Quotable....

"The saint is hilarious when he is crushed with difficulties, because the thing is so ludicrously impossible to anyone but God." --Oswald Chambers

What a quote! And how I need to remember it right now. I found an *updated* version of the book (My Utmost for His Highest) with this wording...""But a saint can 'be of good cheer' even when seemingly defeated by adversities, because victory is absurdedly impossible to everyone, except God."

Bro. Kent's sermon yesterday was excellent. He has been preaching through the book of John for almost two years, I think...and we are in chapter 11. :) But it never ceases to amaze me how God always sends exactly what I need to hear through the verses we *happen* to be to that week. Yesterday's sermon went right along with this quote. It was taken from John 11:1-16, which "addresses the time in our lives when we go through a terrible, perhaps life altering trial." Here are a few snippets from my notes:

*They didn't go into great detail about what was wrong or what they wanted Him to do about it...they simply brought the situation to Him.

*God urges us to trust Him completely with the results...they knew no one would know better than Him what needed to be done...they didn't ask Him *how* to resolve it.

*God always looks at our trial as it relates to the big picture--He knows things we don't know (i.e. "this sickness will not end in death...") When we get angry with God we are showing that we don't trust Him and we don't believe that He is working for our good. God sees the big picture...way bigger than us...and He says "It's going to be better than good, it's going to be awesome."

*God's response may not make sense to you right now...sometimes what God does to/for us doesn't make sense to us, but it is always because He loves us. Not that He always causes it...our sin and the sin of others often plays a part...but he allows even our suffering....for a purpose, to make us more like Jesus.

*God has power to work in our situation...and He will. If He doesn't do it the way we want Him to, then it is b/c He has a better plan.

*"Everything He is doing in our lives is to lead us to trust Him without question...He is saying 'Just hang on--hang on tight, but hang on.'"

I am so thankful that His ways are higher than our ways...that He shows us His glory through working the *ludicrously impossible* in the midst of the crushing difficulties we are in. I want to be a *hilarious saint* in the midst of it all.

ETA: My Utmost for His Highest can be read online in original English here.