“ I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.” Psalm 39:9

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

This stillness and silence befits us, when God lifts up His arm to afflict us. It is of little use at such times to struggle against His almighty power–to be restless and complaining when His heavy hand is laid upon us. Our wisdom is . . .
to bear the burden which oppresses us with patience,
to submit cheerfully to the will of God, and
to kiss the painful rod which scourges us.

We should remember that our Father does not afflict His children willingly, that is, for His own pleasure–but for their profit. He loves them; and when He punishes them, it is for their discipline, and to make them what He would have them to be–partakers of His holiness.

We should look at our afflictions in this light–and not let a murmur escape our lips! Our language should be, “It is the Lord–let Him do what seems good to Him!” 1 Samuel 3:18

It is often our duty, in the hour of trial or of difficulty, to be still, to lie passive in God’s hands, “to hope, and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord.”–Ashton Oxenten

“The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”- (Psalm 19:7)

As we look at all of the so-called government solutions that are supposed to improve our way of life in America, we see that they really haven’t done so at all. That is because changing a person’s environment does not change a person’s heart.

The Bible doesn’t teach that man is basically good, yet he does bad things because of bad influences. Rather, it teaches that man is basically sinful, and he is born sinful. He is not a sinner because he sins; he sins because he is a sinner. Sin comes naturally to all of us. The Bible tells us that. And it also tells us that human beings are capable of very evil things.

Those who believe that we can bring about a utopia on Earth through manmade solutions must be very disappointed by now. Because in spite of all our advances in technology, we still can’t change the human heart.

Yet Psalm 19:7 tells us, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” The Word of God gives us incredible wisdom.

A number of years ago someone asked me, “Well, Greg, what do you do when you come to a verse in the Bible that you don’t agree with?”

I said, “Change your opinion, because you are wrong.”

I don’t think that individual liked my answer all that much. But as Romans 9:20 says, “’Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? ”

The Word of God transforms us and makes us wise. And if you don’t agree with the Bible, then change your opinion—because the Bible is always right.–Greg Laurie

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen…’— 2Co 4:17-18.

Notice the marvellous antithesis of this chapter: light and darkness; life and death; pressure, perplexity, pursuit, and persecution; but side by side, victory, elastic hope, and the brightness of Christian faith. The decay of the outward man and the renewal of the inward; the light affliction and the weight of glory; the brief moment of earth’s pilgrimage contrasted with the eternity of reality and bliss.

It is very important that we should not miss the mighty blessing which is within the reach of every troubled soul. Of course it is quite possible to sit down before troubles and afflictions, hopeless and despairing, confessing that we are over-powered and defeated; it is also possible to be hard and stoical, bearing adversity because we cannot help or avoid it, bur the highest Christian way is to be thankful that the earthen vessel is breaking if only the torch will shine out; to be content that the dying of Jesus should be borne about in our mortal body, if only His life will thereby become manifest.

When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of grief shall not thee overflow; For I will be with thee in trouble to bless; And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

Fix my heart, O Lord, on Thyself, that amid the changes and chances of this mortal life I may be kept steadfast and unmoveable and ever abounding in Thy work. AMEN.–F B Meyer

“Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” – 1 Corinthians 10:12

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that we Christians neglect the two most important things in life–Bible study and prayer. And although we pay the price for doing so we do not associate it with our failure. Consequently we keep struggling with our problems, trying to survive them, rather than taking action to conquer or avoid them. The old song has it right–“I don’t pray enough”. Why? Perhaps the following comments by Adrian Rogers will give you a clue:

“I think the reason we don’t pray with frequency and fervency today is because we think we can do things on our own—without prayer. You know, perhaps the worst thing about us is not our prayerlessness but our pride.

We have our machinery, our plans, and our methods. We have our pastors, choirs, Bible fellowships, and buildings. So we come to church thinking, “Well, we’ll do it; we know how to do it.”

And you know what the devil does? He stands in the corner and smirks. He says, “You can have your buildings, you can have your choirs, you can have your fellowships, you can have your preacher, you can have everything you want. You can even have your Bible studies, as long as you leave out the power of God that comes with fervent prayer that will not take no for an answer.”

We must get it in our heads: the devil was willing to go head-to-head in battle with the archangel Michael. But he fears our prayers! He will do everything he can to keep you distracted and off your knees.”

“That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”–Heb 6:18

It is utterly impossible for God to lie. The earth may be dissolved, and all creation reduced to chaos before God could lie. He would cease to be God if the faintest breath of a change, or the shadow of a turn should pass over the glorious Godhead. But it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore this holds out strong consolation for those that have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before them.

And what is the ground of this strong consolation? This is the ground, that God has eternally determined and sworn by himself—that he will save and bless those that have “fled for refuge to the hope set before them in the gospel.” This is the foundation of their consolation, this is the ground of their hope, that God has made such and such promises, and confirmed such and such promises by his solemn oath—that those who flee for refuge, and lay hold upon this hope, have a saving interest in and title to them, and have a manifest assurance of being “heirs of promise.”

Now, did you ever in your life feel spiritual consolation? If ever you did, it was by laying hold of the hope set before you in the gospel. There was no consolation ever got by looking at fallen self. If ever there was any true consolation, any hope raised up in the heart, any solid comfort, it came out of the actings of living faith, embracing the blood and righteousness of Christ, tasting a measure of his preciousness, seeing his glory and beauty, and feeling the heart in some measure dissolved into nothingness at his footstool. Not looking at ourselves, but receiving as empty-sinners out of his fullness; not trusting to ourselves, or our own attainments, but going to Jesus, and receiving something into our hearts out of him. Nothing but this can give us consolation; and the more this is felt, the more this will give us “strong consolation.”–J.C. Philpot