Question 1: “What is the chief end of man? Answer: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” Westminster Shorter Catechism
“How many of your plans take an unending future into account?” John Eldredge, The Journey of Desire
“If we really believed that God meant what He said-what should we be like! Dare I really let God be to me all that He says He will be?” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
“I am as sure as I live that nothing is so near to me as God. God is nearer to me than I am to myself; my existence depends on the nearness and the presence of God.” Meister Eckhart
“We act like pagans in a crisis, only one out of a crowd is daring enough to bank his faith in the character of God.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, May 30th-Yes-But…?
“You were placed on earth to know God. Everything else is secondary.” Greg Laurie
“The knowledge of our own poverty brings us to the moral frontier where Jesus Christ works.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
“The way home is not the way back.” Colin Wilson
“Certainty is the mark of the commonsense life-gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, not knowing what tomorrow may bring.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, April 29th-Gracious Uncertainty
“The evidence of conversion is not a decision card filled out, it’s a life being living out.” Paul Washer
“There is nothing easier than getting into a right relationship with God except when it is not God Whom you want, but only what He gives.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
“Jesus wasn’t only concerned about getting you into heaven, He also wanted to get heaven into you.” Sean Curran
“Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord.” J. I. Packer, Knowing God
“I have chosen you” (John 15:16). “Keep that note of greatness in your creed. It is not that you have got God, but that He has got you.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
“I can tell you from personal experience that, at the end of your life, when all is said and done, you’ll never regret being courageous for Christ.”
Luis Palau to Lee Strobel
“When God gives a vision of truth it is never a question of what He will do, but of what we will do.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
“Happy are those whose eyes are never removed from their God.” C. H. Spurgeon, Psalm 25:15 commentary
“Resting in the Lord does not depend on external circumstances at all, but on your relationship to God himself.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot
“If we are unexcited Christians, we should go back and see what is wrong.” Francis Schaeffer, The God Who Is There
“Many of us are loyal to our notions of Jesus Christ, but how many of us are loyal to Him?” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
“To know about God and to know God are two absolutely different things.” A. W. Tozer, Delighting in God
“My worth to God in public is what I am in private.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
“Never mind the scribes—what saith the Scripture?” Martin Luther
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else.” Charles Dickens
“Give me unwavering faith that supplications are never in vain, that if I seem not to obtain my petitions I shall have larger, richer answers, surpassing all that I ask or think.” The Prayer of Love from The Valley of Vision
“Every element of self-reliance must be slain by the power of God. Complete weakness and dependence will always be the occasion for the Spirit of God to manifest His power.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
“True peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God.” Alexander MacLaren
“Young man? Jones asked as he brushed a wisp of white hair from his eyes. ‘What would you think if I told you that, yes, your bad choices and decisions have had a part in your ending up under this pier, but beyond that, under this pier is exactly where you should be in order for a future to occur that you can’t even imagine at this point?'” (p 8) “So, my contention is that you are right where you are supposed to be.” The old man scooped up a double handful of the white sand and let it pour from his fingers. “It may look like barren sand to you, son, but nothing could be further from the truth. I say to you that, as you lay your head down tonight, you are sleeping on fertile ground. Think. Learn. Pray. Plan. Dream. For soon…you will become.” Andy Andrews, The Noticer (p 9)
“There are two things that confound a fool: How slow God is to judge sin and how quickly He shows up.” Steve Wiggins, Groundworks Ministry
“Let your Christianity be so unmistakable, your eye so single, your heart so whole, your walk so straightforward, that all who see you may have no doubt whose you are, and whom you serve.” J. C. Ryle
“There is a correlation between our sense of security and the depth of our understanding of God’s love.” David Jeremiah
“When God gives a vision of truth it is never a question of what He wil do, but of what we will do.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
“Our fundamental problem as Christians is not really obedience. Our problem is keeping our love for Christ fervent, for love makes obedience a delight. A decline in obedience is the outgrowth of a decline in love.” Tony Evans
“Do nothing that you would not like God to see. Say nothing you would not like God to hear. Write nothing you would not like God to read. Go no place where you would not like God to find you. Read no book of which you would not like God to say, ‘Show it to Me.’ Never spend your time in such a way that you would not like to have God say, ‘What are you doing?’” J. C. Ryle
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.” A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy
“My vision of God depends upon the state of my character. Character determines revelation. Before I can say “I saw also the Lord (Isaiah 6:1),” there must be something corresponding to God in my character.” Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
