Get thee a cup of tea, I need coffee for my head!
I am having daily headaches. This isn't the first time this has happened. Hopefully it isn't a long season.
My migraines are not nearly as bad as they used to be, except for the daily part being less than encouraging.
I do not feel sorry for myself in the least, there are so many scary places, true tests of faith, in life, and this is but a blip.
I rejoice that God has been giving me more joy in reading the Word (Holy Bible) , than I have known in a long time. I think this is in great part, because recent turns of events in our church life here, have said "hang on, there is hope."
It's marvelous how much hope can do for our sense of well-being. And yet, it is one of those things I believe is truly a gift from God, one that cannot be summoned up by sheer force of will.
Though the words are different, I think the Bible verse "Be Not Afraid: Only Believe" apply in a sense...loss of hope often is accompanied with fear. Belief, not in things all being easy, not in our desires being fulfilled, but in the goodness of God, that even in a seemingly frowning providence He is dealing with us mercifully and for our good. Belief based upon the promises of the Word of God, mixed with patience and time and viola, Hope!
I have never, likely will never, understand the appeal of faiths where one must "earn" salvation.
I cannot abide the neo-nomian (New Law) ideas which creep into the church like so many perennial weeds, which want to make our works a necessity FOR the salvation of our never dying souls vs. good and necessary consequences OF our salvation. But this is not a theology blog... I digress...it is a journeying blog...the kind you don't need petrol to take. I didn't stir up belief to be saved, indeed, the drawing and convincing was all that of God, I needed to step aside from the work, the wrangling, the trying and failing, from my own fears.
I have been blessed by two concepts that collided in my reading life. One was the title of Spurgon's "checkbook of faith" mixed and shaken together with the Memoir of Mrs. William Veitch. (She was the wife of a Scottish Covenanter, you shall likely hear more of her if I am able to keep up blogging) She often would say she'd taken thus and such scripture verse, as a "that word made out" to her and hers. These promises, in the word of God, are like so many checks made out by Him to us, they are not in the mail, they are in our hand, and we may, in faith bold or nervous, take them to the bank.
They will not bounce for they are "checks" written for our Soul's good and God's glory. Now Mrs. Veitch might read like a 1980's era charismatic to some, but she was the wife of a sound Presbyterian minister and a woman of sound biblical understanding and doctrine.
What I marveled at the most in her relation to these "words made out to her" was that she didn't have to haul out her well worn Bible (though better that than starve spiritually if one doesn't know the promises), she didn't "lucky dip" (that dubious practice of sticking one's finger into the bible as if it is a fortune telling tool, or intended to lead in that way) No, she had such a store of these "checks" of these promises stored up in her heart, that the Holy spirit would bring them to mind, or she would come across them in her "ordinary" that is, the daily reading of the word in the home.
On a side note, to my shame that I don't memorize much now, but to the glory of those who trained me in my youth, I still get so much mileage of encouragement and wisdom from the verses of the Bible I was put to learning as a child. That word never failed, and continues to be brought to mind. Parents, please try not to neglect this practice with your little's.
So, I'm rejoicing at a new delight in God's kindness to me, newly renewed in hope. I pray you are likewise blessed.
Til next time...when I'll try to start putting in quotes of Mrs. Veitch, in small bites for my friends who have nerve trouble when they read long passages.
