Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman. When he returned, he said to his father and mother, "I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife."
His father and mother replied, "Isn't there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?"
But Samson said to his father, "Get her for me. She's the right one for me." (His parents did not know that this was from the LORD, who was seeking an occasion to confront the Philistines; for at that time they were ruling over Israel.)
- Judges 14:1-4 (NIV)
Was Samson's marriage from the LORD? Was Samson's marriage part of God's will? In one sense, Samson's marriage was not part of God's will. In another sense, Samson's marriage was part of God's will.
Samson's marriage was not part of God's will of command. (God commanded the Israelites not to marry non-Israelites.) At the same time, Samson's marriage was part of God's will of decree. (God used Samson's marriage as an occasion to confront the Philistines.) Indeed, everything is part of God's will of decree.
God did not predestine Samson to marry a Philistine woman, as though Samson could not have done otherwise. (It makes no sense to say that God commanded the Israelites not to marry non-Israelites, and yet predestined Samson to marry a Philistine woman.) Rather, God predestined that Samson would freely marry a Philistine woman, even though Samson could have done otherwise.
God did not predestine (cause) Samson to marry a Philistine woman. Rather, God predestined (decreed) that Samson would freely marry a Philistine woman.
"It is up to God whether we find ourselves in a world in which we are predestined, but it is up to us whether we are predestined in the world in which we find ourselves." - William Lane Craig, Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom: The Coherence of Theism: Omniscience
It was up to Samson to choose whether he would marry a Philistine woman, but it was up to God whether Samson was able to choose whether he would marry a Philistine woman.
Knowing that Samson would freely marry a Philistine woman under certain circumstances, God decreed/ordained/predestined that these circumstances (under which Samson would freely marry a Philistine woman) would come to pass - in His sovereignty and for His glory.
Again,
1. God gives us the opportunity to enter into relationships - and enter into relationships freely!
2. God knows whether (and under what circumstances) we would enter into relationships - and who we would enter into relationships with!
3. Knowing all of the above, God works all things according to His will.
"This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church." - Ephesians 5:32 (NIV)
God knows what we will do and how things will work out, but it is still up to us to arrange our own life. Only after all of the arrangements have been made can we say confidently that this is what God had originally ordained.
- Maurice Lamm, The Jewish Way in Love and Marriage
Links: A Molinist View of (the UK General) Election (7 May 10), A Molinist View of Relationships (19 May 10), The First and Ultimate Matchmaker (4 Jun 10)
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Grace and Growth
"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." - 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 (NIV)
"Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this." - 2 Timothy 2:7 (NIV)
"Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." - Jude 21 (NIV)
Links: By Grace Alone (23 Apr 10), Grace-Driven Effort (11 Jun 10)
"Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this." - 2 Timothy 2:7 (NIV)
"Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life." - Jude 21 (NIV)
Links: By Grace Alone (23 Apr 10), Grace-Driven Effort (11 Jun 10)
Monday, 28 June 2010
Discovering God's Will in Waiting
At the end of the day, we will have to decide what the will of God is! We get very readily confused here about false ideas of the nature of God's guidance. We look for supernatural revelations, when God means us to live by his word. We want to abandon our normal thought processes, when God wants us to bear the burden of thinking through his purposes for our lives. We want to know immediately and intuitively what we are to do, when he wants to prepare us for the task by the slow, and sometimes painful process of waiting.
Time and time again people who have read the 'standard' books and booklets on guidance complain that they did not really find them helpful. What they often mean is that they did not discover their personal calling by reading a booklet on guidance! As if God would deposit his personal, eternally purposed will for the life of every Christian in a booklet! No, his will cannot be known apart from the process of discovering it as time unfolds.
The biographies of God's people in Scripture should make this principle clear to us. Take Abraham. Did he not go out not knowing where he was going, not really sure of what God had planned? (See Hebrews 11:8.) But he acted on the clear revelation of the will of God. Or, take Joseph. God had given him some intimation of his destiny in the dream he foolishly and insensitively blurted out to his family (Genesis 37:2-11). He could never have imagined the manner in which that dream would reach its fulfillment! He could never have worked that out himself! It was a long, slow, sometimes painful unwinding of the cords of grace which eventually led him to the final purposes of God.
The reason for this, of course, is that God is not only concerned that we know his will. His relationship with us is not merely intellectual. That is the great mistake many young people with the benefit of a college or university education are likely to make. In later life we will look back on it with a sense of what buffoons we were to think that God was simply a great Mind with whom we had come in contact. God is, instead, concerned with our personal, spiritual, emotional development. That is why he so often takes his time with us, in order to fit us for the work he has planned.
