The Storm

“How happy we are if the hurricanes that blow across life’s raging sea have the effect of making Jesus more precious to us! It is better to weather the storm with Christ than to sail smooth waters without Him.”

- J.R. Macduff, Streams in the Desert

The God Who Suffered

“In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of the Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world.

But each time, after a while I have had to look away. And in imagination I have turned instead to the lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in God-forsaken darkness.

That is the God for me! He laid aside His immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in the light of His. There is still a question mark against human suffering, but over it we stamp another mark, the cross which symbolizes divine suffering.”

- John R.W. Stott, The Cross of Christ

Pearls

“The burden of suffering seems to be a tombstone hung around our necks. Yet in reality it is simply the weight necessary to hold the diver down while he is searching for pearls.”

- Julius Richter, Streams in the Desert

The Faith To Persevere

“Faith is not some weak and pitiful emotion, but is strong and vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. And even though you cannot see Him right now and cannot understand what He is doing, you know Him. Disaster occurs in your life when you lack the mental composure that comes from establishing yourself on the eternal truth that God is holy love. Faith is the supreme effort of your life – throwing yourself with abandon and total confidence on God.”

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Songs in the Night

“The strength of a ship is only fully demonstrated when it faces a hurricane, and the power of the gospel can only be fully exhibited when a Christian is subjected to some fiery trial. We must understand that for God to give ’songs in the night,’ He must first make it night.”

- Nathaniel William Taylor, Streams in the Desert

Unattractive Gifts

“Dear friend, God may send you some valuable gifts wrapped in unattractive paper. But do not worry about the wrappings, for you can be sure that inside He has hidden treasures of love, kindness, and wisdom. If we will simply take what he sends and trust Him for the blessings inside, we will learn the meaning of the secrets of His providence, even in times of darkness.”

- A.B. Simpson, Streams in the Desert

Contentment

“Our thought life – not our circumstances – determines whether we are content.”

- Linda Dillow, Calm My Anxious Heart

Joy

“Joy comes from seeing the complete fulfillment of the specific purpose for which I was created and born again, not from successfully doing something of my own choosing.”

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Desperate Faith

“Desperation is better than despair. Remember, our faith did not create our desperate days.  Faith’s work is to sustain us through those days and to solve them.  Yet the only alternative to desperate faith is despair.  Faith holds on and prevails.”

- S. Chadwick, Streams in the Desert

These Pains and Troubles

“These pains and troubles here are like the type that printers set.  When we look at them, we see them backwards, and they seem to have no meaning.  But up there, when the Lord God prints out our life to come, we will find they make splendid reading.”

- Martin Luther (1483-1546)