"Afflictions are God's threshing instruments to loosen us from the world, to part between us and our chaff, and to prepare us for use. God will proportion them to our strength; they shall be no heavier than there is need. When his end is answered, the trials and sufferings of his people shall cease; his wheat shall be gathered into the garner, but the chaff shall be burned with unquenchable fire." 

- Matthew Henry (commentary on Isaiah 28:23-29)

Getting Through a Hedge

"In April, 1831, Charles Simeon was 71 years old. He had been the pastor of Trinity Church, Cambridge, England, for 49 years. He was asked one afternoon by his friend, Joseph Gurney, how he had surmounted persecution and outlasted all the great prejudice against him in his 49-year ministry. He said to Gurney, 'My dear brother, we must not mind a little suffering for Christ's sake. When I am getting through a hedge, if my head and shoulders are safely through, I can bear the pricking of my legs. Let us rejoice in the remembrance that our holy Head has surmounted all His suffering and triumphed over death. Let us follow Him patiently; we shall soon be partakers of His victory' (H.C.G. Moule, Charles Simeon, London: InterVarsity, 1948, 155f.)." 

- John Piper's auditory biography of Charles Simeon.

Poem: Baby Jaharri

Feels like: "Ljósið" by Ólafur Arnalds

"For you formed my inward parts;
   you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;
   my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret,
   intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;in your book were written, every one of them,
   the days that were formed for me,
   when as yet there was none of them."

-Psalm 139:13-16

Baby Jaharri

By: Tita Quina

I miss you,

sweet niece,

I never got to hold

or see grow old.

I lack certainty

of when

it became real for me

but your picture,

            when
            at 7 months

            you came with

            your beautiful brown skin

            tiny body

            precious eyes

remains in my mind

And I love you

more than I

know how to express

Psalm 139:13-16

my rest. 

Trust His Heart

"When you can't trace His hand, trust His heart."
- Charles Spurgeon

God and Suffering: A Series on the Book of Job ... Coming Soon

Job by Jenna Thomas

You probably already heard that the book of Job is about suffering. 
But what is the main lesson that God teaches us through the book of Job?

You may have also heard that Job's three friends--Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar--presented inaccurate conclusions to Job concerning the reason for his extreme suffering.
But what about the argument of Job's fourth friend, Elihu?

You may have heard of the patience/steadfastness/endurance of Job (James 5:11).
But how do you explain his repentance in dust and ashes (Job 42:6)?

You may have read the first two chapters of Job, and then the last five chapters. Maybe you skimmed the bulk of the book in between.
But what does the drawn out debate between Job and his friends communicate to us about the nature of God and suffering? What parts of the debate should we receive as truth?

And what can a worshipper of Jesus today profit from studying the book of Job?

In 2011 I had the privilege of defending an undergraduate thesis about the book of Job at USF. This gave me the precious opportunity to study Job for a few months. By God's grace, I hope to present through a series of blog posts a few things that I learned about God and suffering through my study of the book of Job. I pray that it will be edifying to anyone who reads it.
...
I have much more to learn about the book of Job, about suffering, and ultimately about God. I do pray that God will use these posts to remind you and me (again and again) about His unchanging character so that we will be more trusting sufferers, and more faithful friends to sufferers, all to the praise of the glory of His grace in our lives.

Hinds' Feet Quote

"Much-Afraid stood quite still, looking up into his face, which now had such a happy, exultant look, the look of one who above all things else delights in saving and delivering. In her heart the words of a hymn, written by another of the Shepherd's followers, began to run through her mind and she started to sing softly and sweetly:


Let Sorrow do its work, send grief or pain;
Sweet are thy messengers, sweet their refrain.
If they but work in me, more love, O Christ, to thee, 
More love to thee, more love to thee.


'Others have gone this way before me,' she thought, 'and they could even sing about it afterwards. Will he who is so strong and gentle be less faithful and gracious to me, weak and cowardly though I am, when it is so obvious that the thing he delights in most of all is to deliver his followers from all their fears and to take them to the High Places?'" 
(Hinds' Feet on High Places, pg. 68-69)

Anacondas and My Sin

April, Jenna, Melizza and I were watching anaconda videos on YouTube again. We came across a video of an anaconda eating a capybara. Check it out here.

There’s a metaphor here:

The capybara = me

The anaconda = indwelling sin

Can you see the parallels?

Makes me think of that John Owen quote: “Be killing sin or [sin] will be killing you.” He bases that quote on Romans 8:13:

“For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” (I used the NIV because I like the use of the word “misdeeds”)

Speaking of anaconda-like indwelling sin…

The book of Job reveals a few good, redemptive purposes that God has for His worshippers when He afflicts them with suffering.

Check out what Elihu says in Job 33:8-33.  One point of his argument is that God can use suffering as a means of His redeeming grace to keep man from falling into sin.

I had the flu, then pneumonia, then bronchitis for a span of 2 months a couple years ago. Not only did God teach me about my sinful proclivities and His merciful character through my suffering, but He could have also been keeping me from some sin that I would have fallen into had I had my health. Staggering…

How horrible is your sin to you? Since God can use suffering to mercifully keep you from falling into some sin…would you rather be crushed with massive suffering than to sin against the infinitely worthy God? Would you rather be eaten alive by an anaconda than to be eaten alive by your seemingly pleasurable sin? Or, more realistically, would you rather be struck with immense sickness that lasts for a long time than to fall into sin?

Makes me think of Mark 9:42-48…and Hebrews 11:24-26...

God's Sovereignty and Japan

Check out this blog post on God's sovereignty and the tsunami in Japan from Pastor John Samson: Click here. 

“Empathy flows not from the causes of pain, but the company of pain.”  – John Samson

Another great post is a prayer for Japan by Pastor John Piper: Click here. 

"We know that if we were treated according to our sins, who could stand? All of it would be gone in a moment. So in this dark hour we turn against our sins, not against you. And we cry for mercy for Japan. Mercy, Father. Not for what they or we deserve. But mercy."   - John Piper

Finally, my sis in Christ, good friend, and roommate, Monica Ziegler, has been planning on going to Utsunomyia, Japan with a team from USF with the Navigators ministry. She is currently selling bracelets for Japan and for her mission trip this summer. Let me know if you're interested in buying a bracelet that will support the Red Cross efforts in Japan as well as Monica's mission trip. You can check out her blog for more info. on her trip here: "Land of the Rising Sun" - Monica's Blog.

God's Glory in Life & Death

Watching this, along with seeing my sis in Christ Adrienne trust God in her very serious suffering right now, makes me realize that I am not qualified to speak about suffering as one who has "been there" and persevered. I pray only to trust Him wholeheartedly when my next trial comes, glorifying Him in life and death.

Watch Both Videos Here

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." - Philippians 1:20-21

working on my Job paper...

something I want to expound on that can be drawn from the book of Job:

Insufficient theology + insufficient doctrine on suffering => destructive counsel + destructive reaction to suffering => misrepresentation of the character and glory of God

Poem: The Substance of Hope

for sufferers... 


The Substance of Hope (Hebrews 11-12)

There is nothing better in this life

                  than suffering with eyes fully fixed on Jesus—

                  the author and finisher of our faith—

                  Who suffered harder,

                                    and who in glory was then raised.

That you might repent of all self-righteous claims to rights,

                  and be cleansed of self-pity’s pride;

And in your heart smile with joy inexpressible

                  through the tears and lonely nights…

Because God has enlightened your eyes,

                  to see Him as the only true hope,

And He strengthens your faith to trust Him,

                  Until that Great Day…

When you finally see hope’s substance.