This week I read about Madam Guyon, a Christian woman who lived in France during the reign of Louis XIV. She suffered abusive treatment and incredible losses during her life yet was able to say, “Thou hast ordered these things, O my God, for my salvation! In goodness Thou hast afflicted me. Enlightened by the result, I have since clearly seen, that these dealings of Thy providence were necessary, in order to make me die to my vain and haughty nature.”
This week I’ve also talked with Christians who have enjoyed great prosperity and protection. From all appearances, it seems as if they have never suffered at all. Yet I know they too have had affliction in their lives as God works to make them more like Jesus.
These bring mixed emotions. In me, that is in my flesh, I would like the sweet attitude of Madam Guyon without any of the losses she experienced. I would like the prosperity without the affliction. But then I would not experience God’s power to deliver.
Then the LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people . . . and have heard their cry. . . . I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them. . . .” (Exodus 3:7–8)
God delivers in several ways. As one described it, sometimes He removes the boulders from life’s stream, but sometimes He just gives us deeper water.
While most of us would like the rocks removed, learning how to rise above them is what produces the attitude of people like Madam Guyon. For her and for many, there is a measure of deliverance in just knowing that God knows. He understands the way that I take. He knows the state of my soul, the pull of the flesh and the spirit’s desire to be like Jesus. I can come to Him and He not only acknowledges all that is happening, He also knows what to do about it.
As Spurgeon puts it, God is my Physician and I am His patient. I don’t need to analyze the disease, the symptoms or even the medicine He dispenses. This is His work. Mine is to trust and His is to prescribe. Even when I cannot read the handwriting of His prescription, I can rely on His skill, take the medicine and know that He will use it to heal me.
God is also my Master. He knows what He is doing, but I, as His servant, need to trust His knowledge, not judge or second-guess Him. “The servant knows not what his lord does.” As His servant, my role is to take orders, trusting Him with the reasons and the results.
In the same way, an architect does not explain his plans to every carpenter on the job nor does a potter explain his design to the clay on the wheel. The designer knows his intent. I cannot guess God’s pattern any more than a brush can figure out what the artist is painting. Instead, I must let Him do His work without protest. He keeps me in a need-to-know state to help my faith mature.
Another analogy is that Jesus Christ is the Head and I am part of the body. The head makes the plans, does the thinking. Body parts do not have brains. In a healthy body, they simply do as they are told. With these examples, I understand that I must not compare myself to other patients, other servants, other works of art. He has purpose for my life and I must trust Him with that, not wish I were like someone else.
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Thank You God for these analogies about childlike trust. You have a plan for my life. Now and then I catch glimpses of it, but for the most part, I’m more like the little one in the back seat of the family car. I could keep asking, “Are we there yet?” but You would be happier if I trusted You concerning the route we are taking and Your timing for the trip. You want me to trust and obey You — then simply enjoy the ride.
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With all our rain, we have enjoyed spectacular rainbows. Some are double and a full arc. One shone in the western sky after a thundershower at dawn. During the past year I’ve seen one rainbow that had no sky in the background; it was below the clouds and mountain tops. Years ago, our family saw a silver bow created at night by the light of the moon after a storm. So beautiful!
As a quilter, I note the rainbow colors as they move from deep purple to bright yellow. This is like the color wheel upon which artists, designers and quilters base their combinations. All this is from God, but when He created the rainbow, it had an even greater purpose than signaling the end of a storm or inspiring artists.
And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.” (Genesis 9:12–17)
Today’s devotional reading focuses on the parts of this passage that declare it is not up to me to look at the rainbow and remember God’s covenant and promise. Instead, it is God who looks and remembers the promises He has made. While He does not need a reminder for that, we need to know that a rainbow was created as a sign or reminder for us — so we know that He is watching and remembering. With even something as ordinary as rainfall, He is thinking about His covenant and His promise.
There are other promises like this one. When the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt and God sent plagues to convince Pharaoh to let them go, the last one was the most terrible. An angel of death would pass over the land, but if anyone (including the Egyptians) killed a flawless lamb and put the blood of the lamb all around the door of their homes, the firstborn in that home would be spared. Notice the wording:
The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:13)
God did not tell the people to look at the blood and be saved. He said that they would be saved when He looked at the blood.
