A Quotation I Wanted to Share

It is a devastatingly painful thing to be a weak Christian in the American evangelical church today. So much emphasis is put on . . . victory that there isn’t much room left for those God is holding on to with a strong arm, but who may know little of the joy of full assurance of faith and the satisfaction of growth in grace and obedience—at least in this life. . . They limp through life barely able to remember the truth or connect the mighty doctrines of the faith to their struggles in a way that would calm their fears and quiet their hearts. . .They cling to God desperately, but without ever feeling an assurance of his presence or an ability to rest in the love that surrounds them. . .I am convinced that these precious saints are among those Christ died for and are in their own way heroes of the faith, clinging to God in spite of the weakness of their faltering faith. They are the bruised reeds that we must not break and the smoldering wicks that our triumphalism would so easily extinguish. . .Can you imagine the surprise and delight on their faces to find themselves in heaven after all? On earth they could barely hope that the promises of eternal life were true and that God had actually saved them, and they never felt the joy of it during their lifetime. But once they get to heaven it will all change, and I imagine that they will perhaps spend the first millennium or two in heaven surprised and delighted simply to be there.

Barbara R. Duguid, Extravagant Grace: God’s Glory Displayed in Our Weakness, pp. 150–152.

Oh, friends, if you recognize yourself as one of these “bruised reeds,” I hope you will draw some comfort from these words. He created your soul and wired your mind with unimaginable specificity; He has sovereignly allotted the strength of faith you will have, the things that will cut you to the heart or batter your conscience, the emotions you can’t even explain to yourself. This isn’t the last word about what He might accomplish in your life through sanctification, but it is always true that His grace is sufficient for your most particular weaknesses.