I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13

God has pointed me recently to meditate even more on His promises and to trust even more fully in them.  This is good...  God always keeps His word, and the more we exercise faith in Him through difficult times, the more glory accrues to Him and the more pleased He is...

However, we can't just pick promises randomly from the Bible and think that they apply to us individually.  For example, in Psalm 27:13 above, David says that he expected that God would rescue him here, in this life.  How could David know this?  Because God had specifically promised him that he would someday be king over Israel (1 Samuel 16).  If he died, God's promise would fail.  So he had this life-prophecy over him, that essentially no one could kill him, until God had brought him to the kingship.  Nice promise for a warrior to have, yes?  So we have David killing Goliath, fighting other Philistines, running around for years in the desert trying to keep away from Saul, etc.  He knew what God had promised to him, but when times were very bleak (such as 1 Samuel 30:6 after losing his wife, or 1 Samuel 23:26 being surrounded by a hostile army) the question would press in upon him - would he continue to hold on to God's promise?  David said the thing that kept him from despair was believing that God would show him the goodness of the Lord here in this life.

Does Psalm 27:13 apply to everyone?  Consider this passage from Hebrews 11:32-40 -

And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets,  who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,  quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection;
and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;  and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment.  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated  (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.
 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,  because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

We see that many of God's adopted children do NOT receive rescue and vindication here in this life, "in the land of the living".   Instead, many of them die...  in poverty and pain.   God has not promised earthly happiness for His children.  Instead:

And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you.  5"For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many.  6"You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.  7"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes.  8"But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.
9"Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.  10"At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.  11"Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.  12"Because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold.  13"But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. Matthew 24:4
and
Then He continued by saying to them, "Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, 11and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.
12"But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name's sake.  13"It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony.  14"So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;  15for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.  16"But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death,  17and you will be hated by all because of My name.
18"Yet not a hair of your head will perish. Luke 21:10

What does this mean, that "they will put some of you to death", but "not a hair of your head will perish"?   Were these two statements compiled by different redactors, one 'pessimistic' and one 'optimistic'?  Was Jesus absent-minded or loony?

On the contrary - Jesus simply viewed life from an eternal perspective... i.e., that this earthly life is only a short prelude to the real thing.  More statements by Jesus - "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." - Matt 10:28 ...   "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." - Matt 5:10-12 ...

I think these juxtaposed statements mean that ALL the promises of God to His children will be fulfilled, but not all of them will be fulfilled here in this life.  For example, He says "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)   He does NOT promise that this will happen this week, or in the next fifty years, or at all during your earthly life.  But eventually it will happen.

Regarding whether God will fulfill the promises before we die or not, I think Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego's attitude is best...  from Daniel chapter 3 - "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."

Why?  Because "even if He does not" answer our prayers for deliverance in this earthly life, He will eventually answer them, in the life to come.

When a situation comes up that makes it look like God's promise (e.g. Romans 8:28) is failing, we have two choices: either say "I don't see how God could possibly redeem this situation... Oh well, it looks like God messed up here...", or say "I don't see how God could possibly redeem this situation... so it will be very interesting to see what really big miracle He's going to pull to turn THIS out for good..."

So what are some of these promises which you and I (believers in Jesus Christ) can stake everything on? ...because of which, as Paul says, we can willingly "suffer the loss of all things"?  Here are some... first some specific promises, then some good and bad examples of faith or lack thereof...

• And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
  For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
  Romans 8:28-32
• Do not fret because of evildoers,
  Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
  For they will wither quickly like the grass
  And fade like the green herb.
  Trust in the LORD and do good;
  Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
  Delight yourself in the LORD;
  And He will give you the desires of your heart.
  Commit your way to the LORD,
  Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
  And your judgment as the noonday.
  Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
  Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
  Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
  Psalm 37:1-7
• Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
  Surely my soul remembers
  And is bowed down within me.
  This I recall to my mind,
  Therefore I have hope.
  The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
  For His compassions never fail.
  They are new every morning;
  Great is Your faithfulness.
  "The LORD is my portion," says my soul,
  "Therefore I have hope in Him."
  The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,
  To the person who seeks Him.
  It is good that he waits silently
  For the salvation of the LORD.
  It is good for a man that he should bear
  The yoke in his youth.
  Let him sit alone and be silent
  Since He has laid it on him.
  Let him put his mouth in the dust,
  Perhaps there is hope.
  Let him give his cheek to the smiter,
  Let him be filled with reproach.
  For the Lord will not reject forever,
  For if He causes grief,
  Then He will have compassion
  According to His abundant lovingkindness.
  For He does not afflict willingly
  Or grieve the sons of men.
  Lamentations 3:19-33
• "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18

• "For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
• "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:31-33
• "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,  and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."  And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true.""  Revelation 21:1-5
• Trust in the LORD with all your heart
  And do not lean on your own understanding.
  In all your ways acknowledge Him,
  And He will make your paths straight.
  Proverbs 3:5-6
• "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
  In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls."
  1 Peter 1:3-9
• "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16
• On that day, when evening came, He said to them, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"  Mark 4:35-41
• Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7
• Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you," so that we confidently say,"The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?"  Hebrews 13:5

Regarding Charles Darwin's 200th birthday, www.CreationSafaris.com has some great analysis!   It's worth reading every day.

