think like psalmists

Some people are afraid of color. They think that spirituality consists in being drab. But God made color! He made all shades of colors. Look at the sunset - what is it, just something scientific? Do you think that God splashed the lovely, beautiful sky with rose, cerise, blue and white and wasn't smiling when He did that? Is that just an accident of nature, scientifically explained? Then you've got too much learning for your own good! Go empty your head and get your heart filled and you'll be better off. The Holy Spirit wrote 150 psalms and in those psalms He celebrates the wonders of God's creation.

We ought to stop thinking like scientists and think like psalmists. This infinite God is enjoying Himself. Somebody is having a good time in heaven and earth and sea and sky. Somebody is painting the sky. Somebody is making trees to grow where only gashes were a year ago. Somebody is causing the ice to melt out of the river and the fish to swim and the birds to sing and lay their blue eggs and build their nests and hatch their young. Somebody's running the universe.

A.W. Tozer, The Attributes of God, Volume 1

more Whitefield

Holy and frequent meditation is a blessed means of keeping up a believer's walk with God. "Prayer, reading, temptation, and meditation," says Luther, "make a minister." And they also make, and perfect, a Christian. Be frequent therefore in meditation, all you who desire to keep up and maintain a close and uniform walk with the most high God. 

God never sends but what is necessary, when there is something that needs be purged away; we glorify God in the fire when we say, "Lord, do not let the fire go out until it has done its work." Then we can glorify God when we wish for the good of the fire and can say from our hearts, "Lord, do with me as seems good in your sight."

What I am most afraid of is, lest I should flag in the latter stages of my road. But he that hath loved and helped me, will love and help me to the end. O pray that I may not go off as a snuff. I would fain die blazing, not with human glory, but the love of Jesus.

 ~George Whitefield, 1714~1770

He is...

The LORD is my shepherd.

~Psalm 23:1

Not was, not may be, nor will be. "The Lord is my shepherd." 

He is on Sunday, on Monday, and through every day of the week. He is in January, in December, and every month of the year. He is when I'm at home and in China. He is during peace or war, and in times of abundance or poverty.

~J. Hudson Taylor

Missionary to China

a Scottish Psalm

In Love's Reckoning, I make use of Scottish Scripture and have been using a Scottish Bible loaned to me by my pastor's wife. This beloved book is a family heirloom over 150 years old. The Psalms therein are written in meter/rhyme which make for the most wonderful reading.

I've always been smitten with lambs and shepherds and the imagery used in the 23rd Psalm. If you take a look at the lamb here you'll understand why:) No doubt this particular Psalm is one of the most beloved in any language.

The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want. 
He makes me down to lie:
In pastures green: He leadeth me

the quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again;

and me to walk doth make

Within the paths of righteousness,

ev'n for His own name's sake.

Yea, though I walk in death's dark vale,

Yet will I fear none ill:
For thou art with me; and thy rod

and staff me comfort still.

My table Thou hast furnished

in presence of my foes;

My head Thou dost with oil annoint,

and my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my life

shall surely follow me:

And in God's house for evermore

My dwelling-place shall be.

23rd Psalm of David in metre,

Church of Scotland Hymnary

He giveth quietness. (Job 34:29)

"He giveth quietness" - quietness even in the midst of losing our inner strength and comforts. Sometimes he removes these because we make too much of them. We are tempted to look at our joys, pleasures, passions, or our dreams, with too much self-satisfaction. Then through His gracious love He withdraws them, leading us to distinguish between them and Himself. He draws near and whispers the assurance of His presence, bringing an infinite calm to keep our hearts and minds. "He giveth quietness."

~Streams in the Desert 

rests

There is no music during a musical rest, but the rest is part of the making of the music. In the melody of our life, the music is separated here and there by rests. During those rests, we foolishly believe we have come to the end of the song. God sends us times of forced leisure by allowing sickness, disappointed plans, and frustrated efforts. He brings a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives, and we lament that our voices must be silent.

God does not write the music of our lives without a plan. Our part is to learn the tune and not be discouraged during the rests. If we will only look up, God Himself will count the time for us. With our eyes on Him, our next note will be full and clear. If we sorrowfully say to ourselves, "There is no music in a rest," let us not forget that the rest is part of the making of the music. The process is often slow and painful in this life, yet how patiently God works to teach us! And how long He waits for us to learn the lesson!

~John Ruskin, 1818-1900

more whitefield...

I lose nothing by being quiet and leaving all to Him.

True and undefiled religion does not take away but greatly enhances the comforts of life.

I have no thoughts of settling till I settle in glory.

When a soul is turned to God, every day is a Sabbath, every meal is a spiritual refreshment, and every sentence he speaks should be a sermon.

~George Whitefield 1714~1770

comfort

Comfort, comfort, my people, says your God. ~Isaiah 40:1

Store up comfort. The world is full of hurting and comfortless hearts. But before you will be competent for this lofty ministry, you must be trained. And your training is extremely costly, for to make it complete, you too must endure the same afflictions that are wringing countless hearts of tears and blood. Consequently your own life becomes the hospital ward where you are taught the divine art of comfort. You will be wounded so that in the binding up of your wounds by the Great Physician, you may learn how to render first aid to the wounded everywhere...God comforts us not to make us comfortable but to make us comforters.

~Streams in the Desert

grow in grace

Do not think as you grow in grace your path will become smoother and the sky calmer and calmer. Quite the contrary. As God gives you greater skill as a soldier of the cross, He will send you on more difficult missions. As He more fully equips your ship to sail in stormy seas, He will send you on longer voyages to more boisterous seas, so that you may honor Him, and increase in holy confidence.

~Charles Spurgeon

imagine

Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild the house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you know that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to?

The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards you thought were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.

C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity