Quotes-February 2015
This month I have found just a bit more time to read and reflect. In fact, I have started a bible study I found online at Thrive Connection on the book of Revelation. It has been a nice change to settle on one book and just soak up what God has to teach me through His word. I am only halfway through but a constant theme besides worship that I am seeing is the need to have patient endurance. The bible study is by LaWanda Neel and is found here. Here are two of my favorite quotes so far.
From Week Two Day Four: “The church and believer often shine brightest in the darkest of places.”
From Week Four Day Five: “The depth of our worship depends on the depth of our understanding of God and His purpose.”
It seems most of my quotes this month have to do with endurance in one way or another. The first comes from Jon Bloom in his guest post here at A Holy Experience.
“God is calling you not to indulgence but endurance.”
In Pearl in the Sand p. 54 by Tessa Afshar, Joshua gives these words of wisdom about the battle ahead to his men.
“Let me tell you something, every one of you. Human wisdom won’t win us these battles. It will be God alone, as it has been since the day Moses led us out of the bondage of Egypt. We aren’t called to be men of war as other nations understand warfare. We are called to be a people of faith. Our shield is God’s law. Our sword is His Word. He is our strong tower and He alone will give us victory. Otherwise we might as well dig our graves now. “
A reminder of why we should choose to endure and grow from Bittersweet p. 233 by Shauna Niequist.
“Sometimes in the moments of the most searing pain, we think we don’t have a choice. But we do. It’s in those moments that we make the most important choice: grow or give up. It’s easy to want to give up under the weight of what we’re carrying. It seems sometimes like the only possible choice. But there’s always, always, always another choice, and transformation is waiting for us beyond that choice. This is what I know: God can make something beautiful out of anything, out of darkness and trash and broken bones. He can shine light into even the blackest night, and he leaves glimpses of hope all around us.”
Words on hard times from How People Change by Timothy S. Lane and Paul David Tripp
p. 131 When we are in the middle of Heat, you haven’t somehow gotten yourself outside of the circle of God’s love and care. God is simply taking you where you do not want to go to produce in you what you could not achieve on your own.”
p.134 Suffering is meant to wake us up from spiritual complacency. It is God’s workroom, where he sculpts into his image. Thus, it is time for action, discipline, and perseverance. It is a time to experience in new ways all of the truths we have professed are our hope.”
Thanks for dropping in to see what I have been learning. For me, these posts are way for me to go back and remember what God has been teaching me. Hope one of these quotes helped you too. What has God been teaching you this month?
Dear God, Help me in each circumstance to trust and obey. May I seek you in the good times and bad. When suffering or hard times come, may I endure and grow in grace. May my life glorify you. Amen.