A good book...

I know it's been 8 days since I have posted, but I finally have a moment to write something out that has been rolling around in my mind. I have started school with my 2 boys and that takes up a significant amount of my day and thoughts. :)

A few weeks ago I started reading John Piper's latest book in The Swans are not Silent series. It is entitled Filling Up the Afflictions of Christ: The Cost of Bringing the Gospel to the Nations in the Lives of William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, and John Paton.

Though I enjoyed Tyndale and Judson's stories, the story of Paton affected me the most. The reason was how his life contained similarities with mine.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not going to a remote island to be chased by cannibals. But our family has gone through very hard times that sometimes didn't make sense, but in the end were the reason we could follow Christ in a certain direction. Without those trials we would not be where God has us now. Just like John Paton needed 4 years of hard labor without fruit on Tanna with loosing his wife and child and daily facing the thought of loosing his life in order to come off and go to Aniwa and see the whole island come to Christ.

This hard time also drew Paton nearer to Christ as his only friend in those dark days. I have my husband and kids and family and in-laws to be there and turn to in trials, but my trials have also helped draw me closer to Christ. Like Spurgeon says, "Faith triumphs in trial." and "Faith pulls the black mask from the face of trouble, and discovers the angel beneath."

Faith is what kept John Paton trusting God. In addition, his belief that God was sovereign in everything that happened helped make his faith stronger. This is a key point in my own life - is God really sovereign in my life? Does he really control the outcome of everything I do?

Consider these things about your own life, and if you can try and read this new book. It will help you understand why God's sovereignty is key in growing your faith and trust in Christ. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions. I won't have all the answers, but I would love to share what God is teaching me.