“Let us think of Jesus Christ above all things, underneath all things, outside of all things, and inside of all things. He is above all things but not pushed up. He is beneath all things but not pressed down. He is outside of all things but not excluded, and inside but not confined. He is above all presiding, beneath all upholding, outside of all embracing, and inside of all building.” A. W. Tozer, Delighting in God
“What or whom we worship determines our behaviour.” John Murray
“By affliction He teaches us many precious lessons, which without it we should never learn. By affliction He shows us our emptiness and weakness, draws us to the throne of grace, purifies our affections, weans us from the world, makes us long for heaven.” J. C. Ryle
“Remember, whatever you focus upon, increases.” Andy Andrews, The Noticer
“It is not so much a man’s journey that defines him, but his destination, and David’s destination was God.” A. W. Tozer, Delighting in God
“To the world you may be one person but to one person you may be the world.” Dr. Seuss
“Our problem is that we’ve grown quite used to seeking life in all kinds of things other than God.” John Eldredge, The Journey of Desire
“Unbelief is actually perverted faith, for it puts its faith not in the living God, but in dying men.” A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy
“Keep on being faithful, because God honors faithfulness. Not bigness, but faithfulness. Not the great crowds, not the great set-up, but faithfulness in the place He put you.” Billy Graham
“We have multiplied our possessions but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living but not a life. We’ve added years to life, not life to years.” George Carlin
“The fundamental problem in the evangelical world today is that God rests too inconsequentially upon the church. His truth is too distant, his grace is too ordinary, his judgment is too benign, his gospel is too easy, and his Christ is too common.” David Wells, God in the Wasteland
“If man is not made in the image of God, nothing then stands in the way of inhumanity. There is no good reason why mankind should be perceived as special. Human life is cheapened. We can see this in many of the major issues being debated in our society today.” Francis Schaeffer
“There is nothing more ugly than a Christian orthodoxy without understanding or without compassion.” Francis Schaeffer, The God Who Is There
“Get into the habit of saying, ‘Speak, Lord,’ and life will become a romance.” Oswald Chambers
Opportunities don’t present themselves in ideal circumstances. If you wait for all the lights to turn green, you will never leave your driveway. John Maxwell
“A person is known by the passion that drives him day after day through thick and thin.” A. W. Tozer, Delighting in God
“You made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless till they rest in You.” Augustine
“Every man is in tension until he finds a satisfactory answer to the problem of who he himself is.” Francis Schaeffer, The God Who is There
“When I understand that everything happening to me is to make me more Christlike, it resolves a great deal of anxiety.” A. W. Tozer
“Do you fear trouble? Don’t! Better to be with God in trouble than to be without trouble and without God.” David Jeremiah
“The personality of the artist leaks through their work. God included. He reveals himself through nature, as the Scriptures testify.” John Eldredge (Beautiful Outlaw)
“We do not so much search the Word of God as the Word of God searches us.” Barry Black, US Senate Chaplain
“I have observed one thing among true Christians in their differences in many countries: What divides and severs true Christian groups and Christians – what leaves a bitterness that can last for 20, 30, 40 years (or for 50 or 60 years in a son’s or daughter’s memory) – is not the issue of doctrine or belief that caused the differences in the first place. Invariably, it is a lack of love – and the bitter things that are said by true Christians in the midst of differences.” Francis Schaeffer, The Mark of the Christian
“The call of God is not just for a select few but for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends on my spiritual condition.” Oswald Chambers
“God is most glorified in us when we are most satifisfied in Him.” John Piper, Desiring God
“No work of art is more important than the Christian’s life, and every Christian is called to be an artist in this sense… The Christian’s life is to be a thing of truth and also a thing of beauty in the midst of a lost and despairing world.” Francis Schaeffer
“The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God.” A. W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy
On worship: “For many, Christianity has become the grinding out of general doctrinal laws from collections of biblical facts. But childlike wonder and awe have died. The scenery and poetry and music of the majesty of God have dried up like a forgotten peach at the back of the refrigerator.” John Piper, Desiring God
“Never interpret God’s love by your circumstances, but always interpret your circumstances by His love.” C.H. Mackintosh
“It’s time that you take a close look at your God concept. Your God concept is what you think about God and how you feel about Him. These beliefs and feelings become a type of filter in your brain. Inevitably you will not live with the facts of your life but the interpretation of the facts of your life.” Paul Marc Goulet
”There was no identity crisis in the life of Jesus Christ. He knew who He was, He knew where He had come from, and why He was here. And He knew where He was going. And when you are that liberated, then you can serve.” Howard Hendricks
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is.” Albert Einstein
“Do you perceive mere coincidence, or do you discern the hand of God?” Oswald Chambers
“God has no problems, only plans.” Corrie ten Boom
“But if I obey Jesus Christ in the seemingly random circumstances of life, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God.” Oswald Chambers
