Better Than My Best

I prayed for strength, and then I lost awhile 

All sense of nearness, human and divine; 

The love I leaned on failed and pierced my heart, 

The hands I clung to loosed themselves from mine; 

But while I swayed, weak, trembling, and alone, 

The everlasting arms upheld my own. 

I prayed for light; the sun went down in clouds, 

The moon was darkened by a misty doubt, 

The stars of heaven were dimmed by earthly fears, And all my little candle flames burned out; 

But while I sat in shadow, wrapped in night, 

The face of Christ made all the darkness bright. 

I prayed for peace, and dreamed of restful ease, 

A slumber free from pain, a hushed repose; 

Above my head the skies were black with storm, 

And fiercer grew the onslaught of my foes; 

But while the battle raged, and wild winds blew, 

I heard His voice and perfect peace I knew. 

I thank You, Lord, You were too wise to heed 

My feeble prayers, and answer as I sought, 

Since these rich gifts Your bounty has bestowed 

Have brought me more than all I asked or thought; 

Giver of good, so answer each request 

With Your own giving, better than my best. 

—Annie Johnson Flint

The Criminal Under My Hat

We all want to put an end to injustice, but where shall we begin? What evil needs to fall?

Alessandro Solzhenitsyn wrote, “If only it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” 

That being true, before I speak to others about the injustice in their hearts, “I must first catch the criminal under my own hat” (G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown).

Which is what Jesus meant when he told us to first pluck the beam from our own eye.

David Roper

6.12.20.     

Dear IMM Friends,

As I have been thinking of you and of some of the things you're personally facing, I have also been thinking of our country and the turmoil and struggles we are in the midst of. As I have prayed, read and processed with God some of your situations and some of mine, and these times we are living in, I had the opportunity to write some of the thoughts God gave me to a friend whom I love dearly.

This is a difficult time for all of us as we walk under COVID 19 and the unrest in our country, plus as we deal with our personal situations which are on our minds daily. So how do we think about the things we are going through?

I keep thinking of the word TOGETHER. It’s in that overused verse in Romans 8:28. With this word—“TOGETHER”— being central I can ask God to make the truth of the verse real in my mind. “All things work TOGETHER for good.” Not all things are good. I am asking God to help me camp on the fact that He has a plan for me, for you, for those you love, for our country and our world. All the while knowing that Hill Difficulty must be traveled in the here and now.  Do I understand how this works? No. But I take it by faith because of the cross and the resurrection. And you know we can never really project into the future. But it’s hard not to try.

As you know God gives strength for today and for what we are going through today. He will be there for each of us whatever comes next. Like manna I cannot stack up His grace for what will be, but I can remember His track record that got me through back when it was hard the last time. And, sweet friend, we have an enemy who plays us like a fiddle with either the world, the flesh or evil. We also have a Redeemer who is fierce in His love for us. Stuff will happen. But no matter what. Nothing can separate us from that love. Nothing within me and nothing without can separate me from God’s love. (Romans 8 again.)

We’re still in the middle of the story. But we know Who wins in the end. And we know the good He has laid up for us with an extravagant celebration and reunion that will never end. All the good things I long for the most or have tasted here will be magnified there. Nothing good will be lost but redeemed and amplified.

I may not be ready to wear my dancing shoes today (there is still weeping), BUT I do need to keep them polished. And I need to look at them often with hope so that I can endure like Jesus. For the JOY set before me.  (Hebrews 12: 1,2.) And we know all things work TOGETHER for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

With love and prayers,
Carolyn

“Reversed Thunder”

“An angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake” (Revelation 8:3-5).

I’ve heard it said—indeed, I’ve said it myself—that those of us who are backbenchers can at least pray, as though prayer is something we can do if we can do very little, a consolation for the elderly and the ungifted, an award for participation.

No, John’s vision tells us that prayer is much more: It is “reversed thunder” to use poet George Herbert’s luminous phrase—an action here on earth that resounds in Heaven and brings down the “woes” and repeated blows that shatter the proud City of Man and usher in the City of God (Revelation 8:7-9:21).

Prayer is not just something we can do if we can do nothing better, but a titanic force by which we, in concert with Almighty God, can move the course of human history to its denouement. Thus Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”

Perhaps this is what Peter meant when he insisted that we can “hasten the coming of the Day of God” (2 Peter 3:12). 

David Roper

6.7.20

The Father of the Winds

Oh, Father of the Four Winds, fill my sails,

Across the sea of years... —Led Zeppelen

The author of Hebrews encourages us to leave the baby steps of the Christian life and, as some translations render the phrase, “go on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1). 

Actually, the mood of the verb translated “go on” is passive and would be better translated, “(Let us) be borne on to maturity,” a small grammatical difference that puts the emphasis on the activity of God. 

I’ve often written that we make progress toward god-likeness solely by asking for it. Goodness is not the product of human effort and ingenuity. It’s the result of prayer. 

So... I can huff and puff to fill my sails, but I will make no progress at all. Or, I can ask the Father of the Winds to fill them.

David Roper

6.1.20

The Winds of God

Oh, Father of the Four Winds, fill my sails,

Across the sea of years. —Led Zeppelen

The author of Hebrews encourages us to leave the baby steps of the Christian life and, as some translations render the phrase, “go on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1). 

Actually, the mood of the verb translated “go on” is passive and would be better translated, “(Let us) be borne on to maturity,” a small grammatical difference that puts the emphasis on the activity of God. 

I’ve often written that we make progress toward god-likeness solely by asking for it. Goodness is not the product of human effort and ingenuity. It’s the result of prayer. 

I can huff and puff to fill my sails, but I will make no progress at all. Or, I can ask the Father of Winds to fill them.

David Roper

6.1.20

Sheep!

I have gone astray like a lost sheep;

Seek Your servant (Psalm 119:176).

SHEEP, you may be surprised to know, are not as innocent as they look. They’re actually wily outlaws, prone to wander and happy to do it. 

I know. I used to raise sheep. 

Some would attribute their behavior to stupidity, but I doubt it. I’ve seen them look over their shoulders to see where I am before they vamoose. I think they’re cold, calculating, ruthless rebels. 

But then so am I. “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.”

So…come after me, Lord, when I high-tail it. “Seek your servant.”

David Roper

5.29.20