He Will Exult Over You With Loud Singing

O my dear friends, keep in mind these glorious words from the Lord, our God, who sits enthroned in the heavens... Can you believe that he really said this? That it is really true? I can't... it's so surreal... so lovely, so entirely beyond me to understand how an all-powerful, sovereign God could say this to a wretched sinner like me... It is so beautiful, and what joy can be found in the fact that it is true!

Isaiah 30:18-26

 "¹⁸Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you,
   and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
    blessed are all those who wait for him.
 ¹⁹For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. ²⁰And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.²¹ And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. ²²Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, "Be gone!"
 ²³And he will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures, ²⁴and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. ²⁵And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. ²⁶Moreover, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the LORD binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow."

Imagine this! When we have the strength to say to the unclean things, our gods, our idols - "Be gone!" And imagine when they really truly will be gone! What a burden will be lifted from us when we see that we are delivered from our temptations!  This is, indeed, a wonderful thing.  And, though our God strikes us... though he breaks us... though he inflicts wounds on us that sting and ache and make us cry out in pain... Bear in mind, dearest reader, that he is our healer... The Lord binds up our brokenness, just the same as he caused it.  He is our Rod, and he is our Healer.  How entirely awesome this is!

And the fact that we will see our Teacher... and that we will know the way in which to walk.  Nothing will be confused... it will be clear.  How I long for that day!

And... this is something else that daddy showed us the other night, that is so incredibly comforting and awing to think about.

Zephaniah 3:17

^"17The LORD your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
 he will rejoice over you with gladness;
   he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing."

That God... the same one who wrote down the events of history... who made this earth and all the things therein, who is powerful and might... That this same God is in our midst constantly... And not only that, but he will save us.  And! Not only that... but imagine this.... he rejoices over us with gladness.  The tumult of our souls and our hearts caused by the fallen state of our depraved world will be quieted by his love.  His love is so great that it will quiet our fears, our anxieties, our anger... it will quiet us, and we will be at peace.  And not only this! But he will exult over you with loud singing.  Can you imagine that? God exulting over us with loud singing? Over us?  We are proud, indeed, to be the children of God.

And it is so comforting.  Our Father loves us, he cares for us... He really truly does! And not in a wishy washy sort of way... In a very masculine way, and yet tenderly.  His love is strong, and even the strongest men out there who are his children, must admit that even they find comfort and everlasting solace in his embrace. :)

Spring

When you have been made to suffer being apart from something that you love for a long period of time, do you feel a sudden great joy when that thing is given back to you? That is how I feel after the long dreary winter has passed. Everything, during this time, is bleak, cold, and austere. Sometimes a thick blanket of snow will attempt to cover the barrenness of the landscape, and yet, more often than not we look out on a gray, cheerless world. Come March and April, however, there is a change in the air. We do not merely see naked branches, but little tiny buds all over the place, giving a reddish tint to the trees. Snowdrops appear, and are succeeded by the crocus. Then the hyacinth, daffodils, and tulips; or at least, that is how it goes in our gardens. Suddenly the earth is renewed. It is cleansed by Spring rains. The bleak atmosphere is washed away and replaced by warmth and cheer. Birds' songs echo through the trees, and they sing so sweetly, and so cheerfully, that it cannot help but banish melancholy and gloomy thoughts from the mind.

"There are some secret moving Springs in the Affections, which when they are set a going by some Object in view, or be it some Object, though not in view, yet rendered present to the Mind by the Power of Imagination, that Motion carries out the Soul by its Impetuosity to such violent eager embracings of the Object, that the Absence of it is insupportable." (Robinson Crusoe)

During this time of year I am apt to get intoxicated by the beauty of God's creation. I am not apt to worship the creation - nay, rather, it makes me bow in wonder of the God who made it! For if nature really is this beautiful - this sublime, then how much more powerful is the Hand that made it all, and how much more beautiful the Person who thought to make it.

These days make me burst with joy... after everything being dead for so long, it is finally become alive. I have drawn a line between Spring, and new birth in Christ. ..."And we were dead in the trespasses of our sins..." that is like winter. But when we are saved, and when we know Christ, everything blooms, and becomes alive.

This season should fill every mind with beautiful thoughts. How is it that buds on a tree can unfurl the splendor of a million leaves? Truly, this thought alone is amazing. Much less how a flower, so delicate, can push its way up through the soil, and nurtured by the sun, bloom and add so much color and loveliness to the world.

Let us not forget our blessings, and let us not forget to be grateful to Him who makes winter end, and gives us this gift of Spring.

(By the way, I've purposely abstained from using too much - or even not at all- words such as sublime, ecstasy, glorious etc, so as not to overwhelm my readers by my enthusiasm on this subject. :P)

O How Sweet!