“In friendship…we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another…the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting–any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,” can truly say to every group of Christian friends, “Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.” The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.” C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
“People break down into two groups. When they experience something lucky, group number one sees it as more than luck, more than coincidence. They see it as a sign, evidence, that there is someone up there, watching out for them. Group number two sees it as just pure luck. Just a happy turn of chance. I’m sure the people in group number two are looking at those fourteen lights in a very suspicious way. For them, the situation is a fifty-fifty. Could be bad, could be good. But deep down, they feel that whatever happens, they’re on their own. And that fills them with fear. Yeah, there are those people. But there’s a whole lot of people in group number one. When they see those fourteen lights, they’re looking at a miracle. And deep down, they feel that whatever’s going to happen, there will be someone there to help them. And that fills them with hope.” Graham Hess (Mel Gibson), Signs, the movie
“I have found comfort to be a possible thorn in the side of revelation.” Dr. Alan Shapiro (Paul Giamatti), Morgan, the movie
“If we are growing we are always going to be outside our comfort zone.” John Maxwell
“Before we can pray, ‘Thy Kingdom come,’ we must be willing to pray, ‘My kingdom go.'” Alan Redpath
“These walls are funny. First you hate ‘em, then you get used to ‘em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That’s institutionalized.” Red (Morgan Freeman), The Shawshank Redemption, the movie
“Every man dies, not every man really lives.” William Wallace (Mel Gibson), Braveheart, the movie
“You must therefore live in the present, as far as possible like you will live in the future.” N.T. Wright
“A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose, a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve.” John Maxwell
“I gotta keep breathing. Because tomorrow the sun will rise. Who knows what the tide could bring?” Chuck Nolan (Tom Hanks), Cast Away, the movie
“A Native American elder told his grandson about two wolves who live in every heart. One is Evil—anger, jealousy, pride—and the other is Good—joy, love, peace, humility. The grandson asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?” The elder replied, ‘The one you feed.’ ” David Jeremiah (devotional)
“Please, Lord, help me get one more.” Desmond Doss, Hacksaw Ridge, the movie
From Justice League, the movie: The Flash, “It’s really cool you guys seem ready to do battle and stuff, but I’ve never done battle. I’ve just pushed some people and run away!” Batman, “Save one.” The Flash, “What?” Batman, “Save one.” The Flash, “And then?” Batman, “Then you’ll know.”
“God brings us into straits that He may bring us to our knees.” Matthew Henry (Red Sea Rules by Robert J. Morgan, p44)
“It’s easy to love and trust God when life is good, but when things fall apart is when you find out what we truly believe.” Cory Asbury, Reckless Love (the devotional)
“It’s not about success. It’s about signficance.” Tim Tebow
“The only Christian you want to listen to is the one who gives you more of a hunger for God.” A. W. Tozer
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie ten Boom
“There are no coincidences in our life, only God’s providence.” Greg Laurie
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
“The significance of a truth is judged in part by whether over time it has transforming power in very different circumstances.” John Piper, Desiring God
“He said there were two kinds of Christians: those who sincerely believe in God and those who, just as sincerely, believe that they believe. You can tell them apart by their actions in decisive moments.” Richard Wurmbrand, In God’s Underground
“Now there is Talitha Ruth (daughter), whose motto at fifteen is “a girl should get so lost in God that a guy has to seek Him to find her.” John Piper, Desiring God
“You can choose what fills you, or society will do it for you. Choose well.” Paul Marc Goulet
God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.
St. Augustine
Nothing in or of this world measures up to the simple pleasure of experiencing the presence of God.
A. W. Tozer
God is near to lowliness; He loves the lost, the neglected, the unseemly, the excluded, the weak and broken.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, in His presence daily live.
Judson W. Van DeVenter
Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God. Bob Pierce
When we downplay our sin, we also diminish our understanding of grace. The more clearly we see our guilt, the more deeply we grasp what it cost Jesus to forgive us. Choose This Day (Following Christ as a military operator), Military Chaplain Collective, YouVersion devotional
May God grant us a desire for God that supersedes all other desires.
A. W. Tozer
It is better to be faithful than famous.
Theodore Roosevelt
Real hope isn’t that everything gets fixed. It’s that the things that don’t get fixed don’t define you. They don’t separate you from God’s love or His presence. Kyle Winkler
Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man’s power ends. George Muller
Here’s what “setting your heart on things above” actually looks like for a regular guy: it means your identity comes from Jesus, not your job performance. It means your hobbies serve relationships instead of replacing them. It means you lead by serving instead of positioning. It means you hold your stuff loosely instead of letting it hold you tightly. Pain to Peace, YouVersion devotional, Bobby Bressman, grief bites.org
If you are a Christian, you are not a citizen of this world trying to get to heaven; you are a citizen of heaven making your way through this world.
