Morning and Evening

Charles Spurgeon

‘Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord’ Exodus 14:13

These words contain God’s command to the believer when he is reduced to great straits and brought into extraordinary difficulties. He cannot retreat; he cannot go forward; he is shut up on the right hand and on the left; what is he now to do? The Master’s word to him is , ‘Stand still’. It will be well for him if at such times he listens only to his Master’s word, for other and evil advisors come with their suggestions. Despair whispers, ‘Lie down and die; give it all up’. But God would have us put on a cheerful courage, and even in our worst times, rejoice in His love and faithfulness. Cowardice says, ‘Retreat; go back to the worldling’s way of action; you cannot play the Christians part, it is too difficult. Relinquish your principles’. But, however much Satan may urge this course upon you, you cannot follow it if you are a child of God.

His divine fiat has bid thee go from strength to strength, and so thou shalt, and neither death nor hell shall turn thee from thy course. What, if for a while thou art called to stand still, yet this is but to renew thy strength for some greater advance in due time. Precipitancy cries, ‘Do something. Stir yourself; to stand still and wait is sheer idleness’. We must be doing something at once - we must do it so we think - instead of looking to the Lord, who will not only do something but will do everything (my emphasis).

Presumption boasts, ‘If the sea be before you, march into it and expect a miracle’. But Faith listens neither to Presumption, nor to Despair, nor to Cowardice, nor to Precipitancy, but it hears God say, ‘Stand still’; keep the posture of an upright, ready for action, expecting further orders, cheerfully and patiently awaiting the directing voice; and it will not be long ere God shall say to you, as distinctly as Moses said to the people of Israel, ‘Go forward’.

Worship — God’s Way Not Mine!

As I have been reading The Desert Pastor’s blog, I have been praying about areas of my life that should be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Doing this, however, has not been an easy task! It is so easy to respond in a fleshly manner (the manner I’m used to doing) instead of a godly manner. Many times my mind struggles against the flesh but the flesh wins out. Why is that? I ask myself. The times I do that is normally when I have not renewed my mind with God’s Word and/or I am following a habit and respond without thinking or praying about the situation first.

We know that worship is NOT just 20 minutes of singing on Sunday (normally called the “Praise and Worship” time). Worship IS glorifying God in every area of your life! Since we cannot do it on our own then it becomes necessary that we go to the ONE Who enables us to do it. The only way we can worship God — HIS WAY — is through us being renewed in our mind regularly.

I am very thankful that the Lord has put many things in our lives recently, including heartbreak, to wake us up to the fact that we were not serving Him but ourselves! May the Lord continue to break our wills, mould us into the image of Christ, and enable us to renew our minds continuously and without ceasing!

Thankful for God’s Discipline when we need it,

Desert Pastor’s wife

Which God are you worshipping??

The Desert Pastor has continued his series on Worship.  I would highly recommend this to you and feel free to pass on the links to others.  Here is the link for Part 8, and I know that Part 9 is soon to be added as well.

Thanks for reading, and may you be encouraged with what we share on my blog as well as the posts found at The Desert Pastor.

More Truths on Worship

The Desert Pastor has continued his series on Worship.  I would highly recommend this to you and feel free to pass on the links to others.  Below are the next two links to Parts 6 & 7 in the series.

Part 6 “Which God Do You Worship??” Are we maintaining our distance from the world?  And is Romans 8:28 for just anybody?

Part 7 “Which God Do You Worship??” Why is the Church being lulled to sleep and to its death?

Poison Pills

The Desert Pastor has been doing a series on Worship that has been a help to me and will be one to you, if you let it. Below are the links to each part in the series.

Part 1 “Which God Do You Worship??” Do Christians really want to hear the truth?

Part 2 “Which God Do You Worship??” Why is it so hard to apply what we learn?

Part 3 “Which God Do You Worship??” Why is our worship only confined to approximately 3-5 hours per week?

Part 4 “Which God Do You Worship??” What lessons will we have to learn before we are willing to give due honour, glory, and praise to our Saviour alone?

Part 5 “Which God Do You Worship??” How many poison pills are we willing to continue to consume before we realize that true joy and happiness comes from serving the Lord?

Be prepared for another part coming up!

Knowing God’s Will by John MacArthur

Are you interested in knowing God’s will? Here is a series of 5 youtube videos by John MacArthur with a clear explanation of knowing God’s will for your life! It has been a big help for me and I hope it will be for you!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

The Agony of Heartbreak and the Goodness of God? (Part 2)

During this time of heartbreak, I have had several people give me different kinds of advice and share things with me that, at first, caused me concern. I noticed my response towards people was to feel angry because they were trying to help me through something they didn’t know about (or so I thought).

The only problem is that we tend to have a ‘me only’ outlook when we are going through heartbreak.  It can become a matter of selfishness and pride in some ways.  Selfishness can take over when we get to a point where we have a pity-party for ourselves because this has happened to us for whatever reason.  We begin to feel that we are the ONLY people that it has ever happened to and therefore we begin to have an attitude of ‘woe is me.’  Pride takes over when our friends and loved ones try to help us through.  Many times they may not know what to say or how to say it.  They might just blurt out something that they don’t necessarily mean and struggle to know how to say what is in their hearts.

If those who are going through grief are not careful their pride can take over and they can begin to feel they are better than the ones giving them the advice.   The pride can also take another turn  in not being willing to accept advice during heartbreak.

Many times what people say may be a pat answer but if we are willing to think things through with the Lord’s help and with humility in our hearts, it just might be that what was said was EXACTLY what we were needing at that particular time.