Also, regarding the following quote:

Why is knowing God and embracing His sovereignty so important when we're single? We have to keep in mind that we've received this gift of singleness from the pierced hand of the One who bore all of our sins - from unbelief as singles to selfishness as marrieds. We can be like Peter who initially rebuked Jesus for His humiliating, yet glorious, plan of redemption - or we can be like Mary, who came to accept His plan and purposes, and demonstrated it in the costly outpouring of perfume in anticipation of his burial. Confident of the Lord's good plan for our lives, we can emulate Mary and spend our treasures (youth, dreams, desires) to further His purposes on this earth.
More importantly, when we are almost faint under the strain and worry of wondering if singleness is to be forever, we need to be reminded that there is an end to singleness: One day we will be at the wedding feast of the Lamb and we will be His bride. Even if we receive the gift of marriage on this side of heaven, that's not our ultimate goal. It is a shadow and a type of what is planned for eternity and, like all things on this earth, it will have its conclusion in death. Our Father knows the time when earthly gifts will be distributed and when they will be no more; He knows, as well, when the heavenly wedding feast will commence. We can blissfully rest in the knowledge that the future is better than anything we think we've missed now: Jesus is preparing us for the eternal rewards and eternal joys of a future He's told us is too inexpressible for us to understand. For His purposes, and within His covenant to always do us good (Jeremiah 33:40), He has declared for us that being single now and into the foreseeable future is His very best. He desires that we overflow with hope as we trust in him (Romans 15:13) and his sovereignty in this season -- redefining hope from hoping in a particular gift from God to trusting the God of hope unreservedly.  (http://www.cbmw.org/Resources/Articles/The-God-Who-Knows-the-End-of-Your-Singleness)

...the excellent point is made that singles have the UNIQUE opportunity to show to the world the desirability and value of God in the midst of their loneliness and heartache, just as marrieds have the UNIQUE opportunity to show to the world the desirability and value of God in the midst of the stresses of family relationships and needs... just as chronically-ill people have the UNIQUE opportunity to show to the world the desirability and value of God in the midst of their physical pain, just as.... every pain and every life-circumstance carries with it the special and unique opportunity to showcase God's glory and value...   YOU have a unique ability that no one else in the world has ever had or will ever had, in trusting wholeheartedly in God in the midst of your own unique life-situation...   in saying with David (Ps 39:7) "And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You."  ...and with Jeremiah (Lam 3:27) "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I have hope in Him."

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3-9)

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."
But when Jesus heard this, He said, "This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it."
Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.
Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."
...
So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off;
and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house.
Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
"Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day."
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?"
She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world."
When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you."
And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him.
Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him.
Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.
Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."
Jesus wept.
So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!"
But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?"
So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it.
Jesus said, "Remove the stone." Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days."
Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?"
So they removed the stone Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. "I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me."
When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth."
The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."   (John 11)

"Affections of the heart cannot simply be removed, they must be replaced."

-- a quote I heard today, which I think is quite true.   Lord Jesus, please focus my heart's affections on You.

Thinking today about the difference between David's "faith" and the "faith" of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.

The former:

 20So David arose early in the morning and left the flock with a keeper and took the supplies and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the circle of the camp while the army was going out in battle array shouting the war cry.
21Israel and the Philistines drew up in battle array, army against army.
22Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers.
23As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them.
24When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid.
25The men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel."
26Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?"
...
31When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him.
32David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."
33Then Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth."
34But David said to Saul, "Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock,
35I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him.
36"Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God."
37And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine " And Saul said to David, "Go, and may the LORD be with you."
...
41Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him.
42When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance.
43The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44The Philistine also said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field."
45Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.
46"This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
47and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands."
1 Samuel 17
The latter:

 14Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up?
15"Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?"
16Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.
17"If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
18"But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
Dan 3:14-18
So David was like, "You have taunted the Lord's army and you are coming to fight against me the Lord's warrior, so you are going to die."
Meanwhile Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were like, "We don't know if God will deliver us or not.  But we will serve Him anyway regardless of whether He spares our lives or not."

