seeing wonders in the deep

I haven't written much lately. In the past few months, some of my past traditions, like quote-of-the-day and daily journaling about the events of my days, were deliberately abandoned. Several reasons behind that decision, and I'm not sure yet that I regret it, but I do miss it. And I went back through some old writings today and remembered that the best part about putting things in writing is often looking back at them and remembering. That maybe it's worth the sometimes-tedious process of putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, of late), in order to really capture that moment in time for reflection later.

I've been battling emotions again lately, and feeling discouraged about a great many things. Recently had been asking for prayer that my goals would be greater than "not being sad" or "not being anxious," that I would be more eager to serve, to grow, to glorify the Lord. I specifically prayed about this during a series of weeks in which I was not sad OR anxious...but I'm fairly sure the enemy would rather my goals stay small. Sadness and anxiety have hit me hard the last couple weeks, and again I feel like all my energy goes into battling those things.

In the heat of the battle, what I need most is right thinking, truths to rest in. And today I read something timely and helpful.

Charles Spurgeon, in his daily devotional book, writes about how God's glory is most evident when we are most aware of our weakness, and how this tends to happen best in trials. Here are some of his words: maybe they'll be as helpful to someone reading this as they were to me:

"He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of tempests, but they who 'do business in great waters,' these see His 'wonders in the deep.'"

"Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which has given you your experience of God's greatness and loving-kindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: your trials have been the cleft of the rock in which Jehovah has set you, as He did His servant Moses, that you might behold His glory as it passed by."

"Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings of His glory in His wonderful dealings with you."

Can't really wrap up in my own words what Spurgeon said so eloquently...so I won't try :-) Praise God, indeed!