Vance Havner
Anything we think may qualify us in our own right to achieve great things for God is usually the very thing God will strip away, so that we learn to lean into His strength alone. YouVersion devotional, Nehemiah: Rebuilding and Renewal by Kathleen Nielson
I know that Jesus is real because I know the difference between me with Him and me without Him. Anonymous
The glory of God seemed to overcome me and swallow me up, and every conceivable suffering…seemed to shrink to nothing before it.
Jonathan Edwards
We also have lost from Christianity—almost all together—what used to be called “religious fear”…and along with our loss of religious fear has come a corresponding flippancy and familiarity toward God that our fathers never knew.
A. W. Tozer
When you believe in nothing greater than your own righteousness, the only thing left is to destroy those who challenge your certainty. William Bennett
When people come up and give me a compliment…I take each remark as if it were a flower. At the end of each day I lift up the bouquet…and say, “Here you are, Lord.”
Corrie Ten Boom
Influence rooted in humility is influence that lasts. Ready for Action, YouVersion devotional by Impactus
Everything that happens to us—even our failures and confessed sins—will somehow work for God in His timing. Thank the Lord for all your experiences, which He weaves into a tapestry of usefulness. Dr. David Jeremiah
In prayer, it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.
John Bunyan
The great tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer.
F. B. Meyer
Sometimes God calms the storm. Sometimes He calms the child. Max Lucado
If God sends us on stony paths, He will provide us with strong shoes.
Alexander MacLaren
We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.
Charles Swindoll
Sometimes, we get so focused on getting back to where we were that we miss where God might be taking us. Your current circumstances, no matter how difficult, are not the end of your story. The God who brought beauty from ashes in Scripture is still in the business of redemption and new beginnings. Resilience Reset, YouVersion Devotional, by (Bobby Bressman) www.Griefbites.org
God has placed you where you are on purpose, for a purpose. What a Man Looks Like, YouVersion Devotional by Immanuel Baptist Church
It is true that we endure trials, but it is just as true that we are delivered out of them.
Charles Spurgeon
Forgiveness is to be set loose from sins.
G. Campbell Morgan
Good works are the fruit of saving faith. R. B. Kuiper
Those who trust in God should never view any season of life as unproductive; even the last stage…. God has a purpose for you to fulfill each day of your life.
Dr. John Dunlop
The surest mark of true conversion is humility.
J. C. Ryle
Pride of gifts robs us of God’s blessing in the use of them. William Gurnall
The Gospel isn’t for the self-sufficient. It’s for the broken. You are not disqualified by your weakness. The truth is, you’re already weak. We all are. That’s why we need Jesus. What a Man Looks Like, YouVersion Devotional by Immanuel Baptist Church
The lesson we take away from the moral failures of Solomon is that it is better to have a heart wholly devoted to God, than to simply have a head full of knowledge about God. Paul Boutan
Never let a hurried lifestyle disturb the relationship of abiding in Him.
Oswald Chambers
Contentment is an embracing of the providence of God.
George Seevers
You’re never too old to do the Lord’s work. Wales Goebel
We must rejoice in God when we have nothing else to rejoice in. Matthew Henry
Let’s keep our chins up and our knees down—we’re on the victory side! Alan Redpath
There is no holiness without a warfare. J. C. Ryle
God doesn’t want you to be sin-conscious. He wants you to be SON-conscious. Kyle Winkler
Conformity to the world can be overcome by nothing but conformity to Jesus.
Andrew Murray
Philosophy and religion may reform, but only the Bible can transform.
Brian H. Edwards
How many by the wind of popular breath have been blown to hell!
Thomas Watson
A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living. Timothy Keller
If we only think in terms of our time here on earth, our suffering can loom very large. But if we remember that we are eternal beings, saved by Jesus, and destined for Heaven, our current suffering gets right-sized and much more manageable. Overcoming Suffering by Impactus, YouVersion devotional
If knowing Jesus better is a result of suffering, how much suffering are you willing to endure? Overcoming Suffering by Impactus, YouVersion devotional
Any part of the Bible can only be properly explained in reference to the whole Bible. F. F. Bruce
Abounding sin is the terror of the world, but abounding grace is the hope of mankind. A. W. Tozer
The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible. D. L. Moody
God gives each one of us unique gifts, abilities, and passions. How well we use those qualities to have an impact on the world around us determines how “successful” we really are. Tony Dungy
Human disappointment often intensifies divine dependence. Gavin R. Hamms
The person you’re becoming is chiseled from the time you refuse to waste. Anthony Fleming
A man’s spiritual health is exactly proportional to his love for God. C. S. Lewis
No pit is so deep that He is not deeper still; with Jesus even in our darkest moments, the best remains and the very best is yet to be. Corrie ten Boom
When you live connected to Him, your creativity becomes more than self-expression—it becomes Kingdom expression. Matt Tommey
“Cast out the temptation to move from loneliness to self-pity. Use your lonely feelings to push you toward someone lonelier than you are. The God who blesses you will make you a blessing!” David Jeremiah
“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength—carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”
Corrie ten Boom
If we find ourselves lacking faith, the answer is not to try harder—it is to draw closer to God and know Him better. Dr. Mark Jones
“If you fall in love with God, it allows you to love people in impossible ways. Jesus showed that over and over in Scripture. He simply loved.” Carlos Whittaker
“Anger is just one letter short of danger.” Unknown
Difficulties make us either better or bitter. Unknown
God’s purposes always have God’s provision. John Blanchard
Faith isn’t about having it all figured out; it’s about choosing to trust God’s truth over your emotions. Matt Tommey
It is not a question of whether God will appear when you are in trouble, but how. David Jeremiah
Contentment is an embracing of the providence of God. George Seevers
Circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God’s plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins. Eric Liddell
Faith, like a muscle, grows by stretching.
A. W. Tozer
“We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” Tim Keller
“You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” John Bunyan
“Are you ruled by a knowledge of God or the revelation of God?” YouVersion devotional
It is not enough to stare up the steps; we must step up the stairs. Vance Havner
Christians are either overcome because of their unbelief or overcomers because of their faith. Warren Wiersbe
If you wish to be disappointed, look at others; if you wish to be disheartened, look at yourself; if you wish to be encouraged, look to Jesus. Anonymous
God must first accomplish something in you before he can accomplish something through you. Wayne Cordeiro
“If you are too busy to pray, you are busier than God wants you to be.” Wanda E. Brunstetter
“The more you see the goodness that comes out of unwanted or unexpected situations, the more you can have enough peace during them to stay sensitive to what God is doing. Sometimes, the setbacks are actually setups!” Jennifer Weiss, Holy Spirit Adventures
“How far you can go on your own is a measurable distance. How far God can take you, however, is unfathomable.” David Villa, Arise & Grind vs Arise & Shine, YouVersion devotional
“Sometimes the very things we fear the most are the tools that God will use in our lives to bring us closer to Him.” Greg Laurie
May the certainty of God’s unbridled goodness be settled in you today. May no situation or symptom succeed to change your mind. “God is good, all the time” isn’t just some religious cliche. It’s the truth of all truths that will change your life. Kyle Winkler
It may sound harsh to say, but the number one contributor to spiritual growth is not sermons, books, or small groups; the number one contributor to spiritual growth is difficult circumstances. Kyle Idleman
Each new day is another chapter in the unfolding promise of deliverance and life. Elizabeth George
Wherever God has placed you is a space he wants to use you. Making a difference isn’t measured by a viral post or a name on a building. It isn’t determined by a following or a fan base. Making a difference isn’t dependent on what’s in your bank account or who’s in your contacts. Want to make a difference? Focus on the one. That’s it. That’s the secret of the way of Jesus. One at a time. Kyle Idleman, One at a Time, YouVersion devotional
The delays of God are not meant to discourage our faith but to develop it. Amy Carmichael
God not only orders our steps, He orders our stops. George Muller
How can you make yourself less conspicuous so that others can see God in you more clearly? Mark Batterson, YouVersion devotional, Chase the Lion
God sometimes puts us in the dark to show us he is the light. John Blanchard
Your world isn’t falling apart…God is rebuilding it. John Hoxie
Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last. C. T. Studd
Walking with God is a way of life. It’s something to be learned; our ability to hear God’s voice and discern his word to us grows over time. As Brother Lawrence said it, we “practice the presence of God.” John Eldredge, Waking the Dead
The greatest good suffering can do for me is to increase my capacity for God. Joni Eareckson Tada
“Suffering is unbearable if you aren’t certain that God is for you and with you….suffering is actually at the heart of the Christian story.” Tim Keller
The end goal for every Christian—in every place and time and vocational situation—is to glorify God, to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18), and to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Eph. 4:1). Brett McCracken
Beauty heals, restores, lightens the load. Beauty gives grace where we thought there was none. Gives light in the darkness. Gives hope in the desperate places. Amy Seiffert, Choosing Gratitude, YouVersion devotional
Our gratitude grows as we name it and share it. Amy Seiffert, Choosing Gratitude, YouVersion devotional
God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. C. S. Lewis
God planned our rescue before we even knew we were in trouble. Lisa Beck
The truth of Scripture demolishes speculation. R. C. Sproul
It is a whisper-thin veil that separates the natural from the supernatural, meaning divine activity is all around us. Jack Graham
The Son of God became the Son of Man in order that the sons of men might become the sons of God. Unknown
The condition of an enlightened mind is a surrendered heart. Alan Redpath
Grace, like water, flows to the lowest part. Philip Yancey
Your circumstances may be bad, but your God is still good. He is near, His promises are still true, His love still unconditional, His grace still amazing, His timing still perfect. You may not like the what of what’s going on, but you can still praise God for the who of who He is. YouVersion devotional, Winning the War in Your Mind by Craig Groeschel
“A compromise between right and wrong will always be wrong.” Riley Gaines
There is a certain kind of maturity that can be attained only through the discipline of suffering. D. A. Carson
If God is not sovereign, then God is not God. R. C. Sproul
Christianity is not merely a program of conduct; it is the power of a new life.
