Not a life of anxious care

[a mere housewife]

Given how many have posted about losing work lately, I thought this reading from Spurgeon might be appropriate.

(From Faith's Checkbook for July 2)

So he giveth his beloved sleep. (Psalm 127:2)

Ours is not a life of anxious care but of happy faith. Our heavenly Father will supply the wants of His own children, and He knoweth what we have need of before we ask Him. We may therefore go to our beds at the proper hour and not wear ourselves out by sitting up late to plot, and plan, and contrive. If we have learned to rely upon our God, we shall not lie awake with fear gnawing at our hearts; but we shall leave our care with the Lord, our meditation of Him shall be sweet, and He will give us refreshing sleep.
To be the Lord's beloved is the highest possible honor, and he who has it may feel that ambition itself could desire no more, and therefore every selfish wish may go to sleep. What more is there even in heaven than the love of God? Rest, then, O soul, for thou hast all things. Yet we toss to and fro unless the Lord Himself gives us not only the reasons for rest but rest itself. Yea, He doth this. Jesus Himself is our peace, our rest, our all, On His bosom we sleep in perfect security, both in life and in death.
Sprinkled afresh with pardoning blood,
I lay me down to rest
As in the embraces of my God,
Or on my Saviour's breast.

 

[lynnie]

That is so nice. Thank you.

We were just at dinner with a few people and everybody was talking about who can't find a job, or is very underemployed. We all have to trust God and be grateful for everything we do have. It is so easy to slide into worry. I especially pray for the next generation entering adulthood.

Things can change so fast. We have always had exellent health coverage with full hospitalization, but the company was just forced by economics to go with a plan where if any of us end up in the hospital for any reason it will be a 4,000 deductible. So now we have to save that up just in case. Friends at church are probably going to be forced to switch to a plan where they will be covered for the hospital, but have to pay every MD visit, every prescription. We must fight worry and anxiety in these times, be generous, and not give way to unbelief. Encourage one another daily!

 

[Alan D. Strange]

Another beautiful contribution, dear Heidi.

Our Lord has a light yoke (the heavy burden is our sin). And He calls us to come to Him and rest (Matthew 11:28-30). This call is not to the wise and the prudent but to those who are as babes (Matthew 11:25-27). It is only to those who are weak, to those who see their need, that the Savior reveals the Father. May all such rest in Him tonight. Amen.

Peace,
Alan

 

[Miss Marple]

I mean not to undermine but to bolster your post when I note that God does allow His people to go hungry, etc., if it is part of His decree.

Yet this is not evidence that He does not love us, but that He has determined that it is, however difficult for us to understand, for our best and for His glory.

I mention this because I have known "Word of Faith" style Christians who have suffered quite a bit of extra torment when a serious need arises in their lives. They think this is evidence that they are not being faithful, and that if they had enough faith, nothing bad would happen.

So my dear sister in the Lord, when suffering terminal cancer with little children to be left behind, was told it was just because she did not believe enough. Cruelty upon hardship.

Rather we might like to see people tell her that God is good, that He will not give us burdens more than we can bear, that suffering is but for a little while, that He cares for the widow and the orphan, that we can trust Him, etc.

 

[a mere housewife]

Miss Marple, it hurts not only to read of your friend and her family, but to hear that someone would say such a thing to her. I learn that our lack of anxiety and freedom from care do not consist in an idea that we will never face hardship (He faced hardship for us; and are we to be so different than Him?) -- but that His grace is sufficient, and that His will is good, that we belong to Him body and soul (in both life and death) to care for as the apple of His eye; that He has promised us everything we need for our safekeeping on our way to heaven; that every good thing is safely kept for us there; and that everything that happens to us here is part of this realm of protective, lavishing love, and cannot separate us from it. It would not give me rest, but make me incredibly anxious if told that I only had to *believe enough* and then I could count on a particular form of God's provision or care or healing. I think I would probably go insane. How could I ever 'lay me down' on the will of God if I were always trying to exert my own will to such a pitch as to force Him to be faithful? What an awful view of God. It is His faithfulness to His unbreakable word that we rest in. He gives us peace, but not as the world gives -- and not in such a way that the world can take away; and certainly not as a gift that must be self-generated on our part.

