Today’s Quote (10/24/08)

Derek Thomas, What is Providence?: Providence has wider issues in mind than merely our personal comfort or gain. In response to the oft-cited question in times of difficulty, “Why me?” the answer that the narrative [of Joseph’s life] gives is, “Them!” He allows us to suffer so that others may be blessed.

Today’s Quote (10/23/08)

Steve Lawson, Made in Our Image: In governing the universe, God controls all occurrences, events, and actions. It may seem to some people that this world is out of control — but such is not the case. Tragedies come; trials buffet us; the unexpected occurs. Yet, despite outward appearances, God fully controls all events and […]

Today’s Quote (10/21/08)

A. W. Pink: Nothing is too great and nothing is too small to commit into the hands of the Lord. (HT: CQOD)

Today’s Quote (10/20/08)

John Newton (in a letter to a young, prospective pastor): If it be the Lord’s will to bring you to this ministry, he has already appointed your place and service; and though you know it not at present, you shall at the proper time. If you had the talents of an angel, you could do […]

Sunday Leftovers (10/19/08)

When the founder of the Navigators, Dawson Trotman, died in a boating accident a generation ago (after being thrown from the boat, he held up two young women until they were saved, before perishing himself), there was disbelief and grief among all those who were present. Yet when a close friend broke the news to […]

Today’s Quote (10/19/08)

Amy Carmichael: And shall I pray to change Thy will, my Father, until it accord to mine? But no, Lord, no; that shall never be. Rather, I pray Thee blend my human will with Thine. (HT: John MacArthur)

Today’s Quote (10/18/08)

Edmund Clowney: Too many Christians still live with crossed fingers, sweating out their good luck as a portent of calamity. To see them, you would never guess that God’s good pleasure, and not the goddess of fate, rules human destiny. (HT: CQOD)

Today’s Quote (10/17/08)

John Piper, Desiring God: The purposes of God cannot be frustrated; there is none like God. If a purpose of God came to nought it would imply that there is a power greater than God’s. It would imply that someone could stay his hand when he designs to do a thing. But ‘none can stay […]

Today’s Quote (10/16/08)

H. C. Leupold, Psalms: With God things in this world never get out of hand.

Today’s Quote (10/15/08)

Jerry Bridges, Trusting God: God is in control; He is sovereign. He does whatever pleases Him and determines whether we can do what we have planned. This is the essence of God’s sovereignty; His absolute independence to do as He pleases and His absolute control over the actions of all His creatures. No creature, person, […]

Today’s Quote (10/14/08)

Jerry Bridges, Trusting God: No one can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it (Lamentations 3:37).…God is in control, but in His control He always allows us to experience pain. The pain is very real. We hurt, we suffer. But in the midst of our suffering we muct believe that […]

Sunday Leftovers (10/5/08)

In 1859, Anna Warner published a little-known book entitled Say and Seal in which one of the characters in the story comforted a dying child by singing a song which had been penned by Anna just for that book. Three years later, William Bradbury came across the book and the song and wrote a tune […]

Controlled by God’s love

May I ask a straight-forward question? Why do you do what you do? That is, what is the motive for your actions? What drives you and compels you? Specifically, when you think about how you serve God, can you also determine why you serve God? Some serve God from a sense of “holy ought.” He […]

Today’s Quote (9/23/08)

A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy: The certainty that God is always near us, present in all parts of His world, closer to us than our thoughts, should maintain us in a state of high moral happiness most of the time. But not all the time. It would be less than honest to […]

Sunday Leftovers (9/21/08)

Many thoughts remained in my mind (and in my notes) following yesterday’s sermon. Belief in the omnipresence of God is not new for me. I have thought about it many times. But the significance of God’s continual presence with me (and all men) weighed on me in new and fresh ways this week. What follows […]