A Sacrifice of Praise

2008-08-14T09:13:00.006-04:00

Please follow this link to find my new blog and please change any links you may have on your blog to reflect the change.

http://asacrificeofpraise.wordpress.com/

Medicine

2008-08-11T12:32:00.000-04:00

"Trials are medicines which our great and wise Physician prescribes because we need them. He proportions the frequency and weight of them to what our case requires. Let us trust in His skill and thank Him for His prescription."

by John Newton

My Rock

2008-08-11T12:30:00.008-04:00

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my Savior, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the strength of my salvation, my stronghold!" Psalm 18:2

When I despair because of my sin, Jesus is my righteousness!

When I fear Satan, I know Christ conquers all powers of this world!

When I am in pain, He is my sympathizing and loving High Priest!

When I suffer loss, the Jehovah Jireh is my exceeding great reward!

When my cross is heavy to bear, I know Christ makes all things work together for good to me - I have been called by His name!

When I am in anguish, my Savior is my joy!

When I sit in darkness, the Lord is my Sun!

When I doubt, the Holy Spirit is my Counselor!

When I feel dead, the Creator God is my life!

When the enemies encompass me, my Protector is my shield!

When I am tempted, the Spirit is my deliverer!

When I struggle with false friends, I know my Jesus will never leave or forsake me!

When I feel lost and alone, I know my Sovereign God is everywhere present!

When I am sick, Christ is my healer!

When I fear death, the Almighty God is the Resurrection and the Life!

When I feel battered by the waves, He is my Hiding Place and my Shelter from the storms!

When I am dry, the Provider is my Stream of Living Water!

When I am weary from the heat, He is my shelter!

When I fear, He is the surety of my hope!

"The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my Savior, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the strength of my salvation, my stronghold!" Psalm 18:2

Beijing

2008-08-08T12:49:00.003-04:00

I love the Olympics. I love Asia. What a great combination. But my heart breaks for my Christian brothers and sisters in China. It breaks for the suffering they endure in the name of Jesus.

Click here to find out more.

and here.

and here.

and here.

and here.

As I learn more about my persecuted friends in various places throughout Asia, my heart echos the cry of Revelation 6:9-11 "how long Sovereign Lord." For now, the answer remains "a little while longer." (see 1st Peter for a great perpective on suffering).

So, over the next few weeks, as I watch China at its greatest, I will be praying for the view we don't see on TV... for the people who aren't free to attend the events... for the stories of great heros that remain unspoken.

Man Points

2008-08-08T12:37:00.002-04:00

follow this link if you've ever had questions about "man points."

trust me, this is the most comprehensive evaluation ever written on this topic. it's great! :)

Out of the Depths

2008-08-08T09:08:00.004-04:00

Out of the depths, O Lord, I cry to You

When I am tempted to despair

Though I might fail to trust Your promises

You never fail to hear my prayer
And if You judged my sin

I’d never stand again

But I see mercy in Your hands

So more than watchmen for the morning

I will wait for You, my God

When my fears come with no warning

In Your Word I’ll put my trust

When the harvest time is over and I still see no fruit

I will wait, I will wait for You

The secret mysteries belong to You

We only know what You reveal

And all my questions that are unresolved

Don’t change the wisdom of Your will

In every trial and lossMy hope is in the cross

Where Your compassions never fail

by Bob Kauflin

Unsearchable Riches in the Psalms

2008-08-06T10:55:00.006-04:00

I recently returned from the Worship God 08 conference in Gaithersburg Maryland. The topic was "Discover Unsearchable Greatness in the Psalms." At the conference, Sovereign Grace Ministries released their newest album Psalms. You can download a free song "Praise the Lord" here.

I know I say this a lot, but this is quickly becoming my favorite album. :) My favorite by far is "Out of the Depths" by Bob Kauflin (based on Psalm 130).

Of all the songs, the raw honesty is most visible here through lyrics like "though I may fail to trust Your promises, You never fail to hear my prayer" and "when the harvest time is over and I still see no fruit, I will wait for You."

I think one reason I like Sovereign Grace music so much is because of the genuine emotion that is expressed through the lyrics. It is not simply "be happy in Jesus." Rather, what is expressed is genuine Christianity - struggles and trials and sorrows, but a hope in the midst of those trials as a result of our Reedemer who is steadfast in love and faithfulness.

So often, I fail to connect doctrine with my real life. I fail to see the link between my emotions and the hope found in the gospel. The words on the page don't seem to be living. It is through songs like this that the dots begin to connect in a new and sweet way.

