Trust
I've been thinking about trust a lot over the past several months. I have come to realize just how much actual unbelief resides in my heart. It has not been a pleasant experience! And yet, for the first time in my Christian life, I am learning the true meaning of joy as the Lord continues to open my eyes to behold wondrous things out of His Word. I am coming to "know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings" and I can't get enough.
Probably the biggest encouragement to me has come through the reading and meditation on Psalm 119. The first two verses alone set the pattern for realizing true blessedness in life - following after God's word, and seeking Him with the whole heart.
I have also been re-reading John Piper's book, Future Grace. Here are some quotes that have helped me from his book: "...the essence of faith is 'being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus.'...in all the acts of saving faith, the Holy Spirit enables us not just to perceive and affirm factual truth, but also to apprehend and embrace spiritual beauty...The spiritual beauty we need to embrace is the beauty of God that will be there for us in the future, certified for us by the glorious grace of the past. We need to taste the spiritual beauty of God in all his promises. Our confidence and trust must be in all that God himself will be for us in the next moment, and in the next month, and in the endless ages of eternity. It is HE and HE alone who will satisfy the soul in the future...We need to go deeper, and become stronger by understanding biblically what God has wrought in us. I join the apostle Paul in praying that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened so that we might know the surpassing greatness of his power in us who believe (Ephesians 1:18-19). That power has awakened in us, not just a desire for God to give us a happy future, but for God himself to be the essence of our happy future. It has produced in us, not just a delight in the promises of God, but in the God of the promises. Faith embraces God in all his promises."
"Lord, I believe. Help Thou my unbelief."
Probably the biggest encouragement to me has come through the reading and meditation on Psalm 119. The first two verses alone set the pattern for realizing true blessedness in life - following after God's word, and seeking Him with the whole heart.
I have also been re-reading John Piper's book, Future Grace. Here are some quotes that have helped me from his book: "...the essence of faith is 'being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus.'...in all the acts of saving faith, the Holy Spirit enables us not just to perceive and affirm factual truth, but also to apprehend and embrace spiritual beauty...The spiritual beauty we need to embrace is the beauty of God that will be there for us in the future, certified for us by the glorious grace of the past. We need to taste the spiritual beauty of God in all his promises. Our confidence and trust must be in all that God himself will be for us in the next moment, and in the next month, and in the endless ages of eternity. It is HE and HE alone who will satisfy the soul in the future...We need to go deeper, and become stronger by understanding biblically what God has wrought in us. I join the apostle Paul in praying that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened so that we might know the surpassing greatness of his power in us who believe (Ephesians 1:18-19). That power has awakened in us, not just a desire for God to give us a happy future, but for God himself to be the essence of our happy future. It has produced in us, not just a delight in the promises of God, but in the God of the promises. Faith embraces God in all his promises."
"Lord, I believe. Help Thou my unbelief."
posted by Violet | 8:47 AM
2 Comments:
Hi Violet,
I know how you feel when you say you can't get enough. When God opens our eyes to His truths it is truly amazing. I LOVE and am so thankful for the fact that He continually desires to bless and encourage our feable hearts.
I hope I will see you at family camp. Love, Diane
That's some powerful stuff. The verse you ended with is one of my favorite verses. I find I use it often in prayer because I realize that I need so much help for the unbelief that resides there.
P.S. I have my new-to-me computer so I can keep up with things better now. Thank you for being a faithful friend.
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