Preparing our hearts

The past two weeks there have been two remarkable families brought to my attention. Families who are experiencing the extent of God's grace and the fulfillment of the thought "Where God Guides, He Provides." I have wept, mourned and rejoiced with these two families of whom I will not know personally in this life, but with whom I am connected to for eternity. I ask that you join me in praying for The Perkins Family and The Sullivans.

I can't begin on this blog to explain God's sovereignty or His providence in our suffering, but I look at these two families and am privileged to witness the tangible walking out of what they say they believe - that our great God is absolutely sovereign "and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Joel and I speak often these days of how we will suffer in this lifetime. Not only is it probable, it is guaranteed. So as we declare so boldly now in the absence of suffering, my heart's desire is that when the tidal waves of pain come, that we will be able to faithfully proclaim God's goodness as the Perkin's and Brad Sullivan are doing. In Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, John Piper writes:

“The death of Christ in supreme suffering is the highest, clearest, surest display of the glory of the grace of God. … Suffering is an essential part of the tapestry of the universe so that the weaving of grace can be seen for what it really is.” Or, put most plainly and simply, “the ultimate reason that suffering exists in the universe is so that Christ might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in himself to overcome our suffering. The suffering of the utterly innocent and infinitely holy Son of God in the place of utterly undeserving sinners to bring us to everlasting joy is the great display of the glory of God’s grace that ever was, or ever could be.”

Just a few verses before "for those who love God all things work together for the good..." in Romans, are two verses that we cannot separate from the latter "and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

Although our sufferings will never compare to what Jesus endured on the cross and they can never compare to the glory that is to be revealed, suffering is real and there are dark, dark hours where we experience little hope of light. It is in these hours that God is with us.

As Dustin Shramek contributed to Suffering and the Sovereignty of God,

"God cares about us in the midst of the pain. His goal isn’t just to get us out of the pain to the joy; he also wants us to see that he is for us and with us in the pain. It is true that weeping may tarry for the night, but
joy comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5). The morning will dawn and God will remove every tear (Rev. 21:4), but God is not just concerned about the morning, the new day when you can shout for joy. He is with us even in the night when there is nothing but weeping, when the tears are so thick that we can’t see. When we are in the deepest pit and darkness weighs on our souls and God feels so absent that we wonder if he is even real."

And as His Word reminds us:

Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isa. 43:1-3)

So yes, I believe that there is suffering to come but I know for certain that HE ALONE is our hope in the midst of suffering just as Shramek continues, "There is no one more powerful. There is no one more loving. There is no one more merciful. There is no one more compassionate. There is no other God but God. He alone is Savior, and he alone is Lord."

I know that the Perkins and Sullivan's believe that God is most glorified, even in their suffering, because they are most satisfied in Him. I'm going to close by borrowing right from the Perkin's blog, just one week before they delivered knowing they would be giving back their sweet boy.

So, friends....pray. Daily, Weekly or just once, but I know that prayers of those who trust God and follow Christ are not ignored. God hears the cries of His children and He is near to us always. He wants us to bring every burden at His feet. I want this experience and the day of my delivery to glorify God and bring others to a loving relationship with Him. As I read Exodus, I relate to Moses. He didn't think he could be used by God. How can God use me?

Pray that God WILL use Nate and me in the next few weeks and on the day of delivery. Pray that we don't doubt God's goodness or His sovereignty. Pray that we can rest in His arms, knowing that He loves us.

This is my prayer for their families. And for ours as well.