Vally of Vision: The Servant in Battle

The Servant in Battle from Valley of Vision

O Lord,

I bless thee that the issue of the battle

between thyself and Satan

has never been uncertain,

and will end in victory.

Calvary broke the dragon’s head,

and I contend with a vanquished foe,

who with all his subtlety and strength

has already been overcome.

When I feel the serpent at my heel

may I remember him whose heel was bruised,

but who, when bruised, broke the devil’s head.

My soul with inward joy extols

the mighty conqueror.

Heal me of any wounds received

in the great conflict;

if I have gathered defilement,

if my faith has suffered damage,

if my hope is less than bright,

if my love is not fervent,

if some creature-comfort occupies my heart,

if my soul sinks under pressure of the fight.

O thou whose every promise is balm,

every touch life,

draw near to thy weary warrior,

refresh me, that I may rise again

to wage the strife,

and never tire until my enemy is trodden down.

Give me such fellowship with thee

that I may defy Satan,

unbelief, the flesh, the world,

with delight that comes not from a creature,

and which a creature cannot mar.

Give me a draught of the eternal fountain

that lieth in thy immutable, everlasting love

and decree.

Then shall my hand never weaken,

my feet never stumble,

my sword never rest,

my shield never rust,

my helmet never shatter,

my breastplate never fall,

as my strength rests in the power

of thy might.

===============

Looked this up while preparing my small group/Bible study discussion on Ephesians 6:11-20. Emphasis mine.

Blessed among women...

Morning 15 December

Ruth 1:14
Orpah kissed her mother-in-law; but Ruth clave unto her.

Both of them had an affection for Naomi, and therefore set out with her upon her return to the land of Judah. But the hour of test came; Naomi most unselfishly set before each of them the trials which awaited them, and bade them if they cared for ease and comfort to return to their Moabitish friends. At first both of them declared that they would cast in their lot with the Lord's people; but upon still further consideration Orpah with much grief and a respectful kiss left her mother in law, and her people, and her God, and went back to her idolatrous friends, while Ruth with all her heart gave herself up to the God of her mother in law. It is one thing to love the ways of the Lord when all is fair, and quite another to cleave to them under all discouragements and difficulties. The kiss of outward profession is very cheap and easy, but the practical cleaving to the Lord, which must show itself in holy decision for truth and holiness, is not so small a matter. How stands the case with us, is our heart fixed upon Jesus, is the sacrifice bound with cords to the horns of the altar? Have we counted the cost, and are we solemnly ready to suffer all worldly loss for the Master's sake? The after gain will be an abundant recompense, for Egypt's treasures are not to be compared with the glory to be revealed. Orpah is heard of no more; in glorious ease and idolatrous pleasure her life melts into the gloom of death; but Ruth lives in history and in heaven, for grace has placed her in the noble line whence sprung the King of kings. Blessed among women shall those be who for Christ's sake can renounce all; but forgotten and worse than forgotten shall those be who in the hour of temptation do violence to conscience and turn back unto the world. O that this morning we may not be content with the form of devotion, which may be no better than Orpah's kiss, but may the Holy Spirit work in us a cleaving of our whole heart to our Lord Jesus.

3 December 2010: "Jesus Paid It All" - today's gchat status

Quick note as to today's gchat status:

Woke up singing this in my head this morning - And when before the throne/I stand in Him complete/Jesus died my soul to save/My lips shall still repeat/Jesus paid it all/All to Him I owe/Sin had left a crimson stain/He washed it white as snow!

This was STUCK in my head this morning. On repeat. Oh, and I should stay delightfully stuck. :)

And it just made me think of all times I've woken up with a hymn or praise music stuck in my head. Made me think of this:

Lamentations 3:22-24

²² Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

What a great mercy that the Holy Spirit reminds me truths about God and Christ and the Gospel, and He does so often first thing in the morning!

Oh yeah, and it was a great reminder to read the whole chapter. Here it is for you!

Lamentations 3

¹ I am the man who has seen affliction
by the rod of the LORD’s wrath.
² He has driven me away and made me walk
in darkness rather than light;
³ indeed, he has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.

⁴ He has made my skin and my flesh grow old
and has broken my bones.
⁵ He has besieged me and surrounded me
with bitterness and hardship.
⁶ He has made me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.

⁷ He has walled me in so I cannot escape;
he has weighed me down with chains.
⁸ Even when I call out or cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer.
⁹ He has barred my way with blocks of stone;
he has made my paths crooked.

