"I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me" - Psalm 119:75
Every one of us would agree that our God is faithful to us in our afflictions, but who of us ever consider that He is faithful to us in giving us affliction! Now, we must be careful not to charge the Lord with causing evil, but surely this verse clearly indicates that at times our All Wise and Loving Father permits certain afflictions to enter our lives for His purposes and our good.
"What possible good could there be in affliction?" we might be forgiven in asking. The Psalmist answers us:
"It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes" - Psalm 119:71
"Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word" - Psalm 119:67
We as children of God are at times chastened by afflictions that are permitted to enter our lives. His purpose in this is not to destroy or to distress us but to develop us. However, the success of this process is largely down to our attitude. Do we get more frustrated and aggravated in our afflictions or do we patiently wait on God, believing that He is doing something good for us and in us?
I think this may be the lesson the Lord is teaching us at this time. We have no choice but to wait on God, but do we wait on Him in a state of agitation and tension or do we wait 'patiently'? The Oxford English Dictionary definition for 'patience': 'calm endurance of hardship, provocation, pain, delay...The capacity for calm self-possessed waiting.' Surely patience is the partner of true faith.
So our Father is faithful in afflicting us. He is conforming us to the image of His Beloved Son; which is always His ultimate purpose for us. He desires that we should not go 'astray' but learn His 'statutes' and keep His 'word'.
In short He faithfully afflicts us to produce faithfulness in us.
Faithful ever is our Father
Faithful always to the end,
In the trial and in the trying,
Ever does His love extend.
As our Father He would chasten,
Proving what is in our hearts.
In affliction He would hasten,
Faithfulness in every part.
Give me patience, calm reliance,
In delay or in the flood.
Give me grace to show endurance,
Overcoming by the blood.
Faithful ever is our Father
Faithful always to the end,
In the trial and in the trying,
Ever does His love extend.
On Easter Monday our daughter, Lydia, broke her knee, so she is in plaster and attending the Ulster Hospital Fracture Unit - which may be one reason why we have had to stay in our present location which is very near to the hospital. Though she incurred a bad injury her healing appears to be progressing well.
Please continue to pray for the house situation. We have had a bit more interest but nothing definite yet.
Please remember especially the up-and-coming Evangelistic Missions (in His will).
P.S. UPDATE 2nd May: "Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD" - Ezekiel 12:28
"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert" - Isaiah 43:18-19
Our house was sold (again!) yesterday (1st May) and we were enabled to get agreement (again!) on the same house in Portadown.
Thank you so much for your prayers and please do continue to pray that this time the process will proceed smoothly to completion and that we will have the calm patience to believe God to see it through. TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
"Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name" - Psalm 33:18-21
