"And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed...but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: and thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it..." Isaiah 30:20, 21
We are such wimps as Christians these days. All the creature comforts of American suburbia has completely washed out the rock-solid ruggedness of the Son of God. He gave His back to the scorners to be bruised and broken; we won't even mention Christ to the mailman. He took His bitter cup and drank it; we run into our convenient Lexus cages at the mere sight of the bread and water of God.
That's another thing we miss: adversity and affliction are our bread and water, i.e., our nourishment. This is the working out of the idea "God's strength in our weakness" (see II Corinthians 12:7-10). Adversity and affliction are to make us crumble onto the hardy bedrock of God Almighty so that He might build us up with His strength. The troubles of this life are our nourishment: they make us stronger. We do not seek them, but we do not reject them when God brings them to us.
"...thine eyes shall see...thine ears shall hear..." Our life is not completely bound up in trouble. Some days we take the bread and water of troubles. Others we take the bread and wine of His Presence. One day we will feast on milk and honey. All these, however, are nourishment indeed for our souls, and we should accept them with thankful hearts.
"Build up this Limp Jellyfish
On the Bedrock of Your Presence.
May I fear no more..."
-Jon Vowell
We are such wimps as Christians these days. All the creature comforts of American suburbia has completely washed out the rock-solid ruggedness of the Son of God. He gave His back to the scorners to be bruised and broken; we won't even mention Christ to the mailman. He took His bitter cup and drank it; we run into our convenient Lexus cages at the mere sight of the bread and water of God.
That's another thing we miss: adversity and affliction are our bread and water, i.e., our nourishment. This is the working out of the idea "God's strength in our weakness" (see II Corinthians 12:7-10). Adversity and affliction are to make us crumble onto the hardy bedrock of God Almighty so that He might build us up with His strength. The troubles of this life are our nourishment: they make us stronger. We do not seek them, but we do not reject them when God brings them to us.
"...thine eyes shall see...thine ears shall hear..." Our life is not completely bound up in trouble. Some days we take the bread and water of troubles. Others we take the bread and wine of His Presence. One day we will feast on milk and honey. All these, however, are nourishment indeed for our souls, and we should accept them with thankful hearts.
"Build up this Limp Jellyfish
On the Bedrock of Your Presence.
May I fear no more..."
-Jon Vowell
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