Of course this prefigures the salvation that is in the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His blood was shed for my sin, and while looking at Jesus gives me great joy and comfort, my salvation is about God looking at Jesus and seeing that blood that covers all my transgressions.
God cannot judge sin when He looks at His Son because that sin has already been punished in Him. Nor does He make that incredible salvation dependent upon me and my looking. Faith is required to enter into His saving grace, but salvation was and is secured by God alone.
I need to remember this covenant of grace and am able to do so because of His grace to me, but my safety and security as His child who has escaped the angel of death is because God looks at the blood of His Son and passes over me. I am not and will not be destroyed, not because of what I do, but because of what God sees.
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Father, sometimes Your Spirit fills me with such a deep sense of my sinfulness that I wonder how You could possibly continue to love me and keep Your promises to take me to glory. Selfish ideas and motives seem to be stronger with each day, yet today You say again, “Salvation is not about you.” I am saved because of what Jesus has done. My life is hid in His so that when You look my direction, You see Him and His blood shed for me.
Thank You for the image of the lamb and the blood on the doorposts. Thank You also for the more visible image in the sky after a rain. The next time I see a rainbow, I will think of Your covenant with Noah and that You will not judge the earth with water as You did then, but please remind me that as I gaze at this beautiful bow in the sky, You are looking at it also — and remembering.
In our part of the world, it rained so much last month that when I went out, I didn’t know whether to take an umbrella or a canoe! August is a most welcome month as it brings more settled weather. It hasn’t rained for at least 36 hours and the sky today is clear.
Storms are often used in the Bible as a metaphor for the trials of life. However, what the disciples experienced on the sea of Galilee with Jesus was no metaphor.
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”(Matthew 8:23–27)
Today’s devotional reading points out that for parts of life there are no storm, no crisis, and during those times, we do our human best. However, when a crisis arises, we instantly reveal upon whom we rely.
This is so true. If my trust in God only goes up to a certain point, trouble will produce those basic panic prayers like those prayed by people who do not know God. This reveals that I am not really trusting that Jesus controls the world and the affairs of my life. Instead, for me He seems to be asleep and I can see nothing but high waves ahead. If I am relying on myself and suddenly find that I have no resources, I panic. I see others do the same, just as the disciples did.
Jesus said that they had little faith, yet they did not stay that way. As they walked with Him, their faith increased. It is the same for His people today. Through His Word and our experiences with Him, our faith grows. As I learn to worship and trust Him, then a crisis ought to reveal that even when I come to a breaking point, my confidence in Him remains firm.
The devotional says God expects His children to be so confident in Him that in any crisis we are the reliable ones. That means that we not only give joy to Him because of our faith, but we also become an anchor for others. Even if my faith in God is not shared by someone else who is in trouble, I’ve had people say that they like to hang around me because, “you are so stable.”
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Lord, I know You are my anchor in storms and the solid rock upon which I stand. I’m totally astounded and humbled that others would see me as a solid place for them when they panic. This is so amazing because when I am relying on You the most, I am also the most deeply aware of my weaknesses. Because of You, even when I feel like a useless pile of mush, others can see me as their source of stability. You again impress me with the importance of trusting You — all the time, no matter what happens, and particularly during storms.
John Piper calls it “future grace.” This refers to the promises of God that will happen in the future, but that give His people encouragement for the present time. This amazing grace is expressed in these verses.
Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16–17)
Christians are sometimes accused of a “pie in the sky” religion that gets us thinking about heaven to the point that we are no earthly good. There is nothing like that expressed in Scripture. As the above verses say, our eternal comfort and good hope have a purpose; it establishes our hearts so that we can speak and do good things.
This is practical. Today I woke up with a sore throat and feeling like I didn’t want to get out of bed. Thoughts of God began drifting into my mind, thoughts that came from Him. I know this because if left to my own, I’d quickly succumb to self-pity. I got up and ready for the day, then began reading the Bible. I was reminded of how I was lost in sin and am now blessed by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
As I read these verses in 2 Thessalonians, I thought about the promises of God for eternity — where there will be no more tears, sickness or sorrow. A smile formed. Those aches didn’t vanish, but they didn’t seem so pressing. Instead of thinking about myself, the Holy Spirit put other ideas in my head — thoughts of the goodness of God and thoughts about how I can honor Him today.