For instance, I’ve had 4 different people give me advice during this difficult time in my life.  My first reaction was to get upset at them and tune out what they were saying.  After much conviction from the Holy Spirit over my pride, I spent a lot of time going back over the advice they had given me and I can truly say that most of it was VERY good advice.  Most of what was said may have sounded like a pat answer but it’s the only response that we can conclude with.

The final conclusion, “You must leave it in the Lord’s hands instead of trying to take things into your own hands and work things out yourself.  God’s timing is always perfect and will not only take care of the other person (however HE intends to do it) but will help you through in such a way that it will bring honour and glory to HIM!”

The Word of God says that whatever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report think on these things.  (Philippians 4: The only Person I can think of that truly matches this description is the LORD JESUS CHRIST!  He alone is worthy to be praised.

In the end, the agony of heartbreak is used to show not only us but also the world around us the goodness of God.  It is also used to show that HE alone is sufficient for our needs, desires, wants, hurts, and heartbreaks!  Let us look to the future of what God will do in us and through us in every circumstance within our lives.

Submitting to the will of God and waiting for heart healing in His timing,

Desert Pastor’s wife

PS - Just a little note to say that this can apply to grief over the death of someone close to you.  I know because I have someone very close to me who lost a loved one.  Her testimony is amazing because of the humility in her life and being willing to listen to the Word of God and all biblical advice given her during her grief.  The Lord has used the grief in her life to help her to grow spiritually and to change her.  No, she’s not a pastor’s wife; however, if one person is willing to be used by God in every circumstance they will see their life change radically!

Suffering For the Truth

After yesterday’s post on heartbreak and the goodness of God, I believe the Lord reminded me through my daily Bible reading as well as the devotional by Charles Spurgeon.  We will suffer persecution for doing what is right and the Bible comments on the fact that we should rejoice in the midst of such sufferings.  We don’t rejoice that we are going through it but we rejoice in the fact that we are counted worthy to suffer for the sake of the Lord.  (Acts 6)

Morning and Evening

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said…’Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods.’”  Daniel 3:16,18

The narrative of the manly courage and marvellous deliverance of the three holy children, or rather champions, is well calculated to excite in the minds of believers firmness and steadfastness in upholding the truth in the teeth of tyranny and in the very jaws of death.  Let young Christians especially learn from their example, both in matters of faith in religion, and matters of uprightness in business, never to sacrifice their consciences.  Lose all rather than lose your integrity, and when all else is gone, still hold fast a clear conscience as the rarest jewel which can adorn the bosom of a mortal.

Be not guided by the will-o’-the-wisp policy, but by the pole-star of divine authority.  Follow the right at all hazards.  When you see no present advantage, walk by faith and not by sight.  Do God the honour to trust Him when it comes to matters of loss for the sake of principle.  See whether He will be your debtor!  See if He doth not even in this life prove His word that ‘Godliness, with contentment, is great gain’, and that they who ’seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, shall have all these things added unto them’.  Should it happen that, in the providence of God, you are a loser by conscience, you shall find that if the Lord pays you not back in the silver of prosperity, He will discharge His promise in the gold of spiritual joy.

Remember that a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of that which he possesseth.  To wear a guileless spirit, to have a heart void of offence, to have the favour and smile of God, is greater riches than the mines of Ophir could yield, or the traffic of Tyre could win.  ‘Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and inward contention therewith.’  An ounce of heart’s-ease is worth a ton of gold.

by Charles Spurgeon

I couldn’t agree with him more!

The Agony of Heartbreak and the Goodness of God?

So many times we get caught up in everyday life then suddenly something happens in such a way that our hearts begin to break.  The past couple of weeks have been such for me due to losing someone very special to our family.  Let me hasten to assure you that it was not through death but due to selfishness and the lack of desire for the truth.   This was never intended so but truth cannot be changed even for friendship.

I guess the question needs asking how does the agony of heartbreak and the goodness of God go together? So many times we feel that God hates us if we go through any kind of trouble and yet that is so far from the truth.  God loves His children dearly and it is only a loving parent that will discipline their child when he/she goes astray.

Take a little one for example.  If you keep a close eye on him or her they will try to push the boundaries and see if you are willing to stick with the rules and boundaries.  They know you will say no and yet still look at you and touch whatever it is you don’t want them to touch.  It is important to keep saying firmly, “NO!” regardless of the cries, anger or tantrums.  In the same way, many times the Lord tells us no and we don’t listen to Him.  We still want our way so the Lord has to discipline us to remind us that we must obey HIM.

When the agony of heartbreak comes and we feel overwhelmed many times and here are some of the things we do:

1. Blame God for what happened to us.
2. Grow angry because we are not allowed to continue on with whatever it is we feel makes us happy.
3. Grow bitter and show hatred toward God.
4. Feel that God has it out for us and so we begin to get really hard and hateful towards others that love and serve God.

Hebrews 12 tells us that chastisement is there for our good and to bring forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness; however, if we are angry and bitter then there will be no fruit of righteousness this time.  Once we get over the bitterness and anger the Lord must once again break our hearts (sometimes this must be done many times over) until the peaceable fruit of righteousness begins to show.

This is the goodness of God toward us because He is working in our hearts and conforming us to the image of Christ.  How good and gracious God is in the midst of heartbreak!  What love He shows us by not tiring of our tantrums and telling us to get lost.

Thank you, Lord, for Your goodness towards me through the chastisement and discipline within my life.  Help me to ever look to You in ALL situations.

I will finish off my thoughts another day but let us be willing to be broken and be ready to suffer for Christ since He paid the ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross!  Amen!

Do You Desire Christ?

What is your desire today? God’s will or your own?