What are some means and Biblical thought patterns and examples to reflect upon when we are in our dark valley of life or mirey pit of clay? How can we keep it together being mindful of God's Words and workings in redemptive history, when all seems lost or vanquished around us? Or when we have some great affliction, obstacle, or suffering to deal with? Having an eternal perspective helps sometimes, but sometimes we can geniunely get discouraged in this life.

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Ryan
1689 London Baptist Confession

Maybe this sermon can help?

Paul Washer - "You Are Dearly Loved By God"
http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/m....php?lid=12831

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Taylor Otwell
Considering Membership -- Oak Cliff Baptist Church
Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA

Did we ever hear any cry out on their deathbed that they have been too holy, that they have prayed too much, or walked with God too much? – Thomas Watson, The Godly Man’s Picture

I just remember that I'm living in a temporary prison camp.
Temporary, because I've noticed that only our planes are flying overhead lately.

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David Cronkhite, Elder
Pasadena United Reformed Church

"I count myself one of the number of those
who write as they learn, and learn as they write."

Ryan,
I have had to defend my own level of despair lately on a couple of occasions. I have been genuinely sad for all the right reasons. I have so much broken heartedness for my unsaved daughters. To watch them waste so much ability and potential and to reject my values and worse, God's values is excruciating. It saps my strength, it's changed my countenance, it's cast me down.

Some people, wanting to help, have suggested I go see a doctor for my 'depression'. I don't have depression. I am sad, I am grieving deeply for my loved ones, I KNOW why I'm sad.

Ryan, the book of Psalms contains the full spectrum of human emotion from elation and joy to sadness and fear to actually wanting to kill someone and NOT in a nice way. To be honest, I've felt all those emotions in the last 3 days.

My point is this, sadness and short seasons of despondency are not pathological responses to life - they are normal. God uses a downcast soul to transform us as much as he uses a time of jubilant worship. We are becoming like Christ, we are taking on a family resemblance to our Father. Christ learned obedience through suffering. You will not, you can not, make it through sanctification without suffering.

We get discouraged because things didn't turn out according to OUR plan. We thought it was a godly enough plan, but never the less, God's plan will take us through valleys we wouldn't even want to imagine.

We are not promised that it won't frighten, that it won't scare, that it won't cripple us. We only know that God will be with us and never turn his back on us.

We get so caught up in 'what is fair' as if we were the best judge of fairness. I have been knocked down many times, I have been weary of living, I have had my most precious commodities stripped away, but I know I deserved every hardship. I also know that I have a redeemer and that all things are possible with and through Him. Where else can we put our hope?

In the worst of times, the desert experiences, I know that God's holds all the cards and I have no choice but surrender and fall on Him. In the best of times, I gladly run to his fortress and everything seems to fall in place and make perfect sense.

Bottom line, the dark valley and the miry clay are God's plan "A", the only plan that he willed for you from the beginning. You and I are right in the middle of it. God is giving us his full attention. If anything, you may be wishing He would go fine tune someone else for a while, but this is His perfect will for you right now.

I'm praying for you Ryan. Let's share our joys and let's commiserate in our pain; this is the magnificent spiritual journey of God's own children.

Exodus 6:7 I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

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Bob Vigneault (Bawb Vēēn-yo)
I just know there's got to be a pony in here somewhere!

The Heartbeat of Heaven (blog) MySpace (Music), MySpace (Personal)
Member of Christ Presbyterian Church, Janesville, WI OPC www.christ-opc.org

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Puritanhead;

When I go through these times I am reminded of God being the potter and I the clay, and there are times He must break me in order to remake more into His image.

Do you keep a prayer journal? Or just a journal? Where you write things down that God is doing in your life?

I know it helps me as I go back later and read through it when I am really down trodden to see a written reminder of all God has done in my own life and how far He has brought me over the years.

I write a lot when I am hurting inside or have a heavy heart about various things, and God will remind me of a verse so I add that in, and include what God teaches me and how it applies to the situation. Or if I have a specific prayer, I write it in there as well, there have been many times I have written down a prayer then forgot about the prayer, then when I am struggling through something later and go back to my journal and read it...I can see how God is using the situation I am going through right then..as a direct answer to the prayer I wrote down...I also find that many times the answer is not the one I wanted..but it is the one God is providing to bring about HIS best for my life.

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Bobbi Clark
Covenant Member
Pinewood Pres. (PCA) Middleburg

When I kept Silent, My bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Psalm 32:3

All I know is that I'm doing it wrong.

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My name is Davis. I am the Lord's.

I gather with saints at Bethel Presbyterian Church here in Lake Charles, LA, where I live.

[b][SIZE="3"]"[/SIZE][/b][COLOR="RoyalBlue"]I dwell in the high and holy place, also with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones[/COLOR].[b][SIZE="3"]"[/SIZE][/b] -Our Father, the Lord God (Isaiah 57:15)