Above is a pic of my youngest daughter and me.
My Husband, My brother in Christ
Please, Do Not Be Angry With My God
When we come before God in the hour of trouble, remembering His great goodness to us in the past and therefore thanking Him, we should have faith enough to believe that the present trouble about which we are praying is sent in love... look at your trials in this light: "Lord, I have this thorn in my flesh. I beg You, deliver me from it, but for now I bless You for it; for although I do not understand, I am persuaded there is love within it. Therefore I ask You to remove it... yet it may to Your better knowledge be for my good. I bless You for it, and I am content to endure it as long as You see fit... Lord I am in want: Be pleased to supply me; but meanwhile, if I do not, I believe it is better for me to be in need, and so I praise You for my necessity while I ask you to supply it. I glory in my infirmity even while I ask you to overcome it. I triumph before You in my affliction and bless You for it even while I ask You to help me in it and to rescue me out of it."--C. H. Spurgeon
This morning I read the above excerpt to the neighbor that I pray with every Monday. I thought of her trial in which her husband divorced her just last week to be with another man. I thought of another friend, you know who you are, that my heart breaks for. Even in the midst of her pain, we can still get each other laughing... I think of the family from the college that Jon and I graduated from, whose son was killed this past weekend just weeks before graduating from college. I think of another family whose wife died before giving birth to her child. A baby who was deprived of oxygen for an extended time. The mother left behind two small children, a baby in critical care, and a husband in shock. These people I list here are all believers in the midst of gut-wrenching trials seeking rest and yet knowing that You are a faithful Shepherd.
As I apply the true nature of our Heavenly Father in these trials, I see a God that is good. I see a God that is faithful.
I was recently told of a man sent to hospice. In his last dying days, a friend of his watched him in wretched pain, just a skeleton of what he had been... dying a humiliating death it seemed. This friend of the dying man cried out:
"I am SO ANGRY WITH GOD FOR DOING THIS TO YOU!!!"
The dying man turned to him trying to catch his breath and uttered these words with a smile:
"Please... do not ... be angry ... with my God."
Sometimes I can be so utterly shallow. Oh God please... forgive me. Though I pray that you heal me from the multiple sclerosis, I long to display your glory in the midst of this trial and to trust Your better knowledge, knowing that You work all things for my good and for Your glory.
Comments
WOW!!
I read your blog periodically but have never posted. I am pregnant with our fourth child, due any day now. For so long I have thought it my trial, my burden to bear, that we are still living in an apartment with three growing kids. We were finally going to buy our first house a few weeks ago. i was so excited! I planned, talked, dreamed about how it was going to be and the seller backed out right before we were to sign the contract. I was devestated. I thought it so horrible for this to happen to me. I cried, I wailed, I couldn't understand why God would allow this to happen to poor, suffering ME.
As I read your post about the woman who died in childbirth and left a hurting husband and three little ones, how I felt ashamed that i could let something trivial like a house become so all-consuming. There are other houses out there and we are pursuing those, but I am reminded of how we act towards God when we don't get what we think we want, what we think we need-- such children, such babies. I am reminded when I see my children whining for something that is not good for them what our heavenly father must see in me too often. I do not know these people, but I will pray for this father and these small children, including the baby.
Thank you for this excellent post today. Just what I needed.
God bless you,
ann clary
P.S. and I do hope God will heal you.
Posted by: ann | May 8, 2007 12:06 PM
Thank you for taking the time to share your heart, Ann. We can all allow ourselves to become consumed with the trivial things of life and whine about the silliest thing... I too often forget that God really is faithful and really does work all things for our good.
God's abundant blessings to you and your family,
Lisa
Posted by: lisa | May 8, 2007 06:31 PM
That Spurgeon quote really helped me today Lisa, thank you.
Posted by: Daniel | May 9, 2007 11:47 AM
Please know, Daniel, that you are in our prayers.
Posted by: lisa | May 9, 2007 02:05 PM