Spurgeon’s morning meditation

This was helpful to me today.

“Wait on the Lord.”—Psalm 27:14.

T may seem an easy thing to wait, but it is one of the postures which a Christian soldier learns not without years of teaching. Marching and quick-marching are much easier to God’s warriors than standing still. There are hours of perplexity when the most willing spirit, anxiously desirous to serve the Lord, knows not what part to take. Then what shall it do? Vex itself by despair? Fly back in cowardice, turn to the right hand in fear, or rush forward in presumption? No, but simply wait. Wait in prayer, however. Call upon God, and spread the case before Him; tell Him your difficulty, and plead His promise of aid. In dilemmas between one duty and another, it is sweet to be humble as a child, and wait with simplicity of soul upon the Lord. It is sure to be well with us when we feel and know our own folly, and are heartily willing to be guided by the will of God. But wait in faith. Express your unstaggering confidence in Him; for unfaithful, untrusting waiting, is but an insult to the Lord. Believe that if He keep you tarrying even till midnight, yet He will come at the right time; the vision shall come and shall not tarry. Wait in quiet patience, not rebelling because you are under the affliction, but blessing your God for it. Never murmur against the second cause, as the children of Israel did against Moses; never wish you could go back to the world again, but accept the case as it is, and put it as it stands, simply and with your whole heart, without any self-will, into the hand of your covenant God, saying, “Now, Lord, not my will, but Thine be done. I know not what to do; I am brought to extremities, but I will wait until Thou shalt cleave the floods, or drive back my foes. I will wait, if Thou keep me many a day, for my heart is fixed upon Thee alone, O God, and my spirit waiteth for Thee in the full conviction that Thou wilt yet be my joy and my salvation, my refuge and my strong tower.”

DNC Platform 2008

The Democratic Party has changed their party platform to be even more intolerant of pro-life Democrats. However, in his blog on the recent platform changes, “Christian Left” leader Jim Wallis claims that their move is actually “A Step Forward on Abortion.“

What kind of “forward” are we talking about here? Wallis writes:

Many have been waiting to see their language about abortion for this election season. The 1996 and 2000 Democratic platforms contained a clause that read, “The Democratic Party is a party of inclusion. We respect the individual conscience of each American on this difficult issue, and we welcome all our members to participate at every level of our party.” The draft language of the 2008 platform builds on that clause by supporting two choices that a woman might make–both of which the Democratic Party “strongly supports.”

First, the platform states that the Democratic Party “strongly and unequivocally supports Roe vs. Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.” That traditional position of the Democratic Party was to be expected.

Then the platform says the Democratic Party “also strongly supports access to comprehensive affordable family planning services and age-appropriate sex education which empower people to make informed choices and live healthy lives. We also recognize that such health care and education help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and thereby also reduce the need for abortions.”

Wallis cleverly insinuates that the language respecting “individual conscience” and “inclusion” (and thus allowing for disagreement within the Party on the abortion issue) has simply been added to, instead of being removed entirely. “The draft language of the 2008 platform builds on that clause by supporting two choices that a woman might make–both of which the Democratic Party ’strongly supports’”, he writes, referring to the choice to either abort or keep a child. When did this become a morally equivalent choice?

This platform language does not represent Democrats, it represents the Pit. Wallis is not merely a shill for a political party–he is speaking for the Serpent. May God have mercy on him and his followers, and unmask this deadly foolishness.

Movie review: BELLA (spoilers)

BELLA is a beautiful story about love and family.

Coming in late to work one too many times, waitress Nina finds herself out of a job. She confesses to Jose, the chef at his brother’s restaurant, that she’s pregnant.

Jose responds to Nina’s concerns over her unplanned pregnancy with an apparently nonchalant reply: “Plans change.”

A fidgety reviewer (Ken Fox) expressed his discomfort over the way BELLA approaches complex questions about children and family. He writes:

“Jose affects Nina’s change of heart through a hearty application of guilt and pity, two particularly bad reasons for bringing children into this world.”

Jose understands how plans can change. He is haunted by guilt over a tragic accident that ended his career as a soccer superstar. Pity moves him to reach out to Nina when he hears that she is pregnant. But the movie only starts there. As the story of Jose’s tragic past comes out, the gift of new life offers hope for escape from the past. A family prayer to “the one who made us” underscores this truth.

But before Nina can understand what it is that she carries within her, she must understand life in a context that goes beyond the individualistic world of the city. In Jose’s family, life, love, and laughter join faith and sacrifice to form a strong bond. You can’t understand Jose or any of his family by themselves. They all go together.

In Nina’s world, everyone is separated, and even life is divided into non-conflicting segments. Even sex and love don’t go together. Yet her sad experience of growing up after her father’s death has taught her how important two parents and family love are to a child. She knows she can’t raise her baby on her own. So with uncertainty staring her in the face, she thinks her only option is to “take care of it.”

Jose has to show her that she’s not alone, with a love that refuses to choose winners and losers. Because of his act of love, Nina gets a new start and her child finds a loving family.

I recommend this movie for everyone.