thanking God for suffering

I’m striving to be more thankful. Self-pity is one of my habitual sins, and I’ve found thankfulness to be a wonderful antidote.

There is one place where thankfulness is particularly difficult for me. For many months I’ve watched my son struggle with ongoing sickness. I know that afflictions as well as blessings come from God’s hands, and that his purposes are only good towards my son and me (Isa 45:7; Rom 8:28-30). But when we wake to yet another day of sickness, with its attendant discouragement and worry, the words “Why do we have to go through this again?” spring more easily to mind than “Thank you.”

I have asked myself two questions: Am I to thank God not just in suffering, but also for suffering? And how is this possible? I found the answer in these words from quadriplegic Joni Eareckson Tada.

I’ve been giving thanks for most of my paralyzed life. Not only giving thanks “in everything,” as one part of the Bible tells us, but “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything” as another part commands (1 Thess 5:18; Eph 5:19-20).1 Most of us are able to thank God for His grace, comfort and sustaining power in a trial, but we don’t thank Him for the problem, just finding Him in it.

But many decades in a wheelchair have taught me to not segregate my Savior from the suffering he allows, as though a broken neck- or in your case, a broken ankle, heart or home- merely ‘happens’ and then God shows up after the fact to wrestle something good out of it. No, the God of the bible is bigger than that. Much bigger.

And so is the capacity of your soul. Maybe this wheelchair felt like a horrible tragedy in the beginning, but I give God thanks in my wheelchair…I’m grateful for my quadriplegia. It’s a bruising of a blessing. A gift wrapped in black. It’s the shadowy companion that walks with me daily, pulling and pushing me into the arms of my Saviour. And that’s where the joy is…

Your “wheelchair”, whatever it is, falls well within the overarching decrees of God. Your hardship and heartache come from His wise and kind hand and for that, you can be grateful. In it and for it.

This quote is from Joni Eareckson Tada’s foreword to Nancy Leigh DeMoss Choosing Gratitude.

1. The theological small print: I’m not saying (and I’m sure Joni isn’t saying) that we’re to thank God for suffering in a masochistic way, as if we enjoy the suffering itself. In the Bible, grief and lament, and crying out to God, are appropriate ways to respond to suffering and pain. I can’t think of any examples in the Bible where people give thanks for suffering itself (let me know if you can think of one). Yet Joni’s verses show that we are to thank God both in and for “everything” – that is, for all kinds of different circumstances, which would include suffering. After all, God’s people are often said to rejoice in suffering (why? Because of the opportunity to suffer with and for Christ – Ac 5:41; Col 1:24; 1 Pet 4:13, because it helps make Christ known –  Phil 1:4-6 , because God uses it to grow our character and refine our faith – Rom 5:3-4; 8:28-30; James 1:2-3; 1 Pet 1:6-7, and because of the reward that awaits us – Matt 5:12; 1 Pet 4:13). To thank God for suffering is, I think, an expression of the confidence that our particular trial, whatever it may be, comes from God’s sovereign, loving hands and that he will use it for his glory and our good.

online meanderings: the practice of suffering, distilled comfort, the fear of God, and more

Quotes
One [decathlete] said, "I threw the javelin farther than anyone else. I'm the greatest." Another said, "I put the shot farther than anyone else. I'm the greatest." Another said, "I jumped higher than anyone else. I'm the greatest." And eventually they all look toward Jesus...and someone says, "What about you?" And Jesus says, "I made all of you. So I'm the greatest." - John Piper

What matters supremely, therefore, is not, in the last analysis, the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it—the fact that he knows me...There is tremendous relief in knowing that his love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovery now can disillusion him about me, in the way I am so often disillusioned about myself, and quench his determination to bless me. - JI Packer

It is impossible that any ill should happen to the man who is beloved of the Lord; the most crushing calamities can only shorten his journey and hasten him to his reward. Ill to him is not ill, but only good in a mysterious form. Losses enrich him, sickness is his medicine, reproach is his honor, death is his gain. No evil in the strict sense of the word can happen to him, for everything is overruled for good. Happy is he who is in such a case. He is secure where others are in peril, he lives where others die. - Charles Spurgeon

Top 5 posts
To suffer faithfully - "Practised in the art of suffering". The key to finishing the race, both in an Olympic marathon and in life. Nicole.

The two-pronged strategy of a master evangelist - We've forgotten how to personally challenge individuals about their standing with God. A word in season for me from John Chapman. Phillip Jensen.

Comfort distilled - Iain Campbell writes about preaching three days after his son's wedding was cancelled. Encouragement in 300 words.

Notice the famine? - How your culture impacts your Bible interpretation. Really worth reading. Trevin Wax HT Sam Freney.

When fear is good and Why we fear God - I'm really enjoying this series on the fear of God by David Mears.

