Quiet Time : "thy comforts delight my soul"

<sup>Psalm 94 (KJV)

8</sup>Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?

⁹He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?

¹⁰He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?

¹¹The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Had to add what Spurgeon said about verse 9:

"He fashioned that marvellous organ, and fixed it in the most convenient place near to the brain, and is he deaf himself? Is he capable of such design and invention, and yet can he not discern what is done in the world which he made? He made you hear, can he not himself hear? Unanswerable question! It overwhelms the sceptic, and covers him with confusion. He that formed the eye, shall he not see? He gives us vision; is it conceivable that he has no sight himself? With skilful hand he fashioned the optic nerve, and the eyeball, and all its curious mechanism, and it surpasses all conception that he can himself be unable to observe the doings of his creatures. If there be a God, he must be a personal intelligent being, and no limit can be set to his knowledge."

and some that he said about verse 11:

"How foolish are those who think that God does not know their actions, when the truth is that their vain thoughts are all perceived by him"

...

¹⁷Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

¹⁸When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

¹⁹In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

Can't help myself; here is some of what Spurgeon said about verse 19:

"When I am tossed to and fro with various reasonings, distractions, questions, and forebodings, I will fly to my true rest, for thy comforts delight my soul."

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Psalm 95:8 (KJV)

Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:

Some of what Spurgeon said:

"Today is too good a day to be profaned by the hardening of our hearts against our own mercies."

Daily Dose of Spurgeon : PRAYER

February 19, Morning

Ezekiel 36:37

Thus saith the Lord God; I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them.

Prayer is the forerunner of mercy. Turn to sacred history, and you will find that scarcely ever did a great mercy come to this world unheralded by supplication. You have found this true in your own personal experience. God has given you many an unsolicited favour, but still great prayer has always been the prelude of great mercy with you. When you first found peace through the blood of the cross, you had been praying much, and earnestly interceding with God that He would remove your doubts, and deliver you from your distresses. Your assurance was the result of prayer. When at any time you have had high and rapturous joys, you have been obliged to look upon them as answers to your prayers. When you have had great deliverances out of sore troubles, and mighty helps in great dangers, you have been able to say, "I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." Prayer is always the preface to blessing. It goes before the blessing as the blessing's shadow. When the sunlight of God's mercies rises upon our necessities, it casts the shadow of prayer far down upon the plain. Or, to use another illustration, when God piles up a hill of mercies, He Himself shines behind them, and He casts on our spirits the shadow of prayer, so that we may rest certain, if we are much in prayer, our pleadings are the shadows of mercy. Prayer is thus connected with the blessing to show us the value of it. If we had the blessings without asking for them, we should think them common things; but prayer makes our mercies more precious than diamonds. The things we ask for are precious, but we do not realize their preciousness until we have sought for them earnestly.

"Prayer makes the darken'd cloud withdraw;
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw;
Gives exercise to faith and love;
Brings every blessing from above."

Quiet Time : "my song"

Psalm 77:6 (KJV)

I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search.

Reminds me of the serious prayer(s) I had to go through about 2 years ago. Check out the whole Psalm if you have the time.

words matter

No doubt that guy Blagojevich is everywhere. I saw today where he's said something to the affect of - I'll pull out my crayons and write a book about politics in Illinois. And yes, I know he's innocent until proven guilty. But what I want to talk about are our WORDS.

Like it or not, our words matter. There is a reason for Jesus having said, "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No." (Matthew 5:37 (NIV)). Blagojevich's words may have been taken out of context (he voice may have been dripping with sarcasm, perhaps he was rehearsing for a comedy skit..., I digress), but he still said those words. Those words. Words that earned him an impeachment. Words that embarrassed his state. Words that, although I don't believe he's involved in any way, certainly were not helpful to President Obama in the first days of his historic presidency. Every word that comes out of our mouths... matters.

I don't want to harp on this man, but he's setting himself up as a prime example to anyone who is willing to pay attention. No matter if our words are caught by a FBI wiretap, said in the company of trusted friends, or just whispered in our hearts; they matter.

Luke 6:45 (NIV)

The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

Quiet Time : Enemies and Lies

More from yesterday morning:

Psalm 62 (KJV)

³How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.

