I will make an everlasting covenant with them:
I will never stop doing good to them...
- Jeremiah 32:40
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.
- Psalm 30:5
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life...
- Psalm 23:6
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
- Psalm 27:13
Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion
From the strife of tongues.
- Psalm 31:19, 20
Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
- Psalm 86:17
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
- Psalm 34:8
Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.
- Psalm 142:7
My friend Pat and I arrived here in Cebu City last Thursday night, a day after our family celebrated the third anniversary of my Ernie's homegoing.
We are staying at the Youth With a Mission (YWAM) base to conduct a series of Ancient Paths seminars for the staff and the students of their Discipleship Training School (DTS).
It is always a refreshing thing for me to see how the Lord is working in different parts of the world, and He is certainly at work in this place. The spirit of the Lord is here!
I've always felt very much at home in YWAM communities... there's something about being with YWAM people that affirms... and gives me a sense of destiny.
What's more, our accommodations are very comfortable, we are fed well, and the staff are kind, friendly and helpful.
Last night we ended the Transforming Hearts seminar by celebrating the Lord's Supper. Once again the Lord showed Himself mighty and strong in the lives of the participants as many areas of emotional wounding and deception were exposed and dealt with. The communion table was a place where we acknowledged and welcomed the fresh revelation that God gave to confirm the special calling on each of our lives.
It has been a hectic week for me and today being Sunday, I was really looking forward to worshiping God and receiving a timely word from Him. Pat and I attended the Church of the King where a dear friend Doug Sharpe serves as pastor.
Seven months ago Doug's wife Marla "lost" the battle against cancer that she valiantly fought for four years.
In this world's eyes, yes... the battle seems to have been lost.
But just a month before she died, Marla wrote this beautiful post about her take on cancer, that evil villain that unexpectedly reared its ugly head in the midst of her peaceful existence, turning everything around.
Cancer is my enemy, she writes in the beginning paragraph of her post.
She is a fighter and will never give up. Not knowing how the battle will end, she concludes her post with these words:
... Cancer will never be a friend. I know that the day will come when cancer will be defeated and it will be a glorious day!
The cancer in Marla's life has been defeated, and it is a glorious day indeed.
She is now in heaven, completely healed.
Through tear-filled eyes, Doug preached on the goodness of God this morning, and I could not help but let the tears from my own eyes freely fall as I listened to his words. Because of his first hand experience, Doug had an authority to speak on this theme.
Seven months after the death of his precious wife, Doug is still very much in pain.
Yet, just like the songbird that sings its most beautiful songs in the darkness, Doug spoke powerfully about God's goodness in the midst of his painful loss.
The greatest manifestation of His goodness is the death of His Son Jesus on Calvary.
Yet many of us do not understand the goodness of God. We doubt the truth of His promises when things go wrong in our lives.
But as Doug pointed out, it is easy to question God's goodness because we live in a fallen world, we view life from a limited perspective, and Satan is an enemy, a usurper who rules as the god of this world.
Nevertheless, God has not relinquished His power. He remains as the sovereign King of the universe! The truth of His promise, that He will never stop doing good to us, is something that can be relied on.
Doug spoke with much conviction:
We are being pursued by God's goodness...
His goodness will surely overtake us at one point, sooner or later.
As I have written in some of my recent posts, another autumn season is upon me; it seems that things I hold dear and consider precious are being stripped away.
My husband's death was a major loss, and truth be said, there is still a little corner in my heart where I sometimes go in to sit quietly and think of him. And now, I realize that I am also entering a very uncertain period in my life.
There is no other recourse but God, no source of hope but Him alone.
I am certain that there is victory at the end of all this - but I must confess that there's fear in my heart that God's idea of victory might not be the same as mine!
In the midst of all this, I am determined to be about my Father's business... fully believing that the same breakthroughs I have witnessed in the lives of the people we are ministering to are the same breakthroughs that will be true for me and my loved ones.
And so I am here in another province, on another island... and on this particular Sunday morning, God speaks to me through a man who understands first hand what it means to trust God's goodness... when his own prayers for healing a beloved wife went unanswered... when it seems indeed that the battle was lost... and their faith was in vain.
Be confident and totally assured of this, Doug said as tears fell from his own eyes, you will see the goodness of God, not only in the land of the living, but for ALL eternity!
Weeping endures for the night, but joy comes in the morning!
Not everything in this life is about weeping and tears... joy will surprise us in the morning.
Never underestimate the reality of the goodness of God!
Let there be amazement when deliverance comes!
How great indeed is the goodness of God stored up for those who fear Him and trust in Him.
Those who take refuge in Him will surely taste and see His goodness.
"Where were You when my mother died?" Ben, Doug's son, asked of God, his heart embittered by the pain of loss when his mother passed away. After a season of hating God, he was surprised to wake up one morning with this gentle answer from God:
I never left her for a moment.
God's goodness pursued him, and overtook him. The gentle words of his heavenly Father, spoken to him with love and understanding, without a hint of anger or accusation, melted this young man's heart.