God is not in a hurry. That is what you must learn. That is what you can learn from the exhortations in the Psalms to wait for the Lord. He has long ago prepared the good works in which he wants you to walk (Ephesians 2:10). There is no need to panic or to be anxious. He is not only your Life Planner. He is a Father; he knows what we need before we ask him; he has numbered the hairs on our heads! We, who lack the patience for such an enterprise, should learn to trust the all-knowing wisdom of God...
All impatience can be traced back to a disbelief in God's ultimate goodness. That is why, if we are to appreciate the wisdom of God's guidance, it is important for us to understand not only the nature of his guidance, but the character of the Guide himself. Trust him for his goodness, and we will trust him for his guidance!
Do you doubt the goodness of God? Is there, lurking within your whole approach to him, a suspicion that he is other than he revealed himself to be in the Lord Jesus Christ? Hold to Paul's words:
"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" - Romans 8:32 (NIV)
- Sinclair B. Ferguson, Discovering God's Will
Links: Wait! Wait on! He is worth waiting for! (27 Dec 09), Wait for the LORD (19 Jun 10)
Time and time again people who have read the 'standard' books and booklets on guidance complain that they did not really find them helpful. What they often mean is that they did not discover their personal calling by reading a booklet on guidance! As if God would deposit his personal, eternally purposed will for the life of every Christian in a booklet! No, his will cannot be known apart from the process of discovering it as time unfolds.
The biographies of God's people in Scripture should make this principle clear to us. Take Abraham. Did he not go out not knowing where he was going, not really sure of what God had planned? (See Hebrews 11:8.) But he acted on the clear revelation of the will of God. Or, take Joseph. God had given him some intimation of his destiny in the dream he foolishly and insensitively blurted out to his family (Genesis 37:2-11). He could never have imagined the manner in which that dream would reach its fulfillment! He could never have worked that out himself! It was a long, slow, sometimes painful unwinding of the cords of grace which eventually led him to the final purposes of God.
The reason for this, of course, is that God is not only concerned that we know his will. His relationship with us is not merely intellectual. That is the great mistake many young people with the benefit of a college or university education are likely to make. In later life we will look back on it with a sense of what buffoons we were to think that God was simply a great Mind with whom we had come in contact. God is, instead, concerned with our personal, spiritual, emotional development. That is why he so often takes his time with us, in order to fit us for the work he has planned.
God is not in a hurry. That is what you must learn. That is what you can learn from the exhortations in the Psalms to wait for the Lord. He has long ago prepared the good works in which he wants you to walk (Ephesians 2:10). There is no need to panic or to be anxious. He is not only your Life Planner. He is a Father; he knows what we need before we ask him; he has numbered the hairs on our heads! We, who lack the patience for such an enterprise, should learn to trust the all-knowing wisdom of God...
All impatience can be traced back to a disbelief in God's ultimate goodness. That is why, if we are to appreciate the wisdom of God's guidance, it is important for us to understand not only the nature of his guidance, but the character of the Guide himself. Trust him for his goodness, and we will trust him for his guidance!
Do you doubt the goodness of God? Is there, lurking within your whole approach to him, a suspicion that he is other than he revealed himself to be in the Lord Jesus Christ? Hold to Paul's words:
"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" - Romans 8:32 (NIV)
- Sinclair B. Ferguson, Discovering God's Will
Links: Wait! Wait on! He is worth waiting for! (27 Dec 09), Wait for the LORD (19 Jun 10)
Sunday, 27 June 2010
God Answers Prayer
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." - Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
Today, God reminded me of a prayer which I prayed 2 years ago. What's more, He also showed me how He has answered this prayer according to His good, pleasing and perfect will.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
Today, God reminded me of a prayer which I prayed 2 years ago. What's more, He also showed me how He has answered this prayer according to His good, pleasing and perfect will.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Jun 15 to 21
Jun 15: "David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."" - 2 Samuel 24:14 (NIV)
Jun 16: "Then Peter began to speak: "I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right."" - Acts 10:34-35 (NIV)
Jun 17: "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" - 1 Kings 3:7-9 (NIV)
Jun 18: "God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore." - 1 Kings 4:29 (NIV)
Jun 19: "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." - Acts 13:38-39 (NIV)
Jun 20: "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." - Acts 13:52 (NIV)
Jun 21: "Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands towards heaven and said: "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below - you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it - as it is today."" - 1 Kings 8:22-24 (NIV)
Jun 16: "Then Peter began to speak: "I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right."" - Acts 10:34-35 (NIV)
Jun 17: "Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" - 1 Kings 3:7-9 (NIV)
Jun 18: "God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore." - 1 Kings 4:29 (NIV)
