God’s Gift

Forgiveness, God, Healing 0

We are the children of God, every one of us, and nearly nineteen hundred years ago He gave us the greatest of all the gifts He has, greater even than life.  He gave us hope:  a way back from every mistake we have made, no matter how small or how large, how ugly or how incredibly stupid, or how shameful.  There is no corner of hell secret enough or deep enough for there to be no path back, if we are willing to climb up.  It may be hard, and steep, but there is a light ahead, and freedom.

— Dominic Corde, in A Christmas Secret, by Anne Perry

True Fulfillment

God, Joy, Life 0

How gracious God is; how gentle with His earth-bound children!  Despite my reluctance to follow, little by little He led me deeper into His truth.  How could I know that in committing myself to God’s sovereignty I was embracing the richest love, the purest joys, the truest source of fulfillment the human heart can know?

— Margaret Clarkson, So You’re Single, p. 35

God is Witness

God, Marriage, Peace 0

In the environment of the courtroom, with man-made laws laying wait to render a decree of dissolution of your marriage, keep foremost in your mind, precious one, that the Lord God Himself was witness to the covenant made at your marriage.  You might feel frightened and all alone, but you won’t be.  Just be strong and of good courage.  Do not fear nor be afraid, for the Lord Your God, He is the one who goes with you.  Regardless of the outcome, know for certain that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

— Testimonial in Your Father Knows Best, compiled by Bob and Charlyne Steinkamp

What Faith Sees

God, Joy, Life 0

What does faith see?  For that, we must return, I think, to the moment when we saw by faith for the very first time.  In that moment, we saw differently than we had ever seen before.  We had x-ray vision then.  We were able to see through the things of this world and recognize in them God’s invisible qualities — love, order, patience, enthusiasm — revealed in the world he created for our benefit.  Faith, after all, merely confirms what creation shows us in that first lightning bolt of believing.  We looked at apples, grass, shade and saw provision.  We looked at algebra and saw order.  We looked at our pain and struggles, even our terror, and recognized God’s patience and his amazing gift of free will.

— Patty Kirk, Confessions of an Amateur Believer, p. 55

Little Tests

Forgiveness, God, Life 0

Our life unfolds as if God were showing us a slide show, and each slide is a little test.  God says, “Can you forgive this?”  If the answer is no, God simply moves the slide back for us to view again later.

— Hugh Prather, Spiritual Notes to Myself, p. 18

Generosity

Compassion, God, Gratitude 0

The heart expands not by taking more in, but by giving more away.

We can be generous people because we have been given generous gifts.

We’re greedy because we think there’s a limited supply.

There is an unlimited supply of the things our hearts really long for.

Live with expanding hearts.

— Pastor Ed Allen, December 2, 2007