Stand.

The Desiring God National Conference this year was called STAND. All of the audio and video are available online from the Desiring God website (www.desiringgod.org). Tonight, I got round to start listening to the sessions. I didn't begin with the first, but went to listen to the second which was a question and answer session with John Piper and John Macarthur (2 men who have impacted my life greatly!) It was quite a humorous session in general, but there was so much awesome stuff that came out through their answers; their desires that they had been better dads to their kids and husbands to their wives, the influence of their dads on them, the desire to not give up in ministry, how to keep going through tough times etc. One thing sttod out in particular for me though; John Piper giving one of the reasons for the theme of the conference being STAND, the perseverance of the saints, and the answer came through Piper recounting his own experience of going through a season of depression and being downcast that lasted a couple of years:

"I have spent, goodness knows, how much effort developing a theology of suffering. This conference exists to answer that question. I want to last; I want to stand; I want to get through the discouraging times; I want to help you not be fickle, wishy-washy, drop-out, trade your life away, swap wives, leave jobs, trade churches. I just don't want you to be that way, so I make a conference."- Piper.

I enjoyed this thought, and it energised me. One, to know that other people endure discouraging times, which I seem to be enduring at present. And two, that there is an answer in holding on to our theology of God's sovereignty in the midst of evil and trouble, and that He is still on His throne!