Did David have "more faith" than Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?  Is one attitude more appropriate than the other?  Or is the difference due to the circumstances?  How was David so sure that God would deliver him?  Because there are certainly examples in which God did NOT deliver His representatives in this life.  (However, everything will be made right at the heavenly judgment.)  E.g. Uriah:

 20Indeed, there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Uriah the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land words similar to all those of Jeremiah.
21When King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and all the officials heard his words, then the king sought to put him to death; but Uriah heard it, and he was afraid and fled and went to Egypt.
22Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him went into Egypt.
23And they brought Uriah from Egypt and led him to King Jehoiakim, who slew him with a sword and cast his dead body into the burial place of the common people.
Jeremiah 26:20-23

Many more Biblical examples could be considered where "God's man (or woman)" was faced with huge / life-threatening situations and 'the glory of God's name' was put 'at risk' or 'on display for God to exalt'.  Most of the situations involving specific recorded prayers for deliverance were answered, like Moses at the Red Sea and in the desert without water, Jacob before Esau's arrival, David fleeing from Saul, Hezekiah besieged by Sennacherib, etc.  Some situations involved defeat/death - e.g. the transition of Hebrews 11 from "successful" heros of the faith to "martyred"/"unsuccessful" heros of the faith in verse 35.  And Jesus Himself - fervently asking God to spare Him from death "if possible" / if there was any other way.  Yet God said "no".  (though Hebrews 5:7 says "In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety"...?)   The situation with the church in Acts praying for Peter's deliverance is fascinating - they were praying for his deliverance, and God sent an angel to spring him out of jail, then when he showed up at the door they didn't believe that it was him!

And how does this apply to us today?  If I am faced with very large challenges at my workplace, ought I to have "David-faith": "Since I am God's representative on the job here, He will give me success in this situation and put all my enemies to shame..."  ?   or ought I to have "Shadrach-faith": "I do not know if God will deliver me in this situation or allow me to be crushed/defeated/humiliated, but I will continue to serve Him either way, as long as He gives me breath." 

Or am I asking the wrong questions?

If you have a long commute and would be interested in listening to some messages...  http://www.wccc.net/blogs/gospelprism/virtual-m-div/

(I haven't listened to many of these, so I can't endorse them all... but it's definitely a source of thought-provoking material...)

Also, came across an interesting quote tonight:

In my experience, evangelical worship tends to be almost entirely praise oriented. But if one looks at the Psalms, the most common category is laments, psalms in which the worshipper pours out his complaint to God and prays for help and healing.
In our congregations there are many who come to worship bearing great pain in their souls, and they need the opportunity to express their woes to God. If the way is not clear for them to do so, they will feel even more excluded and cut off from their fellow worshippers and from God.

--Gordon Wenham, from http://themusickeplace.blogspot.com/, from another book

Full, complete, surrender/obedience to God is so very hard.  But it is a very exciting and peaceful place.  I wish I could / hope I can spend more time there.

God gives, and then He takes away.  He gives wonderful, beautiful, wholesome, delightful blessings, and then He withers them, kills them, rips them away and gives them to someone else.  Not because He is cruel, but because He will do whatever it takes to fix my gaze and my hope upon Him.  Because He loves me, and He knows that only if I am satisfied in Him will I be truly satisfied and filled-full.

Specifically, God has given and God has taken away in my life this year.

Am I "thankful"?   Yes.  I would like to go on record as saying, "Yes."  I choose to be thankful.  God IS good... so I have seen, and so I will continue to believe.  As I said to a friend a while back, "I will learn in time to accept this as another good thing from God's hand."  He has been kind and loving to me in the past, far beyond what I deserve, and I have reason to hope that He is being loving to me right now, even when I can't see it... and I have reason to believe He will be kind and loving to me in the future.  Forever.  Do I always feel thankful?  No.  I am a fickle and transient creature... an immortal soul loosely tethered to a wet carbon-based thinking-device with carbohydrate-powered actuators.  I often feel fear and loss these days instead of trust/hope/joy, way too often as those who know me well can attest.  I will probably tell you the details if you ask me how my life has been going, because I like to try to be honest about everything.  But let me take this opportunity to state publically that God's goodness and mercy and kindness and blessings to/for/upon me have/do far outweigh the pains/losses/griefs He is leading me through.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

It is so hard to surrender everything to Him, to trust Him fully, to place my hope in the One who wounds me.  But at those moments when I do, life is indescribably peaceful and satisfying despite living through extenuating or painful circumstances.  It is the vase on the wheel, feeling a new sharply pointed instrument in the potter's hand, gasping and then whispering proudly, "The Lord is my Sculptor... I shall not want. I will be beautiful when He is done, and His reputation will shine," and humbly "I am not worthy of His patience... he should have crushed me back into the earth long ago."  It is the difference between, in the middle of a crazy rollercoaster through the darkness, fear of what new terror the next turn may bring, versus razor-edged anticipation of what the next turn may bring, and ravishing exhilaration at the incredible ride.

