Commanded to Hope

I am sorry that it has been so long since I have posted. I was afflicted with Asthma a couple weeks ago, was gloriously improved by being put on Prednisone, was praise God, able to enjoy daughter and Son-in-law's visit while animated by said drug, and am now seriously declined as I come off the meds. I need a Pulmonologist and they are booked up till I don't know when. (I haven't been able to get them to say, I was told that the lady who does the appointments will call me, not the other way around, and that if I am too bad before then, go to the emergency room.) Please pray I am able to get the Asthma under control. My GP doesn't have anything else to offer and he is apparently afraid to keep me on steroids.

Meanwhile, my spirits are reasonably good, though I have that kind of almost creepy resigned peacefulness I associate with feeling unable to breathe well but it's pleasant enough whatever the cause. I am trying to move very slowly and talk little so as not to start myself up with the struggling for air and coughing fits which only make me worse. I am so thrilled and excited that I felt "well" for a week on steroids and that that week in providence coincided with Rj's visit. We didn't "do" much really, but we did have sweet fellowship of the mother daughter sort. Will tell more later, but need to rest now. Please pray I find a Pulmonologist to see me soon.

Picture above is looking down over Boise from Bogus basin road. The quote below from Calvin is just perfect for my heart right now...I want to write it out and meditate upon God's mercy demonstrated in what Calvin says.

"I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know me: behold Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia; this man was born there.

And of Zion it shall be said, This and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish her.

The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah.

As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there: all my springs are in thee." Psalm 87

While unbelievers abound in wealth and flourish in reputation and authority--one sees the poor church subjected to infinite dangers and ills (what is more, one sees her overwhelmed, just like a ship ready to sink):her happiness consists primarily in the eternal state that God has established for her in his kingdom.

The circumstance of the time in which this psalm was written will help us to understand it better. For although the people had then returned from Babylon where they had long been held captive; although the church had been gathered together as in a body, so as to be no longer dispersed as she had been; although the temple had been built and the altar erected to offer the sacrifices, and the whole divine service had been restored; nevertheless, because only a handful of people had returned to the holy land, in comparison with the great multitude that left it, and because what was left of them decreased daily, because of the attacks and assaults of enemies, so that the condition of this people was very contemptible; and also because the temples did not have such majesty as before; all this made it very hard for the faithful to expect good from the time to come; and furthermore, it seemed impossible for them ever to be restored to the estate, to the state from which they had fallen.

Therefore, as they bought to mind their defeat and undoing, and thought on all the ills by which they were continually burdened, the danger existed that they might be overwhelmed and finally fall into despair and give way altogether. So, the goal of the Psalm is to comfort them, lest they be disheartened in their afflictions. To do this, God not only promises them that they shall recover what they lost, but he commands them to hope for much more; namely an incomparable glory, as he had also promised them by his prophet Haggai (2:1), that the majesty of the second temple would be greater than that of the first one.

God meant for this comfort to have such power and import for the faithful of that time, that it would not only be able to raise them up again so they would not be cast down by so many ills, but that it might even be able to draw them back out of the sepulchre, so to speak, and lift them right up to Heaven. Now since we know about the things predicted about those times have been fulfilled, we have very little grace, if the experience of the ancient fathers, joined together with the promises of God, are not enough to confirm our faith and double it.

Calvin's exposition on Psalm 87