The Medicinal Effect of Seeing God To Be As Big As He Truly Is.

One of the most helpful things that we can do before and during times of suffering is to gaze upon our good and sovereign God. If it were not true that God was sovereign and good it would not be good to think of Him as such, but since it is true, it is very helpful to see Him in all of His glory.

This resource helps to do that very thing.

Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

In the last few years, 9/11, a tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and many other tragedies have shown us that the vision of God in today’s churches in relation to evil and suffering is often frivolous. Against the overwhelming weight and seriousness of the Bible, many Christians are choosing to become more shallow, more entertainment-oriented, and therefore irrelevant in the face of massive suffering.

In Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, contributors John Piper, Joni Eareckson Tada, Steve Saint, Carl Ellis, David Powlison, Dustin Shramek, and Mark Talbot explore the many categories of God’s sovereignty as evidenced in his Word. They urge readers to look to Christ, even in suffering, to find the greatest confidence, deepest comfort, and sweetest fellowship they have ever known.

You can buy this book here.

Psalm 46 and Romans 3:23-26

I'm sitting in Scott's living room talking with him right now, and these are some verses that have been going through Scott's mind. I would encourage you to dwell on these verses. Psalm 46 is not surprising, but Romans 3:23-26 may be. The gospel is our hope. Any comfort that we have not attached to the gospel, is really no comfort at all. Scott is dealing with this head on, with the armor described in Ephesians 6:10-20.

He is displaying an incredible faith in an incredible God.

Resources on Suffering

My good friend Clif asked if I knew of any good resources for grief. I thought it would be a good idea to post some resources that are helpful in times like this.

The first one is a short one from the CCEF.



When Bad Things Happen: Thoughtful Answers to Hard Questions

William P. Smith

Is a personal God really involved in our suffering? And if he is, what in the world is he up to? Why would a good God allow suffering in his world?

William P. Smith addresses these and other hard questions by reflecting on what the Bible teaches about suffering. Instead of pat answers, he shares the different ways God uses suffering to bring us into a deeper, more intimate relationship with him. You can learn to see the good that God brings out of suffering and be thankful—not for the suffering itself—but for God and his involvement in your life.

It can be bought here.

Easy Ways to Check for Updates

I can have the posts emailed to up to 10 email addresses. If you would like for me to set that up I can. Just email me at jonathandbaird(at)gmail.com and I will set that up for you.

Also you can set up a Google Reader account and add our, and other blogs or sites that have RSS feed capability. It is very easy. If you follow multiple blogs or sites that update content regularly, you will be glad to have this tool. For directions click here.

Thanks,

Jonathan

Stay Tuned For This Afternoon

The service will be posted later today, I think (one way or another).

Update on Scott

Scott is still doing well. He had a doctor appointment yesterday to ensure that there were no injuries of which he was unaware (I did not end the sentence with a proposition- that is something "up with which I will not put" to quote Churchill). The doctor cleared him, and he spent the day with family yesterday.

Some of us will be meeting together to talk about church services tomorrow. Please be in prayer for us.

I would encourage any and all who would like to come to come visit Wyatt tomorrow.
The address is 4621 Hillsboro, El Dorado, AR 71730.

Jordan Thomas will be preaching in the morning and tomorrow night we will be having a discussion on how we can minister to Scott right now.

We told our girls the night before last and I had told Scott that we were going to do so. He actually sent me a text later that night to ask how it went. That's the kind of guy he is. When he is going through unimaginable pain, he is seeking to minister to others.

The Misery of Job and the Mercy 0f God

This is an intro to a book by John Piper that is a retelling of the story of Job. You can listen to or read the whole thing here.

In Christ Alone

These are the lyrics from a song at the funeral. What hope this song gives. What an amazing time of worship this song was. We sang it with 500 (in our room) other people at the top of our lungs. I can't wait to watch the service on the Wyatt website.

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

Not For The Faint of Heart

I realize that this video is disturbing, but I believe it is a message we all need to hear. Jill loved the gospel, and it was not the prosperity gospel. This is what is getting Scott, his parents, and her family through this.

Meaning

An important part of the process of grieving for Scott and all the rest of us will be to see the purpose of God in this. It doesn't mean that we will know the exact reasons why, but there are biblical promises that we know God works all things together for good, and that even the worst tragedies, evils and calamities are purposed and intended for our good.

Another stanza of God Moves In a Mysterious Way says:

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain
God is his own interpreter
And He will make it plain

Oh Lord, make this plain to us. Unfold your purposes before us Lord, through your word, that we may be comforted in knowing that you have grand designs and meaning in our most terrible suffering.

One of the amazing things about the sovereignty of God is that He has an almost infinite number of layers of intentionality working together the fabric of history to accomplish His purposes in creating a beautiful tapestry of His glory. The point here is that Jill's death will be used by God to affect each of us in a different and biblical way.

I would invite you to share stories of good things that have happened, such as evangelistic opportunities, personal convictions, and other "sweet flowers" that have unfolded before your eyes during this tragic time.

I'll start.
Personally I have been convicted of my own sin and have been driven to repent. Luke 13:4-5 has been circulating in my mind. I am reminded that God does not afflict us in the order of our desert. I have mentioned before that I have thought about how much more I deserved to be the one in the hospital. It has caused me to have a more sober look at my life and reevaluate my shortcomings.

I have heard many people talk about the spiritual renewal that this has caused, and I pray that this would be lasting in my own life. I am most afraid that as we learn to accept the reality that we have been given that I might be the same person I was before this happened- I don't want that.