Benjamin B. Warfield
If we live with an attitude of prayer, we’re always in His presence. David Jeremiah
In our relationship with God, the level of intimacy is directly related to our level of dedication. Dr. Mark Jones
Whenever we find ourselves worrying, our first action ought to be to get alone with God and worship Him…. We must realize that He is big enough to solve our problems. Warren Wiersbe
Never underestimate the power of time spent with God. Dr. Mark Jones
Every Christian should have a passion to please God. We are to delight in honoring Him. It is our greatest pleasure to please our Redeemer. R. C. Sproul
If Jesus is not enough to motivate you to godly living, you don’t know Jesus. Paul Washer
We sleep in peace in the arms of God when we yield ourselves up to His providence. François Fénelon
The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried. G.K. Chesterton
We exist to exhibit God, to display his glory. We serve as canvases for his brush stroke, papers for his pen, soil for his seeds, glimpses of his image.
Max Lucado
Praise is the best of all sacrifices and the true evidence of godliness. John Calvin
It is a comfort to know that we will not remain as we are, and yet it is sometimes frightening to think of the fires through which we must pass on the narrow way in order to be rid of what God will not tolerate in us. Paul Washer
Because of the love that Jesus first gave to us, we can follow where He leads as we follow how He leads. The Cost of Following: Self or Christ? YouVersion devotional, Thistlebend Discipleship Bible Studies
Millions call themselves by His name, it is true, and pay some token homage to Him, but a simple test will show how little He is really honored among them. Let the average man be put to the proof on the question of who or what is ABOVE, and his true position will be exposed. Let him be forced into making a choice between God and money, between God and men, between God and personal ambition, God and self, God and human love, and God will take second place every time. Those other things will be exalted above. However the man may protest, the proof is in the choice he makes day after day throughout his life. A. W. Tozer
You have a God who hears you, the power of love behind you, the Holy Spirit within you, and all of heaven ahead of you. If you have the Shepherd, you have grace for every sin, direction for every turn, a candle for every corner, and an anchor for every storm. You have everything you need. Max Lucado
Do not despise your weakness, for it leads you to trust in God’s strength. Henry Blackaby
When we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God. Billy Graham
In this forest of fig leaves, where you are never sure you are getting the true person, there is nothing false about Jesus. John Eldredge, Beautiful Outlaw
Persecution is one of the natural consequences of living the Christian life. It is to the Christian what “growing pains” are to the growing child. No pain, no development. No suffering, no glory. No struggle, no victory. No persecution, no reward. Billy Graham
The Word of God is either absolute or obsolete. Vance Havner
God will allow hardship and difficulties in our lives so that He can reveal Himself and put His power and glory on display for those who are watching. Greg Laurie
Love is service rather than sentiment. John R. W. Stott
The health of our souls requires that we take the whole Bible as it stands and let it do its work in us. A. W. Tozer
Lies and false reports are among Satan’s choicest weapons. J. C. Ryle
Who we truly are is revealed in the way we treat people who offer us nothing in return. Edye Thornton
Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value. Albert Einstein
Staying close to the Holy Spirit; He is the source of everything. He is the source of all creativity. God is the source of anything that we create; everything that we do or create or post or write is an outflow of being close to Him. If you’re close to Him, you’re gonna be on mission. If you’re far from Him, that mission is you’re gonna drift from, so stay close to Him, keep your eyes on Him and everything that you need to create will be out of an overflow of that. Ashley Hetherington, Peer Mag interview https://peermag.org/articles/qa-with-ashley-hetherington/
My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Edward Mote
When we fail to trust God, we doubt His sovereignty and question His goodness…. In order to trust God, we must always view our adverse circumstances through the eyes of faith, not of sense. Jerry Bridges
Oh that men would understand that happiness does not depend on outward circumstances, but on the state of the heart. J. C. Ryle
The spiritual development of man is not a human achievement but a work of divine grace. Man deserves no credit whatsoever. Louis Berkhof
the proof or validation of genuine conversion is that the one who professes faith in Christ perseveres in that faith and grows in sanctification throughout the full course of his life. If a person professes faith in Christ and yet falls away or makes no progress in godliness, it does not mean that he has lost his salvation. It reveals that he was never truly converted. Paul Washer
Show respect to people who don’t even deserve it; not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours. Dave Willis