⁴They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.

Ryrie footnote: ye shall be slain. Better, that you may slay him. Through lies David's enemies attempted to overthrow him in his weakened condition (bowing, i.e., leaning, and tottering).

Psalm 63 (KJV)

¹¹But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

Psalm 64 (KJV)

³Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:

⁸So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.

The 64:3 footnote mentioned Psalm 59:7. I read it, went back to 64. Decided to go back to 59, but went back to 55, and was drawn to 55:21

Psalm 55 (KJV)

²¹The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

Psalm 59 (KJV)

⁷Behold, they belch out with their mouth: swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?

And from this morning. The opposite of enemies and lies:

Psalm 66:16 (KJV)

¹⁶Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

Daily Dose of Spurgeon : be Christ-like : "rounds the day with joy"

February 11, Morning

Acts 4:13

And they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

A Christian should be a striking likeness of Jesus Christ. You have read lives of Christ, beautifully and eloquently written, but the best life of Christ is His living biography, written out in the words and actions of His people. If we were what we profess to be, and what we should be, we should be pictures of Christ; yea, such striking likenesses of Him, that the world would not have to hold us up by the hour together, and say, "Well, it seems somewhat of a likeness;" but they would, when they once beheld us, exclaim, "He has been with Jesus; he has been taught of Him; he is like Him; he has caught the very idea of the holy Man of Nazareth, and he works it out in his life and every-day actions."

A Christian should be like Christ in his boldness. Never blush to own your religion; your profession will never disgrace you: take care you never disgrace that. Be like Jesus, very valiant for your God. Imitate Him in your loving spirit; think kindly, speak kindly, and do kindly, that men may say of you, "He has been with Jesus." Imitate Jesus in His holiness. Was He zealous for His Master? So be you; ever go about doing good. Let not time be wasted: it is too precious. Was He self-denying, never looking to His own interest? Be the same. Was He devout? Be you fervent in your prayers. Had He deference to His Father's will? So submit yourselves to Him. Was He patient? So learn to endure. And best of all, as the highest portraiture of Jesus, try to forgive your enemies, as He did; and let those sublime words of your Master, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do," always ring in your ears. Forgive, as you hope to be forgiven. Heap coals of fire on the head of your foe by your kindness to him. Good for evil, recollect, is godlike. Be godlike, then; and in all ways and by all means, so live that all may say of you, "He has been with Jesus."

C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, Hendrickson Publishing, 1997.

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From my quiet time this morning:

Psalm 65:8

They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: though makes the outgoing of the morning and evening to rejoice.

This is what Spurgeon has to say about the "morning and evening" part of this verse:

Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. East and west are made happy by God's favour to the dwellers therein. Our rising hours are bright with hope, and our evening moments mellow with thanksgiving. Whether the sun go forth or come in we bless God and rejoice in the gates of the day. When the fair morning blushes with the rosey dawn we rejoice; and when the calm evening smiles restfully we rejoice still. We do not believe that the dew weeps the death of the day; we only see jewels bequethed by the departing day for its successor to gather up from the earth. Faith, when she sees God, rounds the day with joy. She cannot fast, because the bridegroom is with her. Night and day are alike to her, for the same God make them and blessed them. She would have no rejoicing if God did not make her glad; but, blessed be His name, He never ceases to make joy for those who find their joy in Him.

Quiet Time : Shelter

Psalm 56 (KJV)

1Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.

2Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.

3What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.

4In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

5Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.

6They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.

7Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.

8Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?

9When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.

10In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.

11In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

12Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.

13For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

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It was at about verse 9 that I started reading this Psalm differently. So much so that I had to go back and reread it with my different way of thinking in mind. I started seeing these enemies as the "world." Or one might say our culture. How to not let culture influence my life. I read this last week.

Then last Friday, I listened to the previous Sunday's sermon that I missed because I was teaching the little ones. Click here to listen to A Psalm for Wintertime - Psalm 49. Before I listened to this sermon, I read Jonathan's post on the 9 Marks blog about the new book Wordliness. Then, wouldn't you know it, I mentioned to my roommate that I want to read it, and she loaned it to me! :) (I didn't know she had it...) I started reading it Sunday, and it is so good; a must read!

