Yesterday I listened to two sermons by a dead man! It seemed strange but I recently bought a book about A. W. Tozer which included a CD with two of his messages on it. I never had the privilege of hearing the modern-day prophet (in the truest sense) but have certainly read much of his work. I was surprised to discover that he wasn't as skilled an orator as I expected but he certainly left no stone unturned when "speaking the truth in love".The following is the devotional thought which I received by e-mail today. Yes, we can have...Confidence in Him 
"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." - Hebrews 4:16 (KJV)
"You can have this confidence in God, and you can have this respect for His will. Do not expect God to perform miracles for you so you can write books about them. Do not ever be caught asking God to send you toys like that to play around with.
But if you are in trouble and concerned about your situation and willing to be honest with God, you can have confidence in Him. You can go to Him in the merit of His Son, claiming His promises, and He will not let you down. God will help you, and you will find the way of deliverance. God will move heaven and earth for you if you will trust Him."
Trust Him today, dear friends! He is trustworthy and you can have...confidence in Him.
Greetings, my friends! This morning I went digging in the Pilgrim Scribblings archive mine and came up with a post that evoked more response than most of my other writing. As I read it I realized that I am still "there". I still haven't learned to trust Him more implicitly. I'm still edgy as I "wait for the salvation of the Lord".
During these uncertain days I'm cast upon the Lord like never before. May I learn to trust Him more, the One who is completely trustworthy, the One who changes not and always keeps His word.
Here is that post. May the God of all grace use it to challenge you today!
I wrote:
Time and time again I go back to a book, Bright Days, Dark Nights, penned by a favorite writer of mine, Elizabeth Skoglund (see my links). She writes on subjects such as confidence, depression, anxiety, change and transition using the writings of the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, to illustrate her point.
The following quote by Spurgeon mirrors a statement that I used to make quite honestly and quite often. But now, I must confess, I don't know that I'm able to truthfully say it any more. The ravages of uncertainly, the stresses of being "down to the wire", the scariness of "not knowing" have played havoc with "all I once held dear".
Admitting this is difficult! What I once declared may have sounded very "noble", very "spiritual", very "right" but the years have taken their toll.
Let me give you Spurgeon's quote before I continue... "If I might have any choice between having abundant wealth, or being brought to absolute dependence upon daily supplies, if, in the latter case, I could have greater power to exhibit and to exert faith in Christ, I must confess that I should prefer the mode of living which would give me most room to enjoy the luxury of depending upon my God. I believe it is more happy and more divine a life to live from hand to mouth, dependant upon the provinces of God, and having the confidence to trust Him, than it is to have all the abundance of this world, but to have nothing about which faith may exercise itself." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon
There it is! As I said, I used to echo these thoughts although not so eloquently. Do I want to trust God implicitly? Of course! Do I believe that He can provide all I need? Absolutely! Do I want abundant wealth in a worldly way? Definitely not!
So, as I find myself in uncertain waters, I am crying out to God to be the Great Provider. He has been that in the past for me and He will never change.
Living on the edge has made me edgy and that can be a good thing.
For example...
Positively speaking:
1. I could be on the edge of another God-thing...another miracle that has no explanation other than that God did it!
2. I could be on the edge of a breakthrough where I experience deeper intimacy with God than ever before.
3. I could be on the edge of a new career path...a new vocation where God continues to be at the center.
Or, in a negative sense:
1. I could be on the edge of financial ruin.
2. I could be on the edge of unexpected grief or pain.
3. I could be on the edge of something that could shatter hope.
So, as I begin a new day with my hand held firmly by a Sovereign God I will say, "Surely God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid." - Isaiah 12:2
Yes, the unknown is scary! Yes, I want to truthfully say what Spurgeon said! But, for now, I will say this, "Moment by moment I'm kept in His love."
I'll choose to look at the positive "edges" and "expect great things from God."
Thanks for your prayers during my bumpy pilgrimage!
Transparently,
David
February 15th, 2007 note: I trust that you will be encouraged after reading this post in which I bared my heart and soul. Step out by faith and trust Him wholly. Because... "those who trust Him wholly, find Him wholly true" as the hymnwwriter has so ably written.
Trust Him today!
