Today I read the following in John Flavel – it is strikingly appropriate because of personal circumstances. Flavel points out that “Most men that have a stock of creature-comforts in their hands, look upon all as coming in an ordinary, natural course, and see very little of God in their mercies”. We wanted to go to Australia to be with our daughter Becky and husband Pete when their baby is born next year. If we were sitting with thousands in the bank then no problem – we just go and book. But that was not our situation. It’s not cheap to go to Australia. I was told that now was probably the best time to book and that from now on every week the fares get more and more expensive. But we just did not have the money and we don’t have credit cards.
But thanks to a wonderful providence, the Lord providing through his own people, we will be able to book tickets before Christmas. And then I read this from Flavel this morning:
“But now, when a man sees his mercies come in by the special and assiduous care of God for him, there is a double sweetness in those mercies; the natural sweetness which comes from the creature itself, every one, even the beasts, can taste that as well as thee; but besides that, there is a spiritual sweetness, far exceeding the former, which none but a believer tastes; and much of that comes from the manner in which he receives it, because it comes (be it never so coarse or little) as a covenant mercy to him”
I can testify to that. God willing, when we go to Australia, economy class, because of the way it came, it will taste sweeter than if we were going First Class, paid out of our own wealth!
In that sense the Lords’s people always go first class (though they are in steerage!) and eat the finest food, though it be just plain bread. As Luther says “Let us be content with coarse fare here, have we not the bread that came down from heaven? Do we not feed with angels?”.
This hymn of praise seems apposite!
Brilliant. Jehovah-Jireh.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Heart warming.
So your god gets the credit when, presumably, humans gave you the cash? Shame on you for not crediting the humans whom you can see and touch!
Not quite grasped how it works have you? The humans involved did so because of their faith in God and would not want any credit. Shame on you for living in a small tiny enclosed world, restricted only to what you can see and touch! Time for you to break free!
I like this. It reminds me of something proverbs says about better a meal of vegetables than that of meat where there is hatred within or something like that. So better to be grateful of little surprises that come along of provision than if one had the worldly privileges or being able to be self-dependent perhaps.
Something I’ve been better able to appreciate as time goes on is simple things every day that cost nothing that I would have previously overlooked, although God has also worked in more powerful ways too in my experience.
So – considering the lilies and God providing?