Profound good in our lives often emerges in a crucible of significant suffering. Jesus himself “learned obedience through what he suffered” (Heb. 5:8). Often faith and love shine most clearly, simply, and courageously in a dark place. And what marked you for bad? Often our typical sins emerge in reaction to betrayal, loss, or pain. Hammered by some evil, we discover the evils in our own hearts (Rom. 12:17). And perhaps most often, in the hands of our kind and purposeful Father, the bad and the good both come out. A trial brings out what is most wrong in you, and God brings about what is most right as he meets you and works with you (Ps. 119:67). The endurance of faith is one of the Spirit’s finest fruits—and you only learn to endure when you must live through something hard.
David Powlison, “God’s Grace and Your Suffering,” in Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, ed. by John Piper and Justin Taylor, p. 147.
Archive for the ‘Quotes’ Category
“The endurance of faith is one of the Spirit’s finest fruits” – Powlison
Posted in Quotes on August 16, 2011| Leave a Comment »
How all grievous things in this life are to be gladly suffered – Thomas a Kempis
Posted in Quotes on August 10, 2011| 2 Comments »
Oh, if you saw the everlasting crowns of My saints in heaven, if you saw in how great joy and glory they are who sometimes seemed to be despised in the world, you would soon humble yourself low to the ground, and you would rather be subject to all men than to have authority over one person.
You would not desire to have happiness and pleasure in this world, but rather to bear with tribulation and pain, and you would account it a great gain to be considered as nothing among the people.
Oh, if these things tasted sweet to you and deeply pierced your heart, you would not dare once to complain of any manner of trouble that should befall you.
Are not all painful things and most grievous labors gladly to be endured for joy everlasting? Yes, truly. It is no little thing to win or lose the kingdom of heaven.
Thomas a Kempis, “How All Grievous Things in This Life Are Gladly to be Suffered for Winning the Life That Is to Come” in The Imitation of Christ, p. 173.
J.C. Ryle on the benefits of sickness
Posted in Quotes on August 7, 2011| 2 Comments »
Another principal responsibility which sickness requires of you, is that of “living a life that is constantly ready to bear it patiently.” Sickness is no doubt a trying thing to flesh and blood. To feel our nerves weakened–to be obliged to sit still and be cut off from all our usual pastimes–to see our plans destroyed and our purposes disappointed–to endure long hours and days, and nights of weariness and pain–all this is a severe strain on poor sinful human nature. Is it any wonder that irritability and impatience are brought out by disease! Surely in such a dying world as this we should study patience.
How will we learn to bear sickness patiently, when it is our turn to suffer sickness? We must lay up stores of grace in the time of health. We must seek for the sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit over our undisciplined tempers and personalities. We must make a real business of our prayers, and regularly ask for strength to endure God’s will as well as to do it. Such strength is to be had for the asking: “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” [John 14:14]
I cannot think it needless to dwell on this point. I believe the passive graces of Christianity receive far less notice than they deserve. Peace, gentleness, faithfulness, patience, are all mentioned in the Word of God as fruits of the Spirit. They are passive graces which especially glorify God. They often make men think, who normally despise the active side of the Christian character. Never do these graces shine so brightly as they do in the sick room. They enable many a sick person to preach a silent sermon, which those around him never forget. Would your beautify the doctrine you profess? Would you make your Christianity beautiful in the eyes of others? Then take the suggestion that I give you this day. Store up a reserve of patience for the day of sickness that is sure to come. Then, though your sickness does not end in death, it will be for the “God’s glory.” [John 11:4]
Jesus is fully satisfying
Posted in Quotes on August 6, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Dianne and I have been enjoying Nancy Guthrie’s Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow. At the end of each chapter she imagines Jesus talking to us, using scripture as the basis for the narrative she creates.
I particularly appreciated this picture of sweet dependence on Jesus:
When you pray, pray like this: “Give us today the food we need for today.” And then come to me asking again tomorrow. You see, I want you to learn to depend on me on a daily basis. While the world celebrates independence, I bless dependence. . .