God, thank you for these songs. Thank you for the gift of words. Thank you for the dedication of Bob Kauflin and the other songwriters to write songs that help us to realize Your involvement in our daily lives. I pray that You would use my words, my thoughts of You to help connect others lives to Your unfathomable greatness.

Psalm 100: 4-5 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Direct Each Step

2008-08-05T10:36:00.002-04:00

If we can but have God's guidance and help for the little short steps--we need not fear for the long miles--the great stretches of road. If each step is of His directing--the long miles will be paths of His choosing.

"Direct my footsteps according to Your Word; let no sin rule over me." Psalm 119:133

a theology of food??

2008-08-04T13:53:00.002-04:00

... seems like a funny thing to think about, but God has been showing me lately a lot through my newly discovered food allergies. Some are things I don't really like to see. Some are things I've ignored for years. Some are newly discovered fears.

Here are some thoughts.
1. God has been showing me my dependence on Him as my Provider. My body is weak. For some reason, it can't handle food like it once could. The energy that used to be there seems to have disappeared. But in my weakness, I can look to Him as my Strength. In my need, He is more than sufficient to meet those needs.

2. I wasn't aware of this prior to about a month ago, but I am a fear-filled person. I fear eating at a restaurant - what if they serve me something that has dairy or gluten or wheat and I don't know about it? What if I get sick again like I did last weekend? What is safe to eat? How can I know for sure? This has provided a significant opportunity for me to learn a deeper trust in God. My God knows my limitations. He knows my needs. If I'm doing what I need to in order to avoid eating what I shouldn't and I accidentally do eat something I'm allergic to, He will sustain me. He will provide grace for that moment when the added trial comes. What a sweet (but very hard) lesson this has been to learn.

3. God has been revealing to me that for years food has been an area of laziness for me. I have simply just made food choices based either on what was easy or what was convenient or simply if it was what I wanted. By His grace, He's now provided me another area to learn self-control and humility.

This has been hard. It has been a trial and my body has been paying the price. But God has proven Himself faithful and has given me the hope that He will continue to do so.

Worship God

2008-08-04T08:10:00.004-04:00

Christa and I got home last night from the Woship God 08 Conference in Gaithersburg MD. I was so tired that I simply flopped like a little lump into my bed. After sleeping on a floor for 5 days, you really learn to appreciate your own bed :)

The conference centered around the Psalms and rediscovering the unsearchable greatness of our God as displayed through the Psalms. I will post more at a later time (once I have time to process all the mass of information that is swarming in my head) but let me just start by saying this conference was amazing.

God truly provided lavishly throughout this past week. Through someone's anonymous generosity, God answered my prayer and provided a way for me to attend the WG08 conference. He knew I could not afford a hotel room for 5 days, so He graciously provided a place to stay too. What a blessing the Perdue family was to me this past few days. Then He provided several meals through the generosity of several families. He allowed my allergies to not act up too severely, though almost every meal I ate was at a restaurant. He provided nights of restful sleep, though the hours were few.

But mostly, He provided me with a greater glimpse of Himself... a deeper view into the well of His provision... a brighter picture of His glory and care.

In some ways, WG08 started similar to NA08... I was tired going into the conference and had sinned so much in the first 30 minutes that it was almost absurd. I was very aware of my need and dependence on God. As He began to reveal more of my sin, in His kindness, He granted my heart the gift of repentance, instead of leaving me in condemnation and guilt.

God revealed so much of Himself through the conference. Bob Kauflin encouraged us at the beginning of the conference to take some time while we were there and read through the Psalms. Through that, I was repeatedly impressed with one truth... the Lord is a God of steadfast love and faithfulness...

more on that later.

Happy Storm that Wrecks a Man

2008-07-29T13:02:00.001-04:00

In seasons of severe trial, the Christian has nothing on earth that he can trust to and is therefore compelled to cast himself on his God alone. When his vessel is on its beam end and no human deliverance can avail, he must simply and entirely trust himself to the providence and care of God. Happy storm that wrecks a man on such a rock as this! Oh blessed hurricane that drives a soul to God and God alone!

CH Spurgeon

You Never Let Go

2008-07-29T10:51:00.000-04:00

by Matt Redman

to celebrate what God has done

2008-07-29T10:38:00.003-04:00

Thanks James for putting this video together. Its exciting and faith building to watch again. It truly was a time to celebrate what God has done.

