to Him in time of need or hurt.  He is our comforter.  He has began a good work in you and He will complete it (Phil. 1:6).

This is a quote from John Piper, from the book Future Grace,

Answers to prayer can come inside the circle of a prayer denied.  God gives us trouble, but in the midst of a grace denied we got a grace supplied.  I am learning to trust God's wisdom in giving the grace that is best for me.  We should not be surprised that God gives us wonderful graces in the midst of suffering that we had asked Him to spare us.  He knows best how to apportion His grace for our good and for His glory.

SO GOOD!  Sometimes God empties our hands of something so that He can fill it with something even better--usually Himself.  We are called to trust Him... and know that He knows best.  He is our Creator and He knows what we need. He knows what will be best for us and make us look more like Him.  What a wonderful truth to cling to in times of struggle and hardship.

Another poem from Streams in the Desert that Kelly shared last night,

I had a tiny box, a precious box

Of human love - my spikenard of great price;

I kept it close within my heart of hearts

And scarce would lift the lid lest it should waste

Its perfume on the air.  One day a strange

Deep sorrow came with crushing weight, and fell

Upon my costly treasure, sweet and rare

And broke the box to atoms.  All my heart

Rose in dismay and sorrow at this waste,

But as I mourned, behold a miracle

Of grace Divine.  My human love was changed

To Heaven's own, and poured in healing streams

On other broken hearts, while soft and clear

A voice above me whispered, "Child of Mine,

With comfort wherewith thou are comforted,

From this time forth, go comfort others,

And thou shalt know the blest fellowship with Me,

Whose broken heart of love hath healed the world."

Give your treasure to Him.  Surrender it all.  He will use it in ways you could never imagine, to glorify Himself and to bring you more joy.

1 Peter 5 says,

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you...And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Have hope, trust God, and be comforted.  God is at work... cast all your burdens at the foot of the cross.  In His own perfect timing He will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.  He promises it, so He will do it.  Wait on the Lord.  Wait patiently and find your joy in Him.

~Praying that God is honored and worshiped more.