And 12 more great posts
Welcoming the arrival of... - "She told me her birth plan ahead of time. It was this: to be grateful. And she is."  Nancy Ann.

Moral imperatives - I read so much bad stuff online about what to say when your son or daughter tells you they are homosexual; here, finally, is something worth saying. Frank Turk HT The Briefing.

When darkness seems to hide God's face - When hope is deferred, "there is a hope that is not deferred." A woman writes after miscarriage. Trillia Newbell.

Not out thank God - "God’s love, revealed in the gift of Jesus Christ, is the truth that keeps me going." An encouraging post by cancer sufferer Dave MacDonald.

"I Can't!" is relative - When you feel like you just can't do it any more. Jani Ortlund.

Watch the quiet ones - You might not notice the quiet ones, but they may be doing great things for God. Roberta Matuson.

Guidelines to reading Old Testament narrative - 10 principles for reading Old Testament narrative: short and sweet. Julian Freeman HT The Briefing.

Pray for your straying soul - It's good to be reminded how easily the soul strays - and to be exhorted to guard and pray against this. John Piper.

Please stop having quiet times - "Twice our Sacred Book calls itself a sword...A sword is only quiet when it's not being used." Jeff Medders.

Practicalities for getting praying - Finding it hard to pray regularly? Here are some helpful suggestions. Philip Jensen and Tony Payne.

How do the heck do we pray without ceasing? - Stephen Altrogge.

What do you do before breakfast? - Susie.

Women
Women, callings and having it all - "We should equip young women at least as early as adolescence to begin honing such discernment and sober judgement." Jennifer Marshall HT Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

Mother fatigue - For tired women who love Jesus. Cathy.

Ministry
Do you want to create a missionary culture? - How the gospel changes everything. Erik Raymond.

Small discipleship groups - An inspiring approach to small groups. Paul Tautges.

Some advice for youth ministers - Some helpful advice for youth ministers. Kevin DeYoung.

Good news for bad preachers - "Your first few sermons are always terrible, no matter who you are...You want them to be critiqued, and harshly." Russell Moore.

Beware of elevated vagueness - "I want to plead with pastors to be crystal clear in their preaching, and surgically clean in their private lives." John Piper.

Parenting
Getting down with your kids - Getting down on the floor with your kids: why we don't, and why it'd be good if we did. Jonathon Holt.

Books
God's good design by Claire Smith - An excellent book reviewed by Meredith.

Modest: Men and women clothed in the gospel - This book on modesty by Challies & co. actually looks good! Not a set of rules, but the gospel.

Parenting beyond you capacity - How church and family work together.

The wheel on the school - I'm reading this to my boys.

For fun
Little Free Library - What a lovely idea!

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what I'm reading: spiritual friendship from Tim Keller

Have you ever wondered what friendship between two Christians is for? What lifts it beyond ordinary friendship? What makes it something lasting, worthwhile, of eternal value?

Here's a definition of spiritual friendship from Tim Keller that puts it so beautifully, and gives us something to aim for. (He's writing about marriage, but I think it applies to any friendship.)

Friendship is a deep oneness that develops as two people, speaking the truth in love to each other, journey together to the same horizon. Spiritual friendship is the greatest journey of all, because the horizon is so high and far, yet sure – it is nothing less than “the day of Jesus Christ” and what we will be like when we finally see him face to face…What, then, is [friendship] for? It is for helping each other to become our future glory-selves, the new creations that God will eventually make us. 

From Tim Keller  The Meaning of Marriage 116-117, 120. 

image is by Zaro from flickr  

online meanderings: singleness, suffering, the shortness of life, and more

Quotes of the week
For most of us, time does its weary work and bears us away unremembered, except for a few scraps of other peoples' remembrances for a generation or two...Yet at the bottom of each gravestone is inscribed the grace - the truth that really matters ultimately - the one to remember in all of the littlest, seemingly unseen moments: Known unto God. Cath

Sin promises to be your friend...Sin asks you to give just a little bit more of yourself to it every time. Just a bit more. Just a bit more after that. But over time sin comes to own you. It comes to know everything there is to know about you. And then it stabs you in the back and laughs with glee as you are left sputtering and humiliated and destroyed....That’s the kind of friend it is...Sin is the friend who is so much worse than any enemy. Challies

We can think it’s a mark of spiritual sensitivity to consider everything we do as morally suspect. But this is not the way the Bible thinks about righteousness. . . . For those who have been made right with God by grace alone through faith alone and therefore have been adopted into God’s family, many of our righteous deeds are not only not filthy in God’s eyes, they are exceedingly sweet, precious, and pleasing to him. Kevin DeYoung

Top 5 posts
The S word: Some thoughts on singleness - A wonderful article on singleness by Valorie Ting.

This I know - "Persecution, disease, war, disability, disaster, freak accident, assault — all are alike in this: Satan aims to destroy your faith, but God aims to strengthen it."  Jonathon Parnell quoted by Meredith.

