Through the Refining Fires of Affliction to the New Life of Spiritual Spring:
REST, VESSEL. ~ “Requies, Vas.” ~ A VESSEL RESTS.
Has God Our Sovereign Savior allowed unfathomable pain in your life beyond human utterance? If so, take refuge in His paradoxical, great divine work of love and grace. When fiery afflictions come, He is our only hiding place.
God Our Sovereign Savior, In Isaiah 59:19 You promise, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.”
STANZA 2
•Divine love is complete; by sin’s death it reigns
Our Final Victory53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. I Corinthians 15:56-57
Be Reconciled to GodFor He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21
Christ’s perfect righteousness imparted to His children, His divine love complete, claims victory over the sting of death and sin, and the strength of the law to subvert the believers’ standing in Christ. Praise God, that He declares in James 2:13: “Mercy triumphs over judgment”. (I Corinthians 15:56-57; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
•To crush condemnation, guilt, and shame.
Avoid Divisive Persons 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Romans 16:19-20
Christian LibertyIt is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1
By His grace and strength, God grants His followers wisdom and discernment by His divine nature to obey Him. When Satan threatens to corrupt believers with evil desires, God’s great and precious promises crush his tactics. Christ has set us free from the yoke of sin’s slavery—no more condemnation, guilt, or shame—that His whole body may live and move in His freedom. (Romans 16:19-20; Galatians 5:1)
•Over such weighty foes, twisting of good
Prayer for Relief from Tormentors 16 All day they twist my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil. Psalm 56:5
The House of the Righteous Shall Stand17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.18 There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.19 Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.20 Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy. Proverbs 12:17-20
Jesus Forgives and Heals a ParalyticAnd immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?” Mark 2:8
In the spiritual world humans contend not against one another but against forces and authorities seeking to twist the good and victorious ministry of God’s Holy Spirit into evil. While truth, wisdom, peace, and joy endure to bring healing in relationships in the face of false witnesses, when we question within ourselves the divine powers we cannot fully comprehend, twisting good, the weighty foes of deceit and evil devise to destroy relationships. (Psalm 56:5; Proverbs 12:17-20; Mark 2:8)
•Just one would triumph-ONLY Jesus could.
He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 25:8
God the Sovereign Savior
16 He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me,18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the Lord was my support.19 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, And have not wickedly departed from my God.22 For all His judgments were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me.23 I was also blameless before Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity.24 Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.25 With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;26 With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.27 For You will save the humble people, But will bring down haughty looks.28 For You will light my lamp; The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.29 For by You I can run against a troop, By my God I can leap over a wall.
30 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. Psalm 18:16-30
On the day of the Lord, all mourning of the Beloved will cease; no more will rebuke prevail. Even as believers await this rescue of the Messiah, His support sustains those who to Him belong in the day of calamity. Jesus’ triumph is sure! God’s way is perfect; His Word is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. (Isaiah 25:8; Psalm 18:16-30)
