You know those moments of revelation, those defining moments that have a huge impact on you and broaden your picture of God and of life…

 

My son brought home a book called “God in Pain” by David Asscherick, read it and recommended it to me.

 

I have been reading it…and it has been speaking to my heart, so I can’t but share the blessing…

 

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose….What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  Rom 8:28-32

 

The cross is our guarantee that God is on our side.

 

It is our guarantee that He is for us and not against us.

 

It is our guarantee that He is trustworthy.

 

The cross proves that God has not and will not abandon us. Not even in the worst of times.  How can we be so sure?  Here is our answer: “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani” (Matt 27:46)

 

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

 

Jesus didn’t just feel forsaken; He was forsaken.  And the fact that He was forsaken is the guarantee that you will never be.  We may (and often do!) forsake God, but He will never forsake us!  Here it is:  “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5)

 

Jesus:  forsaken

 

You:  unforsaken.

 

The latter is the guarantee of the former.

 

We may in our darkest, most painful moments feel abandoned. But there is a broad chasm between feeling and fact.  We must learn, as Paul apparently did, to bring our feelings, frustration and fright to the cross.  And there our feeling of abandonment and neglect begins to dissolve for we look upon one who was abandoned both in feeling and in fact.  We may not have every answer to every burning, aching question that haunts us, true, but we have the answer – the answer that gives us unalloyed confidence that every as yet unknown answer would be found satisfactory by us.  In other words, at the cross we learn to accept what we don’t know about God and His plans on the basis of what we do know.

 

If in the providence of God, we are called to endure trials, let us accept the cross and drink the bitter cup, remembering that it is a Father’s hands that holds it to our lips. Let us trust Him in the darkness, as well as in the day. Can we not believe that He will give us everything that is for our good?  Even in the night of affliction, how can we refuse to lift heart and voice in grateful praise, when we remember the love to us expressed by the cross of Calvary?

 

Are you in pain?

 

God was in pain.

 

Your guarantee of deliverance from pain was Jesus’ deliverance to pain.

 

 The reality of God in pain, then, paves the way for God to be with you in your pain.  Beside you.  He knows.  He understands.  He’s felt what you are feeling. He’s ached like you ache.  Bring your pain – all of it – to Him who knows better than you what pain is. Your pain may be great and terrible.  Your suffering insufferable.  But remember two words:

 

“All things.”

 

And remember their guarantor:  the God of the cross.”

 

Flames flicker

Creating a gentle light

In the darkness.

Shadows play across our faces

And warmth embraces us.

 

As the fuel is consumed

It gives its very existence

That we might have warmth and light.

Will I let self be consumed by Him

That others may experience

His warmth and His light?

 

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29

 

 

You know those moments of revelation, those defining moments that have a huge impact on you and broaden your picture of God and of life…

 

My son brought home a book called “God in Pain” by David Asscherick, read it and recommended it to me.

 

I have been reading it…and it has been speaking to my heart, so I can’t but share the blessing…

 

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose….What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?  Rom 8:28-32

 

The cross is our guarantee that God is on our side.

 

It is our guarantee that He is for us and not against us.

 

It is our guarantee that He is trustworthy.

 

The cross proves that God has not and will not abandon us. Not even in the worst of times.  How can we be so sure?  Here is our answer: “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani” (Matt 27:46)

 

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

 

Jesus didn’t just feel forsaken; He was forsaken.  And the fact that He was forsaken is the guarantee that you will never be.  We may (and often do!) forsake God, but He will never forsake us!  Here it is:  “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5)

 

Jesus:  forsaken

 

You:  unforsaken.

 

The latter is the guarantee of the former.

 

We may in our darkest, most painful moments feel abandoned. But there is a broad chasm between feeling and fact.  We must learn, as Paul apparently did, to bring our feelings, frustration and fright to the cross.  And there our feeling of abandonment and neglect begins to dissolve for we look upon one who was abandoned both in feeling and in fact.  We may not have every answer to every burning, aching question that haunts us, true, but we have the answer – the answer that gives us unalloyed confidence that every as yet unknown answer would be found satisfactory by us.  In other words, at the cross we learn to accept what we don’t know about God and His plans on the basis of what we do know.

 

If in the providence of God, we are called to endure trials, let us accept the cross and drink the bitter cup, remembering that it is a Father’s hands that holds it to our lips. Let us trust Him in the darkness, as well as in the day. Can we not believe that He will give us everything that is for our good?  Even in the night of affliction, how can we refuse to lift heart and voice in grateful praise, when we remember the love to us expressed by the cross of Calvary?

 

Are you in pain?

 

God was in pain.

 

Your guarantee of deliverance from pain was Jesus’ deliverance to pain.

 

 The reality of God in pain, then, paves the way for God to be with you in your pain.  Beside you.  He knows.  He understands.  He’s felt what you are feeling. He’s ached like you ache.  Bring your pain – all of it – to Him who knows better than you what pain is. Your pain may be great and terrible.  Your suffering insufferable.  But remember two words:

 

“All things.”

 

And remember their guarantor:  the God of the cross.”

 

Flames flicker

Creating a gentle light

In the darkness.

Shadows play across our faces

And warmth embraces us.

 

As the fuel is consumed

It gives its very existence

That we might have warmth and light.

Will I let self be consumed by Him

That others may experience

His warmth and His light?

 

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29

 

 

Today our son turned 20 years old!

I can hardly believe it!

I am thankful to the Lord for His work in our son's life...

Not just recently but every day since he was born.

I am thankful that despite our imperfect parenting skills,

that He has blessed our efforts in raising him to know the Lord and

that he has turned out to be a fine young man who loves the Lord wholeheartedly...

He is such a blessing in our lives.

I am so grateful....thank you Lord!