A
Steadfast
HEART
E X P E R I E N C I N G G O D ’ S C O M F O R T I N L I F E ’ S S T O R M S
Elyse
FITZPATRICK
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© 2006 by Elyse Fitzpatrick
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—except for brief quotations for the purpose of review or comment, without the prior permission of the publisher, P&R Publishing Company, P.O. Box 817, Phillipsburg, New Jersey 08865-0817.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD
BIBLE®. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked (esv) are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copy-right © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (amp) are from the AMPLIFIED BIBLE. Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org.
Scripture quotations marked (tlb) are from THE LIVING BIBLE. Copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved.
“Christ Shares His People’s Sorrows” by Faith Cook from Grace in Winter: Rutherford in Verse . Copyright © 1989 by Banner of Truth Trust, Carlisle, Pa. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“No Scar” by Amy Carmichael from Toward Jerusalem . ©1997 by Dohnavur Fellowship, and published by CLC Publications, Fort Washington, PA. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
“God Reigns in the Storm” and “Be Still and Know” written by Steve and Vikki Cook. Copyright 2006 by Before the Throne Music (ASCAP). Taken from the CD “Before the Throne” by Steve and Vikki Cook. For more information on this recording or the ministry of Steve and Vikki Cook please visit www.BeforeTheThroneMusic.com. Before the Throne Music was created to provide cross-centered songs for churches and worshipers..
Page design and typesetting by Lakeside Design Plus
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Fitzpatrick, Elyse, 1950–
A steadfast heart : experiencing God’s comfort in life’s storms / Elyse Fitzpatrick.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN-10: 0-87552-747-7 (paper)
ISBN-13: 978-0-87552-747-5 (paper)
1. Bible. O.T. Psalm LVII—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title BS1450 57th .F58 2006
248.8'6—dc22
2006043287
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Contents
Acknowledgments 7
Before You Read This Book 9
Introduction 15
1. Our Cry in the Storm 25
2. His Forsaken Son 39
3. His Suffering Saints 53
4. He Comforts His Children 69
5. His Purpose Fulfilled 89
6. Our Hearts Grow Strong 105
7. My Whole Heart Sings! 119
8. Be Exalted, O God! 137
Notes 153
5
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Introduction
A Steadfast Heart:
Experiencing God’s Comfort in Life’s Storms
W hat is it about that title that intrigues or interests you?
Do you wonder what it means to have a steadfast heart?
Do you question whether your heart is steadfast or not? Although discovering what a steadfast heart looks like might be your moti-vation in picking up this book, I’m supposing that other readers are vitally interested in how to experience God’s comfort, right here, right now, in the middle of their personal storm. Perhaps you don’t even believe that you can be comforted—it feels like it’s been so long since anything resembling comfort was part of your life that you hope you’ll be able to glimpse God’s face somewhere in this dark and gloomy tempest. Or perhaps you believe that God is comforting you but want to know more about what He’s up to. So,
Sharon Kleve, Jennifer Conner, Danica Winters, Casey Dawes