The first video from the conference is online! The DG media team picked a good one to work on first: Krista Horning’s testimony.
Krista Horning – Testimony of God’s Good Design from Desiring God on Vimeo.
Archive for the ‘Scripture’ Category
“Disability says ugly things to me. . . God says beautiful things to me. Listen!” Krista Horning
Posted in Scripture, Special Events on November 18, 2012 | 10 Comments »
The Lord says, ‘Do not fear!’
Posted in Scripture on November 15, 2012 | 1 Comment »
I came across one reference to ‘do not fear’ and looked for others. Here are two that encouraged me as many of us are facing hard things in our families:
“I called on your name, O LORD,
from the depths of the pit;
you heard my plea, ‘Do not close
your ear to my cry for help!’
You came near when I called on you;
you said, ‘Do not fear!’
“You have taken up my cause, O Lord;
you have redeemed my life.
(Lamentations 3:55-58 ESV)
“I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:4-7 ESV)
The godly are bettered by the worst of things
Posted in Quotes, Scripture on November 12, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
As the wicked are hurt by the best things, so the godly are bettered by the worst. — William Jenkyn
Are the godly really bettered?
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV)
(Thank you to my sweet sister Arlene for pointing to the Jenkyn quote)
Paul said it better than I can
Posted in Scripture on November 9, 2012 | 1 Comment »
God was very kind in how he provided for us at the conference yesterday. Every speaker gave me something fresh to think on about God’s sovereign goodness. And if you didn’t see Krista Horning, you will be blown away when its available in a few days!
I am so grateful to God, and am happy to let Paul speak for me:
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord,
or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him
that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36 ESV)
Why ‘the works of God’?
Posted in Scripture, Special Events on November 8, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
If you’re an early riser and reader of this blog, would you pray for the conference, The Works of God: God’s Good Design in Disability? You can watch it live here. If you get this blog by email at night, would you thank God for his help today?
I haven’t explained the title of this blog for a while and some new folks have joined us.
I like the phrase ‘the works of God’ for many reasons, but these are the two I return to most often:
1) It is directly connected to disability
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.“ (John 9:1-3 ESV)
2) It is directly connected to hoping in God (and fathering)
He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments;
(Psalm 78:5-7 ESV)
Because God has ordained those days, we can be thankful even for the hard ones.
Posted in commentary, Scripture on November 3, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
(Psalm 139:16 ESV)
What a comfort it is that God knows every one of our days so intimately and rules over them so thoroughly that he wrote them down!
Greg Lucas, in his book Wrestling with an Angel, points out that he’s getting weaker just as his son with disabilities, and associated really difficult behaviors, is getting much stronger. What’s a man to do in that circumstance? You’ll need to read his book to find his answer, which is a very good one.
Greg’s observation that things with his son are getting more difficult, not less, was one that resonated with me as well. And God knows those days! There is hope in future grace!
Then on Friday I was introduced to a new song, for me, called Every Day by Joel Sczebel and Todd Twining. Here’s the chorus:
Thank You for the trials
For the fire, for the pain
Thank You for the strength
Knowing You have ordained
Every day
Because God is who he is, we can be thankful even for those days of deepest sorrow. God is amazing.
Here’s the entire song. I hope you find comfort in it as I did:
Why do I say our children with disabilities are the works of God? Because he made them (and us).
Posted in Scripture, Special Events on November 2, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
But now, O LORD, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
(Isaiah 64:8 ESV)
The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: “Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.”
So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do.
Then the word of the LORD came to me: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.” (Jeremiah 18:1-6 ESV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1-3 ESV)
In six days we will gather for The Works of God: God’s Good Design in Disability. There is still time to register or you can watch it that day at www.desiringgod.org/live.
It is a weighty and beautiful topic. Please pray for everyone involved, that we would find our hope in God and would treasure him above all things!
When we can’t see God’s purposes, trust his character
Posted in Quotes, Scripture on October 28, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Disability usually doesn’t make much sense. We can’t see God’s purposes in the moment.
Which is why I especially appreciated this word from my friend and president of Desiring God, Jon Bloom, as he explored Jesus’ words to Peter: What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand (John 13:7 ESV).
Our understanding his purposes in a particular providence tends to be not as important to God as our trust in his character. So together let’s continue to “trust in the Lord with all [our] heart, and…not lean on [our] own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Because one day we will understand. And we will, with great joy, proclaim, “The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works” (Psalm 145:17).
Jon Bloom, What I Am Doing You Do Not Understand Now, posted October 26, 2012.
Two reasons to stand up for the littlest people
Posted in commentary, Scripture on October 23, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
1) You can save a little life.
I heard this story last week. Because of a pregnant couple’s circumstances, the father of the child was considering abortion. Their life story is complicated, like most stories of this type are. Another couple (the ones telling me the story) stepped in and helped them see the simple reality of a baby and a family. A baby was born a few months ago. Nobody is regretting that ‘decision.’ On the contrary, joy would be an appropriate descriptor! I thought them courageous; they thought it was a happy responsibility to love the baby and the mom and the dad this way.
2) You can prepare a couple to stand firm.
A young couple we know learned recently they are having a child. They live outside the United States, in a place where abortion is even more common than it is here.
Women who refuse to do certain tests, or who hold the position that they will not abort even if the baby has a problem, often receive harsh criticism and pressure from doctors and nurses.
These young people don’t fear the results of the tests or the pressure from medical professionals because they know who their God is. As the Lord wills and only as the Lord wills, their baby will join us in a few months.
Yes, laws need to change. Yes, medical professionals should be oriented toward serving the most vulnerable rather than destroying them.
But right now any one of us could be called to save a little life, either by saying true things about God and children to a pregnant couple, or by preparing the next generation to stand firm. Let’s do it.
He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.
Psalm 78:5-8
All conference audio and video for The Works of God: God’s Good Design in Disability are now available at Desiring God!
Share this blog
Subscribe
Resource Library
Archives
Categories
Thankful and peaceful, even about disability and suffering
Posted in commentary, Quotes, Scripture on November 21, 2012 | 1 Comment »
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:15-16 ESV)
This is a universal call to peace and thankfulness – not just in and during circumstances that are pleasant. Dr. Mark Talbot explains why even suffering is something for which we can praise God:
Share this:
Like this:
Read Full Post »