Trust in the Lord for He is good.

John Bunyan , author of The Pilgrim's Progress suffered much persecution, was imprisoned, his first wife that died, a child born blind and later died, one son was born premature and died... he knew much suffering throughout his life. At one point he was so scared to die and for the welfare of his family, that felt tempted to recant his faith. But could not do it. This is what he wrote:

"... I was greatly troubled, for I was ashamed to die as a coward with tottering knees for such a cause as this. So I was tossed about for many weeks, and knew not what to do. At last this thought came upon me with great weight: It was for the Word of God that I was imprisoned, so I determined not to flinch at all, I also thought that God could choose whether He would give me comfort now or at the hour of death, but I could not choose whether or not to hold my profession.  I was bound, but He was free; yes it was my duty to stand to His Word, whether or not He would ever look upon me or save me at the last. With this thought, I was for going on, and venturing my eternal state with Christ, whether I have comfort here or not. If God does not come in, I will still leap of the ladder even blindfolded into eternity, sink or swim, come heaven, come hell. Lord Jesus, catch me if You will; if not, I will still risk my life for Thy name."

His mercy

Have you noticed that the same sin that Lucifer committed against God which caused him to be expelled from Heaven forever, is the very same sin that he seduced Adam and his wife Eve in the garden of Eden? He knew the consequences. He hated God. He wanted us to be expelled from Heaven and suffer like him... not because he wanted us to suffer, but because he hated God. He wanted to hurt God, to ruin His plan, to bring God down from His throne and wanted to find more allies to war against God.

Lucifer, created perfect, thought he knew more than God. He did not want to stay in the position of created creature, he thought higher than himself that he ought to, he had a very high "self-esteem". He decided to not take orders from God anymore, he wanted to be the one in charge. He wanted to be like God.

He came to the garden. And the same strategy that used in Heaven, used against Adam and Eve. "You will be like God" he told them, all he had to do, was to convince them of the same rotten idea he once thought to be a great plan. And he did. The lie of becoming more than simple created creatures, thinking as something to be desired to be like Him who created them, to think that they could know more than God himself was a very attractive thought. And they believed Satan, rather than God.

What a sad day that was! To this day, I cry when I read the story of Adam's sin. To this day, my heart aches. But oh what a shock was to Satan!, what a pain it must have felt, when he realized he had no hope... yet... God had pity on us! He had no pity on him and his angels; God had pity on US!. Guilty of the same sin as Satan, guilty of the same treachery against our Creator, same penalty should have been fair and just. But He had pity on us!

Oh blessed Saviour! Oh blessed Lord!
Forbid it Lord that I should boast, forbid it Lord that I will take any credit on my salvation, that I may not see that cross and see the lamb in the place I should have been.

Oh blessed Jesus! Oh blessed day when You came! Oh blessed Redeemer! Oh blessed cross! Oh blessed resurrection!

Thank to Him that had mercy on us!

The Valley of Vision

O my Saviour, Help me, I am slow to learn, so prone to forget, so weak to climb; I am in the foothills when I should be on the heights; I am pained by my graceless heart, my prayer less days, my poverty of love, my sloth in the heavenly race, my sullied conscience, my wasted hours, my unspent opportunities.

I am blind while light shines around me; take the scales of my eyes, grind to dust the evil heart of unbelief. Make my chiefest joy to study thee, meditate on thee, gaze on thee, sit like Mary at thy feet, lean like John on thy breast, appeal like Peter to thy love, count like Paul all things dung.

Give me increase and progress in grace so that there may be more decision in my character, more vigor in my purposes, more elevation in my life, more fervor in my devotion, more constancy in my zeal.

As I have position in this world, keep me from making the world my position; May I never seek in the creature what can be found only in the Creator; let not faith cease from seeking thee until it vanishes into sight. Ride forth in me, thou King of kings and Lord of lords, that I may liver victoriously, and victory attain my end.

Amen.

4 months

4 months today... I miss you.
I miss my baby girl.
What a great hope to know that the Lord will reunite me to her one day. That we will recognize each other and worship together!
What a hope and a joy comes with sorrow fo those who love Him. As much as I miss her today, just as much I hope for the day to come. When I see my Savior!, when I see Faith... and when the tears will never return.

Can't wait!!

Lord hasten the day of your return! and prepare my heart to meet You.

Valley of the Vision

"I could never have sought my happiness in thy love, unless you had'st first loved me. Your Spirit has encouraged me by grace to seek thee, has made me known to me thy reconciliation in Jesus, has taught me to believe it, has helped me to take thee for my God and portion.

May he grant me to grow in the knowledge and experience of thy love, and walk in it all the way to glory. Blessed for ever be thy fatherly affection, which chose me to be one of thy children by faith in Jesus:

I thank thee for giving me the desire to live as such.
I know but little, increase my knowledge of thy love in Jesus, keep me pressing forward for clearer discoveries of it, so that I may find eternal fullness."

Valley of the Vision

Heavenly Father, if I should suffer need, and go unclothed, and be in poverty, make my heart prize Thy love, know it, be constrained by it, though I be denied all blessings. It is Thy mercy to afflict and try me with wants, for by these trials I see my sins, and desire severance from them. Let me willingly accept misery, sorrows, temptations, if I can thereby feel sin as the greatest evil, and be delivered from it with gratitude to Thee, acknowledging this as the highest testimony of Thy love.

When I am afraid of evils to come, comfort me by showing me that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch, but in Christ I am reconciled and live; that in myself I find insufficiency and no rest, but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace; that in myself I am feeble and unable to do good, but in Christ I have ability to do all things. Though now I have His graces in part, I shall shortly have them perfectly in that state where Thou wilt show Thyself fully reconciled, and alone sufficient, efficient, loving me completely, with sin abolished. O Lord, hasten that day.

Like the Sun

Like the sun, He is free to all. All may look at Him and drink health out of His light. If millions of mankind were mad enough to dwell in caves underground, or to bandage their eyes, their darkness would be`their own fault, not the sun. So likewise, if millions of men and women love spiritual  "darkness rather than light", the blame must be laid on their blind hearts, and not on Christ. J. C. Ryle *The gospel of John.

O for a better heart! O for a heart to love God more; to hate sin more; to walk more evenly with God. Lord! deny not to me such a heart, whatever thou deny me; give me a heart to fear thee, to love and delight in thee, if I beg my bread in desolate places.
(Keeping the heart)