Contentment
Taken from the Valley of Vision
Heavenly Father, if I should suffer need, and go unclothed, and be in poverty, make my heart prize Thy love, know it, be constrained by it, though I be denied all blessings. It is Thy mercy to afflict and try me with wants, for by these trials I see my sins, and desire severance from them. Let me willingly accept misery, sorrows, temptations, if I can thereby feel sin as the greatest evil, and be delivered from it with gratitude to Thee, acknowledging this as the highest testimony of Thy love.
When thy Son, Jesus, came into my soul instead of sin He became more dear to me than sin had formerly been; His kindly rule replaced sin’s tyranny. Teach me to believe that if ever I would have any sin subdued I must not only labour to overcome it, but must invite Christ to abide in the place of it, and He must become to me more than vile lust had been; that His sweetness, power, life may be there. Thus I must seek a grace from Him contrary to sin, but must not claim it apart from Himself.
When I am afraid of evils to come, comfort me by showing me that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch, but in Christ I am reconciled and live; that in myself I find insufficiency and no rest, but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace; that in myself I am feeble and unable to do good, but in Christ I have ability to do all things. Though now I have His graces in part, I shall shortly have them perfectly in that state where Thou wilt show Thyself fully reconciled, and alone sufficient, efficient, loving me completely, with sin abolished. O Lord, hasten that day.
November 26, 2009 at 12:38
The second paragraph reminds me of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 12:43-45
“‘When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest and finds none.
Then he says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept and put in order.
Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that man is worst than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.’”
Now I do not profess to be a teacher, but I do see the teaching application here in a very practical way (because I get general concepts and am a practical person!) If I recognize a certain sin in my life and decide to try to stop it, I cannot do it of my own power. I may be able to avoid it for a time, but until I fill that old space with the sweetness of Christ’s love and care, I will not have victory over it. I may even substitute it with other problems. If I may exemplify, to stop smoking (consider Romans 12:1) is a difficult task which can often lead to overeating or some sort of gluttony while trying to stop on our own, apart from Christ. (Consider Romans 12:1 again) When I am truly convicted of sin, I need to fully look to Rock of our Salvation, Jesus Christ to help shed that old clothing and put on new garments of righteousness which only He can supply to me. I thank The Lord that he would look upon me with mercy, a sinner.