And at the unspeakably awesome destination.

"If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are above all men most to be pitied."

Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

Interesting site:

http://www.adoptaterrorist.com/

A skilled breadmaker, after kneading the flour and yeast into the rest of the ingredients, will let the large lump of dough rise for an hour or so.  Then he or she will violently punch down into the lump, leaving a jagged crater while releasing the central pocket of carbon dioxide produced by the yeast.  Then the dough will be kneaded again, after which it is placed in bread pans.  This time the dough is allowed to rise undisturbed.  After another hour or two of rising, the bread is ready for baking.  (Mmm... fresh bread is delicious...)

Why is the dough's first excitement rejected?  And how ought the dough to think about this event?  Ought the dough to conclude from the Chef's savage blow that rising is contrary to the Chef's wishes?  Ought the dough to conclude that the Chef is capricious or cruel or untrustworthy or stupid?  Ought the dough to hope for the future?  If so, what should be the content of that hope?  "I shall rise again"?  (But what if the dough will remain unrisen for the rest of its days, for example if it will be made into pizza instead of bread, necessitating no rising (but causing much rejoicing and salivation among the dining clientele)?)

"I shall be delicious in the end no matter how beaten in the process, because the Chef is a good Chef.  Though He shatter me with His fist, still I will hope in Him."

Here's a recent email I wrote to a email group of creationists...   I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Dear -------, -------, and other friends,

I think you're both right.   We Christians can (and must) base our belief structure upon Christ and the Word of God as our sure foundation (more sure than shifting science).   Yet our faith in Christ is not subjective or based on circular reasoning, but is based on real historical facts (1 Corinthians 15:1-8) that have empirical/historical/scientific backing.

Our "presuppositional structure" can be based on the Bible (a more 'postmodern' emphasis), while our trust in the Bible itself can be based on the "evidence" for the accuracy and truth of the Bible (a more "modernist" emphasis).   Neither full postmodernism nor full modernism are correct (they are both human-centered rather than God-centered), but both philosophies of knowledge have some truth to them.

While saying "Christ should be our starting point" sounds great, problems arise whenever we ask the "What" and "Why" questions.  What/who exactly is this "Christ"?  Is He the Christ of the modern emergent church, the liberal socialistic activist-for-the-poor?  Is He the Christ of Luther? or of the Catholics?  "He's the Christ of the Bible," one might say.  But all of those groups claim Biblical basis.  It is necessary to go back to the "brute facts" of the not-completely-subjective Word of God to ascertain exactly who Christ was and is.    Furthermore, "Why" should Christ be our starting point?   Why not Muhammad or Buddha or Joseph Smith?  Why must we believe in any God whatsoever? Again we must go back to the historical "brute facts" of creation and the history surrounding Jesus of Nazareth to provide a basis for our hope (1 Peter 3:15).

Yet brute facts presented to a nonbeliever will be as ineffective as water rolling off a duck's back... unless God opens the heart and mind to believe.

The Bible itself supports both perspectives on the issue I think (they are complementary rather than contradictory) - in Acts 26:26, 17:22-32, 1 Cor. 15:1-8, etc, examples are given of pointing to Christ from empirical evidences and proofs, philosophical reasoning, and historical facts.   Yet in Col. 2:1-10, 1 Cor 1:18-2:16 and 1 Tim 6:20 we are warned against "philosophy"/"human wisdom" and in 2 Peter 1:19 we are told that the prophetic word is even more sure/reliable than direct sensory experience.

Will people come to believe in Christ without God working in their hearts to open their eyes?  No.  "Evidence" or "brute factuality" without God's regenerating power is useless.  (Acts 16:14, Rom. 1, John 6:44, 65, Eph. 2:1-10, etc).  Kuhn and Polanyi showed the stubbornness of mere scientific paradigms in the face of data... how much more the stubbornness of a human heart that hates God.
On the other hand, was Van Til right that the only way to witness to people is to first get them to adopt your presuppositional starting point (e.g. the Bible is God's Word)?   I see plenty of evidence from Scripture that there are other ways to present the gospel... including ways that start from "scientific facts" or philosophical reasoning, and end at Jesus Christ as portrayed in the Scriptures (e.g. Acts 17:22-32).

Different people are led to Christ from different starting points (1 Cor. 9:19-23).

With esteem,

In Christ, Tim