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Psalm 59:16 (KJV)

16But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.

Which sounds like:

Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV)

22It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Praise God that His mercies are new every morning. Because I certainly need them; every day, anew.

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Then on to:

Psalm 61:2-4

2From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my h eart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

3For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

4I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

My Ryrie Study Bible said:

Footnote 2-4: The rock that is higher than I. An asylum

that David could not reach in his own strength and that gives protection and security. God is the asylum, pictured by four figures of speech: shelter (refuge), strong tower, tabernacle (tent), and covert (shelter) of your wings (the Lord is the protective shade for His people).

I am grateful to have a shelter in the storm.

Quiet Time : "Beautiful for situation"

Psalm 46 (KJV)

1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Footnote: A refuge provides shelter from danger. Strength gives us courage in danger. Very present help. Can also have the idea of "well-proved help." God's help is both present and proven, ready and reliable.

My thought: This goes to show how meditating on how God has helped me in the past (shown Himself to be Faithful), helps me to trust Him with the future.

10Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Footnote: Be still (i.e., cease from warlike activities) and acknowledge God's supremacy.

My thought: This is the one verse that popped into my head about 2 years ago, when God was really speaking to me. It helped me when I was struggling with things. It's a pretty well known verse, but I meditated on it a lot!

Psalm 47 (KJV)

4He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

My thought: According to the foot note, the inheritance is the Promised Land of Canaan. This verse made me think of God as a definite authority figure. Have you ever noticed how we humans always rebel against an authority figure? How we resent that they think they know better than we do? As with unbelievers, who reject God's good plan for them, who see it as an imposition to the point of denying Him.

Psalm 48 (KJV)

2Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

Footnote: On the sides of the north. In heathen lore, the abodes of the gods. See note on Isa 14:13-14. Thus this is a claim that Jerusalem is the place where the true God reigns.

My thought: I really like "Beautiful for situation." NIV says "It is beautiful in it's loftiness." ESV says "beautiful in elevation." Read what Spurgeon had to say about this verse (and Psalm) here -"The elevation of the church is her beauty. The more she is above the world the fairer she is."

Speaking of Spurgeon, definitely check out this morning's Daily Dose of Spurgeon. It's about God's Love and Faithfulness -

"When thou hast thus looked back upon the love of the Lord, then let faith survey His love in the future, for remember that Christ's covenant and blood have something more in them than the past. He who has loved thee and pardoned thee, shall never cease to love and pardon."

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Quite Time : Belated

I'm a little behind on my quiet time posts, but am quite sure no one is waiting with bated breath for them! However, here is one verse that I meant to look into more, and well, now is as good a time as ever.

Psalm 44:19 (KJV)

Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

Check out what Spurgeon has to say about this Psalm and verse -

"To be true to a smiting God, even when the blows lay our joys in ruinous heaps, is to be such as the Lord delighteth in. Better to be broken by God than from God."

Here's another commentary (see comments on verses 17-26) by Matthew Henry -

"While our troubles do not drive us from our duty to God, we should not suffer them to drive us from our comfort in God. Let us take care that prosperity and ease do not render us careless and lukewarm. The church of God cannot be prevailed on by persecution to forget God; the believer's heart does not turn back from God. "

Daily Dose of Spurgeon : wake up!

January 30, Morning

2 Samuel 5:24

When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then thou shalt bestir thyself.

The members of Christ's Church should be very prayerful, always seeking the unction of the Holy One to rest upon their hearts, that the kingdom of Christ may come, and that His "will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven;" but there are times when God seems especially to favour Zion, such seasons ought to be to them like "the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees." We ought then to be doubly prayerful, doubly earnest, wrestling more at the throne than we have been wont to do. Action should then be prompt and vigorous. The tide is flowing-now let us pull manfully for the shore. O for Pentecostal outpourings and Pentecostal labours. Christian, in yourself there are times "when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees." You have a peculiar power in prayer; the Spirit of God gives you joy and gladness; the Scripture is open to you; the promises are applied; you walk in the light of God's countenance; you have peculiar freedom and liberty in devotion, and more closeness of communion with Christ than was your wont. Now, at such joyous periods when you hear the "sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees," is the time to bestir yourself; now is the time to get rid of any evil habit, while God the Spirit helpeth your infirmities. Spread your sail; but remember what you sometimes sing-

"I can only spread the sail;
Thou! Thou! must breathe the auspicious gale."

