Waiting and Joy by Spurgeon

C.H. Spurgeon
"Wait on the Lord."—Psalm 27:14.

It may seem an easy thing to wait, but it is one of the postures which a Christian soldier learns not without years of teaching. Marching and quick-marching are much easier to God's warriors than standing still. There are hours of perplexity when the most willing spirit, anxiously desirous to serve the Lord, knows not what part to take. Then what sha

ll it do? Vex itself by despair? Fly back in cowardice, turn to the right hand in fear, or rush forward in presumption? No, but simply wait. Wait in prayer, however. Call upon God, and spread the case before Him; tell Him your difficulty, and plead His promise of aid. In dilemmas between one duty and another, it is sweet to be humble as a child, and wait with simplicity of soul upon the Lord. It is sure to be well with us when we feel and know our own folly, and are heartily willing to be guided by the will of God. But wait in faith. Express your unstaggering confidence in Him; for unfaithful, untrusting waiting, is but an insult to the Lord. Believe that if He keep you tarrying even till midnight, yet He will come at the right time; the vision shall come and shall not tarry. Wait in quiet patience, not rebelling because you are under the affliction, but blessing your God for it. Never murmur against the second cause, as the children of Israel did against Moses; never wish you could go back to the world again, but accept the case as it is, and put it as it stands, simply and with your whole heart, without any self-will, into the hand of your covenant God, saying, "Now, Lord, not my will, but Thine be done. I know not what to do; I am brought to extremities, but I will wait until Thou shalt cleave the floods, or drive back my foes. I will wait, if Thou keep me many a day, for my heart is fixed upon Thee alone, O God, and my spirit waiteth for Thee in the full conviction that Thou wilt yet be my joy and my salvation, my refuge and my strong tower."

Thanks to my friend for posting on fb! :)

Learning...a little

The goal of blogging twice a week was waylaid by my health.  But it's good to be back.
In pondering a post for today, I thought of how one needs to apply what is learned.  
One aspect that I am learning is resting in the Lord.
During these times when the Lyme disease disables me, there has been a strange peace.  At first, I thought it was solely because I really couldn't do anything about it.   I began to see mercies- knowing that I can't do much, has kept me from things that would distract me from my purpose.  There is no sense of "ought" because it is simply out of the question.   
Entrusting people and situations to the Lord has become more of a reality as I realize-even more- that there are things I cannot do.  Ok, those who know me personally now have tears running down their faces from laughter.  Really, finally, I'm coming to understand.  Not only in a head way, but a real was...not just gnosis, but epignosis. Joy proceeds out of knowing He is kind, He is king.
So, what about joy have you been learning these days?

This week I have been wondering, how I can blog about joy when bedridden from Lyme Disease....


Actually, it's a grace.  We are not to worry about tomorrow.  I simply don't have the cognitive strength to think about things I can't do anything about for long.  And lately, I haven't been able to do much about anything!  I think it has given me some further experience in these two verses:


 Isaiah 26:3
 You will keep him in perfect peace, 
 Whose mind is stayed on You,
  Because he trusts in You. 

And Matthew 6: 34

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble

I can say experiential that there is peace when you can rest in Him.  This enforced rest and peace is necessary for joy.  Trusting Him is necessary for joy