You will never find me lacking when you come to me. As you learn to depend on me more and more, and as you discover over and over again that I can be enough for you, you will begin to rest in my provision for you. You’ll have less fear about whether or not I will show up tomorrow with what you need. You’ll discover how blessed it is to hunger and thirst for me, and find me fully satisfying.
Adapted from Matthew 6:11; 2 Corinthians 1:9; Exodus 16:4; John 6:32-35; Matthew 4:4; 5:6; 6:32-33.
Nancy Guthrie, Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow, p. 121.
Something solid to hold when the winds blow: a word from Nancy Guthrie
Posted in Quotes, Special Events on July 23, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Nancy and David Guthrie’s story is incredibly hard – the loss of two children to a fatal genetic syndrome.
And God has turned it into a speaking and writing ministry that I find incredibly helpful:
When the winds of sorrow and doubt and questions and pain were blowing the hardest in my life, there were a couple of solid things I grabbed hold of that kept me from being swept away into alienation from God.
Certainly the most significant truth I held on to was a solid belief that Romans 8:28 is really true – that God can and will use everything, no matter how dark, for my ultimate good, because I am his.
That doesn’t mean I’m a Pollyanna about the sufferings of life or that I diminish the evil and pain associated with the hurts of this life. I’m saying that when we grab hold of the confidence that God is using the worst things we can imagine for our ultimate good, we can see the light beyond the darkness.
The second thing I’ve held on to is my firm belief that God loves me. It is his love that enables me to accept his sovereignty.
Nancy Guthrie, Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow, p. 84.
If you aren’t familiar with Nancy Guthrie or their family’s story, you can be introduced this week as she is speaking on DG Live on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. (Central). I strongly encourage you to tune in and be blessed.
From the archives: Suffering Patiently
Posted in Quotes, Scripture, Sermons on July 6, 2011| 1 Comment »
Pastor John has clearly preached the sovereignty of God over all things for a long time. In this sermon from 1990, Is the Kingdom Present or Future, Pastor John helps us see the present and future hope in the kingdom of God:
Is the kingdom of God a future reality to be hoped for or a present reality to experience now? That’s today’s question. The answer is that it is partly present and partly future. Many of its blessings are here to be enjoyed now; but many of them are not yet here. Some of its power is available now but not all of it. Some of the curse and misery of this old age can be overcome now by the presence of the kingdom. But some of it cannot be. The decisive battle against sin and Satan and sickness and death has been fought and won by the King in his death and resurrection, but the war is not over. Sin must be fought, Satan must be resisted, sickness must be prayed over and groaned under (Romans 8:23), and death must be endured until the second coming of the King and the consummation of the kingdom.
Now I want you to see this clearly in the New Testament because it is extremely important for your faith. It will inspire you with hope that there is a great and glorious future yet in store for all believers. It will deepen your confidence that the glory of your future in the kingdom is secured by precious past down payments of that very kingdom (Romans 8:32!). It will give you a handle on why so much amazing kingdom power is being unleashed in the world, and yet why so much of sin and Satan and sickness and suffering remains. If you get a handle on the presence and the future of the kingdom of God, you will find yourself on a pathway of spiritual power, which might include the power to perform signs, and will definitely include the equally remarkable power to suffer patiently the cross of grief and pain (Colossians 1:11).
John Piper, Is the Kingdom Present or Future, February 4, 1990.
I am sad. But only for a vapors breath.
Posted in commentary, Quotes, Scripture on July 4, 2011| 8 Comments »
When I imagined myself a father, a big thing I imagined was helping him to learn how to drive.
The day I turned 15 I started looking forward to drivers education class. And the day I turned 16 my mother took me to the drivers examination office, where I earned that precious right to drive all by myself.
That was a big deal for me as a young man, and I enjoyed the thought of helping my future son take this giant step toward independence.
Today my boy turns 16. I’ve known for 16 years that my blind boy wouldn’t be able to drive. He isn’t even big enough to reach the pedels. And if he could see and was big enough, his cognitive disabilities and autism and strange seizure-like disorder would prevent him from driving.
It might seem silly given everything else, but I’m sad about not having that rite of passage with my oldest son.