In the midst of a painful loss, God's great goodness was made manifest.
I will never stop doing good to you. Today I am holding on to these words.
I will never stop doing good to them...
- Jeremiah 32:40
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.
- Psalm 30:5
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life...
- Psalm 23:6
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
That I would see the goodness of the LORD
In the land of the living.
- Psalm 27:13
Oh, how great is Your goodness,
Which You have laid up for those who fear You,
Which You have prepared for those who trust in You
In the presence of the sons of men!
You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the plots of man;
You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion
From the strife of tongues.
- Psalm 31:19, 20
Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
- Psalm 86:17
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
- Psalm 34:8
Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me.
- Psalm 142:7
My friend Pat and I arrived here in Cebu City last Thursday night, a day after our family celebrated the third anniversary of my Ernie's homegoing.
We are staying at the Youth With a Mission (YWAM) base to conduct a series of Ancient Paths seminars for the staff and the students of their Discipleship Training School (DTS).
It is always a refreshing thing for me to see how the Lord is working in different parts of the world, and He is certainly at work in this place. The spirit of the Lord is here!
I've always felt very much at home in YWAM communities... there's something about being with YWAM people that affirms... and gives me a sense of destiny.
What's more, our accommodations are very comfortable, we are fed well, and the staff are kind, friendly and helpful.
Last night we ended the Transforming Hearts seminar by celebrating the Lord's Supper. Once again the Lord showed Himself mighty and strong in the lives of the participants as many areas of emotional wounding and deception were exposed and dealt with. The communion table was a place where we acknowledged and welcomed the fresh revelation that God gave to confirm the special calling on each of our lives.
It has been a hectic week for me and today being Sunday, I was really looking forward to worshiping God and receiving a timely word from Him. Pat and I attended the Church of the King where a dear friend Doug Sharpe serves as pastor.
Seven months ago Doug's wife Marla "lost" the battle against cancer that she valiantly fought for four years.
In this world's eyes, yes... the battle seems to have been lost.
But just a month before she died, Marla wrote this beautiful post about her take on cancer, that evil villain that unexpectedly reared its ugly head in the midst of her peaceful existence, turning everything around.
Cancer is my enemy, she writes in the beginning paragraph of her post.
She is a fighter and will never give up. Not knowing how the battle will end, she concludes her post with these words:
... Cancer will never be a friend. I know that the day will come when cancer will be defeated and it will be a glorious day!
The cancer in Marla's life has been defeated, and it is a glorious day indeed.
She is now in heaven, completely healed.
Through tear-filled eyes, Doug preached on the goodness of God this morning, and I could not help but let the tears from my own eyes freely fall as I listened to his words. Because of his first hand experience, Doug had an authority to speak on this theme.
Seven months after the death of his precious wife, Doug is still very much in pain.
Yet, just like the songbird that sings its most beautiful songs in the darkness, Doug spoke powerfully about God's goodness in the midst of his painful loss.
The greatest manifestation of His goodness is the death of His Son Jesus on Calvary.
Yet many of us do not understand the goodness of God. We doubt the truth of His promises when things go wrong in our lives.
But as Doug pointed out, it is easy to question God's goodness because we live in a fallen world, we view life from a limited perspective, and Satan is an enemy, a usurper who rules as the god of this world.
Nevertheless, God has not relinquished His power. He remains as the sovereign King of the universe! The truth of His promise, that He will never stop doing good to us, is something that can be relied on.
Doug spoke with much conviction:
We are being pursued by God's goodness...
His goodness will surely overtake us at one point, sooner or later.
As I have written in some of my recent posts, another autumn season is upon me; it seems that things I hold dear and consider precious are being stripped away.
My husband's death was a major loss, and truth be said, there is still a little corner in my heart where I sometimes go in to sit quietly and think of him. And now, I realize that I am also entering a very uncertain period in my life.
There is no other recourse but God, no source of hope but Him alone.
I am certain that there is victory at the end of all this - but I must confess that there's fear in my heart that God's idea of victory might not be the same as mine!
In the midst of all this, I am determined to be about my Father's business... fully believing that the same breakthroughs I have witnessed in the lives of the people we are ministering to are the same breakthroughs that will be true for me and my loved ones.
And so I am here in another province, on another island... and on this particular Sunday morning, God speaks to me through a man who understands first hand what it means to trust God's goodness... when his own prayers for healing a beloved wife went unanswered... when it seems indeed that the battle was lost... and their faith was in vain.
Be confident and totally assured of this, Doug said as tears fell from his own eyes, you will see the goodness of God, not only in the land of the living, but for ALL eternity!
Weeping endures for the night, but joy comes in the morning!
Not everything in this life is about weeping and tears... joy will surprise us in the morning.
Never underestimate the reality of the goodness of God!
Let there be amazement when deliverance comes!
How great indeed is the goodness of God stored up for those who fear Him and trust in Him.
Those who take refuge in Him will surely taste and see His goodness.