¹⁰ Like a bear lying in wait,
like a lion in hiding,
¹¹ he dragged me from the path and mangled me
and left me without help.
¹² He drew his bow
and made me the target for his arrows.

¹³ He pierced my heart
with arrows from his quiver.
¹⁴ I became the laughingstock of all my people;
they mock me in song all day long.
¹⁵ He has filled me with bitter herbs
and given me gall to drink.

¹⁶ He has broken my teeth with gravel;
he has trampled me in the dust.
¹⁷ I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
¹⁸ So I say, “My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the LORD.”

¹⁹ I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
²⁰ I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
²¹ Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

²² Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

²⁵ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
²⁶ it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.
²⁷ It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.

²⁸ Let him sit alone in silence,
for the LORD has laid it on him.
²⁹ Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.
³⁰ Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.

³¹ For no one is cast off
by the Lord forever.
³² Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
³³ For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.

³⁴ To crush underfoot
all prisoners in the land,
³⁵ to deny people their rights
before the Most High,
³⁶ to deprive them of justice—
would not the Lord see such things?

³⁷ Who can speak and have it happen
if the Lord has not decreed it?
³⁸ Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both calamities and good things come?
³⁹ Why should the living complain
when punished for their sins?

⁴⁰ Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the LORD.
⁴¹ Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven, and say:
⁴² “We have sinned and rebelled
and you have not forgiven.

⁴³ “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us;
you have slain without pity.
⁴⁴ You have covered yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can get through.
⁴⁵ You have made us scum and refuse
among the nations.

⁴⁶ “All our enemies have opened their mouths
wide against us.
⁴⁷ We have suffered terror and pitfalls,
ruin and destruction.”
⁴⁸ Streams of tears flow from my eyes
because my people are destroyed.

⁴⁹ My eyes will flow unceasingly,
without relief,
⁵⁰ until the LORD looks down
from heaven and sees.
⁵¹ What I see brings grief to my soul
because of all the women of my city.

⁵² Those who were my enemies without cause
hunted me like a bird.
⁵³ They tried to end my life in a pit
and threw stones at me;
⁵⁴ the waters closed over my head,
and I thought I was about to perish.

⁵⁵ I called on your name, LORD,
from the depths of the pit.
⁵⁶ You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears
to my cry for relief.”
⁵⁷ You came near when I called you,
and you said, “Do not fear.”

⁵⁸ You, Lord, took up my case;
you redeemed my life.
⁵⁹ LORD, you have seen the wrong done to me.
Uphold my cause!
⁶⁰ You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
all their plots against me.

⁶¹ LORD, you have heard their insults,
all their plots against me—
⁶² what my enemies whisper and mutter
against me all day long.
⁶³ Look at them! Sitting or standing,
they mock me in their songs.

⁶⁴ Pay them back what they deserve, LORD,
for what their hands have done.
⁶⁵ Put a veil over their hearts,
and may your curse be on them!
⁶⁶ Pursue them in anger and destroy them
from under the heavens of the LORD.

Flirting, Revisited

This and another post on the same topic are merely reflections on a personal conviction.

I am laid up today, recovering from a migraine (booooo - haven't had one in awhile - yuck).

I have been sitting at my computer, waiting to hear back (or read back in the form of an email) from my colleagues about missing work today. And yes, I realize that sitting in front of a computer with a migraine isn't the best thing to do. But as I was waiting, I decided to do a biblegateway.com word search on 'flatter.' Let me explain why:

I had a conversation a few weeks ago with two guy friends about flirting. Then they both went on to say that guy's need a girl to flirt with them, in order to know if they should ask them out. As in, they need to know if the girl likes them, and flirting obviously answers that question. One guy did note that this doesn't include the 'batting of eyelashes,' although I'm not sure what it does mean to him. And I didn't ask. My bad. Well, to be fair, he did say that the girl needs to show interest in the conversation. I just can't help but wonder what that looks like. But what I didn't try to get across to them at the time (my bad again), is that just because a girl is showing interest doesn't always mean she's interested. Or at least for the right reasons. She may be more interested in getting married to anyone than in the particular guy she is talking to.

And it's so funny, because I wrote about this a few months ago, which can be read here: Flirting=Harmless? To summarize, my answer to this question is NO. I'd even venture to say that it is harmful. But even bringing up Proverbs 7 couldn't dissuade these guys. And what's a girl to do? Let it go. That's what this girl did. Because honestly, I'm not going to flirt or flatter. And I'm not going to be attracted to a guy who wants that from a girl. Wisdom vs. Folly, and all that.

(Flattery defined: insincere or excessive praise. Flirting defined: to show superficial or casual interest or liking. I do want to note that flattery goes beyond flirting in the "normal" guy/girl sense.)

Psalm 12

For the director of music. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.

¹ Help, LORD, for no one is faithful anymore;
those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
² Everyone lies to their neighbor;
they flatter with their lips
but harbor deception in their hearts.

³ May the LORD silence all flattering lips
and every boastful tongue—
⁴ those who say,
“By our tongues we will prevail;
our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

⁵ “Because the poor are plundered and the needy groan,
I will now arise,” says the LORD.
“I will protect them from those who malign them.”
⁶ And the words of the LORD are flawless,
like silver purified in a crucible,
like gold refined seven times.

⁷ You, LORD, will keep the needy safe
and will protect us forever from the wicked,
⁸ who freely strut about
when what is vile is honored by the human race.

Psalm 78 (excerpt)

A maskil of Asaph.

³⁵ They remembered that God was their Rock,
that God Most High was their Redeemer.
³⁶ But then they would flatter him with their mouths,
lying to him with their tongues;
³⁷ their hearts were not loyal to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant.
³⁸ Yet he was merciful;
he forgave their iniquities
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger
and did not stir up his full wrath.
³⁹ He remembered that they were but flesh,
a passing breeze that does not return.

Proverbs 26 (excerpt)

¹⁸ Like a maniac shooting
flaming arrows of death
¹⁹ is one who deceives their neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”

²⁰ Without wood a fire goes out;
without a gossip a quarrel dies down.
²¹ As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
²² The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.

²³ Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
are fervent lips with an evil heart.
²⁴ Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,
but in their hearts they harbor deceit.
²⁵ Though their speech is charming, do not believe them,
for seven abominations fill their hearts.
²⁶ Their malice may be concealed by deception,
but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
²⁷ Whoever digs a pit will fall into it;
if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
²⁸ A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Proverbs 28:²³

Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor

rather than one who has a flattering tongue.

Proverbs 29 (excerpt)

⁵ Those who flatter their neighbors
are spreading nets for their feet.

⁶ Evildoers are snared by their own sin,
but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.

Romans 16

¹⁷ I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. ¹⁸ For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. ¹⁹ Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

NOTE: Flattery=bad. Wisdom=good. Compare Proverbs 1-7 and 31.

Dear Heavenly Father,

In the end, I want to be wise not foolish, innocent not evil, wise about what is good. I want to trust only You and be faithful to You. I want a man to be attracted to that which you have worked in me and to that which you are working out in me, through the power of your son Jesus Christ, the work You have promised to do to completion. I am in Christ. Help me to remember that. I do not need to flatter or flirt or attempt to put myself in situations, because You are Sovereign. And I trust You. Lord, help me trust You more. Help me not be discouraged by those that make me doubt for a second that doing things on my own strength is better than trusting in You and in Your will for my life. You have shown me in countless ways how You work, and all without my supposed "help."

Lord, please help me make my speech be out of the overflow of my heart. Please help me to speak with wisdom and let faithful instruction always be on my tongue. Not empty words or meaningless praise. But let my words be ones that honor You in all that I do, in every situation. Let my words demonstrate my trust in You. And if any of that is possible, it is through Your Holy Spirit. I praise You and thank You for Him. It's in Your precious Son's name that I pray, Amen.

Mrs. Spurgeon : "make my daily life a proof that you are working your own will in me"

What is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe (Ephesians 1:19).

Come, my heart, satisfy and delight yourself, this morning, with the thought of what your mighty God can do for you - the grace he is able to give you now - the glory he is reserving for you - the uplifting, upholding, strengthening, and preserving power which is all invested in his loving hands on your behalf. Here is a store house of riches on which your largest demands can make no perceptible diminishment, and all this is yours!

'Exceeding greatness.' Yes, Lord, more vast and wonderful than my poor finite mind can conceive. Your power bids the sun pour forth his radiant light and heat - your power holds the stars in space, and hangs the earth upon nothing - your power rules the universe with a word! Is it not exceeding great? All nature shows your handiwork, and your wondrous power is as much seen in the lowest forms of life and growth as in the higher developments of your creative hand. All the discoveries of science, all the revelations of its secrets which have of late so surprised and delighted us, are but glimpses of the infinite might and wisdom of the God whose 'love is as great as his power, and knows neither measure nor end.'

But, Lord, it is not on the majesty of your omnipotence as shown in your material world that would meditate at this moment; it is the 'power to us-ward who believe' that enchains my heart, and thrills my soul with joy. Help me draw near to you, dear Lord, humbly and reverently, that I may 'see this great sight'; for though this is holy ground, and the bush burns with fire, there is no barrier as of old, to prevent a near approach to you, seeing that, now, we are 'made nigh by the blood of Christ'.

If I have true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, then the exceeding greatness of the power of the Most High God, 'according to the working of his mighty power', is to me-ward, is on my side, or - I say it with deep reverence - at my service, always at hand to help, to guard, to defend, and to provide for me. My pen pauses as I ask myself, 'Do I believe this? Do any Christians really hold this faith? Is it possible that there can be among the feeble, doubting, self-engrossed, and half-hearted people that I see and hear of, any who possess the assurance that the power of the living God dwells in them, and that they 'can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth' them? If there be any such, why, oh! Why do they not walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called?

Look to yourself, my soul. Is the exceeding greatness of your Lord's power manifest in you as it should be? Blessed be his Name, you can say, 'He has redeemed me from death and hell, pardoned my sins through the shedding of his precious blood, and given me a promise of life eternal in his presence.' But what more? Those are the cardinal gifts of his grace, the cornerstones of his mercy and love. What do you possess of the details of his mighty working, the filling up, as it were, of the great plan of his will and design concerning you? What does 'the effectual working of his power' produce in your heart and life? Are you wholly consecrated to his service? Have you given yourself and all that you have into his loving hands? Are you filled with his Holy Spirit? Does he control every thought and word and deed? Are all the powers of your being and all the possessions of both soul and body subject and surrendered to his absolute sway?

Ah, Lord! Your poor child sorrowfully confesses to falling very far short of the high standard of Christian life to which your Word expects us to attain. In common with so many others, I seem to live at a 'poor dying rate' when I might have 'life most abundantly'. I know the possibilities of conformity to Christ are only to be measured by the exceeding riches of your grace, and the exceeding greatness of your power, and yet I sometimes seem content without a full participation in the glorious experience which your love offers. Lord, enlighten and quicken me, I beg you! Put forth in me the mighty grace which will make my daily life a proof that you are working your own will in me, and giving me to know at least in some measure, 'what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe'.

Susannah Spurgeon, 1832 - 1903

Morning Devotions by Susannah Spurgeon: Free Grace and Dying Love, pg 22.

Praise God!

As of 1 November 2010:

1 year, 3 months, 2 weeks - since being told I would be laid off 3 jobs ago.

1 year, 2 days - since being laid off 3 jobs ago.

7 months - since losing my next to last job.

6 months, 1 week - since losing my part-time (and last) job.

6 months of living off of unemployment.

Countless job applications.

Seemingly countless babysitting jobs.

1 week of cleaning a really big church.

A few weeks of working with a fun lady on a children's ministry project and other cool things.

Random times of volunteering for my church office and 9 Marks.

About a month of volunteering at the Smithsonian!

What felt like not enough interviews, and feeling the weight of the absolute silence from most of them.

What seemed to be closed doors turning out to be huge blessings.

Feeling misunderstood by many people.

Being driven to read God's Word about encouragement, and feeling convicted in how I am lacking in the area of encouraging others.

Praying like I've never prayed before.

Trusting the LORD

Learning about His character:

How He provides,

Loves,

Disciplines,

Loves,

Rebukes,

Loves,

Teaches,

Loves,

Is patient,

Loves,

Is sufficient,

LOVE.

Back to 1 November 2010:

I start a job! YES! God has answered the prayers of so many people. At just the right time! It's a 3 month contract, at the end of which I will be evaluated for a full-time position. BUT I have a job! God has provided! :) And I am not anxious about the end of January. God has certainly taught me how to trust in His provision. I pray that I will not forget.

:) :) :)

Encouragement Shout Outs - LB

After I posted my Encouragement post, I put it on my Facebook status. Not long afterward, my friend Lindsey posted on my Wall this passage:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words! (1 Thes 4:16-18)

:)