Wednesday, November 4, 2009

For Weary Pilgrims

Oh, what a sweet perspective. One of my dearest friends shared this with me and every time we're down and we're losing sight of our Righteousness which is standing before the throne of Heaven, we read this quote to each other. The Lord is so gracious to provide such godly saints to His Church to encourage her on her way to Heaven. I do hope this proves a great blessing to you today, as it did to me.

"In short, you are not satisfied with any of your religious feelings and it is well that you are not so; for, if you were, you must have a very high idea of your self and a very low idea of what both law and gospel expect of you. You are, no doubt, right in not being satisfied with the state of your feelings, but what has this to do with the great duty of immediately believing on the Son of God? If the gospel is nothing to you till you have got your feelings all set right it is no gospel for the sinner at all. But this is its special fitness and glory, that it takes you up at the very point where you are at this moment, and brings you glad tidings in spite of your feelings being altogether wrong.
All these difficulties of yours have their root in the self-esteem of our natures, which makes us refuse to be counted altogether sinners, and which shrinks from going to God, save with some personal recommendation to make acceptance likely. Utter want of goodness is what we are slow to acknowledge. Give up these attempts to be satisfied with yourself in anything, great or small, faith, feeling, or action. The Holy Spirit's work in convincing you of sin is to make you dissatisfied with yourself, and will you pursue a course which can only grieve Him away? God can never be satisfied with you on account of any goodness about you; and why should you attempt to be satisfied with anything which will not satisfy Him?
....There is but one thing with which He is entirely satisfied- the person and work of His only-begotten Son It is with Him that He wants you to be satisfied, not with yourself...."This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Be pleased with Him in whom the Father is pleased, and all is well." ~Horatius Bonar