Valley of Vision

This past Sunday I went to First Presbyterian of Opelika, and the service began with this song called the Valley of Vision. I have never heard it before but for some reason, it brought me to tears. I don't know why really, but maybe because of how the words reflect God's Sovereignty and that's what He has been teaching me lately. I couldn't help but share it with you. Whatever you are going through, God's hand has not been absent from your life.

[ VALLEY OF VISION ]

Lord most high most meek and holy,
Thou has brought me to this valley.
Live in the depths, but the heights I see Thee,
Behold Thy glory, thou hills of sin surround me.

It is here that you have brought me, It is here that you have taught me,
It is here that I have learned how to see.

Let me learn by paradox, the way down is the way up.
You have broken my heart to heal it,
the low soul is a rejoicing spirit in the valley.
The soul that repents will in victory stand
and there is water and shade when you reach barren land,
In day starts are seen from the deepest wells,
The deeper they are, the brighter you shine.
Let me find your light in my darkest nights,
Thy life in my death, in my sorry They joy,
Let me find Thy glory in my valley.
You have broken my heart to heal it,
The low soul is a rejoicing spirit in the valley.

It is here that you have brought me, It is here that you have taught me,
It is here that I have learned how to see.

In Calm My Anxious Heart, I hit the chapter titled "Trusting God with the 'If Onlys'". The author wrote about a man called to missions in South Africa named Andrew Murray, and how while in England in 1895, he was suffering with terrible back pain from a previous injury. One morning while eating breakfast in his room, his hostess told him of a woman downstairs who was in great trouble and wanted to know if he had any advice for her. Andrew Murray handed her a paper he had been writing on and said, "Give her this advice I'm writing down for myself. It may be that she'll find it helpful."
This is what he wrote:

In time of trouble, say, "First, he brought me here. It is by his will I am in this strait place; in that I will rest." Next, "He will keep me here in his love, and give me grace in this trial to behave as his child." Then say, "He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons he intends me to bestow." And last, say, "In his good time he can bring me out again. How and when, he knows." Therefore, say, "I am here (1) by God's appointment, (2) in his keeping, (3) under his training, and (4) for his time."

-Andrew Murray

Blows my mind sometimes how the Lord continues to persist in bringing me the same truths to heart over and over again. Since last week, God has not given up in the lessons he's apparently wanting me to learn... Its quite humorous to be honest. As much as suffering is no fun, I can't help but experience joy in my heart knowing that yes, things may not be going according to MY PLAN here on earth, but that the Lord is only making HIS PLAN more evident in my life.

[ HOSEA 6:1-3 ]

"Come, let us return to the Lord!
He has torn us to pieces but He WILL heal us;
He has injured us but He WILL bind up our wounds.

After two days He WILL revive us;
On the third day He WILL restore us, that we may live in His presence!

Let us acknowledge the Lord;
Let us press on to acknowledge Him.
As surely as the sun rises, He WILL appear;
He WILL come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

Just Wait...

This morning I decided to stay home and listen to a podcast sermon of David Platt titled, "Questioning God." My parents had called me about a month ago and told me to listen to his sermon from Habakkuk... well, let's just say I can blame God's timing on this one. The book of Habakkuk is all about Habakkuk himself trying to understand why the Lord acts the way he does, leaving him questioning God of His sovereignty. If God is good, then why is there evil in the world? And if there has to be evil, then why do the evil prosper? What is God doing in the world? Habakkuk was a holy man and strived for what is good. He feared God and did what was right, but as life events played out, he saw nothing working out for him and didn't understand why. Habakkuk’s name actually means to “embrace” or “wrestle” and you can see his inward struggle throughout the entire book.

Anyways, all this to say I've been dealing with the same issues lately in my walk with the Lord. I have always tried to make decisions that are God-honoring ever since my walk with the Lord began in high school, of course, dealing with occasional slip ups here and there because I am most definitely a fallen human being. One thing that has really been tough for me is how much time I put into studying for school... yet, I can never seem to achieve the grades I'm striving for and seem to be plagued with averageness. This has been super hard for me recently because here I am a senior graduating soon and still receiving grades that do not show all the hours of sitting over my books reading, highlighting, rereading and rewriting... Really, I have nothing to show for all that time spent studying for that one individual test. To sum it all up, I leave tests thinking that I dominated it, feeling really good about how I did, and then, finally, receiving my test back only to see it dominated me... AGAIN. It's hard to find motivation to complete 17 hrs when this happens pretty much every time.