My highlight yet again was watching Ed O'Daniel baptize his two sons. They are the last ones in the video to be baptized. What a joy this was. Two years ago, Ed was dying. Thanks to the sacrifice of Wendy, thanks to her kidney which God sovereignly ordained to be a perfect match, Ed was able to have the honor of baptizing his sons. Wow.

Yo-Yo

2008-07-28T12:02:00.008-04:00

... a picture of my life lately.

thanks Christa and Jess... yesterday was encouraging. today however...

*sigh*

I am so glad that my Jesus is holding my yo-yo of life. He is sovereignly ordaining each up and each down. He is full of love and compassion and each day I take a breath is a testimony of that.

So, in the midst of a "down" today, I am seeking to be grateful. Grateful because I have received mercy. Grateful because I have a Savior that has compassion on me in my weakness. Grateful because He has promised mercy and help in my times of need.

So, God, help. I need mercy. Again. I don't deserve it. But I guess that's the point...

New Every Morning

2008-07-24T12:46:00.001-04:00

Yea, "new every morning," though we may awake,
Our hearts with old sorrow beginning to ache;
With old work unfinished when night stayed our hand,
With new duties waiting, unknown and unplanned;
With old care still pressing, to fret and to vex,
With new problems rising, ours minds to perplex;
In ways long familiar, in paths yet untrod,
Oh, new every morning the mercies of God!

His faithfulness fails not; it meets each new day
With guidance for every new step of the way;
New grace for new trials, new trust for old fears,
New patience for bearing the wrongs of the years,
New strength for new burdens, new courage for old,
New faith for whatever the day may unfold;
As fresh for each need as the dew on the sod;
Oh, new every morning the mercies of God!
By Annie Johnson Flint

Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Blessing and Suffering go hand in hand

2008-07-23T12:04:00.003-04:00

it is interesting... Jim often mentions this statement as we are studying in church through 1st Peter... "blessing and suffering go hand in hand." or "blessing and sacrifice go hand in hand..."

the past few months for me have been a time of both. definite blessings (new job, increased awareness of the Holy Spirit on a daily basis, growth in prayer on a much more personal basis, etc) but it has also been a few months of sacrifice and testing (changes in friendships, newly discovered food allergies, work stress and waiting, mental overload, etc)

I don't at all think of my current state of life as suffering - actually the opposite... God has been very gracious, very evidently displaying His love, and very kind. But this season, in new and different ways, has been hard. It has its own types of difficulties... leaving work exhausted and worn out instead of ready for a new adventure (hence the scaled back blogging and feeling like there is a lack of available time), major changes in what I'm able to eat, trusting God as friendships change (not for bad reasons)... it goes without saying that this season has been challenging.

But overall, I can't get past one thing... My God is loving. He cares for me. He is kind. This season is not to harm me - its to refine and beautify what He has designed for my life. He is not vindictive or harsh. I'm not wandering helplessly through a dry desert alone. He is with me, leading me, and providing for my needs each step of the way. Though holy and unaccepting of sin, He has graciously provided a solution through the cross. The payment was made in full.

So really, there's nothing new in my life to report on. I'm learning to lean. I'm growing increasingly aware of my limitations and dependence on an unlimited, self-contained and maintained sovereign Creator. I'm grateful for that awareness.

Without it, without that grace being lavishly poured over my life, I think I would be tempted to look at this life as suffering or hardship. But in light of the cross, in light of His mercy, this is no sacrifice.

No sacrifice because I, the one who deserved "no mercy" was given mercy. The one whom He should have named "not my people" found a loving Father through the mystery of adoption. The one who betrayed Him in the past and continues daily in "small" ways, now looks in the face of the Lover of my Soul. What a glimpse!

Israel didn't see that love displayed. They didn't repent. They looked to their idols to find satisfaction that was never to be found. I don't want to repeat their cycle. As I look into the face of my God, I long for the grace to be imparted in my life, so that I will look deeper, not turn away. I want to be one who is known by her gratitude, not by her troubles. I want people to see my God, not me, for He is the only reason I am who I am.

I love Him. I love Him dearly. I love Him passionately. I wish I loved Him more.

My grandparents just celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary, and my Grammy tells me that she loves her husband more today than she ever thought possible on their wedding day. I want my love for my Jesus to grow like that. Its exciting to see this as the beginning, not a culmination.

His grace is great. He gives it daily. He gives it personally. He provides carefully.

