A Response

Forgotten.
Forgiven.
Risen.
My life reaps death as I taste sin,
But the eyes that burn, see my pain within.

Crucified.
Justified.
Glorified.
Though a sinner's shame, within I hide,
You took the cross, to be by my side.

Powerful.
Joyful.
Wonderful.
My deepest wounds are healed in full,
And the sting of death is made a fool.

Begotten.
Magnified.
Beautiful.
My every pain, you feel them all,
And by Your love, no tear shall fall.

God on Mute 2

OK, so I finally finished reading it...was great, I learned so much about prayer and standing in faith. I'll mention a few of the things that especially stuck out.

Deeper Faith
The passage used was Daniel 3:17-18. Here, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are about to be thrown into the fiery furnace. They show a deeper kind of faith...they have faith that God is able and will save them, this is where most of us stop. But they go on to say that even if He does not, they will not bow down to other gods. This type of faith really is something deeper. It's as CS Lewis puts it (I paraphrase very very losely)...it is one thing to stand firm in God when everyone around is is doing the same and when we can see God. However, we come to a point of true faith when we stand firm in adversity, with no one around us, when we can't see God and when there is no explaination.

In the Muck
Another story that really touched me was about a Jewish worker in a concentration camp during Nazi Germany. He was cleaning toilets and the guard was mocking him, asking 'Where is your God now?'. The answer was a quiet 'Here with me, in the muck'. This really reminded me that Jesus suffered on this earth for us, so that He can be with us in our sufferings. I don't believe that He needed to go through all that He did if 'mere salvation' was the goal, but He wanted to give us something more. So often, I feel sad and down and I lash out at God, wondering where He is and I completely miss that He is right there with me. Suffering with me and feeling what I feel...this is the God that I worship.

The bottom line is...this book is great, I really recommend it whatever your circumstances. I do think that we always will have prayers which we feel are unanswered or perhaps they are. But I've learned how to engage with the silence, what it means and know why it happens. Come to think about it...my life isn't so bad, sure I have my share of sufferings in my own heart but I need to take it into perspective. Speaking to a couple people recently have helped me do this...I'm here blogging...how bad can my life be? And you're here reading it. sometimes our prayers aren't answered because we need to learn to stand on our own two feet. I'll leave with this poem...

I asked for strength that I might achieve;
He made me weak that I might obey.
I asked for health that I might go greater things;
I was given grace that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life so that I could enjoy all things.
I received nothing tha tI asked for, all I that hoped for.
My prayer was answerd, I was most blessed.