Only be sure you have the sail up. Do not miss the gale for want of preparation for it. Seek help of God, that you may be more earnest in duty when made more strong in faith; that you may be more constant in prayer when you have more liberty at the throne; that you may be more holy in your conversation whilst you live more closely with Christ.

C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, Hendrickson Publishers, 1997.

Whoa. I read this this morning, and felt as though Charles Haddon Spurgeon was telling me to "wake up!" I've seriously been scanning it just now to see if those words are really there, because I thought they were! (maybe it was the "now... is the time to bestir yourself"). See a recent post I wrote about, well, being lazy. Not good! I cannot waste one moment of being nearer to Christ than I have ever been. Not one. For it is only through His Grace that I am in this place. Thank You.

Leaped for Joy

John Piper does it again: The Baby in My Womb Leaped for Joy. Here is an excerpt:

"So I pray that this message will awaken and intensify your joyful, grateful reverence for the gift of human life from conception to eternity. The beginning of human life is a magnificent thing—it is the only newly originating life in the universe that is in the image of God. It is the only newly originating life in the universe that lasts forever. O what amazed and happy reverence we should feel for the beginning of every human life!"

Scripture:

Luke 1:39-45 (NIV)

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,
40where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.
41When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

Keep in mind, the pregancies of both Mary and Elizabeth were both seen as impossible. Just read the Piper post to learn more about that, and more; such as the author of this book (Luke) recognized these in utero babies as people.

...


I just can't comprehend calling abortion "women's health." It certainly is an attempt to "pretty up" abortion, make it sound compassionate. It's actually offensive to me; as a woman and as a Christian. What many call a mistake, God blesses with as a gift.

Quiet Time : Trust

By God's amazing mercy, the three Psalms I read this morning reminded me about trusting Him.

Psalm 31 (KJV)

Psalm 31:6 (KVJ)

I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.

Reminded me of...

Jonah 2:8 (KJV)

8They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy.

Back to trusting God...

Psalm 31:7 (KJV)

I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;

and

Psalm 31:19-20 (KJV)

19Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
20Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Psalm 32 (KJV)

Psalm 32:5-6 (KJV)

5I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
6For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

Psalm 32:11 (KJV)

11Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Psalm 33 (KJV)

Psalm 33:15 (KJV)

15He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.

Psalm 33:18 (KJV)

18Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;

Psalm 33:21-22

21For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
22Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.

The last two verses and 31:7 reminded me of this...

Psalm 90:14 (KJV)

O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

I pray that I will perservere in being faithful to reading God's Word, and that He will keep revealing Himself to me through it.

Prayer : and so it begins

And so it begins...

Just today, Obama Reverses Abortion-Funding Policy.

God, I pray that You will soften our President's heart to the reality of abortion. That LIFE isn't something that we can just throw away. That it is YOU that opens the womb, for YOUR purpose and by YOUR will. That a child is a blessing from You, not just some mistake that can be wiped away. I pray that President Obama will see that lifting abortion bans is not the solution for reducing abortions, and that to recognize abortion as a solution to a problem is tantamount to murder. The only way to end abortion is for people to recognize Your Son as their Sovereign Saviour. For it is by Him that one can learn about You, and can appreciate Your creation. I pray that despite the sins of this world, Your Will be done. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

Ecclesiastes 11:5 (NIV)



5 As you do not know the path of the wind,

or how the body is formed* in a mother's womb,

so you cannot understand the work of God,

the Maker of all things.



*Footnote: Or know how life (or the spirit ) / enters the body being formed

Quiet Time : LIFE : Secret Signature

Psalm 22:9-10 (KJV)

9But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts.
10I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly.

Of course brings to mind:

Psalm 139:13-15 (KJV)

13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

My sister-in-law is pregnant with her third child, and when I pray for her, I marvel at the miracle that is taking place in her belly. No, not just a simple biological happenstance, but a miracle; a human being, being formed to be placed on this earth by God. A part of His ultimate plan. That is truly amazing.