"Where were You when my mother died?" Ben, Doug's son, asked of God, his heart embittered by the pain of loss when his mother passed away. After a season of hating God, he was surprised to wake up one morning with this gentle answer from God:
I never left her for a moment.
God's goodness pursued him, and overtook him. The gentle words of his heavenly Father, spoken to him with love and understanding, without a hint of anger or accusation, melted this young man's heart.
In the midst of a painful loss, God's great goodness was made manifest.
I will never stop doing good to you. Today I am holding on to these words.
14 comments:
Cancer is indeed an ugly disease! I saw it also when my father faced this and died from colon CA.
People who visited him often came with tears of sadness as they saw what condition my father was in who was so weak, only to leave with tears of joy as my father joked around with them, his usual mood. Who else but God as my brothers and I had observed, carried us all through, especially my father as he faced this adversity? He made His presence known to us during those days and I would never forget that. How true He was to His promises of a better time to come than what we know down here on earth. Things do get stripped away around us but one thing remains: that if we truly believe and trust God, He would be the Only One remaining. If that's the case, what and who else do we need? Glory to Him because He is indeed our All-in-All.
Thinking of you sister Lidia as I'm sipping my early cup of joe on a cold Sunday morning! God bless you and protect you as you continue to minister to those who the Lord brings into your path...your path of faith that inspires others as well. Like me.
Thanks for sharing sister Marla's story and I'm leaving remembering them (though I don't know them in person), knowing they are one of those "greatest people" here on earth...Knowing how much they all persevered!!!
The title of your post reminded me of words to a song that (I think) are: God is too wise to be mistaken; God is too good to be unkind. So when you don't understand; when you can't trace His plan; when you can't see His hand, TRUST HIS HEART!
Don't you love that?
He alone is faithful and true.
He alone knows what is best for you...
In the Good book, (God) says, "I will never stop doing good to you".
Wonder why I had to become so old before I found the truth in those words...before I could believe them--or even consider their worth?
Hey, good to 'see' you again. Lidj!! I drop in now and then, but fail to read your whole message, so then also fail to leave a comment.
Forever...PEACE!
Steve E
It completely gave me chills when I read "I never left her for a moment". I pray for comfort for you dear Lidia, 3 years is still so soon to feel emotionally healed, yet must feel like an eternity without your dear husband. Love to you. ~Lili
Cancer is certainly no friend. My husband is a two-time cancer survivor (18 years now), but fighting it was a battle. We give God the glory for his healing.
We don't always understand why God allows things in our lives, but someone once said, "if you can't trace God's hand, trust His heart."
Blessings,
Joan
Each time I come here my spirit just leaps in agreement....that is why I am not surprised that your comment on my post said what I couldn't put into words, but what God was doing in my spirit.
Our pastor has touched death with a brain tumor and he has taught the word of God in a new dimension...as your pastor is also doing.
Thanks for always sharing your heart...so much of it speaks to mine and my own situations.
Oh, on Advent...I never even knew the word as I was growing up. This is new to me. God has reached across denominational lines and starting to share different truths to each denomination.
Blessings during this wonderful season of looking for the Coming of our King.
Good day, Lidia,
It is always a pleasure to see your comments on my blog. I am glad you liked "Looking Into the Light!"
I pray that God will, in His molding, show you His love and mercy in the ways which will mean the most. It is true, He never stops doing His children good.
Blessings,
Louise
Thank you for sharing this message from your pastor friend...it truly touched my heart....
I love the idea of being pursued by God's goodness and eventually being overtaken by it. Such a powerful word for a weary heart. These are grieving days for me, as I've tried to process and put in perspective Judith's going home. My heart is filled with pain but also with an understanding of what awaits me one day. I'm so glad for her victory over this dreaded disease. She is whole and well and dressed in her royal robes. Then again, she always looked like glory to me!
You look that way as well, friend. Prayers for you this night.
peace~elaine
hi lidia teacher
On 23th November Ut has told me its was Ernie's day, Ut and I always think of you and Ernie.
Love
Oy
Hello dear Lidia, grief is so hard and Jesus understood that when he said, blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. Sounds easy written down yet hard to contain when you are walking through it.
Years ago I was given that Goodness and Mercy are the names of my angels who follow me everythwere..what a marvelous revelation that was.
Grief... I grieved over the death of my first marriage.. It was condemned from the start, I was a Christian, he was not, and we were different cultures. His believed women were subserviant and should be beaten physically or put down by words. I was gentle and became a shell of a person. Yet I was bonded with him from eleven years of age until I was fourty nine years, so the breaking, though best, was a grief.
My four children suffered also.
It is in these times we can lean on Jesus or walk away...
Your Pastor is drawing on his faith to sustain, thank God he has that.
And thats what will shape him as it has us, the trying by fire. Much love Crystal xx
you posted perfect verses....comforting ones....reminders of what you wrote in your post....nothing is lost...not with Him. Even cancer can't trump His love and victory. Hugs to you Lidia.....
You have a beautiful blog! And you have a new follower!
Many blessings to you!
Sharon :)
http://a-city-on-a-hill.blogspot.com/
Post a Comment