Dear stay-at-home mum - Encouragement from the gospel. So very welcome! Trevin Wax.

Your emotions are a gauge not a guide - "The pattern of your emotions (not every caffeine-induced or sleep-deprived one!) will give you a reading on where your hope is because they are wired into what you believe and value — and how much." Jon Bloom.

Teenage spirituality - Why teens lose their faith, and how to help them: "The teenage years are about finding something, or someone to love." Michael Jensen.

A book to read 
How good is good enough? - "An all-too-common misconception of the Christian life: the thinking that, although we are saved by grace, we earn or forfeit God’s blessings in our daily lives by our performance." With this great quote, Challies begins to work through Jerry Bridge's brilliant book "The discipline of grace". You might like to read it with him. 

And 5 more great posts.
Feelings and actions and actions and feelings - When you don't feel as you should, act what you don't feel. Feelings often follow. Michael Kelley.

When hospitality and hell-fire kiss - Hospitality: a great help to sharing our faith. John Starke HT Vitamin Z.

Where seldom is heard an encouraging word - Aussie gold (or the lack of it) and the Aussie response. A great post from Dave McDonald. HT David McKay.

The sacred has absorbed the secular - The work we do, we do for Christ. Spurgeon quoted by Tony Reinke.

The benefits of reading the Bible in chronological order - I'd love to try this Bible reading plan - perhaps when I've finished my current one. Meredith.

Goldsworthy on prayer 
Read the psalms on your knees - and all the prayers of Scripture.

Discipline, routine and the quiet time - "The quiet time can become a legalistic requirement....On the other hand, the person who makes a habit of chaotic indiscipline needs to take this matter in hand..."

Teaching children to pray - "Children will most readily learn the ‘art’ of praying by listening to their parents or other adults praying. It is therefore important for us to be consciously modelling a biblical mode of prayer for our children." Graeme Goldsworthy from Sandy Grant.

For women
Are chick flicks emotional 'porn' for women? - An interesting and helpful discussion. Laura Leonard.

50 Shades of Grey - A helpful post about women and porn - but for a solution, I'd read Chester's "Captured by a better vision". Emily interviews Challies.

For dads, mums and homemakers
Marriage with older kids - We're finding this too: as kids get older, evenings vanish. Where's our us-time? Some helpful ideas from Jenny here.

Motherhood and the mission to the moon - "We can’t mother intermittently." Work, ministry, Facebook, Twitter: don't let anything distract you from the task of mothering. Carolyn Mahaney HT Susie.

On never being done - "I try to balance the roles of homemaker and housekeeper." On loving the people in your house more than the house. Lizzie Jank.

Ministry
Three attitudes that can lead to ministry burnout - "Did you read over toil and struggling, and skip right to powerfully works within me? Jesus works his power in us within the context of tiring, resistance-laden work."  Eric McKiddie.

What I've learned along the way - For those who preach and those who listen to them and love them: Challies writes about the trials and joys of preaching.

Four rules for preachers - "Never allow yourself to feel equal to your work." It's a principle for preachers; but I think it's a good one for the rest of us too. Gordon Cheng.

Ministry to university students is getting better - The joys and benefits of ministering to uni students (and why my husband and I do this ministry). Phillip Jensen.

Books
Whiter than snow by Paul Tripp - This book just arrived in my letterbox. It looks like Ali and I might be reading this side by side.

Bible Bites - I like the look of these family devotions from The Good Book Company, reviewed by Wendy.

For fun
Poetry and emotional intelligence - "What use is poetry?..." Norman MacCaig quoted by Ali.

If you just can't get enough links, or want to see my links as I read them, check out

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In the footsteps of Ezekiel

When a man was called by God to be a prophet in Israel, he could be pretty sure he wasn’t in for an easy life. Jeremiah, marked out as a traitor by his own people, thrown into a cistern and waiting for his nose to slip beneath the mud (Jer 38:1-28). Ezekiel, his life a bizarre acted parable of Jerusalem’s fate, lying on one side for months on end and cooking his food over excrement (Ezek 4:1-17). Hosea, commanded by God to marry and be reconciled to an adulterous wife, to picture God’s relationship with his unfaithful people (Hos 1:2-11, 3:1-5).

All those words of judgement, all that rejection, all that sacrifice! I sometimes think how glad I am that God didn’t make me an Old Testament prophet.1 But as I read Ezekiel the other morning, for the first time I got it. This man wasn’t mentally disturbed, paranoid, socially challenged, or otherwise abnormal. He was just an ordinary person called by God to do whatever God asked, whatever it took. Even if it meant speaking words of judgement against the people he loved. Even if it meant being hated. Even if it meant giving up the ordinary comforts of life for strange acts and harsh words.

