High Purpose of Perplexing Trial - To Know God

J.I. Packer in chapter 21 of Knowing God:

What is the purpose of grace? Primarily, to restore our relationship with God. When God lays the foundation of this restored relationship, by forgiving our sins as we trust his Son, he does so in order that henceforth we and he may live in fellowship. And what he does in renewing our nature is intended to make us capable of, and actually to lead us into, the exercise of love, trust, delight, hope and obedience Godward - those acts which, from our side, make up the reality of fellowship with God, who is constantly making himself known
to us. This is what all the work of grace aims at - an ever deeper knowledge of God, and an ever closer fellowship with him. Grace is God drawing us sinners closer and closer to himself.
 How does God in grace prosecute this purpose? Not by shielding us from assault by the world, the flesh and the devil, nor by protecting us from burdensome and frustrating circumstances, nor yet by shielding us from troubles created by our own temperament and psychology; but rather by exposing us to all these things, so as to overwhelm us with a sense of our own inadequacy, and to drive us to cling to him more closely. This is the ultimate reason, from our standpoint, why God fills our lives with troubles and perplexities of one sort and another: it is to ensure that we shall learn to hold him fast. The reason why the Bible spends so much of its time reiterating that God is a strong rock, a firm defense, and a sure refuge and help for the weak, is that God spends so much of his time bringing home to us that we are weak, both mentally and morally, and dare not trust ourselves to find, or to follow, the right road.
When we walk along a clear road feeling fine, and someone takes our arm to help us, as likely as not we shall impatiently shake him off; but when we are caught in rough country in the dark, with a storm getting up and our strength spent, and someone takes our arm to help us, we shall thankfully lean on him. And God wants us to feel that our way through life is rough and perplexing, so that we may learn thankfully to lean on him. Therefore he takes steps to drive us out of self-confidence to trust in himself - in the classical scriptural phrase for the secret of the godly life, to "wait on the Lord."...We need God to make us realists about both ourselves and him.

Perplexities and confusions fade when put in this perspective. Through these the Lord's simple call is to "be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46)

Outside of Christ there is nothing worth knowing, and all who by faith perceive what he is like have grasped all the immensity of heavenly benefits. - John Calvin (Institutes of the Christian Religion)

photo: Hamburg, Germany 2007 

Relationship

There is so much and so many who I could give myself to, but...

Outside of Christ there is nothing worth knowing, and all who by faith perceive what he is like have grasped all the immensity of heavenly benefits. - John Calvin in his Institutes of the Christian Religion

I miss out on nothing when I "limit" myself to simply knowing Christ, and in fact gain everything in him.

So even in seasons of isolation from much human interaction, which are particularly trying for this relational gal, I have all I need and more in Christ - let me bury myself in his word. Whether overwhelmed with myriads of places I could focus*, or haunted by shadows of loneliness - in plenty or in want - "hallelujah, all I have is Christ; hallelujah, Jesus is my life." May it be my aim to learn more of this pearl of greatest price, in whatever season I find myself.

As I head into another work day, may my God grant the grace to grow my faith so I can come a little closer to saying with Paul (I keenly feel how far I am from this):

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:11-13)

How I continually need the strength of my mighty God and Savior. So aware that I definitely cannot do anything, much less all things, in my frailty and desperate state. But I will cling to the promise that Christ can and will strengthen me or work through my weakness.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Cor. 12:9-10

If my weakness serves to highlight my need for a Savior, to myself and perhaps even to others, then I have to count it a privilege to be weak so that the power of Christ may be magnified. To God alone be the glory. He will ensure that it is so. And he will also care for me and show his kindness again. My Savior truly does love me. I have only to look and see him bleed on the tree to know this. And he will come back for me, full of glory and power. Until that day, I hold to his dear promises and seek to know him more.

