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God is Good

I recently wrote this in my journal and thought I’d share it on my blog:

Friday 5th March 2021

It has been a week or two of good news: a minister being brought through brain surgery; an engagement after a long period of singleness; a baptism; and two pregnancy announcements. These pieces of good news always seem to come together. And I can say to them/of them ‘God has been good’. He has been good to these people, but what I don’t voice is the selfish thought ‘God has been good to them; when will he be good to me?’ But I have just thought, God’s goodness in blessing others with things I want or other good things doesn’t mean he isn’t good to me.

The prophet Nahum said ‘The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him’ (Nahum 1.7). God is always good. He changes not, so his attributes do not change either. He is good to us whether we walk in a path of trouble and sorrow or a path of joy. He is good to us whether he has granted our desire or whether he still keeps us waiting for it. He is good to us, even though he is holy and just and we are so sinful and undeserving. God is good, in the good, the bad and the ugly.

Paul writes ‘And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose’ (Romans 8.28). So whether we feel the goodness of God or Satan causes us to doubt his goodness, if we are one of his children, all that we pass through is for our good because God is good.

Ryland wrote a beautiful hymn, one couplet of which is as follows:

‘I must have all things, and abound,
While God is God to me.’

Hymn 247, Gadsby’s Hymn Book

What thoughts could flow from there!

I have also thought of the time when Moses talked with God in Exodus 33. Moses desired to know God’s presence with him and Israel as a sign that they had found grace in his sight. God promised his presence and rest to Moses. Then Moses said ‘I beseech thee, shew me thy glory’. He desired to see God’s glory. The Lord answered ‘I will make all my goodness to pass before thee’. His glory was so great that Moses could not be allowed to see it or he would die. But he would see his back parts; he would be allowed to see part of his glory. God’s glory is his goodness; that is where his goodness is found. If we can only see a part of God’s goodness on earth, and we are favoured to do so, how great must his goodness be! And it is out of that goodness, the abundance of his grace, that he is good to us, whatever our circumstances.

I was going to post this right after I wrote it, but I am glad that I waited until now. After not the best start to the week, it is good to remind myself of these truths.

With love,

Hannah

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What I read in 2020

If you walked into my bedroom, you would immediately realise that I love books. I have two bookcases and they are both full of books that I have collected from various sources over the years. You would think that I had also read many books, but unfortunately I have only read a smallish portion of the ones on my shelves. That needs to change and I hope to share more about that in another post.

Today I want to look back at what I have read this year:

Remembered Mercies Recorded – The Life of Mr George Rose

At the beginning of the year, I was still reading Remembered Mercies from 2019. Mr George Rose was a Strict Baptist minister during the 1900’s and his autobiography forms the first part of this book. This was published when he was 79 years old. After his death, Mr Graham Chewter added a record of his life after his own writings finished.

Mr Rose was brought up in the Midlands, where he was converted as a young man and became a minister. He moved around the country several times during his life, becoming pastor at chapels in Cranbrook (Kent), Croydon (Surrey) and Nateby (Lancashire). He married twice and ended his days in West Sussex. This moving account of his life details many of the Lord’s dealings with him both spiritually and providentially. I found it inspiring and fascinating and would definitely recommend it. There are also a number of his sermons at the end, although I haven’t read these yet.

It is published by it and can be bought from Gospel Standard Publications.

The Ten Commandments – by Thomas Watson

The second book I read this year was The Ten Commandments by the puritan Thomas Watson. This is the second book in the series of three containing Watson’s exposition of the Westminster Shorter Catechism which he gave to the Westminster Assembly. It is in question and answer format, like a catechism. After an excellent introduction, each commandment is addressed, followed by two sections on The Law and Sin and The Way of Salvation. I would like to go back and read those sections though. I was impressed by the simplicity of Watson’s writing, the lessons he drew out of Scripture and the analogies he employed from everyday life to illustrate Scriptural principles. I have to confess, I haven’t read the last two sections. I read this book over a long period of time and so I was ready to move on to another book by the time I had finished it. I would like to go back and complete it one day though.

