July 8, 2008
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A Hymn for "Shelf" Times..."Lord, We Know That Thou Art Near Us"
As I was sorting through assorted papers, etc. on our piano (in preparation for the drywall/painting project), I found this hymn from a page of a church bulletin I'd saved from our last church...How good God is to bring us His blessings when we least expect them...and just when we need them...Streams in the desert...Light in the darkness...Encouragement for those on the shelf...for those who feel God is far away...for me...May God abundantly bless you today with these words as He has me...Lord, we know that You are near us...even on the shelf...
Lord, We Know That Thou Art Near Us
(Lyrics by Jane Crewdson) Lord, we know that Thou art near us,
Though Thou seem’st to hide Thy face;
And are sure that Thou dost hear us,
Though no answer we embrace.Not one promise shall miscarry
Not one blessing come too late
Though the vision long may tarry
Give us patience, Lord to wait.While withholding—Thou art giving
In Thine own appointed way
And while waiting we’re receiving
Blessings suited to our day.O the wondrous loving-kindness
Planning, working out of sight,
Bearing with us in our blindness,
Out of darkness bringing light.Weaving blessings out of trials,
Out of grief evolving bliss;
Answering prayer by wise denials
When Thy children ask amiss.And when faith shall end in vision,
And when prayer is lost in praise,
Then shall love, in full fruition,
Justify Thy secret ways.
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Comments (6)
God gives assurance through His Word and by the Holy Spirit that He is hearing us. It's just that waiting is part of our training....waiting and trusting are as important as doing and trusting. It's all of the same piece of cloth. If we grow frantic or if we shrug our shoulders as though we don't care, how will we be ready when He calls? How will we joyful enlist in His calling if we've been harboring faithless complaining? How shall we go to work for Him in trust when we have built a wall of autonomy for ourselves? How can we say that He is Lord and look to His authority and sovereignty when we have questioned His integrity?
@quest4god@revelife - I really liked this: waiting and trusting are as important as doing and trusting
It's so easy to see the great things happening in the Scripture to the saints, but we often forget that as we read a few verses ahead on a page, quite often years have passed by. Our faith is always tested by having to wait.
I think we can and will question God (the Psalmists did do that), but then we must end up right back with the truth that the Lord is God and he is good, no matter what we see ~ Hebrews 11.
(Your comment sounds like the makings of a post to me.
)
@naphtali_deer - Your observation:
"(Your comment sounds like the makings of a post to me. )"
I mentioned something like that in a message...that I tend to continue on beyond a comment on other's sites.
Let's say that your words and scripture references kindle thoughts that lead me to speculate further while on the keyboard. My actual posts often disappoint me - fail to say or say with impact and sincerity the things that I have in my mind and heart.
@quest4god@revelife - Sometimes on other people's posts, my comments are longer than the original post.
I'm glad what I've been blogging has been getting you to think. That's really what I want people to do: to look at the Scripture in light of their lives and see what it says to them (Hebrews 4 - God's Word is living & active..). For years I "studied" the Bible, but I didn't really think deeply about what the Word of God meant to me. We need to chew on/meditate on the Scripture like that ~ Psalm 1.
Re: blogging - I tend to be better w/ writing than speaking (b/c I have time to have it make a little more sense - in person I very often go off on tangents, they're all actually related, but it's hard to follow - even for me at times
). Keep in the Word and keep praying and trust God to lead you as you write. Also, another thing is to know when to let something sit, even when you might feel some urgency about it and you really want to finish it. I write a lot and put things aside b/c they're not "ready," but that's really hard sometimes, yet I've seen the benefit of that. On the other hand, there are times when things come quickly and they're done just like that. I never know what will happen on any particular day or even while I'm writing what's going to happen. I listened to a Piper message the other day, and he mentioned that the sermons he thought weren't as good actually often bore much fruit. We can never know for sure what God will do w/ what we write, but we do need to be obedient to Him.
@naphtali_deer - I appreciate your encouraging words! I have been challenged to think things through more and to think how to make sense so that others can benefit. Not that I think I have new things to say. But God uses me to say old things in new ways that will speak to the person or persons He intends.
I have an odd way of thinking and saying things sometimes. I don't want to be obtuse, wordy, or phony. It seems that I am more fluent when just letting it come off my fingertips or my tongue, but I'm sure that some things I say would be better left to sit - and maybe not said at all. I just don't want to over-work a piece until it has no life...you know?
@quest4god@revelife - Yes, right. You have told me that previously. We all have different styles and we need to know ourselves & how God works through us. I also agree you can overwork something; I was also reminded of that same thing recently as I've been reading ML-J's book on preaching.