Moments
in history? You have heard it said, most likely you have said it
yourself, you know, the phrase "It seems like only yesterday". We have
these moments in our lives that we reflect upon, they are moments that
stick in our memories. From time to time our thoughts lead us back to
them and we recall their joy or their hardness during that time (moment)
of our life.
As the years mount, these recollections accumulate, it is then we began to hear that phrase, "It seems like only yesterday." And truly it was, for our life in the scheme of time and eternity is but a moment in itself in all it's entirety.
It is the brevity of life that I want to take our thoughts to again this week. For we do not know how much time we have left, yet if we love God, we know that every (moment) is working together for our good to accomplish His great will and purpose and bring us to the fulness of His life. Before we are through and move on to another subject in a few weeks, I want us to be able to take a look at the life of Joseph and all of God's workings in his life and those (moments) of which he could have reflected, and know that God is with us in each and every moment forever, even till the end of the world.
As the years mount, these recollections accumulate, it is then we began to hear that phrase, "It seems like only yesterday." And truly it was, for our life in the scheme of time and eternity is but a moment in itself in all it's entirety.
It is the brevity of life that I want to take our thoughts to again this week. For we do not know how much time we have left, yet if we love God, we know that every (moment) is working together for our good to accomplish His great will and purpose and bring us to the fulness of His life. Before we are through and move on to another subject in a few weeks, I want us to be able to take a look at the life of Joseph and all of God's workings in his life and those (moments) of which he could have reflected, and know that God is with us in each and every moment forever, even till the end of the world.
As we make our way to Joseph, may we take a (moment) and look at the life of David Brainerd.
David Brainerd was born on April 20, 1718 in Haddam, Connecticut. That year John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards turned 14. Benjamin Franklin turned 12 and George Whitefield 3. The Great Awakening was just over the horizon and Brainerd would live through both waves of it, then die of tuberculosis in Jonathan Edwards' house at the age of 29 on October 9, 1747. What a (moment).
Brainerd was the sixth child and third son born to Hezekiah and Dorothy. After him came three more children. Dorothy had brought one little boy from a previous marriage, and so there were twelve of them in the home, but not for long. Brainerd's father Hezekiah would die when David was nine year's old (a hard moment). Five years after his father died at the age of 46, his mother died when he was 14.
Not only did the parents die early, David's brother Nehemiah died at 32, his brother Israel died at 23, his sister Jerusha died at 34, and he died at 29. (Hard moments)
He described his religion during these years as very careful and serious, but having no true grace. When he turned 19 he inherited a farm and moved for a year a few miles west to Durham to try his hand at farming. But his heart was simply not in it.
During the year on the farm he had made a commitment to God to enter the ministry. But still he was not converted. He read the Bible through twice that year and began to see more clearly that all his religion was legalistic and simply based on his own efforts. He had great quarrelings with God within his soul. He rebelled against original sin and against the strictness of the divine law and against the sovereignty of God. He quarreled with the fact that there was nothing he could do in his own strength to commend himself to God. (all hard moments)
He came to see finally that "all my good frames were but self-righteousness, . . . "There was no more goodness in my praying than there would be in my paddling with my hands in the water ... because (my prayers) were not performed from any love or regard to God ... I never once prayed for the glory of God." "I never once intended his honor and glory ... I had never once acted for God in all my devotions ...
David Brainerd was born on April 20, 1718 in Haddam, Connecticut. That year John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards turned 14. Benjamin Franklin turned 12 and George Whitefield 3. The Great Awakening was just over the horizon and Brainerd would live through both waves of it, then die of tuberculosis in Jonathan Edwards' house at the age of 29 on October 9, 1747. What a (moment).
Brainerd was the sixth child and third son born to Hezekiah and Dorothy. After him came three more children. Dorothy had brought one little boy from a previous marriage, and so there were twelve of them in the home, but not for long. Brainerd's father Hezekiah would die when David was nine year's old (a hard moment). Five years after his father died at the age of 46, his mother died when he was 14.
Not only did the parents die early, David's brother Nehemiah died at 32, his brother Israel died at 23, his sister Jerusha died at 34, and he died at 29. (Hard moments)
He described his religion during these years as very careful and serious, but having no true grace. When he turned 19 he inherited a farm and moved for a year a few miles west to Durham to try his hand at farming. But his heart was simply not in it.
During the year on the farm he had made a commitment to God to enter the ministry. But still he was not converted. He read the Bible through twice that year and began to see more clearly that all his religion was legalistic and simply based on his own efforts. He had great quarrelings with God within his soul. He rebelled against original sin and against the strictness of the divine law and against the sovereignty of God. He quarreled with the fact that there was nothing he could do in his own strength to commend himself to God. (all hard moments)
He came to see finally that "all my good frames were but self-righteousness, . . . "There was no more goodness in my praying than there would be in my paddling with my hands in the water ... because (my prayers) were not performed from any love or regard to God ... I never once prayed for the glory of God." "I never once intended his honor and glory ... I had never once acted for God in all my devotions ...