Jun 19: "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses." - Acts 13:38-39 (NIV)
Jun 20: "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." - Acts 13:52 (NIV)
Jun 21: "Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands towards heaven and said: "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below - you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way. You have kept your promise to your servant David my father; with your mouth you have promised and with your hand you have fulfilled it - as it is today."" - 1 Kings 8:22-24 (NIV)
Monday, 21 June 2010
The Fatherhood of God
"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:31-34 (NIV)
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." - Romans 8:15-17 (NIV)
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
"Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:7-11 (NIV)
"Do not punish me by granting that which I wish or ask if it offends against Your love." - St. Teresa of Avila
Teach us, Lord, full obedience
Holy reverence, true humility
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity
Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority
Words of power that can never fail
Let their truth prevail over unbelief
Link: The Family of God (2 Sep 10)
"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." - Romans 8:15-17 (NIV)
"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
"Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." - Hebrews 12:7-11 (NIV)
"Do not punish me by granting that which I wish or ask if it offends against Your love." - St. Teresa of Avila
Teach us, Lord, full obedience
Holy reverence, true humility
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity
Cause our faith to rise, cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority
Words of power that can never fail
Let their truth prevail over unbelief
Link: The Family of God (2 Sep 10)
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Cling to the LORD
"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs." - Jonah 2:8 (NIV)
An idol is something more than a grotesque statue with big lips and a ruby in its navel. It's a God-substitute. It's something - anything - that we value higher than God. In order to cling to such an idol, we make a trade...
Those who turn from God to embrace a God-substitute suffer terrible loss. Why? Because they were made to find joy in God, not the substitute. They swap God's present and future blessing for something they can immediately see, taste, or feel. But that something never satisfies.
- Randy Alcorn, The Purity Principle
Idols aren't just stone statues. No, idols are the thoughts, desires, longings, and expectations that we worship in the place of the true God. Idols cause us to ignore the true God in search of what we think we need...
Of course having godly relationships is a blessing and a source of happiness, and there is nothing sinful in desiring them; but if they are the source of our joy... if they take top priority in our lives, then they are our gods. That's why Jesus said, "Seek first [God's] kingdom" (Matthew 6:33). If God is the top priority in our lives, everything else will fall into place. It's then that these beloved blessings will fade in importance and God will take His rightful place in our hearts.
- Elyse Fitzpatrick, Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone
What worthless idols are we clinging to?
"Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters..." - 1 Corinthians 10:6-7 (NIV)
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry." - 1 Corinthians 10:13-14 (NIV)
"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." - 1 John 5:21 (NIV)
My soul thirsts for the living God
My soul thirsts for You alone
My soul thirsts for the living God alone
Praise, praise
I lift my voice and raise, praise
I sing of Your amazing grace
To the living God
To You my living God
An idol is something more than a grotesque statue with big lips and a ruby in its navel. It's a God-substitute. It's something - anything - that we value higher than God. In order to cling to such an idol, we make a trade...
Those who turn from God to embrace a God-substitute suffer terrible loss. Why? Because they were made to find joy in God, not the substitute. They swap God's present and future blessing for something they can immediately see, taste, or feel. But that something never satisfies.
- Randy Alcorn, The Purity Principle
Idols aren't just stone statues. No, idols are the thoughts, desires, longings, and expectations that we worship in the place of the true God. Idols cause us to ignore the true God in search of what we think we need...
Of course having godly relationships is a blessing and a source of happiness, and there is nothing sinful in desiring them; but if they are the source of our joy... if they take top priority in our lives, then they are our gods. That's why Jesus said, "Seek first [God's] kingdom" (Matthew 6:33). If God is the top priority in our lives, everything else will fall into place. It's then that these beloved blessings will fade in importance and God will take His rightful place in our hearts.
- Elyse Fitzpatrick, Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone
What worthless idols are we clinging to?
"Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters..." - 1 Corinthians 10:6-7 (NIV)
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry." - 1 Corinthians 10:13-14 (NIV)
"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." - 1 John 5:21 (NIV)
My soul thirsts for the living God
My soul thirsts for You alone
My soul thirsts for the living God alone
Praise, praise
I lift my voice and raise, praise
I sing of Your amazing grace
To the living God
To You my living God
Saturday, 19 June 2010
Wait for the LORD
I'm reading the Bible in one year and the Old Testament reading for Jul 3 is 2 Kings 6:24-8:15.
