Joy amid Sorrows By Paul Chappell Sunday, Sep 14, 2014 “Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:8–10 Later in her life, the gifted hymn writer Margaret Clarkson recalled that according to her mother, Margaret’s first complete sentence (as a three year old child) was, “My head hurts.” She suffered from numerous physical ailments that plagued her all of her life. Her parents were divorced when she was a teenager. She struggled with poverty and trying to make a living. Yet despite all of that, she remained faithful to God, and was used in His work, encouraging many through hymns that are still sung today. Margaret Clarkson wrote: “The sovereignty of God is the one impregnable rock to which the suffering human heart must cling. The circumstances surrounding our lives are no accident: they may be the work of evil, but that evil is held firmly within the mighty hand of our sovereign God… All evil is subject to Him, and evil cannot touch His children unless He permits it. God is the Lord of human history and of the personal history of every member of His redeemed family.” The dark days that come—and they come to everyone—do not have to steal our joy. Rather than focusing on what is lost or what we don’t have, we should look to God in faith. Even when we do not understand His purposes, we can trust His love and His goodness. Nothing that happens to us takes Him by surprise. When we realize this vital truth, and look forward to the completion of His work in our lives, we have a source of hope and joy, even when things are going wrong. Today’s Renewal Principle: When we keep our trust in God, we can find joy even amid all of our sorrows.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 20:28:40 +0000
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