Dear Friends,
Thanks for stopping by. Thank you very much for your prayers for me. Thank God for His continuing mercies daily.
I just saw my psychiatrist today for a review on my bipolar condition. Thank God for improvements thus far, by the grace of God. It's been a year since I last experienced a relapse of bipoar depression. The medicine is working for me, by God's mercies, and our Lord is daily teaching me to pace myself better and to depend more and more upon Him. I am very thankful to our Lord for keeping me and dealing so graciously with me. Each morning that He enables me to wake up without feeling dreading to face the day, is a cause of thanksgiving to me. It is of the LORD's mercies that I am not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is His faithfulness!
I would like to share the following excerpt from John Flavel's Book "The Mystery of Providence" with you which encourages me that God is sovereignly in control of all things in my life, and He is working all things for His glory and my good, and that of His beloved people. Thank God for sustaining me and delivering me time and again from some 15 episodes of prolonged bipolar clinical depression over the last 21 years. I may not always understand God's dealings with me, in all his mysterious Providences, but I have no doubt at all of His love and His Power. He performeth all things for me. May that be our encouragement through all the changing scenes in life. To God be the glory.
The Mystery of Providence
Excerpt taken from John Flavel's "The Mystery of Providence", The Banner of Truth Trust, 1995, 1st Published 1678, pages 15 to 20.
"I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me" (Psalm 57. 2)
The greatness of God is a glorious and unsearchable mystery. “For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great king over all the earth” (Psalm 47:2). The condescension of the most high God to men is also a profound mystery. “Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly” (Psalm 138:6). But when both these meet together, as they do in this Scripture, they make up a matchless mystery. Here we find the most high God performing all things for a poor distressed creature.
It is the great support and solace of the saints in all the distresses that befall them here, that there is a wise Spirit sitting in all the wheels of motion, and governing the most eccentric creatures and their most pernicious designs to blessed and happy issues. And, indeed, it were not worth while to live in a world devoid of God and Providence.
For it cannot but be a great encouragement to his faith, that God had transacted all things, or performed all things for him. This Providence that never failed him in any of the straits that ever he met with (and his life was a life of many straits) he might well hope would not fail him now, though this were an extraordinary and matchless one.
Providence not only undertakes but perfects what concerns us. It goes through with its designs, and accomplishes what it begins. No difficulty so clogs it, no cross accident falls in its way, but it carries its design through it. Its motions are irresistible and uncontrollable; He performs it for us.
And (which is sweet to consider) all its products and issues are exceedingly beneficial to the saints. It performs all things for them. ‘Tis true we often prejudge its works, and unjustly censure its designs, and in many of our straits and troubles we say: ‘All these things are against us’; but indeed Providence neither does nor can do any thing that is really against the true interest and good of the saints. For what are the works of Providence but the execution of God’s decree and the fulfilling of His Word? And there can be no more in Providence than is in them. Now there is nothing but good to the saints in God’s purposes and promises; and, therefore, whatever Providence does concerning them, it must be (as the text speaks) ‘performance of all things for them.’
And if so, how cheering, supporting and encouraging must the consideration of these things be in a day of distress and trouble! What life and hope will it inspire our hearts and prayers when great pressures lie upon us! It had such a cheering influence upon the Psalmist at this time, when the state of his affairs was, to the eye of sense and reason, forlorn and desperate; there was now but a hair’s breadth (as we say) between him and ruin.
This Psalm 57 was composed by David when he hid himself from Saul in the cave. This cave was in the wilderness of Engedi among the broken rocks where the wild goats lived, an obscure and desolate hole; yet even there the envy of Saul pursued him (1 Sam. 24. 1, 2). And now he that had been so long hunted as a partridge upon the mountains seems to be enclosed in the net. His enemies were outside the cave, from which there was no other outlet. Then Saul himself entered the mouth of this cave, in the sides and creeks of which David and his men lay hidden, and they actually saw him. Judge to how great an extremity and to what a desperate state things were now brought. Well might he say: ‘My soul is among lions, and I lie even among them that are set on fire’ (verse 4). What hope now remained? What but immediate destruction could be expected?
Yet now, while his soul is among lions, while he lies in a cranny of the rock, expecting every moment to be drawn out to death, the reflections he had upon the gracious performances of the Most High for him, from the beginning to that moment, support his soul and inspire hope and life into his prayers: “I will cry unto God most high, unto God that performeth all things for me.”
The encouragements to this resolution are taken from the sovereignty of God: ‘I will cry unto God most high.’ Upon this he acts his faith in extremity of danger. Saul is high, but God is the most high, and without His permission he is assured Saul cannot touch him. He had none to help, and if he had, he knew God must first help the helpers or they cannot help him. He had no means of defense or escape before him, but the Most High is not limited by means. This is a singular prop to faith (Ps. 59. 9).
To read this book online : visit http://www.reformedliterature.com/flavel-the-mystery-of-providence-intro.php
Take care and have a very blessed week!
All by His grace alone,
Nancie
This photo is taken by my sister-in-Christ, SE, in Norway
Resources for Depression and Bipolar Disorder
Depression and Bipolar Disorder: http://bipolardepression.resources2u.com/Other Resources for Free Calendars, Cards, Bookmarks, Handicrafts:
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