sufficient

There is no other stream

When I chose the title of my blog, it really was this spontaneous, choose-something-without-too-much-thought thing. But its really growing on me. That God's grace is sufficient is the thing that I most need to know everyday. When I was introduced to Reformed Theology in college, I readily assented to it, at least intellectually. There are numerous hard truths to swallow in it, but somehow, I can accept on faith that God is wholly sovereign over this fallen world in the fullest possible sense of sovereignty, yet is not responsible for evil and I am not merely a puppet. Yet I struggle to believe, really believe, that God is good, that Christ's atoning work is sufficient and that in Christ, he looks on me without condemnation, with love ALWAYS.

I was reminded of it yet again today- proof that God is merciful to me, that he continues to show the reality of his love, no matter how long it may take me to learn it. Psalm 81 is my favorite psalm- it reflects God's love over time for his people, their constant turning away from him to idols, and his desire to give them good things if they would only repent... Kind of like my life.

Sing aloud to God our strength;
shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
Raise a song; sound the tambourine,
the sweet lyre with the harp.
Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our feast day.

For it is a statute for Israel,
a rule of the God of Jacob.
He made it a decree in Joseph
when he went out over the land of Egypt.
I hear a language I had not known:
"I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
your hands were freed from the basket.
In distress you called, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
There shall be no strange god among you;
you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

"But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.
Oh, that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
I would soon subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.
Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him,
and their fate would last forever.
But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."

On to the title of my post. I turn to so many idols- my independence, my friends, my ability to fix things, the pursuit of "fun"- but none of these things satisfy. I pursue them harder and harder and they always leave me empty. The sermon this morning concluded with my favorite passage from The Chronicles of Narnia, from The Silver Chair. If you haven't read all of them, you must!

"Are you not thirsty?" said the Lion.
"I'm dying of thirst," said Jill.
"Then drink," said the Lion.
"May I-- could I-- would you mind going away while I do?" said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realised that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.
The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
"Will you promise not to-- do anything to me, if I do come?" said Jill.
"I make no promise," said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.
"Do you eat girls?" she said.
"I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
"I daren't come and drink," said Jill.
"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.
"Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."
"There is no other stream," said the Lion.

posted by CP @ 3:39 PM 1 thoughts