Yet, God has kindly made me ready for this day:
- More veteran parents than I am have warned that the seasons of sadness will still come. Sometimes they come at unexpected times. Sometimes we can prepare. I knew this would be one of those times I should prepare.
- My Jesus understands, because he experienced sorrow: Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me” (Matthew 26:38).
- My Jesus loves me, covers my sins and helps me turn from sin, including sinful temptations to doubt his goodness in my suffering: To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood (Revelation 1:5).
- This sorrow has a greater, joyful purpose ahead: For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:17).
- God knows my days and my son’s days: 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).
- God has good plans for my son and myself: 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).
- My son has been the means by which God has revealed himself as of greater worth than anything, including raising a ‘normal’ boy.
I still feel that sorrow about my son’s disabilities today; I expect that tears will come. But just writing the above list has reminded me that ‘no good thing does he withhold’ (Psalm 84:11). God is awesome in his love and his power and his mercy!
As Pastor John wrote several years ago:
So let us embrace whatever sorrow God appoints for us. Let us not be ashamed of tears. Let the promise that joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5) sustain and shape our grief with the power and goodness of God.
I believe that promise! I have experienced little tastes of that promise already.
Someday, both Paul and I will experience a different rite of passage, and it is impossible to say who will lead whom. Either Jesus will return, or we will go to him.
And we will experience something entirely new!
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Revelation 21:4-5
And that is why I can and will celebrate my son’s birth today, ‘as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing’ (2 Corinthians 6:10).
Happy birthday, son!
140 characters (or less) of persistent helpfulness
Posted in Quotes on July 3, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Paul David Tripp is one of those people who can say a great deal with a few words. He and Pastor John are why I continue to follow twitter.
A few examples:
- I know, like me, you want now to be a comfortable destination, but it isn’t that. It’s an uncomfortable preparation for a final destination.
- If you’re God’s child today you will be blessed once again with what you don’t deserve, couldn’t achieve and didn’t earn-it’s called grace.
- If God’s your Father, he will discipline you, but his discipline is never a sign of his rejection, rather it’s a sure sign of his affection.
- Today you must battle to convince yourself that what God says is true is really true and for that you have grace.
What does it mean that God will ‘give us all things’?
Posted in Quotes, Scripture on July 2, 2011| 2 Comments »
I’ve been reflecting on the destructiveness of the health and wealth prosperity gospel. It isn’t because I enjoy it! But some prosperity preachers like to make much of their ‘healing’ ministries, so I run into them during my studies.
And sometimes they use scriptures like this to promote their really, really bad, illogical, unbiblical thinking:
He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all,
how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32
Rather than discourage you with something I came across from a prosperity preacher on Romans 8:32, I thought these paragraphs from Pastor John might be more helpful.
John Piper on Romans 8:32 in The Passion of Jesus Christ: Fifty Reasons Why He Came to Die, p. 52:
But what does “give us all things” mean? Not an easy life of comfort. Not even safety from our enemies. We know this from what the Bible says four verses later: “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered” (Romans 8:36). Many Christians, even today, suffer this kind of persecution. When the Bible asks, “Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword” separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35), the answer is no. Not because these things don’t happen to Christians, but because “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).
What then does it mean that because of Christ’s death for us God will certainly with him graciously give us “all things”? It means that he will give us all things that are good for us. All things that we really need in order to be conformed to the image of his Son (Romans 8:29). All things we need in order to attain everlasting joy.
God gives us things that are good for us – like dependency on him when nothing else is going right in our bodies or our children’s bodies. Like hope in him when our circumstances are anything but hopeful.
Like the assurance of an eternity with Jesus!
All conference audio and video for The Works of God: God’s Good Design in Disability are now available at Desiring God!
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This clash is not about ‘preventing disability.’ – Denny Burk
Posted in commentary, Quotes on August 12, 2011| 1 Comment »
I deeply appreciate when those who don’t live with disability speak out on it.
In this blog post from several years ago, Denny Burk, succinctly unpacks a significant cultural problem as evidenced in a New York Times article on abortion and Down syndrome:
Amen.
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