-John Flavel
Puritan writer
Puritan writer
At such times, [times in life that don't seem to make any sense] Flavel's words have often comforted me and helped me to readjust my myopic spiritual perspective. They have reminded me to fix my mind and heart on God's wise, gracious, and sovereign rule, and on the assurance that He works everything together for His children's good, so that I do not inquire too proudly into why I cannot understand His sovereign purposes.
-Sinclair Furgeson
In Christ Alone
(I highly recommend this book.)
Furgeson offers this reflection at the beginning of a chapter entitled God's Mysterious Will. I found it both encouraging and convicting. How precious and dear is the thought, based on the truth of God's word, that our Lord is wise, gracious, and sovereign! Do not fear, Christian. Trust and obey, whatever the circumstance. God is in control. This gives us hope and encouragement in the journey.
And I am also convicted, being reminded of how I proudly try to imagine I can understand the mind of God. In a later paragraph Ferguson says this about how we'd act if we knew God's will: So perverse are we that we would use our knowledge of God's will to substitute for actual daily personal trust in the Lord Himself. You got me there, Furgeson! I'd never thought about it this way, but it's true. I want to know God's will (the plan He has laid out for my life) so I can be my own god and get set on pursuing that path...rather than pursue God Himself.
Yesterday as I prepared for Bible study, I was delighting in studying Scripture and all of the fun there is in making connections, asking good questions, thinking deep thoughts. And then it hit me that I'd much rather be studying and thinking, than getting myself dirty in the business of loving the Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul, and loving my neighbor has myself (Matt. 22:37-38), trusting God and not leaning on my own understanding (Prov 3:5-6), and repenting and believing the good news.
Yet it is there that God calls us to be.
To trust Him.
In Christ Alone
(I highly recommend this book.)
Furgeson offers this reflection at the beginning of a chapter entitled God's Mysterious Will. I found it both encouraging and convicting. How precious and dear is the thought, based on the truth of God's word, that our Lord is wise, gracious, and sovereign! Do not fear, Christian. Trust and obey, whatever the circumstance. God is in control. This gives us hope and encouragement in the journey.
And I am also convicted, being reminded of how I proudly try to imagine I can understand the mind of God. In a later paragraph Ferguson says this about how we'd act if we knew God's will: So perverse are we that we would use our knowledge of God's will to substitute for actual daily personal trust in the Lord Himself. You got me there, Furgeson! I'd never thought about it this way, but it's true. I want to know God's will (the plan He has laid out for my life) so I can be my own god and get set on pursuing that path...rather than pursue God Himself.
Yesterday as I prepared for Bible study, I was delighting in studying Scripture and all of the fun there is in making connections, asking good questions, thinking deep thoughts. And then it hit me that I'd much rather be studying and thinking, than getting myself dirty in the business of loving the Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul, and loving my neighbor has myself (Matt. 22:37-38), trusting God and not leaning on my own understanding (Prov 3:5-6), and repenting and believing the good news.
Yet it is there that God calls us to be.
To trust Him.
To obey Him.
To love Him.
I don't know where you find yourself today. But I do know the God who made you, loves you, and wants to transform you. He's more than reliable; He's the solid rock. How desperately we need to be reminded. How much we need to be encouraged to trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!
I don't know where you find yourself today. But I do know the God who made you, loves you, and wants to transform you. He's more than reliable; He's the solid rock. How desperately we need to be reminded. How much we need to be encouraged to trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!
just what i needed to hear this morning, and every morning!!
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