I've been thinking about ever so many things lately. But in particular about God's providence, His will, and his infinite grace and mercy. The year of 2009 began rather hard for me. I started building up many resolutions, and there were ever so many things that I wanted to do. I am talking about in terms of activities and things like that. However, I saw every single thing that I had planned to do, from January till May, completely dashed. This was because of my mother's ill-condition: she suffers greatly from adrenal exhaustion. Chloe and I had to commit ourselves to staying home a lot, and taking care of her. I had worked too hard on school in the autumn of 2008, so I was exhausted from that, and didn't feel ready to cope with the crisis: that is, accepting God's will or living in rebellion against Him. I knew that if I submitted, I would feel a sweet bliss. I knew that if I continued to rebel, I would be miserable and unhappy. I would find no solace or comfort in God's will when I rebelled against it. So, in late January, I decided to submit, but more because I was afraid of how I would feel if I didn't. Besides, mother's being pregnant again was exciting news for me. But then she lost the baby in early February.

After this the downfall of my plans really began to happen. Even though they were little, they meant a lot to me. But then I thought about all the lessons God had taught me in the past two miscarriages that mother had had. I had learned so much, and I would not take those babies back for anything, because of what I learned. Reflecting on this gave me greater insight into the blissful acceptance of God's will. Finally, I was able to whole-heartedly accept God's will. The idea of laying passive in his hand was so exciting to me, that whatever His will was, I was excited to do. Because whatever I do, and wherever I go will be to glorify God and not myself!

O! This realization is so incredibly sweet, and it leaves me in a state of such bliss and joyousness, that everyday with its disappointments could be counted with joy, if it were only for the sake of submitting with joy to God's will! And how comforting it is, that Romans 8:28 is so true, that everything works out for good, for those who love God and are called according to his will! To me, it is sublimity to rest in his providence. It fills me with wonder, and amazement, and complete and utter fascination that it tends to leave me in a stupor, or a reverie. And that reverie is so sweet that I could live in it forever. :)

Reformation: Love and Faith: Martyrs: Guido de Bres

Guido de Bres was a *snaps fingers* um... I can't think of it. He was born in Mons, a city in a Belgian province. His father had been a glass maker, and he started out in that profession too. He was only 14 when news of Tyndale's martyrism reached him. He became intrested in Protostantism, and since Mons was located on the border of France and the Lowlands (which is now Belgium) the Huegenots who were coming over from France influenced him greatly. Later in life, in his late twenties and early thirties, he studied at Geneva under John Calvin. After this he pastored a small town, but their true doctrine was kept secret. When the officials found out, they ransacked de Bres' house (he had escaped) and burned his papers including letters FROM JOHN CALVIN!!! (Wouldn't it be so great if those hadn't been destroyed?!) Later he was finally captured, and put to death by hanging. He was buried in a shallow grave, and dogs dug up his body and consumed it. He had a wife whom he had been married to for seven years, and five children. (He was also the author of the Belgian Confession.)

Much is known about John Calvin, Martin Luther, William Tyndale, (of course, not as much as we would LIKE to... but still). But not much is known about Guido de Bres. However, his character can be somewhat determined by this letter he wrote to his wife just before he died:

"My dear and well-beloved wife in our Lord Jesus.

Your grief and anguish are the cause of my writing you this letter. I most earnestly pray you not to be grieved beyond measure . . . . We knew when we married that we might not have many years together, and the Lord has graciously given us seven. If the Lord had wished us to live together longer, he could easily have caused it to be so. But such was not his pleasure. Let his good will be done . . . . Moreover, consider that I have not fallen into the hands of my enemies by chance, but by the providence of God . . . . All these considerations have made my heart glad and peaceful, and I pray you, my dear and faithful companion, to be glad with me, and to thank the good God for what he is doing, for he does nothing but what is altogether good and right . . . . I pray you then to be comforted in the Lord, to commit yourself and your affairs to him, he is the husband of the widow and the father of the fatherless, and he will never leave nor forsake you . . . .

Good-bye, Catherine, my well-beloved! I pray my God to comfort you, and give you resignation to his holy will. Your faithful husband, Guido de Brès."

Guido de Bres, 1522-1567

What faith he had in Christ! What trust and love he had to commit his wife and children to the Lord's care while he died for Christ!! I can't think of anything else to say, because I happen to be too overwhelmed by his example of faith and love.

Pray!!

I was recently reading some articles about Barak Obama vs. John McCain, as well as watching some videos that a friend sent me. When I read and watched, my burning passion for my country was inflamed within my mind, and I went crazy with the desire (and that seems like a belittling word compared to this intense feeling I have) to do something for my country. I was talking to my friend Olivia Howard at the time, and I expressed this urge. I cannot very well describe it, but I will try the best I can. I felt a burning, raging passion in the depths of my soul .... A strong sensation that something must be done! I felt helpless. I felt insignificant and insipid. (I felt like nothing, which really is true! I am but dust!) Of course I have no political influence on anything or anyone least of all the government... I cannot rebuild Wall Street, I cannot do anything about the terrorists, or the war in Iraq. Here are some things I said to Olivia about it:

"I just yearn to do it SOO badly! I feel like America is looking on towards the cliff and plunging unknowingly towards the edge."

