Lessons in the Struggle

I recently read Losing God by Matt Rogers. It is a book about his four year struggle with depression and he did a good job of sharing the reality of the struggle. Having recently spent so much time in Romans I found it interesting that much of his struggle was with Romans nine and the doctrine of predestination. He found some good friends who came along side of him in the struggle and he is now a pastor with a very real understanding of the struggles of his people.

He shared a couple of pretty profound thoughts:

"...one of the most important lessons of the dark night, that peace with God, as with love for Him, is more than a feeling...it is a condition that we who have believed find ourselves in: the war is over."

"Emotions are a gift, but I learned in the dark night that we must be careful of the conclusions we let them draw for us."

"You have no idea five or ten years down the road how you will view the circumstances you are under right now. Hang in there! Do not give up. god is able to walk you through the darkness, and He is worth going through it."

and he included a great quote from Tozer on the mystery of election:

"God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination and the divine sovereignty. the best and safest way to deal with these truths is to raise our eyes to God and in deepest reverence say, 'O Lord, Thou knowest.' Those things belong to the deep and mysterious profound of God's omniscience. Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints.