WHEN GOD IS SILENT

He answered her not a word (Matthew 15:23).

He will be silent in his love (Zephaniah 3:17).

It may be a child of God is reading these words who has had some great crushing sorrow, some bitter disappointment, some heart-breaking blow from a totally unexpected quarter. You are longing for your Master's voice bidding you "Be of good cheer," but only silence and a sense of mystery and misery meet you --"He answered her not a word."

God's tender heart must often ache listening to all the sad, complaining cries which arise from our weak, impatient hearts, because we do not see that for our own sakes He answers not at all or otherwise than seems best to our tear-blinded, short-sighted eyes. The silences of Jesus are as eloquent as His speech and may be a sign, not of His disapproval, but of His approval and of a deep purpose of blessing for you.

"Why art thou cast down, O... soul?" Thou shalt yet praise Him, yes, even for His silence. Listen to an old and beautiful story of how one Christian dreamed that she saw three others at prayer. As they knelt the Master drew near to them.

As He approached the first of the three, He bent over her in tenderness and grace, with smiles full of radiant love and spoke to her in accents of purest, sweetest music. Leaving her, He came to the next, but only placed His hand upon her bowed bead, and gave her one look of loving approval. The third woman He passed almost abruptly without stopping for a word or glance.

The woman in her dream said to herself, "How greatly He must love the first one, to the second He gave His approval, but none of the special demonstrations of love He gave the first; and the third must have grieved Him deeply, for He gave her no word at all and not even a passing look.
"I wonder what she has done, and why He made so much difference between them?" As she tried to account for the action of her Lord, He Himself stood by her and said: "O woman! how wrongly hast thou interpreted Me. The first kneeling woman needs all the weight of My tenderness and care to keep her feet in My narrow way. She needs My love, thought and help every moment of the day. Without it she would fail and fall.

"The second has stronger faith and deeper love, and I can trust her to trust Me however things may go and whatever people do. The third, whom I seemed not to notice, and even to neglect, has faith and love of the finest quality, and her I am training by quick and drastic processes for the highest and holiest service.

"She knows Me so intimately, and trusts Me so utterly, that she is independent of words or looks or any outward intimation of My approval. She is not dismayed nor discouraged by any circumstances through which I arrange that she shall pass; she trusts Me when sense and reason and every finer instinct of the natural heart would rebel;--because she knows that I am working in her for eternity, and that what I do, though she knows not the explanation now, she will understand hereafter.
"I am silent in My love because I love beyond the power of words to express, or of human hearts to understand, and also for your sakes that you may learn to love and trust Me in Spirit-taught, spontaneous response to My love, without the spur of anything outward to call it forth."
He "will do marvels" if you will learn the mystery of His silence, and praise Him, for every time He withdraws His gifts that you may better know and love the Giver.
--Selected

~ L B COWMAN ~

DONE FOR US

I pray Thee...

 MY PRAYER

Pic:~GOSh.~

And shall I pray Thee change Thy will my Father,
Until it be according unto mine?
But no, Lord, no, that shall never be, rather
I pray Thee blend my human will with Thine.

I pray Thee hush the hurrying eager longing
I pray Thee soothe the pangs of keen desire.
See in my quiet places wishes thronging,
Forbid them, Lord, purge, though it be with fire.

And work in me to will and do Thy pleasure.
Let all within me, peaceful, reconciled,
Tarry content my Wellbeloved's leisure,
At last, at last, even as a weaned child.

~ Amy Carmichael ~

Alleluia He Has Loved Us - Tom McConnell

TITANIC HERO

This video tells the incredible true story of John Harper

 one of many who were lost in the Titanic sinking in 1912...

PULPIT PROMISE

DEATH OF TOMMY CORBETT

ON THE GOSPEL ROAD

 Heard the sad news yesterday of Tommy Corbett's passing, after a short illness. Back in the day when a few of us used to share the Gospel with Sunday night revellers outside of 'Gaywear' , Tommy was the music man who kept our spirits high with a selection of soul-stirring songs. Often we'd be there until the early hours and then back to Tommy's place for a warming cuppa and a prayer. Tommy was a gentle , strong presence passionate about the Gospel and determined to share it with one and all.Our paths diverged then for many years and the next time I met him he was busking on O'Connel Stree outside the AIB bank. Anytime I'd meet Tommy he'd literally change his tune to some Gospel favourite (usually Johnny Cash) and I'd join in. I don't think my participation added to to the coffers as far as the busking was concerned but for me it was always a joy and a privilege to share a song with my old friend.
~GOSh.~

FOR TOMMY

The last time we met
You were busking by the bank,
And I stopped
Expecting, as usual to join in
For the Johnny Cash medley,
But for once you were painfully silent,
A man distracted .
Later when I heard the diagnosis
I understood your 'quiet' better
And knew that we would never again
Duet the Gospel Road
At least not here.

You didnt hang about
Once the deal was done
And hope had been bleached
From the here and now,
And though the music died
That within could not ,
Being paid for with a price,
The Redemtive tag of One
Bleeding on a cross,
Settling that old account
Once and for all.
 
~ GERARD O'SHEA~