I just want to stay there. I long for grace to embrace the suffering He brings, fully aware that the blessings of Himself and His presence are far greater.

die to live anew

2008-07-17T13:15:00.018-04:00

God has been continuously reminding me of one thing this week... His unfailing, pursuing, incomprehensible, eternal, covenental love.

His death is the everlasting guarantee of that love. His gift of salvation to me... His soveriegn offering of union with Him proves to me His unfailing love and care. I long to explore the depths of that holy love. I am compelled to understand the richness in those depths.

"And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you … but you were cast out on the open field … “And when I passed by you and saw you wallowing in your blood, I said to you in your blood, 'Live!' I said to you in your blood, 'Live! … I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord GOD, and you became mine." Ezekiel 16

His is not a love that overlooks sin, rather a love that removes it. He did not merely forgive my debt, He paid it, wholly and completely.

Thanks Steve, for the reminder of what the cross did. I cannot think of your post without remembering the Crucifixion Narrative - a graphic display of the substitutionary full atonement achieved that day as the Perfect Man was cursed as He stood condemned in my place.

Thanks Josh (and Showbread), for the reminder through music that we cannot attain this life neither by peity nor by indulgence. Both lead to destruction.

But God... the Lamb...

He leads to life. He carries us to life. He redeems our life from the pit. He plants our feet on a Rock and breathes life into our dead soul. He opens our eyes and shows us His love.

I am loving these 2 albums. See Josh's blog for a great review, for he is more concise than I could ever hope to be. :)

When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of glory died, my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ my God! All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet, sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small; love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all. (Isaac Watts)

Father hear my voice, be it small. Here I am, though I am nothing at all. Dost thou still see something to love in me? If it be, You will carry me away that I might live today
To Christ, who won for sinners' grace by bitter grief and anguish sore; be praise from all the ransomed race, forever and forevermore. (additional lyrics by Showbread)

By God's grace, in union with Him, these thoughts will direct my life. This truth will provide light to my steps and hope to my often weary heart.

...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5

... we were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. Romans 6

The Beginning - Showbread

John 17... Jesus is speaking

2008-07-15T13:53:00.007-04:00

John 17

1After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.

9I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.

11I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one.

12While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

13"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.

17Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

20"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,

21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one:

23I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

25"Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me.

26I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."

Baptism Photos

2008-07-14T21:25:00.002-04:00

Buried and Raised in Christ - Union

2008-07-14T07:45:00.007-04:00

Yesterday was baptism Sunday at church. I hope to have pictures soon to be able to post, but I just want to say it was simply an awesome day.

During worship, God was reminding me of my union with Christ... the joy found in that truth... and how marriage and baptism are both a picture of that union. I didn't expect baptism to remind me of marriage (especially since I'm not married), but here's what was going through my mind...

1. it is a public display - I am commited to this person forever and I want everyone to know.

2. it is a time of rejoicing corporately - the entire church joined in the celebration... they rejoiced, they clapped, they gave hugs galore!!!

3. some people laugh and hoop and holler, some cry. Not a big surprise here, but I was the latter. :)

4. in a wedding, your dad typically gives you away. in baptism, my spriritual leader, friend and pastor had the honor of baptising me. You could see in his eyes that he was rejocing with me, you could sense and feel it as he hugged me, and smiled and cried. so much was wrapped up in that moment. He cares for my soul with such excellence. God has lavishly blessed our church with not just one amazing leader, but three! what a gift. I am grateful beyond words.

5. it reveals the levels and depths of friendships - some stand close by your side in a wedding... some just hug you for all its worth while they are in their church clothes and you're sopping wet. at that moment, the last 5 years re-entered my mind... a friendship that has been formed by only God's grace alone... a friendship sweeter than I ever could have asked for. the main reason I had the honor of even standing there at that moment, dripping and smelling of chlorine, was because of how God worked in and through my sweet friend, Jessica Britt. Her patience, love and care is what led me to Christ. Her example made the gospel appealing to me - a sinner who had until that moment been content to wallow in my sin. So, Jess (since I know you're reading this)... thank you. Thank you for obeying the Spirit when He asked you to reach out to me. Thank you for your patience. Thank you for your ongoing care over the past 5 (but especially the last 2 1/2 years). I'm not the same person that I was 5 years ago as a result. I pray that God lavishly, richly blesses you. I pray you feel His pleasure. I pray that I will be able to be the same friend to another struggling hopeless visitor, that you were to me.

