Peace and Contentment

Breanna and I have been so blessed by several of Elisabeth Elliot's writings.   A while back we had gotten "Keep a Quiet Heart" in from the library, but had to return it before we were done.  Mom was so sweet and bought the book for us and surprised us by leaving it on our bed along with a sweet note. :-)  (Thanks so much Mom for all that you invest into us. <3 )  Here are a few sections from what I read yesterday that stood out to me.  I hope some of you are as blessed by it as I was.

A spirit of calm contentment always accompanies true godliness.  The deep peace that comes from deep trust in God’s lovingkindness is not destroyed even by the worst of circumstances, for those Everlasting Arms are still cradling us, we are always “under the Mercy”.

It isn’t troubles that make saints, but their response to troubles.  Even miracles can’t make us holy.

Everything about which we are tempted to complain may be the very instrument whereby the Potter intents to shape His clay into the image of His Son—a headache, an insult, a long line at the check-out, someone’s rudeness or failure to say thank you, misunderstanding, disappointment, interruption.  As Amy Carmichael said, “See in it a chance to die,” meaning a chance to leave self behind and say YES to the will of God, to be “conformable unto His death.”  Not a morbid martyr-complex but a peaceful and happy contentment in the assurance that goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives.

~Elisabeth Elliot, Keep A Quiet Heart~

~Brittany

Notes on Seeking God from Genesis 32

Along with beginning a new year some of us have begun a reading plan to read through the Bible this year chronologically.  I am always encouraged reading through Genesis as I see the Lord at work in the lives of His people.  Sometimes it didn't make sense and circumstances even seemed contrary to what He had promised, but because we can see the end of the story we see that God was working all things together to sanctify His people, establish His will in their lives, and use them for His glory as part of His perfect plan.  Just last night as I was digging through a box of we girls' bedroom things (yes, we're still working on finishing up dealing with boxes :-) ) I found some old notes that I had taken a few years ago.  I was really excited, because I had been wanting to re-read them because of my recent Bible reading.  The Lord was so good to provide them when I wasn't even looking for them.  Anyway, I thought I would share these notes with all of you in hopes that it will be an encouragement.  May the difficulties and trials in this life cause us to look to and seek the Lord in greater ways and not make us spiritually stagnant!
~Brittany

Jacob Seeks the Lord in Time of Trouble

~Notes from Genesis 32~

Verse 9 ~ Jacob begins prayer by restating the Lord’s commands.

Verse 10 ~ Jacob verbalizes his unworthiness of the Lord and expresses how the Lord has blessed him.

Verse 11 ~ Jacob seeks the Lord asking for His deliverance and confessing his fears.

Verse 12 ~ Jacob repeats back the promises the Lord has given him.

Verses 13-23 ~ Jacob takes steps preparing to move forward.

Verse 24 ~ Jacob “wrestled” in prayer.

Verse 26 ~ Jacob refuses to move forward without the Lord’s blessing.

Verses 28-29 ~ The Lord blesses Jacob.

Verse 30 ~ Jacob named the place where he had been for the purpose of remembering.

Verse 31 ~ Jacob steps forward in faith.

In verse 7 Jacob was struck with fear.  His fear drove him to seek the Lord in verse 9.  In verse 25 difficulty came to Jacob while “wrestling” in prayer.  This did not hinder Jacob from continued prayer and seeking the Lord’s blessing.  In verse 31 Jacob moves on in faith, trusting that the Lord would be with him even though he now had difficulty in so doing.  He had to pay a price to overcome the threat of not getting God’s blessing.  Jacob could still move forward in faith even with an extra trial because he had received the blessing of the Lord upon him and upon his ways.

Great Hearts can only be made by Great Troubles

I was so blessed by reading this this morning.  I know it's truth because the Lord has been doing this refining work in my life of late.  Trials draw us closer to our Savior, bring deeper surrender in our lives, make us more fervent in prayer, and more transformed for His service.

~Brittany

"For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ."—2 Corinthians 1:5.

There is a blessed proportion. The Ruler of Providence bears a pair of scales—in this side He puts His people's trials, and in that He puts their consolations. When the scale of trial is nearly empty, you will always find the scale of consolation in nearly the same condition; and when the scale of trials is full, you will find the scale of consolation just as heavy. When the black clouds gather most, the light is the more brightly revealed to us. When the night lowers and the tempest is coming on, the Heavenly Captain is always closest to His crew. It is a blessed thing, that when we are most cast down, then it is that we are most lifted up by the consolations of the Spirit. One reason is, because trials make more room for consolation. Great hearts can only be made by great troubles. The spade of trouble digs the reservoir of comfort deeper, and makes more room for consolation. God comes into our heart—He finds it full—He begins to break our comforts and to make it empty; then there is more room for grace. The humbler a man lies, the more comfort he will always have, because he will be more fitted to receive it. Another reason why we are often most happy in our troubles, is this—then we have the closest dealings with God. When the barn is full, man can live without God: when the purse is bursting with gold, we try to do without so much prayer. But once take our gourds away, and we want our God; once cleanse the idols out of the house, then we are compelled to honour Jehovah. "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord." There is no cry so good as that which comes from the bottom of the mountains; no prayer half so hearty as that which comes up from the depths of the soul, through deep trials and afflictions. Hence they bring us to God, and we are happier; for nearness to God is happiness. Come, troubled believer, fret not over your heavy troubles, for they are the heralds of weighty mercies.

--Charles Spurgeon's Morning Meditation, February 12th