"Of course I wouldn't want to do this (reffering to those things I listed up there) but... I wish it could be done and if there was anything I could do to promote it then I would but what is it?"

"What is it that poor insipid people whom no one cares about can do for their country?"

"I don't know," she replied.

"YOU DON'T KNOW?????" I said, as though I rather expected she had a solution for me... But then something dawned upon me. I thought that in my mind I saw a faint streak of light. It grew stronger and stronger, as truth always does. A feeble peace began to enter my mind. I said to Olivia:

"The answer is everywhere. When we don't have influence on the governemnt or politics... Then—and even if we did—we pray. Because even the prayers of poor insipid creatures reach Him who sits in the heavens and laughs. Yet he hears our desperate pleas that come straight from a heart loyal to King and country! And what comfort we have that even if devestation befalls our country then he has ordained it and will make a way out for his people... For, 'I have never seen his children begging for bread', from Psalm 37."

Then the tables reversed. Instead of me encouraging her, it was she encouraging me. My faith began to sink. I felt like I was in a state of inertitude. I began to be afraid of everything. "What would become of us if our country became devastated? What would happen?" But she reminded me, "Pray...! Put your desire for your country upon your Lord, and he will give you an overflowing peace about it... The prayers of the children of God are not neglected."

This once more relieved me... But allow me to encourage ALL of my brothers and sisters in Christ to pray and to never cease watching!

The things that I have said may seem drastic and dramatic, but it was really what I was feeling... And I know that I might have seemed a little strange in this post... but.... and... Well, that's it I suppose...... As I said to Olivia,

"And...
And...
And...
*sobs*"

Update

Let's just say that I'm at Grandma's right now, in New Wilmington PA, and there's something a little less than a tornado going on outside, that has made a HUGE limb of a pine tree break off with a terrific bombilation and fall RIGHT in front of our brand new van!!! In short, I'M SCARED!!!! :-( So, if you could pray that we get home safely tonight--or tomorrow, but most likely tonight--I would be sooo grateful! And if we all die, SEE YOU IN HEAVEN!!!!!! :-) And may the joy of the Lord be with you all. :)

Love,

~Ruby

L'auteur Malade Bientôt à être Bien!

Hullo my jolly good readers!

This post is written specifically to inform you (though I do doubt that some of you would hardly care) that I am on the mend, and expect to be completely recovered by Tuesday. As though I could name the day or hour of when my good health will return, but I am only saying that I expect it to return then... And I know I am sounding very confusing right now! As though you would even care whether I am well or ill... But I like to write, and since I can find nothing to write about except the state of my health, I am afraid my honest and highly esteemed readers, if they so choose to read my blog, must read what they find, which is an absolutely dull and droll account of no-one-in-particular's sickness. So, please bear with me.

I have a soar throat, a rather "congested" cough, a stuffy/runny nose, and fits of sneezing and wheezing which aren't that pleasant to those around me. Thankfully I won't die. And that is it. Was that so very bad, my dear patient and constant readers? (Well, for those of you who are constant.)

The only reason I have entitled the last two post names in French is because any other title in English would seem absolutely droll and utterly idiotic. These will be the first... (and perhaps last) of my posts entitled in foreign and unknown (to us that is) languages.

And now forgive the absurdity of this post, but because I am sick, I beg forgiveness of all my fair readers. :-)

I thank you profusely and prodigiously for getting through these unseemly and tedious post.

Goodnight, and farewell!

~Ruby

HILARIOUS!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9b3lw6BB0s

You guys have gotta see this!

The Joy of the Lord

Have you guys ever felt so happy that you could just burst or sing really loud so the whole neighborhood could hear you? Well, that's how I'm feeling right now. SO happy, that I feel like I could read through the entire Bible, and sing all the way through the Trinity Hymnal, and memorize every word of the Westminster Shorter Catechism. But... "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Nehemiah 8:10 says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength." In the past hour and a half, this has been proven to me so much. I am no longer "lethargic" as mommy says I am (and it is completely true) and I so happy and joyful and like I have all the strength in the world!

Even though the following could set me down...

1. The van is broken... again. And we need a new one.
   
2. We may not be able to go see Batman tomorrow.
3. A good friend lost a baby.
4. We are all exhausted and stressed out from our trip.
   
5. Some of us are getting over being sick.
6. Peter might not be able to come in September.
   
7. We didn't get to see the Shepherd's in New Wilmington.
8. Daddy has a gig on my birthday.
9. Miscellaneous.

So you see, all these things could make me feel rather down. Very down, I might say. But I am so happy, I am bursting with joy and happiness, and I feel like I cannot express it!

There wasn't a point to this post, I was just so happy I had to say something.