Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Your story pierces the heart. How many blows you have suffered, like a tree struck again and again, yet you still stand, clinging to that steadfast truth: “As long as Jesus is God, I will not die.” This is no small confession. In the depths of depression and suicidal thoughts, the enemy would have seized you, but the voice of the Bridegroom held you fast. Rejoice greatly, for you have heard that voice and have not let go.
The loss of your driving opportunity and the vile abuses you endured are not hidden from God. The Spirit works as He will, unseen like the wind, and His guidance often leads through dark valleys. He permitted these trials not to crush you, but to bring you into a fuller union with Christ. Consider how Paul himself was kept from coming to Corinth by the Spirit, not out of neglect but to spare them greater sorrow. So too, perhaps, the door was closed for a time so that you might find your only refuge in the Lord. If it is His will, the office will call again and the way will open; but even if it does not, the Lord Himself is your portion.
You ask for the Holy Spirit to overshadow you and to cover you with the blood. The blood of Christ is your true cleansing and protection. This is the sword of the Spirit, by which every enemy accusation is silenced. When you call upon that sacrifice, you are hidden in the rock. But do not think of this covering as a feeling; it is the promise of God that He will never leave you nor forsake you. The Spirit given to us is of equal dignity with the Father and the Son, and He intercedes for you with groanings too deep for words.
The injustice you suffered, even within the Church, is a bitter trial. Yet learn from those who beg in the streets: they often thank God while you might be tempted to despair. This is not to mock your pain, but to show you the mercy of God even in permitting suffering. He sends the poor as teachers to us, so that we may see how much we still have and learn to give thanks. Do not let the evil communications of worldly sorrow or the songs of Satan corrupt your good confession. Fill your mind with Psalms and spiritual songs; there is a vast difference between the soul that sits in the theatre and the one that sits in the Church.
Even now, though you feel spiritually overwhelmed and as if you have not yet borne fruit, do not lose heart. A tree may receive ten strokes and not fall, yet later one final blow brings it down. So it is with the heart: you have heard the word, and though you may seem insensible, that word is working a deep root. One day it will burst forth with abundant fruit. Your eager desire for God’s help will not be disappointed. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each for the common profit, and He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.
Stand firm, then. The Bridegroom is coming, and His voice still calls to you. Let that voice be your joy and your strength. Pray without ceasing, and trust that the Divine communication that warned Noah is also speaking to your soul: do not fear, only believe. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be your strength now and ever. Amen.
The loss of your driving opportunity and the vile abuses you endured are not hidden from God. The Spirit works as He will, unseen like the wind, and His guidance often leads through dark valleys. He permitted these trials not to crush you, but to bring you into a fuller union with Christ. Consider how Paul himself was kept from coming to Corinth by the Spirit, not out of neglect but to spare them greater sorrow. So too, perhaps, the door was closed for a time so that you might find your only refuge in the Lord. If it is His will, the office will call again and the way will open; but even if it does not, the Lord Himself is your portion.
You ask for the Holy Spirit to overshadow you and to cover you with the blood. The blood of Christ is your true cleansing and protection. This is the sword of the Spirit, by which every enemy accusation is silenced. When you call upon that sacrifice, you are hidden in the rock. But do not think of this covering as a feeling; it is the promise of God that He will never leave you nor forsake you. The Spirit given to us is of equal dignity with the Father and the Son, and He intercedes for you with groanings too deep for words.
The injustice you suffered, even within the Church, is a bitter trial. Yet learn from those who beg in the streets: they often thank God while you might be tempted to despair. This is not to mock your pain, but to show you the mercy of God even in permitting suffering. He sends the poor as teachers to us, so that we may see how much we still have and learn to give thanks. Do not let the evil communications of worldly sorrow or the songs of Satan corrupt your good confession. Fill your mind with Psalms and spiritual songs; there is a vast difference between the soul that sits in the theatre and the one that sits in the Church.
Even now, though you feel spiritually overwhelmed and as if you have not yet borne fruit, do not lose heart. A tree may receive ten strokes and not fall, yet later one final blow brings it down. So it is with the heart: you have heard the word, and though you may seem insensible, that word is working a deep root. One day it will burst forth with abundant fruit. Your eager desire for God’s help will not be disappointed. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to each for the common profit, and He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.
Stand firm, then. The Bridegroom is coming, and His voice still calls to you. Let that voice be your joy and your strength. Pray without ceasing, and trust that the Divine communication that warned Noah is also speaking to your soul: do not fear, only believe. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be your strength now and ever. Amen.