Here is one of my most favorite quotes from C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain:

“Beyond all possibility of doubt you would say ‘Here at last is the thing I was made for.’ We cannot tell each other about it. It is the secret signature of each soul, the incommunicable and unappeasable want, the thing we desired before we met our wives or made our friends or chose our work, and which we shall still desire on our deathbeds, when the mind no longer knows wife or friend or work. While we are, this is. If we lose this, we lose all.

This signature on each soul may be a product of heredity and environment, but that only means that heredity and environment are among the instruments whereby God creates a soul. I am considering not how, but why, He makes each soul unique. If He had no use for all these differences, I do not see why He should have created more souls than one. Be sure that the ins and outs of your individuality are no mystery to Him; and one day they will no longer be a mystery to you. The mould in which a key is made would be strange thing, if you had never seen a key: and the key itself a strange thing if you had never seen a lock. Your soul has a curious shape because it is a hollow made to fit a particular swelling in the infinite contours of the Divine substance, or a key to unlock one of the doors in the house with many mansions. For it is not humanity in the abstract that is to be saved, but you- you, the individual reader, John Stubbs or Janet Smith. Blessed and fortunate creature, your eyes shall behold Him and not another's. All that you are, sins apart, is destined, if you will let God have His good way, to utter satisfaction. The Brocken spectre 'looked to every man like his first love', because she was a cheat. But God will look to every soul like its first love because He is its first love. Your place in heaven will seem to be made for you and you alone, because you were made for it- made for it stitch by stitch as a glove is made for a hand.” (emphasis mine)

Check the latest posts on theologica.blogspot.com. This is why this is such an urgent topic. Another good read is John Piper's post, Lincoln's Logic on Slavery Applied to Abortion where I found the above blog posts. And most importantly, PRAY.

Quiet Time : Continuing on in the Psalms

So, I woke up earlier than normal (see yesterday's post) to make sure I had a quiet time. Yay!

Psalm 18:25 (KJV)

25With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

As I read that verse this morning, it reminded me of the Sermon on the Mount, so I turned to Matthew 5:

Matthew 5:7 (KJV)

7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Also worth noting was the note in my study Bible about Psalm 18:26

26With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

Footnote: "With the froward (perverse) God shows Himself froward (lit., twisted), i.e. He is at cross-purposes with those who are at cross-purposes with Him."

So I went on trusty dictionary.com, and found these definitions:

fro⋅ward  /ˈfroʊwərd, ˈfroʊərd/ [froh-werd, froh-erd]
–adjective
willfully contrary; not easily managed: to be worried about one's froward, intractable child.

fro·ward (frō'wərd, -ərd)
adj. Stubbornly contrary and disobedient; obstinate.
fro'ward·ly adv., fro'ward·ness n.

froward
O.E. fromweard "turned from or away," from from + -weard. Opposite of toward, it renders L. pervertus in early translations of the Psalms, and also meant "about to depart, departing," and "doomed to die."

Froward
Fro"ward\, a. [Fro + -ward. See Fro, and cf. Fromward.] Not willing to yield or compIy with what is required or is reasonable; perverse; disobedient; peevish; as, a froward child.
A froward man soweth strife. --Prov. xvi. 28.
A froward retention of custom is as turbulent a thing as innovation. --Bacon.
Syn: Untoward; wayward; unyielding; ungovernable: refractory; obstinate; petulant; cross; peevish. See Perverse. -- Fro"ward*ly, adv. -- Fro"ward*ness, n.

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Also a very cool thing happened this morning. Yesterday morning, I woke up with the words to Mighty to Save in my head. I even made part of the song my Facebook status yesterday, it stuck with me so much. Well, today, I heard the song on the radio while I was getting ready. Yes indeed, HE IS MIGHTY TO SAVE! :)

Oh yeah, and one more cool thing that happened this morning. C.H. Spurgeon's devotional was really awesome this morning; which is normal, but this morning he afforded me with a great reminder of how much I can trust God for help!

slug bug / love bug

No, not this kind, but...

... more like this kind ...