Does God ask any less of me? Whatever he asks, will I fail to give it? On the day I became a Christian, I turned my life over to him. He owns me, body and soul. He bought me with his Son’s precious blood. On that day, I exchanged a life of self-seeking – a cosy, insular, comfortable Western life – for a life of costly service. A life whose every moment and every possession isn’t mine to use as I will, but his to be poured out for others. A life in which I am to stand up for him publicly, without shame. A life of carrying my cross, of dying like a lamb on an altar, of slavery to Christ. This is the cost I agreed to and the cost I bear.2

There are Christians dying today because of that reality. Fifty Christians burned alive in Nigeria. An Iranian pastor, a father, imprisoned and repeatedly beaten. Grenades thrown into churches in Kenya. A Sri Lankan school boy beaten up by his teacher when he confessed his faith in the classroom. Brutal beheadings in Afghanistan, in Tunisia, in Egypt.3

32 And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35 Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy— wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. (Heb 11:32-38)

If my life at this point in time looks less dramatic – if I have not yet resisted to the point of shedding my blood (Heb 12:4) – it’s not because God asks any less of me. I, too, am to be utterly spent in his service. That might mean doing without so I can give to the relief of my suffering brothers and sisters. It might mean waking up to a baby ten times a night with all the cheerfulness and patience that God can give. It might mean struggling to cling to faith through dark days of suffering. It might mean speaking uncomfortable truths to my family and friends. It might mean risking ridicule from workmates or dismissal from a boss by standing up for my faith. It might mean giving up my precious lunchtime to lead a Bible study or my comfortable evening to counsel someone in need. It might mean taking our family into danger or discomfort so we can make Jesus known. It means this, and more than this, every moment of every day.

Like Ezekiel – like all the heroes of faith – I am a stranger in this world. I seek a better country, a heavenly one. I follow Jesus through suffering into glory. May God not be ashamed to be called my God. (Heb 11:13-16; 12:1-2)

Heavenly Father,

Rescue me from complacency. Rescue me from a comfortable Christian life where I think that, because I’ve given my ten percent, I’m free to spend the rest on myself. Rescue me from risking nothing in my conversations and relationships. Rescue me from resting in my Sunday church going and my Christian identity and my devotional practices. And if the day of persecution comes, help me to hold fast to Jesus, whatever the terrible cost. Have mercy on my suffering brothers and sisters across the world, and help them to stand firm in you today.

In the precious name of Jesus,

Amen.

1. Indeed, the prophets don’t always seem that keen on this idea themselves – see, for example, Jeremiah 1:1-19 cf. Exodus 3:1-4:17.
2. See Mark 8:34-38; Luke 14:25-33; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:18-19, 7:22.
3. These stories were sourced from Barnabus Fund.

This post first appeared today at The Briefing.

Painting of Ezekiel is by Michelangelo.

online meanderings: when life is more than you can handle, rebellious children, grief and grace, and more

Top quotes
This life, therefore, is not righteousness but growth in righteousness, not health but healing, not being but becoming, not rest but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it; the process is not yet finished but it is going on; this is not the end but it is the road. All does not yet gleam in glory but all is being purified. - Martin Luther

God...will almost always give us more than we can handle on our own...Over and over again in the Bible, we see men and women who are given far more than they can handle...So maybe we need to stop seeing the trials and adversity in our lives as a burden, as an indication that God doesn’t love us. Maybe we need to start seeing them as proof that God indeed loves us very much—so much so that He will not let us try to rely on our own strength, but continue to show us that we must rely on Him to endure suffering and persevere until the end. - Aaron Armstrong

So often...I attempt to provide good works as repayment for mercy. God gives us grace as a gift and does not expect us to repay Him for it...The gift is cheapened when we attempt to repay it....“Anything we do with a motive of adding to the work of Christ so as to win the forgiveness of God becomes the ground of self-satisfaction in our own goodness, rather than trust in God’s grace.” Challies quoting John Ensor.

Top 5 posts.
The unfortunate things people say (to parents of disabled children) -  "Disability is hard and we know it is way more than we can handle....We will not learn dependence on God if we can ‘handle’ it ourselves." John Knight.

When your child isn't doing well in the Lord - When your child is struggling in their faith. A short, helpful post. Mark Altrogge.

Celebrating alone - A grieving man writes about the loss of his wife. "I woke up each morning astonished at what God had done for me. I went to bed each night beside His grace." RC Sproul Jr.

Truth, grace and my father's conversion at age 84 - This post reminded me of two important things: Never give up hope. Never water down the truth. Randy Alcorn.

An hour long conversations with Paul Tripp - I'm listening to this interview with Paul Tripp about the gospel, counselling, dating, marriage, parenting, pornography, talking with your kids about sexuality, etc... Some great stuff here. Paul Tripp with Justin Holcomb

And 12 more.
My favourite Olympic story - "Walking or running, stumbling or limping, it doesn’t matter. Finish the race. Fix your eyes on Jesus and finish the race." Sandy Grant.

