A look at the life of Charles Simeon

Ok, so most of you know I have been listening to John Pipers messages on missionary biographies. They are extremely helpful to me. It is neat to see the lives of men and women who have struggled, suffered, and fought for Christ. It is easy, when listening to a message about them, to see the things in their lives that enabled them to be able to accomplish so much for Christ, and to see the areas in my life I need to change. Last night I listened to one about Charles Simeon. I hardly knew anything about him, but he was a man who suffered through an incredible amount of things and yet he never once complained. In fact he said, when he read the account of Simeon carrying Christs cross for Him, "What a word of instruction was here! What a blessed hint for my encouragement! To have the cross laid upon me, that I might bear it after Jesus- What a privilege! It was enough. Now I could leap and sing for joy, as one whom Jesus was honoring with a participation of His sufferings" Wow! What a way to look at trials! Charles Simeon had an incredible walk with God. He would get up at 4 in the morning every day, light his fire, and then spend the next 4 hours of his day in private prayer and the devotional study of the scriptures. He was so alone with God, so much, that he came to know that whatever else was going on in the world, he and God, together, would make it. One of the other amazing things about Charles Simeon's life was that he was so aware of the filthiness of his sin. He had no fear of turning up every sin in his life and looking upon it with great grief and hatred, because he had such a vision of Christs sufficiency that this would always result in deeper cleansing and adoration. He said "You often feel that your prayers scarcely reach the ceiling; but, oh, get into this humble spirit by considering how good the Lord is and how evil you are and then prayer will mount up on the wings of faith to heaven. The sigh, the groan of the broken heart, will soon go through the ceiling to heaven, aye, to the very bosom of God" This man really knew God! He understood to the fullest extent his own unworthiness and at the same time, Gods worthiness! If you guys ever have any extra free time that you don't know what to do with, I would really encourage you to go to http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Biographies/ and listen to any of the messages there. You can listen to the message as well as read along...which has been helpful for me. The David Brainerd and George Mueller ones are my personal favorites so far. I am putting the link to the website on the blog under the "LINKS" section, as well, for later use.

Trying to remember you all in prayer,
In awe of Him,
Chrystal