Comfort your soul with three plain conclusions:

(1.) Every event is the product of God’s providence; not a sparrow, much less a saint falls to the ground by poverty, sickness, or persecution, but the hand of God is in it.

(2.) God has promised, ‘I will never leave you, nor forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5).

(3.) God in wisdom conceals the comforts he intends to give you at the various stages of your life, so that he may encourage your heart to full dependence upon his faithful promises now. Thus, to try the metal of Abraham’s faith, he let him go on, until his hand was stretched forth to slay Isaac, and then he came to his rescue. Christ sent his disciples to sea, but he stayed behind himself, with the design to test their faith, and show his love. Comfort yourself with this: though you do not see God in the way, yet you will find him in the end.    – William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour

These words are a great comfort and encouragement to me this morning. Sometimes, living with disability in the family feels like being dragged over gravel. Sometimes, looking at disability square in the face is like seeing it for the first time even though you’ve been seeing and loving that face for thirty seven years. Sometimes, you listen to his words and smile and bite your lip to keep from crying.

And then you turn and make his pancakes through your tears.

If you are having trouble reading your Bible with deep and affecting meaning, imagine that you will die in about eight hours.  -John Piper

That ought to take care of ever reading the Scriptures with a ho-hum attitude.

The Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable way of dying.  -John Flavel

Jude reminds us that life itself is about God’s glory, and everything else is subservient to that.  And that means these two things: It means, first, that everything in our lives must be subsumed to the agenda of glorifying Him…and that says something about our personal priorities.  And, secondly, it says that every situation of our lives must be read in light of His ultimate glory.  Hard things and evil things happening to us is not the big problem in this world; God not getting glory is the big problem in this world.  And that ought to burn very close to the core of our being, the desire to see God get the glory that is due His name.

But I want to tell you something: When you begin to burn for a desire for His glory and your own circumstances and situations become displaced and decentralized, what you find is in your concern for His glory not that your needs are not met, but you find that in living for His glory that He is the One from whom all blessings flow.  -Ligon Duncan, in a sermon on Jude 24-25

Read the whole sermon here.

The Word of God is a spring of living water, a deep mine of costly treasure, a table with all sorts of food, and a garden with a variety of pleasant fruits. It contains the church’s charter with all of her privileges. It has precepts for the Christian’s reformation, and precious promises for her consolation. If the saint is afflicted, it can hold his head above water and keep him from sinking when the billows go over his soul. There are cordials rich enough to revive the most fainting spirit. If the saint is assaulted, the Word is his armour. If the soul is unholy, the Word can sanctify it. This water can wash out all the spots and stains. If the soul is an heir of hell, this Word can save it. This Word is deposited as a special treasure into the hands of the children of men, that they might obey God’s will and know the Just One. It is our duty to search and study this Book. It is a mercy that the tree of knowledge, the Word of God, is not a forbidden, but a commanded fruit. It grows in the very path to the tree of life. If you are a child of Adam, you have a deadly wound by neglecting the Word. You are like a frantic patient that throws away the only medicine that will give a cure. The Scripture is the word of Christ, and God commands your allegiance to hear him. The Word is the cabinet in which your Saviour, the pearl of infinite price, is found; and therefore you are commanded to look into it. (John 5:39). You should search as a covetous man does for silver. If you are a child of God I do not doubt that you delight to look into your heavenly Father’s will, and weigh every word in it, knowing that it is a great legacy bequeathed to you. It is your daily companion and counsellor; you dare not go without this cordial, being liable every day to faint; nor be without this weapon, being called every hour to fight.  -George Swinnock, Works, 1:141-143, in Voices from the Past

Who should rejoice, but those who have an infinite, all-sufficient, eternal God to be their portion, and who are as rich as heaven can make them? Let us break forth into praise. O infinite, astonishing mercy, that God should take dust and ashes into so near a bond of love as to be our God! Let us live as those who have God as their own, and walk in holy lives, that others may see there is something of God in us.  -Thomas Watson

Oh infinite, astonishing mercy, that God should take dust and ashes into so near a bond of love as to be our God! Let us live as those who have God as their own, and walk in holy lives, that others may see there is something of God in us.  -Thomas Watson

Afflictions are a looking glass that show the ugly face of sin. They are God’s furnace to cleanse and preserve his people. Saints thrive most internally when they are most afflicted…..Afflictions lift up the soul to a fuller enjoyment of God, and more sweet and full enjoyment of his blessed self. They keep the heart humble and tender, and by experience saints find that they can embrace the cross as others do the world’s crown. Afflictions inflame love that is cold, quicken decaying faith, and put life into withering hope. The more the saints are beaten with the hammer of affliction, the more they trumpet God’s praises. Adversities abate the loveliness of the world that entices us and the lusts that incite us. They afflict, but never harm. They are momentary; sorrow may abide for a night but joy comes in the morning. This short storm will end in an everlasting calm. We must measure afflictions by their outcome, not how they hurt.    -Thomas Brooks

To Mr. Brooks’ words, I add my solemn amen.

The sound convert takes a whole Christ without exceptions, without limitations, without reserve. He is willing to have Christ upon any terms. He is willing to have the dominion of Christ as well as deliverance. He says with Paul; ‘Lord, what will you have me to do?’ Anything, Lord.  -Joseph Alleine, A Sure Guide to Heaven, from Voices from the Past

(Help me to mean it. No flinching when the ‘anything’ gets really tough.)

To know that nothing hurts the godly, is a matter of comfort; but to be assured that all things which fall out shall co-operate for their good, that their crosses shall be turned into blessings, that showers of affliction water the withering root of their grace and make it flourish more; this may fill their hearts with joy till they run over.