The Ten Commandments is published in hardback by Banner of Truth.

Devoted to God – Blueprints for Sanctification by Sinclair Ferguson

I had seen this book either talked about or advertised in several places last year, so I decided to take the plunge and get myself a copy. I am only halfway through it, but I’m enjoying it so far. Ferguson goes through ten different passages in the Bible and writes about different aspects of sanctification. Although this is not a practical book, reading it will shape our Christian walk by helping us understand the theology of holiness. I remember being a little disappointed when I found out that it wasn’t a practical book, but in today’s age of self-help guides, even in the Christian world, I think this is actually what we need – a look at the what and why of the doctrine of holiness, rather than a look at how.

Devoted to God is published by Banner of Truth.

All three of these books can be bought from Christian Bookshop Ossett, a small bookshop in Yorkshire devoted to selling free grace books. (I do not receive anything by mentioning this bookshop!).

As per usual, I have dabbled in many books this year, as my mood directs me. (You might have already guessed that I’m not very good at finishing books :D). I have enjoyed a few helpful excerpts from Elisabeth Elliot in her book Keep a Quite Heart. I’m also currently reading This Life I Live by Rory Feek. I was cautious about reading this one, but have been pleasantly surprised – he has certainly packed a punch on various topics he has covered and lessons he has learned in his life. Books I’ve dipped into about other interests include Home Management – Plain and Simple by Kim Brenneman and Self Sufficiency by John Seymour. Perhaps I will write more about these interests in the coming months.

I was going to include the books I want to read in 2021 here, but I think I’ll save that for another post. Please do let me know what books you’ve enjoyed this year in the comments section and feel free to ask questions about what I’ve read – I’d love to hear from you!

Wishing you a very Happy New Year and the Lord’s blessing in 2021.

With love,

Hannah

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The Creation of Woman

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Womanhood today usually looks far different from the way God intended women to be. Feminism is a big movement today, pushed to the front of the headlines by BBC and even evident in the churches. It is often difficult to tell from a distance whether a person is male or female! Young Christian women need to understand how God created them as a woman and how He wants them to live as result. I want to spend some time looking at the foundational truths of womanhood and apply them to our lives as 21st century women. Continue reading “The Creation of Woman” →

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Welcome!

Hello friends, and welcome to my first blog post! I hope that you will find this space inspiring, encouraging, convicting, but most of all that it will spur you on to live for God’s honour and glory. We were made in His image and for His enjoyment, and our chief desire in all things should be to ‘enjoy Him and glorify Him forever’ (Westminster Shorter Catechism).

Recently I feel the Lord has laid on my heart a zeal to teach others about God’s design for women and how He wants us to live, as revealed to us in His word, the Bible. This includes how we should dress, how we should behave in society, in our relationships with others, including men, and how we should view our lives.

I believe that young Christian women, especially in the UK, lack solid biblical teaching in these areas, and so it is my desire to teach and encourage others in this area.

However, I don’t claim to know everything about these topics, or to be perfect or better than anybody else – I’m not! I am a sinner saved by grace alone, and I daily need God’s grace in order to be able to walk according to His will and worthy of my calling. I am still learning as I read God’s word and He teaches me through it.

I want you to understand the importance of modesty and how to make that happen in your daily life. Therefore, as well as writing on the topic, I want to do a weekly outfit inspiration post to help you out, and would also like to share some modest clothes I have found recently in ordinary shops (yes, I know it can be a challenge at times!)

I would love to hear from you in the comments section – your comments and questions are welcome, and I will do my best to answer. This is a place for edification though, so please, keep the comments space positive! I am willing to hear from you by email too, if you’d rather not be visible, so please drop me a line at the Contact page above.

With love,

Hannah