Thursday, August 7, 2008

God's ill timing

Every so often I find encouragement in this man’s writings. There has been a rash of strange events and unexpected blows in the lives of friends, in our lives. Sometimes we feel bewildered, other times under siege, or even just plain tired. We need wisdom in such times. One of my favorite quotes:

O how ravishing and delectable a sight will it be to behold at one view the whole design of Providence, and the proper place and use of every single act, which we could not understand in this world! What Christ said to Peter is as applicable to some providences in which we are now concerned as it was to that particular action: ‘What I do, thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter’ (John 13. 7).

All the dark, intricate, puzzling providences at which we were sometimes amazed, which we could neither reconcile with the promise nor with each other, nay, which we so unjustly censured and bitterly bewailed, as if they had fallen out quite against our happiness, we shall then see to be to us, as the difficult passage through the wilderness was to Israel, ‘the right way to a city of habitation’
(Ps. 107.7).
- John Flavel, The Mystery of Providence

7 comments:

Thesauros said...

Mmm, it is sooo good to be loved by God, protected by God, counselled and corrected by God. It is so good to be in the midst of His mercy and patience and love even as all around us and sometimes to us chaos seems to reign supreme.

God bless you on your journey.

jenni said...

Thank you for this ~ I've been baffled myself lately.

abigail said...

Thanks for that. Just what I needed to read this morning.

podso said...

This I needed today ... and, your kitchen is lovely!

Ron said...

You have no idea how much my wife and I needed to hear that quote right now in our lives. Thank you, and many blessings.

Dan and Lynn said...

Margie- Check out my blog...kkrewfamilyblogspot.com. I did a post on the Bewildering Call of God this week. It is along the lines you spoke of. Some things, this side of heaven, just don't make sense to our way of thinking!
Lynn Kirkbride

Bonnie said...

I just finished Larry Woiwode's new
book. Excellent and so very good to
see him writing again. Good to see
it on your bedstand!

Bonnie