Thou sweet, beloved will of God,
My anchor ground, my fortress hill,
My spirit's silent, fair abode,
In Thee I hide me and am still.

O Will, that willest good alone,
Lead Thou the way, Thou guidest best;
A little child, I follow on,
And, trusting, lean upon Thy breast.

God's will doth make the bitter sweet,
And all is well when it is done;
Unless His will doth hallow it,
The glory of all joy is gone.

Thy beautiful sweet will, my God,
Holds fast in its sublime embrace
My captive will, a gladsome bird,
Prisoned in such a realm of grace.

Within this place of certain good
Love evermore expands her wings,
Or nestling in Thy perfect choice,
Abides content with what it brings.

Oh, lightest burden, sweetest yoke;
It lifts, it bears my happy soul,
It giveth wings to this poor heart;
My freedom is Thy grand control.

Upon God's will I lay me down,
As child upon its mother's breast;
No silken couch, nor softest bed,
Could ever give me such deep rest.
(Tersteegen)

 

[CuriousNdenver]

I mean not to undermine but to bolster your post when I note that God does allow His people to go hungry, etc., if it is part of His decree.

Yet this is not evidence that He does not love us, but that He has determined that it is, however difficult for us to understand, for our best and for His glory.

I mention this because I have known "Word of Faith" style Christians who have suffered quite a bit of extra torment when a serious need arises in their lives. They think this is evidence that they are not being faithful, and that if they had enough faith, nothing bad would happen.

Yes, I have known many such Christians, and it is very sad to see them suffer discouragement on top of trials they are going through. I knew one who had cancer and would not allow me to come to the hospital and actually asked me NOT to pray for him because he did not think I would be praying in faith that God WOULD heal him. Of course this didn't stop me from praying for him, but I was not able to do so in his presence.

It is so comforting to me to know that God is good and just and He holds my future, regardless of the outcome!

Heidi, thank you for this encouraging post!

 

[Alan D. Strange]

How right you are, Miss Marple.

I would assert, in fact, that the unbelief in the kinds of cases you cite lies not in the sufferer but in the one who acts as Job's "comforters." Such fail to believe that God reigns and rules and does all things well. They fail to see that behind the frowning providence is a God who loves us with a love that will never let us go. They walk not by faith but by sight and reckon that God's blessings are seen only when all is "going our way."

Our God is able to keep us even in the most difficult of circumstances. In fact, He uses those very dark circumstances to draw us nearer to Him, to transform us so that we are conformed to His image, and to further sanctify us. What we often think--and the devil, flesh, and world suggest--is that opposition is a distraction from our sanctification, when, in fact, He purposes it as the very means of our sanctification. We often feel that these things--loss of job, health, friends, money, etc.--are terrible setbacks to our forward progress in our walk with the Lord. They are not distractions, though (that is the voice of the enemy, as Tobiah and Sanballat ridiculing the progress on the wall, Nehemiah 4), but the very means by which God purposes to strengthen us in faith and repentance. We are not to be afraid of them (Nehemiah 4:14), for the Lord our God is great and awesome and would have us to fight for all that is right. We go forward with sword and trowel, building and fighting.

We have to learn, in fact, not to postpone service until "we get through this." We have to continue buidling though greatly opposed, even by our own flesh. Forward, always forward in His service, even though the enemy threatens to kill us. We must not postpone obedience but draw near now, dying to sin and living to righteousness. I've found Nehemiah 4 to be a great encouragement in this regard and have been privileged to preach it in several places. The Lord in His Word, by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and prayers of His people offers great encouragment.

Peace,
Alan

 

[a mere housewife]

Thank you, Dr. Strange. Your thoughts are always very clarifying, and of course your minister's heart and experience and authority comes through them in a way that is a special blessing. 'This is the will of God, even our sanctification.' Then our rest is not a rest from actively serving our Lord, but from the anxiety that would cripple us in serving Him.

