"It would not be conducive to our welfare to stay always in one happy and comfortable lot. He therefore puts us forth. The fold is deserted, that the sheep may wander over the bracing mountain slope. The laborers must be thrust out into the harvest, else the golden grain would spoil. Take heart! It could not be better to stay when He determines otherwise; and if the loving hand of our Lord puts us forth, it must be well. Whatever awaits us is encountered first by Him. Faith's eye can always discern His majestic presence in front; and when that cannot be seen, it is dangerous to move forward. Bind this comfort to your heart, that the Savior has tried for Himself all the experiences through which He asks you to pass; and He would not ask you to pass through them unless He was sure that they were not too difficult for your feet or too trying for your strength. This is the blessed life - not anxious to see far in front, nor careful about the next step, not eager to choose the path, nor weighted with the heavy responsibility of the future, but quietly following behind the Shepherd, one step at a time."
"All the tomorrows of our life have to pass Him before they can get to us."
"God speaks when there is no inward storm. He cannot speak when the mind is fretted; His voice demands the silence of the soul. In the hour of perturbation, thou canst not hear the answers to they prayers. How often has the answer seemed to come long after! The heart got no response in the moment of its crying - in its thunder, its earthquake and its fire. But when the crying ceased, when the stillness fell, when they hand desisted from knocking on the iron gate, when the interest of other lives broke the tragedy of thine own, then appeared the long-delayed reply. Thou must rest, O soul, if thou wouldst have they heart's desire. Still the beating of thy pulse of personal care. Hide thy tempest of individual trouble behind the altar of a common tribulation and that same night, the Lord shall appear to thee."
"He is now whatever He was three or four thousand years since; that He has the same sovereign power, the same saving love toward those who love and serve Him as ever He had, and that He will do for them now what He did for others two, three, four thousand years ago, simply because He is the living God, the unchanging One. Oh, how therefore we should confide in Him, and in our darkest moments never lose sight of the fact that He is still and ever will be the living God. Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him and expect help from Him, He will never fail you."
"Prayer which takes the fact that past prayers have not been answered as a reason for languor, has already ceased to be the prayer of faith. To the prayer of faith, the fact that prayers remain unanswered is only evidence that the moment of the answer is so much nearer. From first to last, the lessons and examples of our Lord all tell us that prayer which cannot persevere and urge its plea importunately, and renew, and renew itself again, and gather strength from every past petition, is not the prayer that will prevail."
I was confused reading these separate days consecutively. One day speaks of calming oneself and listening for God, the next of continually praying, always persevering and never resting or giving up. It seemed contradictory. But after reading and re-reading these quotes I had written down, I realize that it's possible to pray and listen at the same time. Prayer doesn't have to mean crying out in desperation. It doesn't involve panic so overwhelming that I can't listen to what God is telling me.
I'm still struggling though, with God's Will vs. my own prayers and desires. "I get so confused because all of this suggests that we pray fervently, laying our requests before the Lord. But I did that once - and He gave me what I asked for and it wasn't great. I'm very wary to pray with such urgency now...because what if (I Fear) what I ask for isn't what God wants...but He gives it to me because I keep asking? Or...should I trust that God has put desires in my heart that He really wants me to have? If that's the case, that God has placed His will in my heart and not my own, do I ask fervently, urgently? I'm so confused and I know that I can just pray for guidance and discernment. This is less about Dan's potential job and more about figuring out my own struggles with these theological and spiritual issues."
On a lighter note...Kristen and Jeff are en route! They've made it to Cairns, Australia where they'll be until 3:45pm EST on Saturday. After that, they fly to Sydney, then after a layover there, wing their way back to the U.S. of A. San Francisco to Seattle. Here are a few pictures she sent of their first leg...
Nate and Mercy with the last link of their "paper chain" to count down the days to departure
N & M on the King Air flying to Port Moresby, PNG
Port Morseby, PNG from the air - HOT & STICKY
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