When Christians Find No Peace Within (1)
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.—Psa. 43:5
What if neither the words of others nor the rebuke of our own hearts, will quiet the soul? Is there no other remedy left? That is when we must look up to God, the father and fountain of comfort. It is what David did when he sought to recover himself by laying a charge upon his soul to trust in God.
(1) A Christian, when he is beaten out of all other comforts, yet has a God to run to. A wicked man beaten out of earthly comforts is as a naked man in a storm, or an unarmed man in the battlefield, or a ship tossed in the sea without an anchor which presently dashes upon rocks. But a Christian, when he is driven out of all comforts below, when God seems to be angry with him, he can appeal from God-angry to God-appeased. He can wrestle and strive with God by God's own strength, fight with him with his own weapons, and plead with God by his own arguments. What a happy state this is! A Christian has something to rely on when all else fails! There can never be any true, settled peace until the soul sees and resolves to rest upon God alone.
(2) We see here that there is a sanctified use of all troubles to God's children. First, they drive them out of themselves, and then draw them nearer to God. Crosses, indeed, of themselves estrange us more from God, but by an overruling work of the Spirit they bring us nearer to him. The soul of itself is ready to give up, as if God had too many controversies with him. Satan knows that nothing can stand and prevail against God, or a soul that relies on God, therefore he labours to breed and increase an everlasting division between God and the soul. Let Christians not muse so much upon their trouble, but see whither it carries them, whether it brings them nearer to God or not. This shows that one loves God, and is called of him, that they believe all things work together for the best' (Rom. 8:28).
(1) A Christian, when he is beaten out of all other comforts, yet has a God to run to. A wicked man beaten out of earthly comforts is as a naked man in a storm, or an unarmed man in the battlefield, or a ship tossed in the sea without an anchor which presently dashes upon rocks. But a Christian, when he is driven out of all comforts below, when God seems to be angry with him, he can appeal from God-angry to God-appeased. He can wrestle and strive with God by God's own strength, fight with him with his own weapons, and plead with God by his own arguments. What a happy state this is! A Christian has something to rely on when all else fails! There can never be any true, settled peace until the soul sees and resolves to rest upon God alone.
(2) We see here that there is a sanctified use of all troubles to God's children. First, they drive them out of themselves, and then draw them nearer to God. Crosses, indeed, of themselves estrange us more from God, but by an overruling work of the Spirit they bring us nearer to him. The soul of itself is ready to give up, as if God had too many controversies with him. Satan knows that nothing can stand and prevail against God, or a soul that relies on God, therefore he labours to breed and increase an everlasting division between God and the soul. Let Christians not muse so much upon their trouble, but see whither it carries them, whether it brings them nearer to God or not. This shows that one loves God, and is called of him, that they believe all things work together for the best' (Rom. 8:28).
Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
The Soul's Conflict with Itself, Works, vol. 1, pp. 197-99
Banner of Truth has granted permission for the use of this material.
The Soul's Conflict with Itself, Works, vol. 1, pp. 197-99
Banner of Truth has granted permission for the use of this material.
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