No matter what storm you face, you need to know that God loves you. Franklin Graham
Look unto Jesus even through your tears. Dr. Joseph Parker
Live…daily, a life of dependence on the grace of God. Charles Spurgeon
Day by day, morning by morning, begin your walk with Him in the calm trust that God is at work in everything. Anne Ortlund
To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. C. S. Lewis
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. Lewis B. Smedes
Because of all that Jesus has done, I can look at him and say, “Yes, Lord, I will trust you.” Randy Alcorn
The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety. George Müller
God does not give us everything we want. But He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Christian is not free to please himself but to please God. John Blanchard
Never doubt in the dark what God told you in the light. V. Raymond Edman
Take courage. We walk in the wilderness today and in the Promised Land tomorrow. Dwight L. Moody
The Lord’s goodness surrounds us at every moment. R. W. Barbour
The certainty of our salvation rests on the character of God. F. B. Meyer
The secret to joy is to keep seeking God where we doubt He is. Ann Voskamp
Our response to temptation is an accurate barometer of our love for God. Erwin Lutzer
Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. Albert Einstein.
God’s purposes always have God’s provision. John Blanchard
There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still. Corrie ten Boom
Christ is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways; He is the only way.
A. W. Tozer
God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. C. S. Lewis
I would rather walk with God in the dark than go alone in the light. Mary G. Brainard
Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer. John Bunyan
Even if your father did his job, he can only take you partway. There comes a time when you have to leave all that is familiar and go on into the unknown with God. John Eldredge, Wild at Heart
Start with God, center your life on him, and work outward from there. Our spirituality moves from something that is part of our life to the epicenter of our life — from which all other things flow, and to which all other plans yield. John Eldredge, Resilient
In the products we make, in the way we work, in the impact of our labors on society and on the relationships affected by our work, we are instruments of God’s redeeming work in a broken world. Bryan Chapell
Nothing but faith can comprehend the truth.
Martin Luther
When we come to the end of ourselves, God does His most amazing work. Because when we have nothing left, we finally realize He’s all we need. Matthew Barnett
One reason the church has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the church. Charles Spurgeon
I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. Oswald Chambers
Your life as a Christian should make non-believers question their disbelief in God. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
God always equips us for the work for which He calls us.
Janet Parshall
There is no such thing as a great man of God, only weak, pitiful, faithless men of a great and merciful God. Paul Washer
Sometimes your medicine bottle has on it, “SHAKE WELL BEFORE USING.” This is what God has to do with some of His people…. Shake them well before they are ever usable. Vance Havner
Nothing is as effective in driving people to God as suffering. When you stand in the face of inevitable destruction, your thoughts go straight up. John MacArthur
Jesus is God’s loving solution to our most dangerous storms. Justin Kendrick, YouVersion devotional, How to Quiet a Hurricane
How you spend time is you, who you are. Pastor Corey Brooks
Good and evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of. C. S. Lewis
The only life that counts is the life that costs. Frederick P. Wood
Eternal life does not begin with death; it begins with faith. Samuel Shoemaker
God’s claim of absolute truth is so essential that man’s ideas should never intrude upon it. Steve Ham
Jesus is the way; He knows where to go; He is the truth; He knows what to say; He is the life; He knows who He is—the One who gives us life both abundant and eternal. Anonymous
Fruit is evidence of the root. John Blanchard
We need Jesus like we need oxygen. Like we need water. Like the branch needs the vine. John Eldredge
God is using you according to the way He made you. Kyle Winkler
Beauty heals; beauty contains within it the promise of restoration. John Eldredge, Get Your Life Back
Unless you live in Christ, you are dead to God. Rowland Hill
God is not a betrayer — he does not betray and he has never betrayed me. John Eldredge
Most of us would like to avoid the valleys. But there are some lessons we learn in the valleys that we won’t learn anywhere else. Greg Laurie
But we are saved forgood works, not by good works (Ephesians 2:10). David Jeremiah
We are strangers here. Don’t make yourself at home. Vance Havner
Christianity is not the removal of suffering, but the addition of grace to endure suffering triumphantly. Thomas Watson
The true measure of God’s love is that He loves without measure. Unknown
He who can suppress a moment’s anger may prevent a day of sorrow. Unknown
Nowhere do we imitate God more than in showing mercy. Albert Barnes
