Topic: Providence
“We please ourselves with agreeable prospects and proposals; but the determination is with the Lord. We may rejoice that it is, He sees all things in their dependences and connextions, which we see not, and therefore he often thwarts our wishes for our good; but if we are not mistaken, if any measure we have in view would, upon the whole, promote our comfort or his glory, He will surely bring it to pass in answer to prayer, how improbable soever it may appear; for He delights in the satisfaction and prosperity of his people, and without a need-be, there shall never be in heaviness. Let us strive and pray for a habitual resignation to his will; for He does all things well. It is never ill with us but when our evil hearts doubt or forget this plainest of truths.”
John Newton, to William Cowper (July 30, 1767)
Ah yes…His will and not our own. It is often recited but more difficultly applied. We would do well to consider this truth in the scope of our priorities. How do we arrange our lives? What takes preeminence? How does pursuing the Lord’s will effect all our decisions from the greatest to the smallest? And yet if we find our joy in the Lord, His will should be the delight of our hearts over and above carnal and worldly offerings. I need to be reminded of this on a daily basis.
That’s right, Jeff. The danger with being in the information age with loads of sermons on our iPods and books and books of knowledge is that we circumvent the application of what we have learned. That’s one of the reasons why I have enjoyed the Puritans so much. In every sermon you will find numerous “uses” for the truth which they have preached. Newton and Cowper went through much in their time, and it is heartening to read their words to one another in real life context.
Definitely. I think technology has made it easier for us to ignore real human interaction. It also can have an isolating effect on our lives. I confess that I spend more time on the internet than I should. I certainly think our faith should be applied to the internet, our blogs, our websites, etc. However, it shouldn’t replace interaction in the real world. Again, I think everything comes back to balance. We should apply our faith to our use of the internet and our real relationships everyday. We should hear the word and then live/do the word. I agree that the Puritans are a great example of a group of people with deep convictions and faithful living. We just need to learn balance and moderation.