- Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
- Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God..
- For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
- And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
It is given to every person who calls Christ as Lord to suffer, to stumble in trials and persecutions. (Philippians 1:29)
Recently, I was reading about our Lord's heartaches and horrible sense of sorrow and anguish in Ps.40, a chapter that has very clear references to the Lord Himself, even Paul ascribing them to Him in his writings in Heb.10. What a pit that must have been for Him. Overwhelming sickening sorrow! Delivered at last as asked (Jn.17), and now turns to lift us from each of ours and the joy that comes rushing in when we sense and see Him doing so.
We have no words to describe our heart to Him. We bow, kneel and fall, kissing His feet in silent tearful adoration and thanks. And when our heart's desire is not for ourselves but for others we love or for whom we are burdened, how overwhelming is that love and gratitude when He answers our hearts and we see them blessed!
Amazing how words set to a new song can, in part, begin to touch the pains of our sorrows and lift our burdens! Singing. What it alone can do.
Someone more able than me once said, "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." - Charles Spurgeon
Did you catch that? When I read that..."great hearts can only be made by great troubles..." What great hearts you have been given and He is increasing for His purpose and your rewards. Just know that He will deliver all in His time and never too late. Stay in that Joy you experience today, even when the adversary's next hot blast may strike. Don't sacrifice it to him.
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022