* Today I mused how I never have lived outside of Lancaster county and yet have particular fondness for people in various long distance locations. In my short 24 years, people in places such as Tijuana, Mexico; Charlotte, North Carolina; Hamburg, Germany; and Chicago Land, Illinois all hold groups, actually whole churches, of people that I care for. Then when I think about how many people are even right here in Lancaster that I can never fully contain in my heart, it is a marvel to me how I can care so much and yet be so limited and separated. Only God can fully know even one human heart. I cannot know even my own, much less one other person's or more. And even if I could, the selfishness and pride in my heart would poison that knowledge of another. But how glorious will that day be, when we are unified together in and with Christ - having perfect fellowship with Him and one another, free from all sin. I'm thankful that any sadness of the limitation of fellowship that we are constrained by here serves to drive me in anticipation for eternity. And then I am free to quiet my soul and occupy myself with the small lot God has allowed for me this day. Knowing that the best is yet to come, I can be content in the present. What a work of grace! May God grant perseverance to his saints. I know I need it.

1st photo: Joy at the hunting cabin 7/9/2008

2nd photo: Bunting family's last Sunday at church 

yesterday, before the Pastors College then Bahamas

Contentment in your calling

Tonight I finally read an excerpt on How to use the present life, and the comforts of it from John Calvin's "Institutes of the Christian Religion," which Doug handed out two weeks ago.

The below excerpts were sweet water to my soul.

...those in narrow and slender circumstances should learn to bear their wants patiently, that they may not become immoderately desirous of things, the moderate use of which implies no small progress in the school of Christ. For in addition to the many other vices which accompany a longing for earthly good, he who is impatient under poverty almost always betrays the contrary disease in abundance. By this I mean, that he who is ashamed of a sordid garment will be vain-glorious of a splendid one; he who not contented with a slender, feels annoyed at the want of a more luxurious supper, will intemperately abuse his luxury if he obtains it; he who has a difficulty, and is dissatisfied in submitting to a private and humble condition, will be unable to refrain from pride if he attain to honour. Let it be the aim of all who have any unfeigned desire for piety to learn, after the example of the Apostle, "both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need," (Phil. 4:12).

...the Lord enjoins every one of us, in all the actions of life, to have respect to our own calling. He knows the boiling restlessness of the human mind, the fickleness with which it is borne hither and thither, its eagerness to hold opposites at one time in its grasp, its ambition. Therefore, lest all things should be thrown into confusion by our folly and rashness, he has assigned distinct duties to each in the different modes of life. And that no one may presume to overstep his proper limits, he has distinguished the different modes of life by the name of callings. Every man's mode of life, therefore, is a kind of station assigned him by the Lord, that he may not be always driven about at random. . . . it is enough to know that in everything the call of the Lord is the foundation and beginning of right action. He who does not act with reference to it will never, in the discharge of duty, keep the right path. He will sometimes be able, perhaps to give the semblance of something laudable, but whatever it may be in the sight of man, it will be rejected before the throne of God; and besides, there will be no harmony in the different parts of his life. Hence, he only who directs his life to this end will have it properly framed; because free from the impulse of rashness, he will not attempt more than his calling justifies . . . Again, in all our cares, toils, annoyances, and other burdens, it will be no small alleviation to know that all these are under the superintendence of God. The magistrate will more willingly perform his office, and the father of a family confine himself to his proper sphere. Every one in his particular mode of life will, without repining, suffer its inconveniences, cares, uneasiness, and anxiety, persuaded that God has laid on the burden. This, too, will afford admirable consolation, that in following your proper calling, no work will be so mean and sordid as not to have a splendour and value in the eye of God.

This was just the nudge I needed to direct my heart to contented anticipation to enjoy my work tomorrow. I've been up and down with this contentment thing too much recently.

I can so often find myself distracted, and soon after discontented, because my focus is not in the things God has given me to focus on. Why do I let my eyes, mind, and soul wander and strive? All good is found in God and in what he has clearly set out for me. And I can take joy in the things of God, like something as "simple" as a sunny day or friendly smile, because the joy is rooted in God himself. Then also, the thanksgiving goes straight to God himself. To God alone be glory.

What good things have you particularly enjoyed recently?

photo: Crossway Church farm, 2/22/11