"While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, "This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"" - 2 Kings 6:33 (NIV)
This is exactly how NOT to approach God. God is sovereign and works all things according to His will. His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts than our thoughts, His timing than our timing.
This reminds me of another passage in 1 Samuel.
The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
"What have you done?" asked Samuel.
Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favour.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."
"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."
- 1 Samuel 13:5-14 (NIV)
Wait! Wait on! He is worth waiting for! As William P. Risk puts it, 'by obeying God, we enter into a rest that results from being utterly dependent on Him, relying on His activity and agenda rather than our own.'
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)
Links: Wait! Wait on! He is worth waiting for! (27 Dec 09), Discovering God's Will in Waiting (28 Jun 10)
"While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, "This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"" - 2 Kings 6:33 (NIV)
This is exactly how NOT to approach God. God is sovereign and works all things according to His will. His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts than our thoughts, His timing than our timing.
This reminds me of another passage in 1 Samuel.
The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
"What have you done?" asked Samuel.
Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favour.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."
"You acted foolishly," Samuel said. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."
- 1 Samuel 13:5-14 (NIV)
Wait! Wait on! He is worth waiting for! As William P. Risk puts it, 'by obeying God, we enter into a rest that results from being utterly dependent on Him, relying on His activity and agenda rather than our own.'
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV)
Links: Wait! Wait on! He is worth waiting for! (27 Dec 09), Discovering God's Will in Waiting (28 Jun 10)
Friday, 18 June 2010
UYCU Leavers' Retreat: Great is Thy Faithfulness
For some reason, several people whom I know personally have been facing severe trials, temptations and tests of faith recently. Perhaps God is calling me to spend more time praying and interceding for them.
Grace which saves
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin.
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
- Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)
Grace which sanctifies
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.
"And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.
"But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
Grace which is sufficient
"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV)
UYCU Leavers' Retreat
In the midst of all this, God graciously gave me the opportunity to spend 3 amazing days (Tue to Thu) in the Yorkshire Dales with my fellow York CU leavers/final years.
As we were sharing about our experiences at university over the past 3 years, I was reminded time and again that God is faithful and He will provide.
Great is Thy Faithfulness
"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
"The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD."
- Lamentations 3:19-26 (NIV)
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Milestone Verses
Sam: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" - Philippians 4:4 (NIV)
SJ: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." - Psalm 51:10-12, 17 (NIV)
Ellie: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
Katie: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." - Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)
Dave: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Thus far has the LORD helped us
This leavers' retreat was my 8th and last week(end) away with York CU. With this, my time at university is coming to an end. But God willing, a new chapter of my life is just beginning. As Susie put it, 'God knows what He's doing and where He's taking us'.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
"Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
- Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)
Grace which saves
"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin.
"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
- Hebrews 4:14-16 (NIV)
Grace which sanctifies
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man.
"And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.
"But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
Grace which is sufficient
"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
"But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
"That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV)
UYCU Leavers' Retreat
In the midst of all this, God graciously gave me the opportunity to spend 3 amazing days (Tue to Thu) in the Yorkshire Dales with my fellow York CU leavers/final years.
As we were sharing about our experiences at university over the past 3 years, I was reminded time and again that God is faithful and He will provide.
Great is Thy Faithfulness
"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
"The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD."
- Lamentations 3:19-26 (NIV)
Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not; Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning, new mercies I see
All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Milestone Verses
Sam: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" - Philippians 4:4 (NIV)
SJ: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me... The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." - Psalm 51:10-12, 17 (NIV)
Ellie: "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
Katie: "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." - Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)
Dave: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
Thus far has the LORD helped us
This leavers' retreat was my 8th and last week(end) away with York CU. With this, my time at university is coming to an end. But God willing, a new chapter of my life is just beginning. As Susie put it, 'God knows what He's doing and where He's taking us'.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
"Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
- Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Patience is a virtue
Patience is one of the places where faith, hope, and love meet up. Those who believe in God the creator and in the eventual triumph of his good purposes for the world will not be in a hurry to grasp at quick-fix solutions in their own life or in their vocation and mission - though they will not be slow to take God-given opportunities when those arise. In particular, they will not be in a hurry to force ideas and solutions on other people. Not for nothing is patience the first thing that Paul says about love (1 Corinthians 13:4).
- Tom Wright, Virtue Reborn
Link: Love is a virtue (16 Jun 10)
- Tom Wright, Virtue Reborn
Link: Love is a virtue (16 Jun 10)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)