Why we don't fear those with power over us - "Our comfort comes not from the powerlessness of our enemies, but from our Father’s sovereign rule over their power." John Piper.

Where did the universe come from? - "If the physical universe is not the ultimate Fact...then the best way to see it is as a kind of laboratory, preparing us for whatever (or Whoever) put it here." Gavin Ortlund.

4 ways to sing the "I'm persecuted" psalms - When you read an "I'm persecuted" psalm, stop and pray for those who are persecuted. David Murray.

Why you don't have to fear terror (and how to read the Psalms) - "The life of fearless faith has been lived for us." Jonathon Parnell.

Introversion, escape and ministry - "I finally had to admit that leaving church early...was a comfortable way to manage my fear of getting too close to people." Karen Waddles.

Church: thrilling, depressing, messy, brilliant - Let's stop pretending. Mark Buchanen HT Alistair Bain.

How to pray for your pastor - Really helpful suggestions. Trevin Wax.

How God helps with low self-esteem - A woman writes about her battle with low self-esteem (and how low self-esteem is not really her problem at all).

The gift of a child and the struggle with depression - A woman talks about post-natal depression and God. Erin Davis.

The sanctifying job - I enjoyed these reflections on love, sanctification and the workplace. Carolyn McCulley.

Who is doing more, my husband or me? - "There is no scale that could ever perfectly balance the contributions that wives and husbands make. With that in mind, there is only one good solution. Let’s ditch the scale altogether." Erin Davis.

Ministry
Why creativity is important for ministry and how to do it - Fantastic suggestions for growing in creativity in any area of life. Daniel Threlfall.

Pulpit sins - And Bible study leading sins. And Sunday School teaching sins. And ... John Koessler via Alistair Bain.

The "mum with a newborn" test - "My preaching has to make sense to real people in real life". I made a mental note of this. Mark Lauterbach.

Books
The single best book on Christian suffering available - says Carol Trueman: "A grief sanctified" by Packer and Baxter. Justin Taylor.

Technology 
Thinking out loud in public - Facebook, Twitter, commenting and blogging are thinking out loud in public (so be careful what you say). Sean Lucas HT Challies.

Should you sent that email? - A great flow chart. HT Vitamin Z.

Random stuff
The scientific power of naps - You hate naps? You love naps? Either way you'll find this fascinating.

Your desk is making you stupid - Walk while you think. Works for me! Jessica Stillman HT David Murray.

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better than marriage

During my recent bloggy silence I wrote and led a seminar on marriage. One of the things that struck me as I read and reflected on marriage is how there is something much, much better.

Human marriage is just a shadow. Just a hint. Just a pale echo. Just an appetiser. Just a teaser. Just a foretaste of the real context in which love can be given and received and enjoyed…(Eph 5:22-33)... All the love and security and protection and companionship and intimacy and ecstasy of any healthy human marriage is just a pointer to the far greater love and far greater security and far greater protection and far greater companionship and far greater intimacy and far greater ecstasy of being with God himself. (From my husband's sermons on the Song of Songs)

Marriage…is a momentary gift. It may last a lifetime, or it may be snatched away on the honeymoon. Either way, it is short…Very soon the shadow will give way to Reality. The partial will pass into the Perfect. The foretaste will lead to the Banquet. The troubled path will end in Paradise. A hundred candle-lit evenings will come to their consummation in the marriage supper of the Lamb. And this momentary marriage will be swallowed up by Life. Christ will be all and in all. And the purpose of marriage will be complete. (John Piper This Momentary Marriage 178)

online meanderings: insular Christians, scary obedience, revealing worry, and more

Better late than never...There's lots here because I'm still catching up from when we were away. Let's start with 3 great quotes.

Quotes of the week
"If it is I who determine where God is to be found, then I shall always find a God who corresponds to me in some way, who is obliging, who is connected with my own nature. But if God determines where he is to be found, then it will be in place which is not immediately pleasing to my nature and which is not at all congenial to me. This place is the Cross of Christ." Bonhoeffer HT Ali.

"Christians have a remarkable capacity to live insular lives...I have asked people in churches...to name people outside of the church with whom they have had thoughtful conversations...I usually get a short or a very short list...We are called not to live insular lives. We are sent people, sent by Christ to the world. We are called to penetrate our communities with the message of Christ." Mark Lauterbach HT Vitamin Z

"Nobody who is a preacher lives fully what he preaches. That’s the danger of preaching. When we’re preaching, a lot of times we’re preaching to ourselves...I keep my focus on the holiness of God because it needs to be there because I’m not holy. I don’t focus on it because I am holy. I focus on it because I’m not." RC Sproul with Challies

Best new blog
The prayer project - A new blog by Wendy. Written prayers for you to use. It looks great.

