His sweet will

"Ill that He blesses is our good. 

And unblest good is ill. 

And all is right that seems most wrong. 

If it be His sweet will."

-unknown-

Recovering from the disease of sin

This article by John Piper made me laugh, i like it and shall quote a little. It is entitled 'recovering from the disease of sin':

"With all our imperfections we have tasted the honey of divine Life and it has made our eyes sparkle. Christ is walking among us. Not because we are so much fun to be with but because he loves to make house calls on patients who glory in his medical expertise. He is not partial to the healthy. But he has a special fondness for the homeliest, weakest, sickliest patients whose eyes sparkle when he enters the room.

Sunday morning worship is when we all wheel ourselves together and shout, “Three cheers for Doctor Jesus!”

Sunday School is when we divide up into groups to make sure we understand his prescriptions......

A pastor is a convalescing cripple that the Doctor has assigned to teach others how to use the crutches of grace.

What a motley sanatorium we are! Paralyzed, clubfooted, humpbacked, pockfaced, nearsighted, cancer-eaten! But ... The Doctor’s here! He’ll touch any sore without a flinch. And O, how it soothes. He spends time. He talks. He looks you in the eye. He takes your elbow when you rise. He asks how Jake is doing. He promises he’ll be back. And he comes!

Sometimes he reads from his book about the day when he will finish all his therapy and make us perfect—like him. I can hardly wait. The other day he read me this about his Father’s plans:

And he will destroy on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 25:7, 8)

It made my eyes sparkle. I would have done a back flip like a baby gorilla—if I weren’t crippled. But I did lift my hands. Hallelujah. Three cheers for the Doctor!"

Like broken glass

My words fall to the ground like broken glass, a sound that's been made too many times before. No comfort to the ears. No comfort to the heart. Just a noise, but not a melody of life. Not the sound of salvation or gentle drops of mercy. No healing in them for the world that's torn apart, for the world that's dying. That's not how it should be. That's not what i desire. But i'm a fool and i speak too quick. There's a multitude on the streets, just waiting, in need of a word that will bring them life. One look into the eyes of a child and i see it. Eyes that seek love and encouragement. Eyes that are broken and disappointed, longing for wholeness, longing for life. We need lips that are streams of truth, of comfort, of love, of mercy, of healing. Out of the heart the mouth does speak. How bad my heart is. So fickle. So half-hearted. I hear myself crying 'please change me.. whatever it takes. Whatever.'.. But then i hear the sweet sound of that whisper in my ear, that tells me He has already done it. Done whatever it took. It took the death of His son. He is the only word that brings true restoration. God give me grace to speak it.

IT IS FINISHED

Four years ago i remember asking God for 3 simple words to write on my mirror, i don't remember why i asked such a bizarre thing, but i remember hearing the words "It is finished" spoken clearly back to me. I scribbled them on my mirror with blue eyeliner and they have remained there ever since. It's a constant, good reminder of what Jesus has done.

I never normally make new year's resolutions, but this year i have thought of a LOT i could make.... but i've still decided not to make any, because i know as soon as i do i'll be creating a law for myself, and quite simply i know i can't keep the law. That's why the words "It is finished" are so beautiful to me, because it reminds me how Jesus has completely dealt with all my law-breaking and sinful ways. Instead of new year's resolutions i've decided to just make sure i keep my eyes on Jesus and i hope that from there everything else will flow. I do desire to do things i would have made resolutions about..... but i know i can't do them by making them into a law to strive to keep, it can only happen secondary to loving and being absorbed in Jesus Himself.

I just read an article on the Desiring God website which is about a similar thing. They quote from a book by Martyn Lloyd-Jones which says:

"Would you like to be rid of this spiritual depression? The first thing you have to do is to say farewell now once and forever to your past. Realize that it has been covered and blotted out in Christ. Never look back at your sins again. Say: ‘It is finished, it is covered by the Blood of Christ’. That is your first step. Take that and finish with yourself and all this talk about goodness, and look to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only then that true happiness and joy are possible for you. What you need is not to make resolutions to live a better life, to start fasting and sweating and praying. No! You just begin to say:

I rest my faith on Him alone
Who died for my transgressions to atone."

"Follow me" - John 21.19