Musings from the Great!

Do you ever find your greatest moments of encouragement coming from the fact that even those who we esteem as "greatest" struggled and found victory! How often do we find ourselves amazed at the ever changefulness of our lives, the ups and downs, knowing in our minds that God is changeless---but not feeling it! Finding that our focus has slipped off of our heavenly Father, desperately desiring to get back within the comfort of our dependent life in and on Him, yet not quite knowing how! Wondering if this roller coaster feeling is a normal part of life and growing up.......

How gracious and kind that God inspired men and women in our world to write down their experiences and thoughts by which we can gain knowledge, wisdom, counsel, comfort, and encouragement---as well as conviction!

Such are the thoughts of C.H. Spurgeon to me!

"He led them forth by the right way."— Psalm 107:7

"Changeful experience often leads the anxious believer to enquire "Why is it thus with me?" I looked for light, but lo, darkness came; for peace, but behold trouble. I said in my heart, my mountain standeth firm, I shall never be moved. Lord, thou dost hide Thy face, and I am troubled. It was but yesterday that I could read my title clear; to-day my evidences are bedimmed, and my hopes are clouded. Yesterday I could climb to Pisgah's top, and view the landscape o'er, and rejoice with confidence in my future inheritance; to-day, my spirit has no hopes, but many fears; no joys, but much distress. Is this part of God's plan with me? Can this be the way in which God would bring me to heaven? Yes, it is even so. The eclipse of your faith, the darkness of your mind, the fainting of your hope, all these things are but parts of God's method of making you ripe for the great inheritance upon which you shall soon enter. These trials are for the testing and strengthening of your faith—they are waves that wash you further upon the rock—they are winds which waft your ship the more swiftly towards the desired haven. According to David's words, so it might be said of you, "so He bringeth them to their desired haven." By honour and dishonour, by evil report and by good report, by plenty and by poverty, by joy and by distress, by persecution and by peace, by all these things is the life of your souls maintained, and by each of these are you helped on your way. Oh, think not, believer, that your sorrows are out of God's plan; they are necessary parts of it. "We must, through much tribulation, enter the kingdom." Learn, then, even to "count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations."

"O let my trembling soul be still, And wait Thy wise, Thy holy will!I cannot, Lord, Thy purpose see, Yet all is well since ruled by Thee."