From Streams In The Desert

May 24

 

Rock Flowers

 

"Thou hast shewed thy people hard things" (Ps. 60:3).

 

I have always been glad that the Psalmist said to God that some things were hard. There is no mistake about it; there are hard things in life. Some beautiful pink flowers were given me this summer, and as I took them I said, "What are they?" And the answer came, "They are rock flowers; they grow and bloom only on rocks where you can see no soil." Then I thought of God's flowers growing in hard places; and I feel, somehow, that He may have a peculiar tenderness for His "rock flowers" that He may not have for His lilies and roses. --Margaret Bottome

 

The tests of life are to make, not break us. Trouble may demolish a man's business but build up his character. The blow at the outward man may be the greatest blessing to the inner man. If God, then, puts or permits anything hard in our lives, be sure that the real peril, the real trouble, is what we shall lose if we flinch or rebel. --Maltbie D. Babcock

 

"Heroes are forged on anvils hot with pain, And splendid courage comes but with the test. Some natures ripen and some natures bloom Only on blood-wet soil, some souls prove great Only in moments dark with death or doom."

 

"God gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction."

His Ways Are Higher - Abba, The Righteous Judge

We don't truly understand the nature of the King to whom we have pledged our allegiance to even when  He gives us the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledge of His Son, Jesus.

We only have a fleeting image from the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) as to the nature of the Kingdom we are born again into.

What does God say when those in despair cry out like the widow did to God, "Grant me justice against my adversary"? (Luke 18:3) Will God not speedily avenge them and bring about justice? (Luke 18:1-8) Even the unjust judge spoken of in this passage gave the widow justice when he was wearied by her tireless and unceasing cry. How much more God who is the Righteous Judge!

Facts vs. Feelings

"We walk by faith, not by appearance" (2 Cor. 5:7, RV).

By faith, not appearance; God never wants us to look at our feelings. Self may want us to; and Satan may want us to. But God wants us to face facts, not feelings; the facts of Christ and of His finished and perfect work for us.

When we face these precious facts, and believe them because God says they are facts, God will take care of our feelings.

God never gives feeling to enable us to trust Him;

God never gives feeling to encourage us to trust Him;

God never gives feeling to show that we have already and utterly trusted Him.

God gives feeling only when He sees that we trust Him apart from all feeling, resting on His own Word, and on His own faithfulness to His promise.

Never until then can the feeling (which is from God) possibly come; and God will give the feeling in such a measure and at such a time as His love sees best for the individual case.

We must choose between facing toward our feelings and facing toward God's facts. Our feelings may be as uncertain as the sea or the shifting sands. God's facts are as certain as the Rock of Ages, even Christ Himself, who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

***

"When darkness veils His lovely face

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every high and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil."

^{Psalm 25:1-3, 16-21}

¹ To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul;

² in you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame,

   nor let my enemies triumph over me.

³ No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they

   will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse.

Someone once said a deliciously joyful thing in the middle of a church service that is the most clearly truthful expression of this verse. "If we feel dirty, then we will act dirty but, if we feel clean, then we will be clean."

This quote is the perfect expression of two powerful truths King David walked in that expressed our ability to not only not feel shame but he showed us the way we can walk in the face of threats from our enemies. These truths are hope or confidence in who God says He is and who He says we are and a complete and total trust in who God is that helps me to walk with my will completely surrendered to His Will.

The verses below, prove that this worldview was living and active in David's life and were consistently a part of his prayer life before God.

¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

¹⁷ The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my

     anguish.

¹⁸ Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my

     sins.

¹⁹ See how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate

     me!

²⁰ Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I

     take refuge in you.

²¹ May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in

     you.

Even in the times of trouble when David's soul was troubled by every manner of loneliness of soul and trouble of heart, David's trust in the character of God was strong and his confidence in God was sure. His circumstances didn't always line up, the Cave of Adullum isn't the easiest of places, but He still put His trust in God and cried out to God for justice against his adversaries.

David took refuge in God and he knew the basis for his character and integrity was in God. Because of this, David reason for hope, confidence, and a simple trust in God that came from the place of intimacy he had with God.

Here I am waiting to receive prophecy at the International House of Prayer and yet all I can think about is how highly God is lifted up and how lowly I am in His presence except that His love compels Him to come low and seek me out.

What a humbling mercy that God the Father of glory chooses to come near me because of the Son's sacrifice and through the agency of Holy Spirit. I am so grateful that there is only one slain sacrifice that was found worthy to make this possible and that is the slain lamb, Yeshua the Messiah.

Persevering in working out my salvation with fear and trembling means learning how to persevere in the waiting as much as I would in the activity or the persecution that I might endure. This would be quite difficult to do in my own strength, but, thankfully, I don't have to do it that way.

Philippians 2:13 (NIV) states, "for it is God who works in you both to will and to act according to His good purpose." God's work in me and His work alone is what places in me the strength to persevere in the waiting and places in me the strength to do what He alone could enable me to do. "...for without me you can do nothing." (John 15:5b - NKJV)

ABANDONED – From Streams In The Desert Devotional

Utterly abandoned to the Holy Ghost!

Seeking all His fulness at whatever cost;

Cutting all the shore-lines, launching in the deep

Of His mighty power--strong to save and keep.

Utterly abandoned to the Holy Ghost!

Oh! the sinking, sinking, until self is lost!

Until the emptied vessel lies broken at His feet;

Waiting till His filling shall make the work complete.

Utterly abandoned to the will of God;

Seeking for no other path than my Master trod;

Leaving ease and pleasure, making Him my choice,

Waiting for His guidance, listening for His voice.

Utterly abandoned! no will of my own;

For time and for eternity, His, and His alone;

All my plans and purposes lost in His sweet will,

Having nothing, yet in Him all things possessing still.

Utterly abandoned! 'tis so sweet to be

Captive in His bonds of love, yet so wondrous free;

Free from sin's entanglements, free from doubt and fear,

Free from every worry, burden, grief or care.

Utterly abandoned! oh, the rest is sweet,

As I tarry, waiting, at His blessed feet;

Waiting for the coming of the Guest divine,

Who my inmost being shall perfectly refine.

Lo! He comes and fills me, Holy Spirit sweet!

I, in Him, am satisfied! I, in Him, complete!

And the light within my soul shall nevermore grow dim

While I keep my covenant--abandoned unto Him!

--Author Unknown