Half an hour before sunset at the age of 21 he was in a lonely place trying to pray, speaking of that moment, he would write:
“As I was walking in a dark thick grave, "unspeakable glory" seemed to open to the view and apprehension of my soul ... It was a new inward apprehension or view that I had of God; such as I never had before, nor anything that I had the least remembrance of it.
So that I stood still and wondered and admired ... I had now no particular apprehension of any one person of the Trinity, either the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, but it appeared to be divine glory and splendor that I then beheld. And my soul "rejoiced with joy unspeakable" to see such a God, such a glorious divine being, and I was inwardly pleased and satisfied that he should be God over all forever and ever.
My soul was so captivated and delighted with the excellency, the loveliness and the greatness and other perfections of God that I was even swallowed up in him, at least to that degree that I had no thought, as I remember at first, about my own salvation or scarce that there was such a creature as I.
Thus the Lord, I trust, brought me to a hearty desire to exalt him, to set him on the throne and to "seek first his Kingdom," principally and ultimately to aim at his honor and glory as the King and Sovereign of the universe, which is the foundation of the religion of Jesus ... I felt myself in a new world" (An unspeakable moment) It was the Lord's Day, July 12, 1739.
In less than two years he will be so sick with tuberculosis that he will be spitting up blood. As we continue to look at the life David Brainerd, the amazing thing may not be that he died so early and accomplished so little, but that, being as sick as he was, lived as long as he did and accomplished so much.
We will take another (moment) next time,
May the Grace of God be upon each of you,
David
___________________________________
“As I was walking in a dark thick grave, "unspeakable glory" seemed to open to the view and apprehension of my soul ... It was a new inward apprehension or view that I had of God; such as I never had before, nor anything that I had the least remembrance of it.
So that I stood still and wondered and admired ... I had now no particular apprehension of any one person of the Trinity, either the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, but it appeared to be divine glory and splendor that I then beheld. And my soul "rejoiced with joy unspeakable" to see such a God, such a glorious divine being, and I was inwardly pleased and satisfied that he should be God over all forever and ever.
My soul was so captivated and delighted with the excellency, the loveliness and the greatness and other perfections of God that I was even swallowed up in him, at least to that degree that I had no thought, as I remember at first, about my own salvation or scarce that there was such a creature as I.
Thus the Lord, I trust, brought me to a hearty desire to exalt him, to set him on the throne and to "seek first his Kingdom," principally and ultimately to aim at his honor and glory as the King and Sovereign of the universe, which is the foundation of the religion of Jesus ... I felt myself in a new world" (An unspeakable moment) It was the Lord's Day, July 12, 1739.
In less than two years he will be so sick with tuberculosis that he will be spitting up blood. As we continue to look at the life David Brainerd, the amazing thing may not be that he died so early and accomplished so little, but that, being as sick as he was, lived as long as he did and accomplished so much.
We will take another (moment) next time,
May the Grace of God be upon each of you,
David
___________________________________
"From the home and the heart"Life in rural TN is such a blessing from the Lord. Being blessed to enjoy beautiful days of sunshine at decent temps in the middle of Jan. is always a nice incentive to keep pressing on toward Spring.
Today while thinking on the goat chores that have to be met around here, I'm reminded of how they look forward to the treat of a bucket of good hot water in the winter. They'll plunge those mouths into the hot tap water and draw until they come up with vaporing lips that look like they're puffing smoke. lol
At any rate, they're not always interested in the bucket of water. Sometimes they're spot on for a good hot drink, and sometimes not at all. The old saying is so true, "You can lead a horse (or a goat) to water, but you can't make him drink." anon
Most of us have an inner circle of close friends and possibly share the events of our daily lives and what the Lord is doing in those given circumstances. Lately it seems that often there are those in that path with whom the ministry of the truth of God's Word is given and it doesn't seem to be received to any avail. Maybe you, reader, feel that often you pour out your heart to help the struggling one in your path only to find that one just wanted to vent on you for a bit. Why will they not listen? After all, the Word of life in Christ is the truth that will make them free. (ref. John 8:32)
Could it be that they simply cannot? Could it be that the eyes of their understanding have not been opened? Those of us who know Christ may have that tendency to forget that not everyone can receive the good things we have to share from Him. It simply has not been given unto everyone. The grace of the Lord to open the heart of the one who will not receive the truth is the prerequisite.
Granted, as His children we have the responsibility to attest to His truth and share the Gospel with whosoever we may. However, the entrance of His word into that heart will occur because of His purposed work in that life. So, share the truth we must. Witness to the down trodden one and give them the truth that makes free, we must. But the making free, and the capacity to be free, come from the Father of lights.
Borrowing from the cliche stated above, this seems a fitting application: "We may lead them there (to His truth), but we can't make them partake." How important to pray for the revelation of truth for the soul in question while the witness is being given. May we pray that they "drink" and come up with the "lips of vapor from the heat," as that enjoyment in Christ is found.
May we encourage one another as we remember:
John 6:44 "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day."
I Corinthians 3:6 "So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."
I Corinthians 2:14 "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: NEITHER CAN HE KNOW THEM, BECAUSE THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED."
May we not grow weary in the work of love. Have a blessed week.
Julie
Submitted via the blessing of my honorable husband
No comments:
Post a Comment