It was a beautiful day. Every testimony given made me cry. God's grace is not merely great enough to reach into our sin-ravaged lives, He does it in a specific, personal, tender, caring, intimate way. Just like no proposal is the same... no salvation is the same.

Jesus truly is sweet. It is an honor to call Him mine. It is a joy to be in union with Him. It is my delight to serve Him. What a joy. What a splendid time of sweetness that has begun.

To be honest, I didn't expect all that...

Little Things

2008-07-11T06:53:00.003-04:00

I'm grateful for the little things... yesterday, I came home from work exhausted. I laid on the floor and began to read. Then I took a short nap.

I woke up to a knock on my door. Haydn walked in my room with a flower he had picked for me.

It was special.

Gentle Savior

2008-07-10T08:56:00.002-04:00

this song is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I'm grateful that my Savior leads me gently. I'm thankful for His tender, loving care. It makes all the difference as I stumble through this wilderness of life.

Psalm 139

2008-07-09T09:23:00.008-04:00

This is part of an e-mail that I just sent to a friend of mine... but i so constantly need the reminder as well...

Remember - the faithful God who called you is the One who is working now in your life (even in the so many ways you don't understand and don't like) and He is the One who has promised to complete what He began (lovingly, tenderly, passionately, and with more care than you've ever experienced before in your life).

You're not lost, simply wandering all alone … you're being led down this path by a Sovereign Shepherd that cares for your emotions and heart. He wants what's best for you and is gently, tenderly leading you right now.

I just feel that you need to be reminded of that. Don't turn away from that care… keep minute by minute entrusting your soul to Him who judges rightly. He is trustworthy. Read Psalm 139. (to help you out, I've included it below… as well as some additional thoughts that I hope and pray are a help and comfort to you)

Psalm 139
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

(this is not a scary God that simply keeps track of all our thoughts and deeds. He is a God that understands our weakness and loves us wholeheartedly. That's why this knowledge is wonderful. Do not be afraid of the fact that He knows all your thoughts. Do not fear that He has hemmed you in - though confined beyond what you would choose, His hand is upon you.)

7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?

(find comfort in this truth, do not fear His presence. Do not fear His Spirit. He is a Comforter and He longs to comfort your weary heart!)

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

(even when all seems dark. Even when I feel swallowed up by the darkness, He is holding me)

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

(in the midst of darkness and confusion, I can praise God for His awesome sovereignty!)

15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

(even when He searches and finds something in me that is offensive, do not forget the gospel - don’t forget "it is finished" applies there too because I am a beloved, cherished child of the almighty God that is overwhelming with compassion and forgiveness.)

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."- Ephesians 3:20-21

- immeasurably beyond what we ask or think… this is just ONE LOOK!!!! He is a Comforter… find 9 more of these, and find rest in the midst of the battle you are facing.

Hope in He who brings the rain

2008-07-08T09:07:00.000-04:00

Jeremiah 14:22

Are there any among the false gods of the nations that can bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Are you not he, O Lord our God? We set our hope on you, for you do all these things.

The secret strength of faith

2008-07-08T08:48:00.003-04:00

“Tell me I pray thee wherein thy great strength lieth.”
Judges 16:6

Where lies the secret strength of faith? It lies in the food it feeds on; for faith studies what the promise is—an emanation of divine grace, an overflowing of the great heart of God; and faith says, “My God could not have given this promise, except from love and grace; therefore it is quite certain his Word will be fulfilled.”

Then faith thinketh, “Who gave this promise?” It considereth not so much its greatness, as, “Who is the author of it?” She remembers that it is God who cannot lie—God omnipotent, God immutable; and therefore concludeth that the promise must be fulfilled; and forward she advances in this firm conviction. She remembereth,why the promise was given,—namely, for God’s glory, and she feels perfectly sure that God’s glory is safe, that he will never stain his own escutcheon, nor mar the lustre of his own crown; and therefore the promise must and will stand.

Then faith also considereth the amazing work of Christ as being a clear proof of the Father’s intention to fulfil his word. “He that spared not his own Son, but freely delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”

Moreover faith looks back upon the past, for her battles have strengthened her, and her victories have given her courage. She remembers that God never has failed her; nay, that he never did once fail any of his children. She recollecteth times of great peril, when deliverance came; hours of awful need, when as her day her strength was found, and she cries, “No, I never will be led to think that he can change and leave his servant now. Hitherto the Lord hath helped me, and he will help me still.”

Thus faith views each promise in its connection with the promise-giver, and, because she does so, can with assurance say, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life!”