I am still working through JI Packer's 'Knowing God' Here is a really good quote out of the chapter that is titled "Goodness and Severity" (talking through the character's and attributes of God) Here it is.... (f you feel like it is to long, at least read #3)


"... Three lessons....

1. Appreciate the goodness of God. Count your blessing. Learn not to take natural benefits, endowments, and pleasures for granted; learn to thank God for them all. Do not slight the Bible, or the gospel of Jesus Christ, by an attitude of casualness towards either. The Bible shows you a savior who suffered and died in order that we sinners might be reconciled to God; Calvary is the measure of the goodness of God; lay it to heart. Ask yourself the psalmist question--'What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?' Seek grace to give his answer--' I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD....O LORD, truly I am thy servant... I will pay my vows unto the LORD now...' (Psalm 116"12ff.).

2. Appreciate the patience of God. Think how He has borne with you, and still bears with you, when so much in your life is unworthy of Him, and you have so richly deserved His rejection. Learn to marvel at His patience, and seek grace to imitate it in your dealings with other men; and try not to try His patience any more.

3. Appreciate the discipline of God. He is both your upholder and, in the last analysis, your environment; all things come of Him, and you have tasted His goodness every day of your life. Has this experience led you to repentance and faith in Christ? If not, you are trifling with God, and stand under the threat of His severity. But if, now, He, in Whitefield's phrase, puts thorns in your bed, it is only to awaken you from the sleep of spiritual death, and to make you rise up to see His mercy. Or if you are a true believer, and He still puts thorns in your bed, it is only to keep you from falling into the somnolence of complacency, and to ensure that you 'continue in goodness' by letting your sense of need bring you back constantly in self-abasement and faith to seek His face. This kindly discipline, in which God's severity touches us for a moment in the context of His goodness, is meant to keep us from having to bear the full brunt of that severity apart from context. It is a discipline of love, and must be received accordingly. 'My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord' (Hebrews 12:5) "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes' (Psalm 119:71)

So distracted from my I Kings.... but I am absolutely eating up Romans.... I started in 1:16, I think and it has gone right along with God's wrath- the chapter I just read in JI Packer's 'Knowing God". I am sooo thankful that Jesus took my punishment.... Because I can't not sin!!! God is so merciful and kind to allow me to have that relationship with HIM!

"One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up. " Luke 18:1

here's that story :)




" 'There was a judge in a certain city'. He said, 'who was a godless man with contempt for every one. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, appealing for justice against someone who had harmed her. The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she wore him out. 'I fear neither God nor man', he said to himself, ' but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'

Then the Lord said 'Learn a lesson from this evil judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who plead with him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when I, the Son of Man return, how many will I find who have faith?'" Luke 18:2-8

(I am having fits with the quote marks in here...But you get the idea :)

(I have added my own emphasis)

this judge is godless and he hates everyone....The only reason he gave her what she wanted was because she was driving HIM crazy....He was being selfish even in this.... But GOD Loves us....He wants to work all of our lives out for good when we love him. This seems like a powerful example of what prayer is. I also see why Jesus made the last statement...It seems like he may be saying.... Don't you see what God will do when you pray, yet, when he comes again, he doubts that (despite all God will do thru prayer) people will even have faith--tho they have such power thru prayer and such an opportunity to see God work....Still few will avail themselves to it.....

This is such a good quote from "Knowing God" by J I Packer

"As a believer, he finds in the cross of Christ assurance that he, as an individual, is beloved of God; 'the Son of God... Loved me, and gave himself for me' (Gal 2:20). Knowing this, he is able to apply to himself the promise that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28). Not just some things, note, but all things! Every single thing that happens to him expresses God's love to him, and so far as he is concerned, God is love to him--holy, omnipotent love--at every moment and in every event of every day's life. Even when he cannot see the why and the wherefore of God's dealings, he knows that there is love in and behind them, and so he can rejoice always, even when, humanly speaking, things are going wrong. He knows that the true story of this life, when known, will prove to be, as the hymn say, 'mercy from first to last' -- and he is content"

I was looking at the first Kings passage again today and what STRUCK me was the whole thing that happens as God sets up Solomon to be king. It looks likes Adonijah is going to be king.... BUT GOD... Accomplishes HIS purpose and through David sets up Solomon. I see God sorting through this human mess and accomplishing what His purpose is. I love that....I so often see and think that all is lost. Why do I so often forget that--God's got this. He knows, He understands and all along He is working out the details. What a good and kind God --Of course I can trust Him, he has shown me over and over that He is in control (why do I forget?)

I really have nothing to say.... I have been thinking and thinking about posting here...But nothing comes to my mind (we did go to the DGM national conference over this last weekend... and I saw God work so much in my life--so maybe that I will be posting on that later, but I think I am still sorting all that out in my mind)..... BUT-- I do know that God has been so kind to me lately... I have no words for the thanks that I feel for all the good He has done for me! He is always good, but as I see his blessings, I realize it. I pray that I will realize God's goodness when I am struggling !!!