"And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen!"
2 Timothy 4:18
I've been having some of my deepest and most consistent times of prayer these days...
2 Timothy 4:18
I've been having some of my deepest and most consistent times of prayer these days...
Beginning about one week ago, when I entered into a new period of glorious suffering, feeling such great loss and abandonment, the Lord began to wake me up in the early morning hours. This has been happening almost daily.
The Lord has been awakening me around 3 A.M. In the quietness of the cellblock and in the darkness of my cell, He has brought me to my knees night after night. I have been praying fervently, but at a whisper so as not to disturb the other men. My heart's broken cry has been "Abba, Father!" My tears have been many.
However, I seem to be going deeper into my relationship with the Lord than in days prior. In the midst of personal loss, He's been bringing me sweet comfort. Jesus has been soothing my wounded heart.
Then today I had been thinking of other suffering saints. Job and Joseph, such loss and grief they endured. Hannah and Ruth had to wait patiently over many years before the Lord gave each of them the desire of their heart.
Elijah saw the death of many of his fellow prophets, at the hands of wicked Jezebel. Jeremiah was mocked and scorned and thrown into dungeons for saying, "Thus saith the Lord!"
And I must remember bold Stephen who was stoned, and the Apostle Paul who was whipped, beaten, and thrown into dark prisons.
Next, I thought of the beloved John the Baptist, arrested, beheaded. And then to my mind comes the King of Suffering Himself, the Lord Jesus. He was a "man of sorrows" and was well "acquainted with grief." He wept over Jerusalem. He received a crown of rejection for a prize. And then the ultimate of scorn, Jesus' own people chose Barabbas, a murderer, instead of Him.
Pain, pain and more pain. Throughout the ages myriads of saints had to drink their cup of sufferings. Yet their faith remained strong.
So when we endure "all things" and continue to walk by faith, the victory becomes very sweet. And the privilege of fellowshipping with the Lord and His sufferings brings us closer to Him.
I've been discovering, too, that God's love for me more than makes up for my loss of people.
D.B.
The Lord has been awakening me around 3 A.M. In the quietness of the cellblock and in the darkness of my cell, He has brought me to my knees night after night. I have been praying fervently, but at a whisper so as not to disturb the other men. My heart's broken cry has been "Abba, Father!" My tears have been many.
However, I seem to be going deeper into my relationship with the Lord than in days prior. In the midst of personal loss, He's been bringing me sweet comfort. Jesus has been soothing my wounded heart.
Then today I had been thinking of other suffering saints. Job and Joseph, such loss and grief they endured. Hannah and Ruth had to wait patiently over many years before the Lord gave each of them the desire of their heart.
Elijah saw the death of many of his fellow prophets, at the hands of wicked Jezebel. Jeremiah was mocked and scorned and thrown into dungeons for saying, "Thus saith the Lord!"
And I must remember bold Stephen who was stoned, and the Apostle Paul who was whipped, beaten, and thrown into dark prisons.
Next, I thought of the beloved John the Baptist, arrested, beheaded. And then to my mind comes the King of Suffering Himself, the Lord Jesus. He was a "man of sorrows" and was well "acquainted with grief." He wept over Jerusalem. He received a crown of rejection for a prize. And then the ultimate of scorn, Jesus' own people chose Barabbas, a murderer, instead of Him.
Pain, pain and more pain. Throughout the ages myriads of saints had to drink their cup of sufferings. Yet their faith remained strong.
So when we endure "all things" and continue to walk by faith, the victory becomes very sweet. And the privilege of fellowshipping with the Lord and His sufferings brings us closer to Him.
I've been discovering, too, that God's love for me more than makes up for my loss of people.
D.B.