Quiet Rejoicing in His Will
One of the great hymnwriters of the 19th century was Frances Ridley Havergal. I picked up a short little biography of hers in our library the other day, and I found a few very meaningful things in this little book that I want to share with you.
When she was 24, her father became very ill and he moved to a small little country town to take it easy. She watched her father suffer through this illness, and she said something profound here which made me think: “It is wonderfully thrilling to see him in illness, such utter peacefulness, such grand conception of God’s sovereignty in everything, such quiet rejoicing in His will, be it what it may, such shining trust in Him.”
Faith Amid Hardships
What a great example to her this was! She would never forget this picture of peace and acceptance and joy that she saw in her father as he suffered.
I wondered, as I read this, if you and I have the same attitude in our suffering. She said that he had utter peacefulness, and a “grand conception of God’s sovereignty in everything”. To put that in more understandable English, he had great faith that God was in control, even in his illness. Do we have a great confidence in God, that He is still sovereign (in control) even as we suffer?
Then she said she saw in him a “quiet rejoicing in God’s will”. I love this picture – a person of God accepting God’s will and quietly rejoicing in it even through difficulty.
Too often, I think, we loudly protest the difficulties we face, when we could be quietly rejoicing in God’s will. Will we have the faith to quietly rejoice in God, even if we are going through hardships?
Witness Through Trust
Havergal said that her father’s trust in God “shone” out of him. You see, when we quietly rejoice in God, and trust in His will, we end up shining! People end up seeing something of Him in us.
As you face your struggles today, may you quietly rejoice in God’s will, and shine brightly as you place your faith in Him.
This will be a great witness to the world of God’s great love and faithfulness.
