take a moment to listen to it.....
I love John Piper, he is a 72 year old pastor, professor and author who I think is very accurately and passionately sharing and teaching from scripture..
I think it would be right to say that he loves the Word...
so do I.
I think it would be accurate to say that he loves Jesus...
so do I
I think it is fair to say that he has gone through some suffering in his life...
so have I.
in this little blurb John Piper speaks about suffering... and the weight of glory it achieves for us, how purposeful God in His goodness is when He allows it in our lives...
but most of all these few last lines are what have really ignited my heart:
" take the truths ( from these verses - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 / or any other scripture that applies to your life situation ) and focus on them day by day.
preach them to yourself every morning.
get alone with God and preach His Word into your mind ( let it sink in deeply, anchor itself in your mind, heart and soul ) until it makes your heart sing with confidence
that you are NEW and CARED FOR. "
and LOVED. and PROTECTED.
that nothing is MEANINGLESS
that there is a PURPOSE
that He NEVER LEAVES
that He is the one that gives it all MEANING
and JOY
.....
I could go on and on and on.
so, when there is conflict, hurt, loss and grief, when there are things that annoy, aggravate, or scare me...
I choose to get out my Bible and do just that.
this is why 2 years ago I reinvested myself into memorizing scripture, verses, passages that are meaningful to me...
that's what I do, when I cannot sleep, when I cannot stop thinking about what's going on...
I recite those verses that speak right into what I am experiencing to myself... there is no shortage of scriptures for anything you could encounter at any time...
I pray them back to Him who gave them to me in the first place....
what a delight it is.
how He meets me in my moments of need and gives me the strength to go on, on the path of obedience... all by His strength, never mine...
God is so very good.
though He slay me, yet I will praise Him
in Your presence there is fullness of JOY
at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.
