It has been hard for me to talk openly about some things that brought me comfort during our last pregnancy when I was pretty much guaranteed by every doc that my twins would die. During most of the pregnancy I was very concerned for my wife and my family and spent alot of time making sure they were OK and that things were taken care of at home. This typically kept me busy enough to not dwell to much on the death of my twin girls.
But what about the moments when I was doing my hour long drive to work? Or at work? Or my drive back home from work? For my quiet time alone at home. It was during those times that I found more and more comfort from our great God. The primary way was through His Word, the Bible. Resting in His sovereignty, His providence, His care, ect,... but there were times I could not read the Bible, and I turned to songs that spoke of these great truths of the Bible that I had been studying.
One of the CDs I fell in love with during this time of difficult trial was "Come Weary Saints" by Sovereign Grace Music. It talked opening and bluntly about some of the hardest things in Scripture, and it brought me great comfort being daily reminded through song that God is indeed on the thrown,... in good and in bad.My favorite song on that CD is currently being given away for free by the author of it. DOWNLOAD IT HERE! Below is a exert from his blog about this particular song:
So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.
Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. (Job 2.7-10)
It’s easy to praise God in prosperity. But what do we do when we’re suffering? Job shows us that we should trust God at all times, not just in good times. I recently tried to capture this in a song:
AS LONG AS YOU ARE GLORIFIED
SHALL I TAKE FROM YOUR HAND YOUR BLESSINGS
YET NOT WELCOME ANY PAIN?
SHALL I THANK YOU FOR DAYS OF SUNSHINE
YET GRUMBLE IN DAYS OF RAIN?
SHALL I LOVE YOU IN TIMES OF PLENTY
THEN LEAVE YOU IN DAYS OF DROUGHT?
SHALL I TRUST WHEN I REAP A HARVEST
BUT WHEN WINTER WINDS BLOW, THEN DOUBT?O, LET YOUR WILL BE DONE IN ME
IN YOUR LOVE I WILL ABIDE
O, I LONG FOR NOTHING ELSE AS LONG
AS YOU ARE GLORIFIEDARE YOU GOOD ONLY WHEN I PROSPER?
AND TRUE ONLY WHEN I’M FILLED?
ARE YOU KING ONLY WHEN I’M CAREFREE?
AND GOD ONLY WHEN I’M WELL?
YOU ARE GOOD WHEN I’M POOR AND NEEDY
YOU’RE TRUE WHEN I’M PARCHED AND DRY
YOU STILL REIGN IN THE DEEPEST VALLEY
YOU’RE STILL GOD IN THE DARKEST NIGHTO, LET YOUR WILL BE DONE IN ME
IN YOUR LOVE I WILL ABIDE
O, I LONG FOR NOTHING ELSE AS LONG
AS YOU ARE GLORIFIEDSO QUIET MY RESTLESS HEART, QUIET MY RESTLESS HEART
QUIET MY RESTLESS HEART, IN YOU.Isn’t it amazing how the gospel so changes us that what matters most is the glory of Jesus, and not our own comfort? Let us be a people who overflow with praise and thanks, not only when we receive blessing from his hand, but when we receive hardship from his hand, trusting that even then he is working for our good and his glory.
NOTE: Sovereign Grace Music has graciously agreed to let us give away this song for free. DOWNLOAD IT HERE.
(Lyrics from the CD “Come Weary Saints”, copyright Sovereign Grace Music)
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Also note for the rest of this month (Feb) Sovereign Grace is selling this CD for only $6 (as well as all their other worship CDs) I highly suggest takin advantage of this. Also, you can get another song off of this excellent CD for free from here.Soli Deo Gloria!
jason d.
Jason - thank you for sharing - what a beautiful and strong testimony you have, and I am grateful you are so willing to share it.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I are going through some rough times now, and I still feel constant blessings, and even more of God's love pouring out to me all the time.
When we are 'poor in spirit' we are blessed beyond measure.
God Bless your family!
Hi Jason,
ReplyDeleteI just found this blog. we recently bough the weary saints album (on the same sale) and have loved it. The PSALMS album is also very good. We feel confidant in reccommending anything SGM puts out.
Thank you for your testimony in this blog. I am very encouraged by reading it. I am going to feed it and stop by often. Thanks again.
Jason,
ReplyDeleteMy heart is glad to see how you've grown up in Christ. To see a strong Father and Husband who looks to Christ in everything. You're right, it is truly amazing how when we have Christ, we see our experiences so differently- we see them from a divine perspective, not worldly. Thanks for sharing. God Bless your beautiful family.
Thanks for this dude...this is a great track I will check out the rest.
ReplyDeletein terms of when we praise God...i think for me it may be the opposite. I notice that in times of prosperity i tend to wander from my focus on Christ. Its when things are tough is when i press in. Ive felt closest to God in my dark hours and this is when my worship has been the most intense. What I want is that same intimacy in all seasons.
Both the Come Weary Souls and the Psalms CDs were given to me when my son was sick and then subsequently died. So very good but painful how God ministers to our soul through music. I really appreciate you blog and your witness. I know in my head that God is doing a great and good thing through the death of our children but as a mother it just hurts. Thank-you for sharing your walk and for not being bitter.
ReplyDeleteRuth,
ReplyDeleteIndeed, as a father I do not want nor wish any harm or death to my loved ones. And it is one thing to have the head knowledge, but another thing to live it. And living it is not easy, it is hard, but we must trust in our sovereign God Who's purposes are far beyond what we can think or imagine. He surely has promised to work all things together for good, to those whom love Him, to those whom are the called (Rom 8:28).
I take great comfort in that, and great comfort in knowing He knows what it is like have His Son die.
We have a sure hope in the resurrection!
Soli Deo Gloria!
jason d.