Top 5 posts
Will everything turn out right if we obey? - "..it may be the death of us...but that doesn’t let us off from obeying.” CS Lewis quoted by Chris Brauns.

Worry - "What we worry about...reveals two things. First of all, it reveals what we value the most...But on a deeper level...it reveals where we trust God the least." Craig Groeschel HT Vitamin Z

The pain of rejection - A woman abandoned by her husband talks about where to turn to for comfort when you've been rejected. Beautiful.

How to mentor - "Everyone needs a mentor, but not everyone is promised a mentor. However, everyone can be a mentor to others." A great post on discipleship. Jonathon Dodson HT Vitamin Z.

Fight for the time to read - "The fight to find time to read is a fight for one’s life...I, for one, am not a self-replenishing spring...For your own soul and for the life of your church, fight for time to feed your soul with rich reading." For pastors and others. Piper, Spurgeon.

And 10 more
Loving those who grieve - A compassionate and wise post. Justin Taylor.

Listening by WALKing - How to listen well. There are some helpful suggestions here. Garrett Higbee.

When hope hurts - “Like one who takes away a garment on a cold day, or like vinegar poured on soda, is one who sings songs to a heavy heart.” (Prov 25:20)...Hope isn’t something to be tagged onto the end of your counselling session." Winston Smith.

Humble says sorry first - Be the first to say sorry. Christ Brauns HT Vitamin Z.

7 ways to put on humility - I really liked this. Mark Altrogge HT Vitamin Z.

Lamentless faith - Singing laments in church. I've often wondered why we don't do this more, since laments are so prominent in the Psalms.

A woman writes about her struggle with bulimia - "The Lord began to show me my obsession with self and food was more than a “problem”—it was a worship disorder of the soul...He alone is my Refuge, my Deliverer, my Stronghold (Psalm 18:1-3)."

10 tips on solving mysterious Bible passages from Sherlock Holmes - Good stuff. Trevin Wax.

Holiness is the sum of a million little things - "...the avoidance of little evils and little foibles, the setting aside of little bits of worldliness and little acts of compromise, the putting to death of little inconsistencies and little indiscretions..." Kevin DeYoung. 

4 reasons men like porn - Odd questions, interesting observations. (If you struggle with this, male or female, read Tim Chester's book "Captured by a better vision".) Luke Gilkerson.

Thinking about time with an eternal perspective - "If close friends and family don't think they have access to me or can interrupt me, then I know I have things on my To Do list that shouldn't be there." Carolyn McCulley.

For wives
Why bother? He'll never change! - The importance of courageously speaking the truth in love to your husband. Keri Seavey

Responding to a husband's sexual sin - Helpful advice for a difficult situation. Julie Ganschow.

Raising kids
Encouraging mission-minded kids - I like the idea of going on a beach mission as a family. Marcelle Smith HT Gordon Cheng.

Teens and movies with sexual content - "Adolescents who are exposed to more sexual content in movies start having sex at younger ages, have more sexual partners, and are less likely to use condoms with casual sexual partners." Jim Liebelt HT Challies

Have our children forgotten how to play outdoors - “I like to play indoors better, ’cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are.” “Unlike television, nature does not steal time; it amplifies it.” Louv quoted by Albert Mohler.

Creativity and writing
The fight for glory - Why I write even though it brings temptation. "If the fight for my affection was going to be everywhere, I decided to fight in the place I loved. Jennie Allen interviews John Piper HT Lisa Writes.

Start doing stuff - How to be creative: Just do stuff. "Your voice will come with expression...You will find it and lose it and find it again, maybe even on a single page...You will be good and bad and good and bad. And they key in all this is this: just do stuff." Barnabas Piper HT Vitamin Z.

Technology
A digital free vacation - How you might go about it. Challies.

Is the internet making us crazy? What the new research says - "The current incarnation of the Internet—portable, social, accelerated, and all-pervasive—may be making us not just dumber or lonelier but more depressed and anxious, prone to obsessive-compulsive and attention-deficit disorders, even outright psychotic. Our digitized minds can scan like those of drug addicts." Tony Dokoupil.

Books
I have just read a book about Rubber Duckies and loved it - and now I want to too. Meredith.

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The delightful results of memorizing the Bible

This is the final post in my series on Bible memorization. Today I'll talk about the "why" of memorizing Bible passages and the impact this has had on me. You can read part 1 here, part 2 here and part 3 here.

God's word written on three-by-five inch index cards: it doesn't sound like much of a weapon. But there I was, sitting on the floor, staring out the window, repeating words scribbled on the index card in my hand: "...do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own..." (Matt 6:34).