This week I have a mountain of tests, assignments, and papers to complete.... And the only feeling I feel is defeat. After listening to this sermon this morning, the Lord answered all my "why" questions. Me: "Why didn't you make me smarter?" God: "Because I Am Sovereign." Me: "Why do I put so much time into everything and see zero fruit from all my labor?" God: "Because my plan is Sovereign over your life." Needless to say, my little questioning time didn't last too long because the Lord has this way of slowly humbling you and bringing you to your knees. He, basically, told me, "Just as you trust in Me for your salvation, trust in Me through this time of suffering. Do you not trust in My sovereign provision for your life?" God has power over all things and God is sovereign in all things... He will always be there on His throne and present through every hard trial in your life... There is not one part of creation or event in history that God is not sovereign over so WHY not trust in what He is doing?

Our suffering is temporary, trials are temporary, disease is temporary, hurt, pain, death is all very temporary... but our God is eternal and everything He provides such as life and salvation is all very eternal. TRUST IN THAT.

These verses have become my rock this week and I will choose not to look at the surface of my suffering, but a much deeper aspect of it all. I will choose to wait on His perfect timing to reveal his perfect plan over my life... What a mighty God we serve.

[ Habakkuk 3:17-19 ]

17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

"Short-term circumstances provide a poor measurement of the long-term character of God." -David Platt

To say it all, I have never been so encouraged by everyone here at Auburn than this week. Yes, I asked the Lord to give me the endurance to tackle this week because I knew I couldn't do it on my own... but He gave me more than just that. He provided me with incredible friends from the very beginning to be there during times like these. Going into this week I was discouraged, but it being almost the end with one more test and a research paper I haven't even begun to start, I have never been so at peace than right now... SO I just wanted to let you all know that. I am so blessed to be in an environment such as Auburn and I truly love it.

Calm My Anxious Heart.

I love it when songs come into your head that are the exact words that you need to hear... I should be studying right now, but I couldn't help but look up the words to this particular hymn because it was just laid on my heart to read what it had to say. Praise the Lord for using men as vessels to comfort his people in time of need. I hope you find it encouraging as I did...

Oh Love That WIll Not Let Me Go

O love that will not let me go
I rest my weary soul in Thee
I give Thee back the life I owe
That in thine ocean depths its flow
My richer, fuller be

O Light that followest all my way
I yield my flickering torch to Thee
My heart restores its borrowed ray
That in thy sunshines glow its day
May brighter, fairer be

O Joy you seek me through the pain
I cannot close my heart to thee
I trace the rainbow through the rain
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be

Hope you have a marvelous day! Now, I really need to study. 'Tis the season of 17 hours.

Going to the Chapel...

My best friend, Blakely Taylor Barnett, is engaged. Who would have thought this would be my first post on my new blog? I got the call this afternoon from her roommate Audrey Griggs telling me I might want to go to the ADpi chapter room at 5:45... First, I was like why is Audrey calling me when I just talked to Blakely and secondly, why would I need to go to the chapter room? THAT is when it hit me and I am not exaggerating when I tell you my heart literally stopped beating. I couldn't stop shaking nor could I get to Blakely's apartment any faster to meet Audrey to head over to the chapter room. Audrey and I proceeded to hide in the chapter room kitchen until we heard them announce the candlelight. As we crawled to the door, we pinned our ears against it trying to hear the song we were waiting for as our que, "Going To The Chapel." After we heard screams, I'm pretty sure I pushed some girls over trying to make it to Blakely's side of the chapter room. AH. All i felt like I could do was sit there as I listened to her tell the engagement story was clutch my heart because I was so overjoyed. There is just something about your best friend getting married that sends the most exhilarating feelings to your soul. Later, we got everyone to come to their apartment so mix and mingle as well as hear more details about the proposal, wedding date, etc. This season in life came a lot sooner than I expected, but I am still so excited for her and cannot wait to hear more details on the wedding! I think the most mind blowing part of this whole ordeal is realizing that we are at that stage in life where this will be happening more frequently. Where is time going? Where did freshman year go? My best friend is getting married July 23!!

SO! For all those single ladies out there who are like me and far from that STAGE of marriage, meditate on these verses from Song of Solomon 2. This is God's love letter to you. Let the Lord sweep you off your feet with His romantic words directed only for you ... I mean, that is what He so desperately wants to do if you will just allow Him to do so. Let Him passionately love you. He is our bridegroom and we are His bride. Oh, I just love that.

10 My lover spoke and said to me,
"Arise, my darling,
my beautiful one, and come with me.

11 See! The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone.

12 Flowers appear on the earth;
the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
is heard in our land.

13 The fig tree forms its early fruit;
the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
my beautiful one, come with me."