I'm going for laziness, here people! Sloooooooow to act, and such.

Okay, so I had the thought last night about just how difficult it is for me to get up early. It all starts with my being a complete night owl, even though I know that is the result of a complete lack of discipline on my part (blogged about that last year, "Holding On To Today").

It's funny how the Holy Spirit can convict a person, and I'm so grateful for His patience! Because I know that my day would be better if I just woke up early. Quiet time, good breakfast, exercise; all could be done, and what a great way to start my day that would be. Alas, it is difficult for me. And yesterday, after browsing through Girl Talk, I came upon this post "The 5:00 Club", and this quote:

"Waking up late means your quiet time is probably the first to go."

D'oh! Yes, waking up late means that, and yes I do wake up late, but whose fault is that... MINE! Grrrrr!

But it's funny, because I'm reading The Enemy Within, by Kris Lundgaard, and came upon a few MORE gems the other night while discussing it:

"The flesh resists with its last breath anything that smacks of communion with God, because it suffocates in his presence....

The first claw aims at your weakness. When they were under attack and under great danger of temptation, just when they should have been praying, Jesus' disciples were fast asleep. "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak," he said (Matthew 26:41). The spiritual flesh takes advantage of the weakness of the natural flesh (the body). "You can't pray now, you need your rest. If you don't get some sleep, you won't be any use to God." This, in effect, is what Satan hit Jesus with when his body was weakened by forty days of fasting: "You've done enough fasting-you're being downright fanatical. Turn those stones to bread. If you don't eat, you'll die, and then how will you save the world!" (Matthew 4:1-3).

If you don't imbed it in your mind that prayer and meditation are indispensable, and seek God's grace every day to resist the sluggishness of your body, you will hit the snooze button all morning rather than kneel before the throne. And if you snooze, you lose." (emphasis mine)

Yes, please just call me a slug bug. I can be pretty good about waking up in time for a quiet time, but if I get off track just a little bit, then it all goes awry.

It all boils down to how I want to be, which first and foremost means how can my life glorify God. And allowing my lazy flesh to control my quiet times just will not cut it. So I'm praying and trying to be better about this. I'm so glad that God shows me these things, through Scripture, sermons, etc.

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Now on to the love bug...

Oh yeahhhhh... he he!

Complete nerd that I am, my Christmas list consisted mostly of all things C.S. Lewis. Either books by him or about him. One that I received was Jack's Life, by Douglas Gresham. Gresham is Lewis' stepson, and basically summed up The Four Loves for me (I posted some quotes from this book, "With This All Things Are Possible") ... well, at least Lewis' opinion about how the four loves all work together. I'd like to think that this is exactly how Lewis explained this to his stepson:

"Jack [Lewis] believed that one of the failings of the English language is the fact that we have only one word for love. The ancient Greeks used four. Agape was their word for the love of God, which flows through one person to another. This is also called "charity," and it should be the basis of any relationship between people. Then there is their word for the love of friendship, and that is philia. This is the sort of love that one has for a dear friend that makes you like to be with them and spend time doing things together. Third is what the Greeks called storge. Storge is the sort of love you feel for someone who has been a part of your life for a long time, and if they go away, you miss them far more than you ever thought you would. They leave a hole in your emotional life that no one else can fill. Fourth is the love that girls and boys start to be affected by when they grow-up; the Greeks called it eros, and it is also called "romance." Now in today's world people are always rabitting on about "falling in love," and all they mean is a romantic attraction. Romance doesn't last and soon passes away, and if that is all that two people have to base their relationship on, they are in trouble. Jack was determined that the right way to form a relationship was to start with agape, wait a while to see if philia develops, then wait some more to find out if storge is becoming a part of what is happening, and then finally to wait for eros to show up. If all of these things happened, Jack would have considered that he was "in love."

Of course, Lewis did find this love, with Gresham's mother. It's a very sweet and sad story. Two books that chronicle this are: A Grief Observed, by C.S. Lewis (which is on my reading list), and one of the books I'm reading now, which was a surprise Christmas present from my roommate Anne, A Severe Mercy, by Sheldon Vanauken.

