i'm perfectly content being that slightly messy girl who always has a coffee in her hand and her nose in a book, who is moderately obsessed with people like c.s. lewis, francis chan, and john piper, but wholly and completely obsessed with her husband, Jesus Christ, by His grace and for His glory.
my heart is wrapped up in the beautiful, perfect, inexpressible love that He has for me (1john4:10) that I may live through Him.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Anytime we make a judgment call on another, we are obviously lacking in the understanding of our own decrepitness and God’s intense grace.
When we gawk over God’s magnificent love for us while ignoring the ultimate goal of His love- His Name and glory- we are really worshipping the love of self rather than the love of God.
“Some diversion is doubtless lawful; but for Christians to spend so much of their time, so many long evenings, in no other conversation than that which tends to divert and amuse, if nothing worse, if a sinful way of spending time, and tends to poverty of soul…” -Jonathan Edwards, On Knowing Christ
Much needed.
“… and now in these last days hath sent his own Son into the world, to be his great prophet, to teach us divine truth… God hath given us a book of divine instructions, which contains the sum of divinity. Now, these things hath God done, not only for ht instruction of ministers and men of learning; but for the instruction of all men, of all sorts, learned and unlearned, men, women, and children.” (Jonathan Edwards on Knowing Christ)
India= 400+ languages, 125 New Testament translations.
this is why the Scriptures must be translated.
That awkward moment when you reluctantly hug your ex-boyfriend and accidentally stain his white shirt with your red lipstick right before his new girlfriend walks in the room…
I always imagined myself (you know, when you’re 10-13 years old and imagining your future, cooler self) being so much more attractive by the time I turned 20.
… hah.
Rainy Copenhagen, Denmark
(via Julie Grath)
Sin belittles the glory of God.
Blandina
“dreaded that she would not be able to witness a good confession, because of the weakness of her body. Blandina was endued with so much fortitude, that those who successively tortured her from morning to night were quite worn out with fatigue, owned themselves conquered and exhausted of their whole apparatus of tortures, and were amazed to see her still breathing whilst her body was torn and laid open. The blessed woman recovered fresh vigor in the act of confession; and it was an evident annihilation of all her pains to say, ‘I am a Christian, and no evil is committed among us.’ she hastened to undergo (sufferings) herself, rejoicing and triumphing in her exit, as if invited to a marriage supper, not to be exposed to the wild beasts. After she had endured stripes, the tearing of the beasts, and the red-hot iron chair, she was enclosed in a net, and thrown to a bull; having been tossed some time by the animal, and proving quite superior to her pains, through the influence of hope… at length breathed out her soul.” -Deny Yourself, Steve Gallagher
God give us grace.
Taking
three 430+ level English classes this semester was not the smartest idea.
I almost skipped chapel today.
But I felt the issue was deeper than me wanting some time alone, and I felt the Holy Spirit tugging, so I went.
And it was so good that I did.
The speaker spoke on exactly what God’s been teaching me this whole past summer- that absolutely everything reduces to a very simple, overlooked action: trusting God.
So simple it’s cliche, really. But not trusting “in” God or trusting “that” God will do such and such, but simply and genuinely trusting God.
Through various situations that need not be explained, this summer I was reduced to, at one point, lying in my bed, crying, and asking God, “Why?” Why is it like this? Why hasn’t this particular thing happened? Why is it taking so long? Etc.
Lying there, wallowing in self-pity (disgusting, I know), I heard Him whisper so terribly gently, “Do you trust Me?”
Now, what He was not saying was “Do you trust me to do this thing for you in My perfect timing?”, though that may sound good. What He was saying was, “Do you trust me enough to know that whether this ever comes, whether it never ever comes, or whether it comes then I take it away… Do you trust Me enough to know that it is for My glory?”
Did I trust Him enough to know that He is good, no matter what.
If He doesn’t “pull through”; If He doesn’t provide; If He doesn’t reconcile; If He lets that person die; If He doens’t heal me; If He isn’t faithful to my soul; Basically, If He doesn’t act the way that I expect Him to act, will I still trust?
Because ultimately, life is not about getting that job, marrying that man, saving up for retirement, or anything else that we think it is. And ultimately, this life is not aboutus. Shocking, I know. It’s not about our happiness or comfort, but it is solely and simply about His glory. He is glorified in us when we are overwhelmingly, overflowingly satisfied and contented in Him and in Him alone.
That is why we must not expect Him to provide us: money, relationships, comfort, safety, food, or anything else. Those things, though definitely “blessings” do not even compare to the blessing that the “poor in spirit” are promised: The Kingdom of Heaven. Eternal Life. And, as Jesus says, “this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Or, even as Paul says, “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).
Which comes exactly to my point: When we forget ourselves (and everything that goes along with that), focus on God (His glory, His name, His beauty), and intimately trust and know Him, we have no other choice but to rejoice.
Something not quite explainable, somewhat mystical, happens when we break that threshold holding us back and trust Him. We are filled with a joy, a peace, a quietness, a love that is so powerful it threatens to destroy us, but altogether too beautiful to release.
We were not called to wait on God in crying and despair until He answers our prayers. We were called to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” And “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4;7).
And this transcendent intermingling among trusting God, the Glory of God, and being filled with incomprehensible peace and joy, which I believe must be experienced before any articulation will be understood, is exactly the life we are not only called to live, but freed to live in. Life in the Spirit.
And I believe it is precisely what Paul means when he says,
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).
”The man who has God for his treasure has all things in One. Many ordinary treasures may be denied him, or if he is allowed to have them, the enjoyment of them will be so tempered that they will never be necessary to his happiness. Or if he must see them go, one after one, he will scarcely feel a sense of loss, for having the Source of all things he has in One all satisfaction, all pleasure, all delight. Whatever he may lose he has actually lost nothing, for he now has it all in One, and he has it purely, legitimately and forever.” - A.W. Tozer