Simple? Yes, but important. When I am thinking about myself, this is continually reflected in my words, such as complaining, bragging, or whatever else points to me. When I’m thinking about God — and this happens because of His grace — then I can speak to the needs and interests of others, even telling them or showing them the love of God, a totally different approach to life.
The joy and promise of some day being with Jesus fills my head with thanksgiving and worship. Those thoughts produce different words and actions than thinking about the pains and pressures of life. This is what the Bible says they should do. That means faith is never pie-in-the-sky. Instead, it puts my head in the right place. Besides comfort, the love and hope that comes through grace is entirely practical.
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God, You are amazing. Just thinking about heaven and the delights of eternal life that You promise has given me great encouragement for this day. I’m not sure what You have in mind, but I thank You for putting my mind on You. I know that no matter what the day will bring, You will take care of my body. Thank You for also taking care of my heart. Instead of being wrapped up feeling sorry for myself, You have wrapped me in Your grace and comfort!
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Watching scenes of looting and chaos in England brings feelings of dismay, even outrage. One image showed a couple with a small child simply trying to go home through a group of masked hooligans raising their fists at the police.
No doubt some of the people suffering because of this anarchy are Christians. While God can protect His people from such things, this may not happen. Throughout church history, suffering even dominates for God says, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:12–13)
However, not all suffering is because of godliness. Sometimes people hate us because of what we believe, but we can also suffer because we have done something foolish ourselves. The Bible instructs about this contrast and adds another element . . .
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. (1 Peter 4:12–19)
My devotional for today points out that anyone who chooses suffering has something amiss in their thinking. No healthy Christian ever chooses suffering. Instead, we choose God’s will as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. This is a learned discipline, learned because it takes time to realize that God intends ultimate good for us and that we glorify Him in all situations.
However, we can also suffer because God is using it to change our lives. Accepting and profiting from this requires discipline and humility in my own heart. It also requires discernment when God uses suffering to shape other people, or to draw them to Himself when nothing else seems to do it. I need to realize that I cannot dare interfere with His discipline in the life of another.
For some, this is terribly difficult. Graced with compassion and a desire that others are happy and feel good, some Christians can barely watch the television news, never mind consider that another Christian is “suffering according to God’s will.” Yet as I think of my own struggles with sin and suffering, I realize that God is pleased when His people grasp His way of using suffering to make other saints strong and mature for God.
When I suffer, those who do me the most good never sympathize or pity me. Such a response turns my heart inward to do the same and tempts me to self-pity. Even Jesus rebuked this attitude. When He explained to His disciples that He would suffer and die, “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.’”
Anyone might think this is an encouraging word, but Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”(Matthew 16:22–23)
Most of the time, I have no idea what God is doing. It seems that He wastes lives and puts people into situations that waste time and resources also. I have my ideas of what is valuable and useful, but God puts His people where we will glorify Him. I cannot judge where that is.
Further, to do so may lead me to cast a judgment on God’s character. When that happens, God never answers back or vindicates Himself, so I could blindly and ignorantly hold to the idea that I know more about Him than I do. Jesus did not need sympathy in His earthly life. He refused sympathy from Peter because He knew that Peter nor anyone else understood what He was doing. He took sympathy only from His Father and from the angels who ministered to Him. Both Jesus and Peter instruct me.
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Father, because You have shown me this and taught me to value Your purposes in suffering, I’m not always sympathetic when others suffer, even when I need to be. Give me the discernment to know when to empathize and when to encourage suffering people to look away from themselves toward You. Teach me the right time and way to show mercy — and the right time and way to not interfere with Your dealings in others as they experience difficult times.
This morning I read a passage (Romans 1:18-32) about the wrath of God against unrighteousness and how He “gives over to sin” those who are determined to pursue their evil desires. Such hopelessness.
Then I read Spurgeon’s devotional about a woman who had been possessed by seven demons. While this might bring to mind the horrors of movies that tend to be released in October, the Bible does not describe the ways in which these demons affected Mary. I can only conclude that since Satan is a liar and destroyer (Jesus’ description), she was likely caught up in deception and some form of self-destructive behavior. However, Jesus changed all that. She now holds a special place as the first woman to see Him after He rose from the dead.
Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. (Mark 16:9)
When I read Spurgeon’s description of Mary, I wept. Many of the people on my prayer list seem to be “impossible” as far as my vision can see. They have no interest in God, use the name of Jesus only to curse, and are caught up in self-destructive lifestyles. Yet what Jesus did for Mary shows me that none of these whom I care about are beyond the reach of His grace. I paraphrase Spurgeon slightly, but this is what he writes:
Mary of Magdala was the victim of a fearful evil. She was possessed by not one devil only, but seven. These dreadful inmates caused much pain and pollution to the poor frame in which they had found lodging. Hers was a hopeless, horrible case. She could not help herself, neither could any human assistance, but Jesus passed that way. Unasked for and probably resisted by the demoniac, He spoke and Mary became a trophy of His healing power.
All seven demons left her, never to return. What a deliverance! What a happy change! From delirium to delight, from despair to peace, from hell to heaven!
Immediately she became a follower of Jesus, catching His every word, following His steps, sharing His toilsome life. She became His generous helper, first among that band of healed and grateful women who ministered to Him of their substance.
When Jesus was lifted up on the cross, Mary remained and shared His shame. She first looked on from afar, then drew near to the foot of the cross. She could not die with Him, but remained as close as she could. When His body was taken down, she watched where it was laid. She was last at the sepulcher where Jesus was buried and there first when He arose.
Her holy faithfulness put her at the side of Jesus on that glad resurrection morning. He called her by name and made her His messenger. She took the good news to His trembling disciples and Peter.
Grace found Mary a maniac and made her a minister. Grace cast out devils and granted her the first look a her risen Savior. Grace delivered her from Satan and united her forever to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Lord, Spurgeon ends by saying, “May I also be such a miracle of grace!” I want that too! And I also yearn for Your incredible saving grace to fall on so many others who are caught in sin, some even caught in the power of evil so deep that their release seems impossible. Mary is only one example that proves no one or nothing is impossible for You. May Your miracle of grace be freely poured out on so many who are still like Mary once was. Like her, I want to see firsthand Your life-giving power in their lives.
Some people have arachnophobia, a deep fear of spiders. After reading this passage in the Bible and what Spurgeon has to say about it, this might not be a bad idea.
Isaiah talks about the power of God to save anyone and to hear our prayers, but he also says that iniquities make a separation between us and God. Our sins hide His face from us, meaning that sin is a barricade to a saving relationship with Him. Sin can only be fought with truth, so Isaiah also talks about false teachers who have trapped people with their lies and evil ideas. He compares these deceivers to adders and spiders.
No one enters suit justly; no one goes to law honestly; they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity. They hatch adders’ eggs; they weave the spider’s web; he who eats their eggs dies, and from one that is crushed a viper is hatched. Their webs will not serve as clothing; men will not cover themselves with what they make. Their works are works of iniquity, and deeds of violence are in their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace. (Isaiah 59:4–8)
Spurgeon points out that a spider’s web is skillfully crafted just as a deceiver’s religion appears equally wonderful. I’ve listened to some of them and marvel that they can make barefaced lies appear to be truth. Their tinsel seems to do for them what only pure gold can do for me. Sometimes I am amazed that they are so contented and happy with that which is contrary to God’s Word.
Spurgeon points out the source of their “faith” by noting that a spider’s web comes from the creature’s own bowels. A bee gathers her wax from flowers, but spiders suck no flowers and still spin out their gossamer web. False teachers find their trust and hope within themselves and anchor their souls on that which has come out of their own understanding. This is similar to what Paul said about his people who thought they could be saved by keeping the Law.
Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. (Romans 10:1–4)
These spiders that Isaiah refers to have turned their backs on grace and the gift of eternal life through faith in Christ. Instead, they lay their own foundation and system of how to be saved. However, as Spurgeon points out, this web of their own making may be “curiously wrought” but it is not “enduringly manufactured.” As a spider’s web is no match for a housekeeper’s broom, a false teacher’s ideas will come down with a mere puff of wind directed by the power of God. The Lord will not allow cobwebs to remain in His house. He will eventually destroy false teaching and those who spin their webs of deceit.
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God, keep my soul resting on something better than a spider’s web. I know that I cannot make up a faith system based on myself or what I can do. The solid foundation for eternal life is never from human ideas or effort, no matter how good it looks. Instead, the Lord Jesus is my Rock and my eternal life. No spider web, no matter how it appears or seems, can compete with Him.
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