So, when I say that I Kissed Dating Goodbye, I really mean it. Sayonara, thanks but no thanks. (what do ya say, I've blogged about that one, too, "Play on Playa/Why I Kissed Dating Goodbye"). I've had enough flattery in my short life to know it for what it truly is - superficial and temporal. My heart is ready, and is being ever readied for much much more.

Quiet Time : Reminder

Psalm 17:8-13 (KJV)

8Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
9From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
10They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
11They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth; 12Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
13Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

...kind of sounds like ...

II Chronicles 18:31 (KJV)

31 And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, It is the king of Israel. Therefore they compassed about him to fight: but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

...which reminded me of this quiet time...

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Also, today's new discovery! The Treasury of David, by C.H. Spurgeon, which contains Spurgeon's study on the Psalms.

In searching further in this sight, I came upon Spurgeon To Go, where you can install Spurgeon's devotionals, and they call it Daily Dose of Spurgeon! I swear, I didn't steal that line!!! :)

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I would like to share the Spurgeon sermon that I read today; Sermon for New Year's Day. Below is an excerpt:

"I want to say to such, if you have been all your lifetime in bondage, you need not remain there any longer; for there is in Jesus the power to make all things new, and to lift you into new delights. It will seem to be a dead lift to you; but it is within the power of that pierced hand to lift you right out of doubt, and fear, and despondency, and spiritual lethargy, and weakness, and just to make you now, from this day forward, "strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might."

Daily Dose of Spurgeon : "to live is Christ"

December 7, Morning


Philippians 1:21
For me to live is Christ.


The believer did not always live to Christ. He began to do so when God the Holy Spirit convinced him of sin, and when by grace he was brought to see the dying Saviour making a propitiation for his guilt. From the moment of the new and celestial birth the man begins to live to Christ. Jesus is to believers the one pearl of great price, for whom we are willing to part with all that we have. He has so completely won our love, that it beats alone for Him; to His glory we would live, and in defence of His gospel we would die; He is the pattern of our life, and the model after which we would sculpture our character. Paul's words mean more than most men think; they imply that the aim and end of his life was Christ-nay, his life itself was Jesus. In the words of an ancient saint, he did eat, and drink, and sleep eternal life. Jesus was his very breath, the soul of his soul, the heart of his heart, the life of his life.

Can you say, as a professing Christian, that you live up to this idea? Can you honestly say that for you to live is Christ? Your business-are you doing it for Christ? Is it not done for self-aggrandizement and for family advantage? Do you ask, "Is that a mean reason?" For the Christian it is. He professes to live for Christ; how can he live for another object without committing a spiritual adultery? Many there are who carry out this principle in some measure; but who is there that dare say that he hath lived wholly for Christ as the apostle did? Yet,this alone is the true life of a Christian-its source, its sustenance, its fashion, its end, all gathered up in one word-Christ Jesus. Lord, accept me; I here present myself, praying to live only in Thee and to Thee. Let me be as the bullock which stands between the plough and the altar, to work or to be sacrificed; and let my motto be, "Ready for either."

C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, Hendrickson Publishers, 1997.

He knew of every tear before it fell / no regrets

A conversation last night got me to thinking about my past. About how things have happened to me that seemed so terrible at the time, but that I am grateful for them now, because of what I have learned.

I think it's too easy to wallow in a past or present situation. To be so mired in it, because the realization of hindsight is, well, impossible. Let me play devil's advocate for a second. Say it were really possible to go back in time and avoid certain mistakes or mishaps. Would that make the person you are today happier, or "better?" I don't think so. It would just make you different. Sorry to break it to you, but different doesn't equal better. And being that the past is a fixed, concrete thing, then there really isn't any use in thinking about how things "might have been." More like "might have been but never-even-in-an-alternate-universe can be."

To dwell on the past just doesn't make any sense. What does make sense is to see how God's hand was in those situations; in every minute detail. Seriously, just try it out. Even in the most dire of circumstances, I can see God's hand it every second; and I mean every-single-second. I think it's a great exercise, but really, I know that I prayed for it long before it was shown to me (and in one situation, reading the Bible revealed it to me!). I am so grateful to have the Gospel in my life.

