Saturday, August 6, 2011

Christ. . . Satisfying. . . Unutterably Sufficient

 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! 
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 
They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. 
Psalm 36:7-9

Helen Roseveare, a medical missionary in Africa, describing how God worked in her heart in a special way when she was taken captive and abused by rebel soldiers:

It was an unforgettable experience. God was so vitally real, so totally understanding. His comfort was so complete, so entirely without condemnation. I really knew that His love was unutterably sufficient. His love was wholly able to meet my deepest need: He was not even judging me for my unwillingness to believe and accept His love through the previous years. A great peace took possession of my whole being, not just a peace in my feelings, but a tangible fact of peace even apart from feelings, even in the midst of physical fear and suffering.

As He began to take control of my emotions, I began to realize the truth of Philippians 4:19: "And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." It was true on all levels, not just for financial issues, nor yet only for spiritual mysteries on an exalted plane, but also for everyday, down-to-earth emotional needs of soul and body. As I began to move out of "feelings" and onto "facts," I realized that He was satisfying me, not only with an inner assurance of salvation and forgiveness, but also with a reality of love and depth of companionship that actually took from me, at that time, any sense of need or loneliness. Christ was truly becoming my "sufficiency". . .
Helen Roseveare, Living Sacrifice

Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you. . . . (v. 10)

No comments:

Post a Comment