I was twenty-five years old, four years married, and filled with anxious questions about the future. I'd never set out to memorize whole Bible passages, and I'm not sure what prompted me now; but I chose Philippians 4:4-9 and Matthew 6:19-34 and committed them to memory. Slowly but surely - and I still remember how miraculous this felt! - my worries actually went away. The battle against anxiety was won with a set of Bible passages written out by hand, driven into my head through sheer repetition, and pressed into my heart by the Holy Spirit. Anxiety is still one of my chief struggles; but at least I now have a weapon close at hand.

 Old fashioned. Unpopular. Weird. Those are a few words that spring to mind when I think about Bible memorization; but I've experienced the delightful results of this neglected practice, and I can't shut up about it. Here are seven of the benefits. I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones that stand out for me.

• Memorization won't let us skim the surface of God's word. The Hebrew words for "meditate" literally mean to "mutter",1 and that's what happens when you memorize: whether you write, sing or speak, you tell God's word over and over to yourself. When I read silently, or even study a passage, it's easy to skip words and phrases, and see only what I expect to see. Memorization forces me to stop and say every word, so that passages I thought I knew well surprise me. Even when I forget what I learned, the act of memorization forces me deeper into the Bible and the Bible deeper into me.
• Memorization fuels meditation and prayer. One of the signs we belong to God is that we delight to meditate on God's word "day and night" (Psalm 1:1-2; 119:97, 148; Josh 1:8). But how can we do this if God's word isn't available, right there in our minds, in the odd moments between activities and during the empty hours of the night? JI Packer says,

  Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and ways and purposes and promises of God...It is a matter of talking to oneself about God and oneself; it is, indeed, often a matter of arguing with oneself, reasoning oneself out of moods of doubt and unbelief into a clear apprehension of God's power and grace.2

  More than any other practice, Bible memorization fuels my meditation, helping me to preach God's word to myself and turn it into prayer and praise.
• Memorization transforms our minds, emotions and choices by turning our thoughts to Christ. How does true change come? By the renewing of our minds, as we look to Jesus and set our thoughts on him (Rom 12:1-2; Col 3:1-17; Heb 12:1-2). Our thoughts and desires are, of all things, most difficult to master; yet discipline them we must. Memorizing God's word lays a new set of thought patterns over those that come naturally to us. It transforms our hopes, desires and choices as God's truth cajoles and pummels them into a more Christ-centred form. Most amazingly for me, it even shapes my emotions, slowly but surely changing despair into hope, fear into trust, and self-pity into joy.
• Memorization is a help in times of struggle. Some of us face suffering when we are younger, some when we grow older; but suffering comes to all of us, bringing sorrow, doubt and fear. Grief over a child's sickness, the struggle with depression, the temptation to grow weary and give up: in times like this, passages like Romans 8:18-30 and  1 Peter 1:3-9 have become my solid stepping-stones in the dark. They give words and purpose to my pain, affirm the faith I don't feel, reassure me that God hasn't let me go, give me courage to endure, and remind me that Jesus trod the path of suffering and is now in glory.
• Memorization puts the Spirit's weapon in our hands. The word of God is a sword in the Spirit's hands, uncovering sin and equipping us for the fight (Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12).3 But a sword isn't much use if we leave it in its scabbard. In a battle with envy, despair, lust or anger, I don't need my only offensive weapon in a book on my shelf or on my iDevice. I want the words of God inside me, ready to be picked up and used by God's Spirit. "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11 cf. Matt 4:1-11; Josh 1:8).
• Memorization is for others. It's tempting to turn memorization into just another pious practice, another means to personal change; but the Bible is not just for me, but for others. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom" (Col 3:16). Like a glass so full that it overflows, the words of God poured into our minds will spill out through our lips, encouraging our brothers and sisters and equipping them for service (2 Tim 3:16-17) and helping others to come to know Jesus through his powerful word (Isa 55:10-11).
• Memorization is an expression of love. What we choose (and don't choose) to remember shows what matters to us: the words of a song; a child's birthday; a friend's phone number. A miser counts his gold. A collector pores over her treasures. And we leave our Bibles on the shelf! Perhaps, in the end, the best reason for memorizing the Bible is simply because we love it and want to make it our own (Psalm 119:72, 103, 127, 131): the wisdom in our thoughts, the music of our hearts, the power in our words.

Why memorize the Bible? There's no "have to" about Bible memorization! If I spend time reading and studying and reflecting on God's word, it will make its way inside me without me deliberately remembering it. In fact, if memorization becomes mechanical or magical or the indispensable mark of spiritual maturity, we'd be better off engaging with God's word in other ways.

(But here's another question: why not memorize the Bible? Why do we emphasize Bible reading and study so much, and not memorization? My guess it's got something to do with the fact that we're an electronic and print culture, not a memory-based culture. We assume that we will always have our Bibles with us, forgetting that, one day, they may be unavailable to us or taken from us. Perhaps it's time to revive some old skills.)