As for me, I'm really beginning to like the person I am today. And if that took going through things that people couldn't imagine being grateful for, well then I just pray some day that God will reveal it to them too, in their own lives.

P.S. One cool thing to add here. Back in October I went for a jog, and realized that it was almost a year to the day that I had finished the marathon. I started to think of my friends who were running it again, and how proud I was of them. How absurd it seemed for me to have done it to almost everyone I know. How no one believed that I was actually training for a marathon; least of all myself! And then I remember thinking that God wasn't surprised that I was doing it at the time. God knew before I was born that I would finish a marathon on October 21, 2007. Then I realized that He knew that before time began! He knew every second of that 6.5 HOURS of my life! How at around mile 13 my feet would start to hurt, or that around 22 I would be in so much pain that I wouldn't believe that I could finish at all. He knew of every tear before it fell. Praise God! He is simply Amazing.

Addendum 01/22/2009: Check out John Piper's, The President, the Passengers, and the Patience of God.

Daily Dose of Spurgeon : Blessed Among Women

(a little late posting this...)

December 15, Morning

Ruth 1:14
Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clave unto her.

Both of them had an affection for Naomi, and therefore set out with her upon her return to the land of Judah. But the hour of test came; Naomi most unselfishly set before each of them the trials which awaited them, and bade them if they cared for ease and comfort to return to their Moabitish friends. At first both of them declared that they would cast in their lot with the Lord's people; but upon still further consideration Orpah with much grief and a respectful kiss left her mother in law, and her people, and her God, and went back to her idolatrous friends, while Ruth with all her heart gave herself up to the God of her mother in law. It is one thing to love the ways of the Lord when all is fair, and quite another to cleave to them under all discouragements and difficulties. The kiss of outward profession is very cheap and easy, but the practical cleaving to the Lord, which must show itself in holy decision for truth and holiness, is not so small a matter.

How stands the case with us, is our heart fixed upon Jesus, is the sacrifice bound with cords to the horns of the altar? Have we counted the cost, and are we solemnly ready to suffer all worldly loss for the Master's sake? The after gain will be an abundant recompense, for Egypt's treasures are not to be compared with the glory to be revealed. Orpah is heard of no more; in glorious ease and idolatrous pleasure her life melts into the gloom of death; but Ruth lives in history and in heaven, for grace has placed her in the noble line whence sprung the King of kings. Blessed among women shall those be who for Christ's sake can renounce all; but forgotten and worse than forgotten shall those be who in the hour of temptation do violence to conscience and turn back unto the world. O that this morning we may not be content with the form of devotion, which may be no better than Orpah's kiss, but may the Holy Spirit work in us a cleaving of our whole heart to our Lord Jesus.

C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, Hendrickson Publishers, 1997.

Quiet Time : God spoke, Job repented

Job 39:13-17 (KJV)

13Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?
14Which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,
15And forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them.
16She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not her's: her labour is in vain without fear;
17Because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath he imparted to her understanding.

Ryrie Study Bible:
It appears to man that the ostrich is unconcerned about her young, leaving some of her eggs uncovered (though only by day when the heat of the sand helps incubate them) and unhatched (thereby serving as food for her young). Her seeming lack of wisdom is not apart from God's plan, just as behind the trials of the godly, which seem so unreasonable to Job, lies the wise purpose of God.

Job 40:6-14 (KJV)

6Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
7Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
8Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?
9Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
10Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.
11Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.
12Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.
13Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.
14Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.

Ryrie Study Bible:
When Job criticized God's ways, he was in effect trying to usurp God's position as governor of the world. In this paragraph full of irony, God asks if Job can really perform those things that only God can do.

Job 42:1-6 (KJV)

1Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
2I know that thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
3Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.
4Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
5I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
6Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Ryrie Study Bible:
Job repents of his pride and rebellion and finds contentment in the knowledge that he has God's fellowship. This is the great lesson of the book: If we know God, we do not need to know why He allows us to experience what we do. He is not only in control of the universe and all its facets but also of our lives, and He loves us. Though His ways are sometimes beyond our comprehension, we should not criticize Him for His dealings with us or with others. God is always in control of all things, even when He appears not to be.

Click here for info on the Ryrie Study Bible on Amazon.