Saturday, January 24, 2009

Morrison on Ps. 62:1

I've been struggling with discouragement this morning. To be honest, it's been building up for a couple of days, partly as a result of worldwide and national events, and partly because of more personal matters. But it seems to have settled on my shoulders most heavily today.

The Lord knew just what I needed to read in my daily devotions, and I thought I'd pull out some excerpts to share with you.  This is a synopsis of a devotional by G. H. Morrison.

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Leaving It There
"Leave it all quietly to God, my soul." Ps. 62:1 (Moffatt translation)

Much of the joy of childhood springs from the trustful relationship to somebody who says, "Leave all that to me."Christ_in_Gethsemane (Wikipedia)

We are not here just to understand. Now we know in part and see in part. We are here to glorify God by trusting Him even when we do not understand. And such trusting carries its own evidences in the rich inward peace it brings as if our life were in tune with the Eternal. "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me.(John 4:34)" His meat was neither to probe nor to expostulate. When the cup was bitter, when the cross was heaviest, when the lights were darkened in the Garden of Gethsemane—He left it all quietly to God.

The opposite of faith is never reason; the opposite of faith is sight.  Someday we shall arrive and understand. We shall see His face and His name shall be on our foreheads—it shall be written out in the region of the brain. Meantime we have a life to live, a heart to cultivate, a service to perform. "What is that to thee—follow thou me."

Again, we are to remember the psalmist's counsel in the hours when we have done our best—and failed. The higher the service that we seek to render, the more are we haunted by the sense of failure. The man who has no goal doesn't fear failure. But in higher ministries, when soul is touching soul and we are working not in things, but lives, how haunting is the sense of failure. Every Sunday School teacher knows it well, every mother with her growing family, and every preacher of the Gospel. So little accomplished, so little difference made, so little fruit for the laborious toil, although the seed sown may have been steeped in prayer. Well then, are we to give up in discouragement? Are we to leave the battle line and be spectators because we hear no cheering sound of triumph? My dear reader, there is a better way, and it is just the old way of this gallant psalmist—"Leave it all quietly to God, my soul."

Often when we fail, we are succeeding. We are doing more than we have dreamed. We are helping with our rough, coarse hands because Another with a pierced hand is there. Do your best, and do it for His sake. Keep on doing it and don't resign. And as to fruitage and harvest and success—leave it all quietly to Him.

6 comments:

Connie Arnold said...

What a beautiful, inspiring post! If we just do our best and leave it to God, some small seed that we planted through our words or actions may grow and bear much fruit. This is such wonderful advice. Thank you for sharing it, Betsy!

Mary Moss said...

Betsy, this is wonderful. Thank you for your wise words--again.

I will pray for your burdens to be lifted as God plans - and for your fortitude.

Karin said...

I have prayed that the Lord would infuse you with His comfort and strength, beyond what any human words can say. Be blessed!

Larie Carlice Proverbs 27:19 said...

Thank you Betsy, thank you for hearing your call to be God's vessel to deliver this message.

smooches,
Larie

Unknown said...

Betsy,
I'm sorry that you've been discouraged lately. I can definitely see why G.H. Morrison's devotional encouraged you - it encouraged me too. I've also been discouraged about some different things and this was good for me today.

I'm glad I came to visit today - that was meant to be.

Love,
Lynnette

Sherri Ward said...

Betsy, I have felt somewhat discouraged by the times and what not as well. But you are doing the best that can be done - setting your mind and heart to seek Him and His will in even the most difficult of times and circumstances. To me, walking in faith is choosing to look at and for Him rather than focusing on the world and events around me, remembering He's very present and able. Thanks for sharing!

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