They said that when you pricked John Bunyan, he bled Bible. That's my goal. I want to bleed Bible all over my death-bed and my life as well. I want to carry my lamp with me so it can illumine my path. I want my tools to hand so I can teach and train others. I want God's sword in my heart, probing my actions and motives. I want to open the door and invite his word in to dwell in me richly. I want it written across my forehead and my doors and the inside of my skull, so I can think it and speak it and pray it and live it day and night.

That's why I memorize God's word.

Have you tried memorizing God's word? What have been the benefits? Share them with us, and challenge and encourage us.

1. From the Olive Tree article Meditating on God's word.
2. From chapter 1 of JI Packer's "Knowing God".
3. Spirit and word go together: compare the parallel passages  Eph 5:18-20 and  Col 3:15-17.

This post first appeared at The Briefing.

image is by chefranden at flickr

online meanderings: good fear, beautiful lives, trusting God with your children, and more

Hi people! Sorry I haven't written much for a while - well, nothing actually. We've been away, first for a university conference and then for a family holiday, plus a week of school holidays, plus a week of catching up on a couple of articles that needed to go out soon... Still, here I am, and I have at least been catching up on my online meanderings. Here they are. 

Quote of the week
"Why do I worry? Really, why do I worry? Why do I again and again resort to ‘trying harder’ or thinking that enough planning and enough busyness will alter the outcome of events?...Reliance characterizes me. Provision characterizes my God." - Reliance Elisha Galotti HT Challies.

Top 6 posts
When it's good to be fearful - When fear is good, and when it's bad. How to fear well. Such a helpful post from Paul Tripp! (And not just for pastors, either.)

In Christ I'm not a sinner - The older I get, the more I realise holiness is just about remembering the gospel. So easy to say, so very hard to do! This post is about living who you are in Jesus. Dane Ortland HT Challies.

Lifestyle coveting - Lifestyle blogs, magazines, advertisements, TV shows, beautiful houses, beautiful lives... What effect do they have on us? What can we do about it? Cathy.

Breaking hearts - Trusting God with the lives of your children: something I've been struggling to do. This is a wonderful post. RC Sproul Jr HT Sam Freney.

Power in weakness - God's power: not freedom from weakness, but strength to endure and obey. I want the first; he gives the second. Ed Welch.

8 bullet points on marriage - Straight from the Bible, these 8 points put marriage in its proper perspective. They would make a great foundation for a seminar! Challies.

And 10 more
The secret life of the cross-cultural missionary - "There are no “celebrity” cross-cultural missionaries." A call to sacrifice. Adam Gabriel Cavalier HT Challies.

Helpless sacks of sand - Insomnia and sleep. An encouraging post by a sleepless Challies with help from Piper.

Real refreshment comes form seeing glory not getting stuff done - I think he's right: when I've overwhelmed by anxiety about getting stuff done, it's time to stop doing and look to Jesus. Jon Bloom.

A broken past and the miracle of sanctification - How to use the Bible with those who find its words hard to hear because of past victimization. Ed Welch.
 
It's out with the old as Christian values fall away - What happens to the elderly and the helpless when we lose Christian values? John Dickson HT Emma Pfahlert.

The beginning of idolatry - Who do you look for first in your high school photos? Ouch! Don Carson HT Sandy.

If you came home from church discouraged - Encouraging - and challenging. Cathy.

More on living single - A great little post on singleness. Ali.

How many hours can I work? - An interesting post about work, fatherhood, the fall and Christian freedom. Challies.

Hope for those those who fear pregnancy - A series for those who fear miscarriage after pregnancy. I haven't read all of this, but it comes recommended by Lisa Spence, and may be helpful for you or others you know.

On writing and reading
JI Packer's advice to aspiring writers - "There is a certain art and craft in writing in such a way that it gets to the reader's heart." Great advice in a 9-minute clip.

So you want to be a writer? -"Figure out the parts readers will skip over; then cut them out." This and more on becoming and being a writer. Randy Alcorn HT Challies.

Self doubt and writing - "Your job is to get out of the way and let the story through." Sallly Lloyd-Jones HT Lisa

First book syndrome - How (not) to write your first book. Andrew Le Peau.

The death of reading: not so fast - Is reading dead? Personality types and reading. Kip Parent HT Ali.

Books and resources
Gospel-centred curriculum - Pastors and Sunday school teachers take note: here are 4 gospel-centred curriculums that cover the whole Bible and show how it's all about Jesus. Riches indeed. Reviewed by Challies.

The trials of theology - A book for the theological student in your life. Helpfully reviewed by Wendy.

A shelter in the time of storm - I'm loving Ali's quotes from Paul Tripp's book meditations. So much that I ordered this book!

No ordinary marriage - This sounds like a good book on marriage by Tim Savage. Mike Leake HT Challies.

Just for fun
What multitasking does to our brains - What multitasking does to our brains. Leo Widrich HT Challies.

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