I am reluctant to add more from the perspective of such a small person as myself (for we have two wonderful ministers in this thread) but in case my attempt to clarify above should have given a misimpression (and because one of the few things I know well is that it is terribly painful when friends suffer) -- I thought I should say that I don't believe trusting that Christ's will is good and that our Heavenly Father is committed to care for us in the things of this life as well as the next, is the same thing as never experiencing very deep grief; or that the freedom Christ gave us from feeling anxiety ('take no thought for the morrow') is a freedom from feeling sorrow. I think sorrow here is in some sense even an aspect of our peace in Christ, in being an aspect of submission to his will when that is what he chooses for us. Christ wept with his friends when Lazarus died, even though he knew that Lazarus was about to be raised, and even though it was his will that had brought to Mary and Martha such pain. But we do not have to spend our days worrying about what sorrows will come and if we will be able to bear them. We know that he is the one who decides what times in our life are to be times of mourning and that he will come to us (as He did to Mary and Martha). We know that it is all part of his keeping us safe in the world; and of manifesting in our lives that He is the resurrection and the life. And I think one of the most precious things we know is that in covenanting to care for us, he has covenanted to carry the heaviest part of all our cares; and so even those burdens that crush people most when they are brought into heartaches -- their loved ones and their children -- can be trusted to His love (I often remind myself that perfect love casts out fear; and that on His side at any rate, there is perfect love). 'Sufficient unto this day' is the evil, and the grace: so we can leave the rest to Him, who 'gives unto each day what He deems best.' These are things that have become precious to me, at least. He is my strength and my song; and He will be so every step of my way -- even when the song is in a minor key.

 

[Alan D. Strange]

I'm glad that you were not so reluctant, Heidi, as to refuse to share the beautiful thoughts that you express in #8.

I point out in that Nehemiah sermon, in fact, that we need this word--that God uses opposition to sanctify us--because we are so often discouraged by difficulties and so full of fear. Grieving and sorrow are a proper part of our state of humilitation and form no small part of the ordinary Christian life. That we can acknowledge and feel such mourning so deeply and yet confess at the same time "joy unspeakable and full of glory"is something that baffles the world but is part of the glorious mystery of the Christian life.

How thankful I am for all the dear saints on this board to whom I wish to say that you will, by God's grace, make it. It's not only in spite of all the difficulties but through and by them that God, who has begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. His providence may be dark and foreboding, but He will bring each one of us at last to that completion in Jesus Christ for which we so groan and long. What a wonder to be made our truest selves in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Peace,
Alan

 

[Semper Fidelis]

I just bookmarked this page. Such wise and comforting thoughts throughout to help myself or another struggling in this life that has been subjected to the Curse in hope.

 

[jwright82]

Thank you for those comforting words Heidi. You have wisdom beyond your years. I was greatly encouraged by your posts.

 

[Solparvus]

Thank you Heidi so much, Dr. Strange, and all in this thread.

There's been a lot of cause for stress lately, but to put it down and not worry is a wonderful blessing; not to stop doing what I need to, but just go to bed when I know I need to, figuratively and literally. God cares for us. Jehovah Jireh - The Lord Will Provide.

This has been a blessing to me:

Brian Borgman - Mortifying Ungodly Emotions: Fear, Anxiety & Worry

Though troubles assail
And dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail
And foes all unite;
Yet one thing secures us,
Whatever betide,
The scripture assures us,
The Lord will provide.

The birds without barn
Or storehouse are fed,
From them let us learn
To trust for our bread:
His saints, what is fitting,
Shall ne’er he denied,
So long as ’tis written,
The Lord will provide.

 

[jwithnell]

Amen.

This is a quote from a sermon on 1 Peter 1 that I have taped to my refrigerator:

"You are never without hope, because God has chosen you ... when you endure the struggles of your earthly pilgrimage, when you are forced to confront the reality of your own physical mortality and corruptibility, this is your hope, this is your encouragement, this is your identity: you are the elect of God ... who shall separate us from the love of Christ?"

 

[Francisco Luna]

great thread and great reminder. I often see my room as a prison cell, I feel my life like a shipwreck, seeing the days pass by, not a job, and a very diffused, if any, future in the distance.........."but I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth"......read the psalm 32 yesterday and it is full of promisses too.