Stupidity: Sovereignly Redeemed

The following account of Martin Luther is taken from a message by John Piper. I love the truth of God's sovereignty he so plainly speaks of, and how history has only but proven this truth! God uses us—weak, fearful, confused sinners—to accomplish His great plans and purposes in spite of ourselves. As I read my Bible this morning, new gratefulness for men like Calvin and Luther and even Frederick of Saxony who protected Luther, flooded over me. They stood boldly to preserve this precious Word and to teach it faithfully to all who would listen. Yes, God is a redeemer, not only of our foolish decisions, but of our foolish hearts which, without His love first poured out, would never have turned to Him.

"Luther was born November 10, 1483 in Eisleben to a copper miner who wanted him so badly to be a lawyer. And he was on his way to being a lawyer. In 1502, at the age of 19, he received his Bachelors degree, ranking, unimpressively, 30th of 57 in his class. In January, 1505 he received his Master of Arts at Erfurt and ranked second among 17 candidates. That summer the providential Damascus-like experience happened.

On July 2, on the way home from law school, he was caught in a thunderstorm and was literally knocked off his horse by lightening. Luther was so frightened that he cried out, 'Help me, St. Anne; I will become a monk.' In other words, since he did not know the safety of the gospel, he took the next best thing which was the safety of the monastery. And to his father's utter dismay, he kept his vow two weeks later. On July 17, 1505 he knocked at the gate of the Augustinian Hermits in Erfurt and asked to be accepted, which he was. Now later on he admitted that was a blatant sin—what he did. He went against his father’s will and he did it out of fear. Then he added, 'But oh, how much good the merciful Lord has allowed to come of it!' And just a parenthetical encouragement to you, reading biography and church history is so hope-giving because you see the providence of God overcoming foolish decisions. And some of you right now are in crises because of very stupid decisions that you’ve made. And you are wondering whether there is any future for marriage, for parenting, for ministry. And the answer is: The sovereignty of God manifest in this ungodly, carnal decision of Martin Luther, that sovereignty of God is great enough to do wonders through your stupid decisions. Because He did... with Martin Luther."


Take a minute to read through the article. It is sure to edify...
Martin Luther: Lessons from His Life and Labor
John Piper, Bethlehem Baptist Pastor’s Conference, 1996.

strange treasures in this world appear...

This old hymn has rolled over and over in my car this week and seems to grow sweeter each time. If this is the field where hidden lies the pearl of greatest price, it must be of infinite value, no matter its appearance upon first glance.


Laden With Guilt
Lyrics: Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Laden with guilt and full of fears,
I fly to Thee my Lord,
And not a glimpse of hope appears,
But in Thy written word
The volumes of my Father's grace
Does all my griefs assuage
Here I behold my Saviour's face
In every page

This is the field where hidden lies
The pearl of price unknown
That merchant is divinely wise
Who makes the pearl his own
Here consecrated waters flow
To quench my thirst of sin
Here the fair tree of knowledge grows
No danger dwells within

This is the judge that ends the strife
Where wit and reason fail
My guide to everlasting life
Throughout this gloomy vale
O may Thy counsels, mighty God
My roving feet command
Nor I forsake the happy road
That leads to Thy right hand

The Israelites: He Will Provide

Themes sometimes tend to dominate for a season.

I think when the Lord is seeking to get a particular message across, He brings clarity by allowing different aspects of His Word to hit us all at once from many directions. For me, the most recent theme can be summed up by the words of this song about the children of Israel. It's an older song I first heard several years ago, but today the Lord used it once again to speak in power:

Exodus

breathing in this desert air
grumbling voices fill my ears
a month of freedom in my hand
i thought it would be different here

though in bondage i was full
i wanted to be free
yet here i am in need of you
Lord, come provide for me

I am here, wipe away your tears
I am here, I will provide
I will provide with My bread of life
I will provide, I will provide, I am here

this evening i think of the land
that i was freed from once again
but this time i know i will see
Your glory in the morning

as the dew is lifted from the ground
revealing bread of heaven for your child
i find that there's enough to meet my needs
but to gather it up isn't easy

I am here, wipe away your tears
I am here, I will provide, I will provide

Psalm 77:19 "Your way was through the sea, Your path through the great waters; yet Your footprints were unseen." Lord, even when Your footprints are unseen, will You give faith enough to follow? Your Name is Jehovah Jireh, "The Lord Will Provide."