One reason the church has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the church. Charles Spurgeon
I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. Oswald Chambers
Our loss of confidence in a Larger Story is the reason we demand immediate gratification. We need a sense of being alive now, for now is all we have. Without a past that was planned for us and a future that waits for us, we are trapped in the present. There’s not enough room for our souls in the present. John Eldredge, The Sacred Romance
Learn to worship God as the God who does wonders, who wishes to prove in you that He can do something supernatural and divine. Andrew Murray
Your life will always move in the direction of your strongest thoughts. So arm your mind and thoughts with life-giving truth! Roxanne Parks, YouVersion devotional, Speaking Life
What if we agreed with our Creator and called ourselves fearfully and wonderfully made? A masterpiece? Roxanne Parks
Health is a good thing; but sickness is far better, if it leads us to God. J. C. Ryle
Do you use your talents to tell the world who you are … or Whose you are? Paul M. Neuberger, C-Suite for Christ, Prepare to Surrender, devotional October 14, 2023
In the heavenly realm, surrender is the beginning of peace. It’s where we end, and Christ begins. We become more Christ-like only as our human part dies away. Paul M. Neuberger, C-Suite for Christ, Prepare to Surrender, devotional October 14, 2023
The only reason we don’t have revival is because we are willing to live without it.
Leonard Ravenhill
A minister or a Christian is what he lives, not what he preaches. John Bevere
Faith brings a man empty to God, that he may be filled with the blessings of God.
John Calvin
I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking God to do His work through me. Hudson Taylor
Suffering is unbearable if you’re not certain God is with you and for you. Tim Keller
Faith does not eliminate questions. But faith knows where to take them.
Elisabeth Elliot
Trust in His unfailing love—love that moved Him to send a Savior from heaven to restore and rescue you. God’s plans for your life will not be thwarted. Louie Giglio
Our hope is not like the rest of the world. Our hope is based on God’s promises. And our God is not just a promise maker, He’s a promise keeper! Tim Tebow
Suffering is rightly called “the school of faith,” for it is only through trouble, difficulties, and setbacks that we are brought to the end of ourselves. The normal human tendency, particularly for strong-willed people, is to rely on our own strength and resources. But when those are not available to us, when everything has failed, when we have to abandon every other hope, we are forced to trust God alone. Charles W. Colson
The world has tried desperately to change our understanding of Jesus. They have tried to strip away His godliness or attack His humanity because it is easier to dismiss Him than encounter Him. Grant Fishback
Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian. A. W. Tozer
It may sound harsh to say, but the number one contributor to spiritual growth is not sermons, books, or small groups; the number one contributor to spiritual growth is difficult circumstances. Kyle Idleman, YouVersion devotional, AHA
Seek for happiness and you will never find it. Seek righteousness and you will discover you are happy.
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The indispensable condition of receiving the kingdom of God is to acknowledge our spiritual poverty. To the poor in spirit, and only to the poor in spirit, the kingdom of God is given.
John Stott
No one is redeemed except through unmerited mercy.
Augustine
Worry is an indication that we think God cannot look after us. Oswald Chambers
But if not for the storm, they (Jesus’s disciples) would never discover the goodness and power and faithfulness of the God who was with them. Without fear, they would never know faith. Without hurt, they would never know hope. In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake: Trusting the God Who Meets Us in Our Storm. YouVersion devotional by Patrick Schwenk and Ruth Schwenk
Hope reminds us that our current reality is not our final reality. In a Boat in the Middle of a Lake: Trusting the God Who Meets Us in Our Storm. YouVersion devotional by Patrick Schwenk and Ruth Schwenk
The meaning of life. The wasted years of life. The poor choices of life. God answers the mess of life with one word: grace.
Max Lucado
Obedience to the revealed will of God is often just as much a step of faith as claiming a promise from God. Jerry Bridges
It is a paradox. I can’t explain it, but…you are never so much your own self as when you are most His. E. Stanley Jones
The purpose of everything in this life is to conform us ultimately to the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:28-29). Dr. David Jeremiah
How you live your life daily is a testimony of what you believe about God.
Henry Blackaby
Our own burdens become lighter when we’ve been carrying the burden of others. Dr. David Jeremiah, Keep the Faith
There is a certain kind of maturity that can be attained only through the discipline of suffering.
D. A. Carson
Christ does not exist in order to make much of us. We exist in order to enjoy making much of Him.
John Piper
Let the mind of the Master be the master of your mind.
Author unknown
ONE's upon my time 