He Restoreth My Soul

I'm back! I hope people still read this, as it's been over a month since I've written anything on here. I will seriously try to keep posting something in the future :-)

Life is good. And life is good because I have a good God, a living God, Who works all things out for good to those who love Him, to those who are the called according to His purpose - the purpose of being conformed to the image of His Son. I've entitled the name of this post He Restoreth My Soul because I have been so amazed at just how God is restoring my soul, and with how much detail He has been doing it. Can I just take a minute and tell you about how wonderful my God is?

Let me preface this: The book of Job starts out with a godly man being slammed with horrible trials that were not chastisements or punishments. Now, I'm no Job; but if such a good man like him could go through such terrible disasters, then who do I think I am to not face any trials or troubles in my life? If Jesus Christ - Who did no sin - had to go through such painful circumstances in His life and didn't even deserve to suffer, then who do I, a sinner, think I am that I won't face any difficulties in my life? Anyway, in Job 1:21, Job makes this statement: "The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." Recently, I felt like the LORD had taken everything away from me. I tried to figure it out, as to why it all happened. Like Job, I failed to understand (Job 42:3). All I did understand was that sometimes the LORD gives, and the LORD takes away: my response must be, "Blessed be the name of the LORD." At first, I struggled. I didn't like what had happened. But then I started to see the good hand of my God upon me. Instead of looking at what I had lost, God began to show me that He was replacing everything He had taken away - and He was replacing everything to the detail and more! When I started looking at my life from this new perspective, I literally laughed, amazed that the LORD would do something so wonderful and would put His fingerprints all over His work so I would know it was Him! The blessings were (are) numerous, the kindness of God was (is) overwhelming, and my faith in Him was (is) strengthened as I realized what was happening, and felt the LORD telling me, "In My own good time all you lost will be replaced, down to the detail." And what does this have to do with Job? Have you seen the end of the Lord, that He is very pitiful? (James 5:11). What did God do for Job at the end of the trial? "the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before."(Job 42:10). The same living God Who was Job's God is my God. And His character has not changed. I am living proof and will testify that even today He truly does restore souls, and replaces what His children lose. I'd like to share a song I wrote about a year ago, when I was going through trials in my own life, and I had no answer for. Perhaps the words will speak for themselves...

Verse 1:

There've been times in my life when I thought the LORD did bless;

And I wondered what I'd done to deserve a gift like this.

But then there have been times when evil did fall,

And I wondered what I'd done to deserve a judgment call.

As I thought of all that happened - the good and the bad -

And what could have been different, what changes I could've had.

But now it is all over; Time its course has run.
Yet still I wonder why God's allowed what has been done.

Chorus:
But now I know, like Job, God gives and takes away.
Even though Satan God's hand may sway.

But I know that He's allowed it, and through the storm I'll say,

"Blessed be the name of the LORD, Who gives and takes away."

Verse 2:

Like with Abraham and Isaac, sometimes God will stay

The hand of death and sadness, and let hope light the way.

But other times, like with Jesus, God allows His loved to die.

For the good it will bring others, that new life they may find.

Verse 3:

O Christian in great struggle, give thanks in everything.

For your Father up in Heaven, great good for you will bring.

You've seen the end of Job, how the Lord is very pitiful.

And in His own good time He makes all things beautiful!

Chorus:
For now I know, like Job, God gives and takes away,

Even though Satan God's hand may sway.

But I know that He's allowed it, and through the storm I'll say,

"Blessed be the name of the LORD Who gives and takes away."
"Blessed be the name of the LORD Who gives and takes away."

Oh, and before I sign off, one more newsflash. Check out my brother's new blog! http://www.jaredspangenberg.blogspot.com/. He's one of the most spiritual men I know - a deep thinker, an honest man, a practical person, who just wants to follow Christ. Of course I'm a prejudiced older sister, right? :-) Seriously, check it out. May you be encouraged in the goodness of our living God!

To Be Conformed...

So often, we have the wrong view of what God is up to in our lives. We think we know what He is doing, and we set our hopes accordingly. When our expectations fail, we become depressed, disappointed, discouraged. “Where is God?” we say. “Why did He do this to me?” we despond, thinking He is out to “get us,” that He’s punishing us for sins we committed. We rack our minds, trying to think of why the supposed punishment was inflicted, thinking that if only we would have done better, or will make amends this time, that the Lord will be happy, and will give us what we want, as though He is a genie and we can control Him with our actions. “But look at everything that happened, Lord. It sure looked like You were going to do this, and then everything exploded in front of me. Why did You even torment me with the hope of fulfilled desires?”

Wrong thinking. Wrong expectations. I’m waiting for the wrong thing. God’s thoughts are not my thoughts, and His ways are not my ways. His end, over-arching, overall purpose for my life is not something that is tangible. It is not something physical, a person, place or thing. It cannot be seen with the mind that doesn’t think like Him. It is un-tangible. It is not something we can see by sight, but only by the eyes of faith. It is only for the spiritual, seeking person, for it is the purpose of God, Who cannot be seen with physical eyes. It is only for those who will grasp by faith the only thing they understand – the character of God; that He is good, and He is love. It is for those who take the clearly revealed will of God, “in everything give thanks,” and realize that through all the evil and sin they must weave their way through life in, God means it all for good in the end. It is to grasp by faith that what things I would have counted gain for myself, I must count loss for Christ; that I must count ALL things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Am I willing to suffer the loss of all things, and count them but dung that I may win Christ? Am I willing to place that much value on Christ? Am I willing to purposefully and mindfully choose Him to be in that place in my life; to make Him my first desire, and to suffer the loss of all things for Him; to place Him above my own ideas of gain? In God’s reckoning book, being conformed to the image of Christ – an un-tangible thing – is the most important thing for a Christian. In fact, the Father has predestinated us to it – that is what life is all about (Rom.8:29). This is the whole purpose of God for any saved man. Anything and everything that happens can be “the will of God” if we realize that through it all, there is an unseen Hand that created or allowed the circumstances we are in to conform us to the image of Christ. Without this conformity, there is no purpose or power in life. But the promise is there - the promise of satisfaction, for the psalmist said, "I SHALL be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness." After all, that is what we were created for in the first place (Gen.1:26).

To Be Conformed

Verse 1:

I was created for Your pleasure (Rev.4:11), and for Your work employ (Jn.15:16)

To bring forth fruit unto perfection will be my greatest joy (Jn.15:16;Lk8:14)

To transform my mind to think the way You want me to (Rom.12:1-2)

As I reckon myself as dead to sin but alive unto You (Rom.6:11)

Chorus:

To be conformed to the image of Your Son

To be like Jesus when all is said and done (Rom.8:29)

And Father if You are for this Who can be against the One (Rom.8:31)

Who for me spared not His Son? (Rom.8:32)

Verse 2:

Can I do unto others as I'd have them do to me? (Lk.6:31)

Can I pray like Jesus prayed in Gethsemene?

Can I say, "Not my will, but Thine, Lord, be done in the end?" (Lk.22:42)

Do I have no greater love than to die for my Friend? (Jn.15:13)

Verse 3:

This life I now live, for Your sake I must lose

For if I would find my life, Your way I must chose (Mt.10:39)

But I know some day it'll be worth it all when with You I awake,

For I shall be satisfied when with Your likeness I awake! (Ps.17:15)