source
ON HONORING GOD WITH OUR TONGUE DURING TIMES OF EMOTIONAL PAIN:
"Not one of us is immune to the wounds received when living in this fallen world. And though it ought not to be in our homes, the reality is that sometimes it just is.
Some of us protect ourselves by putting a hard shell around our hearts. Others withdraw, keeping a safe distance from anyone who might lash out and hurt their tender souls. Or sometimes we fight back, returning meanness for meanness in an attempt to turn away the flood of negativity, giving them just what they deserve for hurting us so.
We end up feeling as ugly as we sound, or bound up and cold hearted; unable to pour on people the extravagant affection that makes a woman truly beautiful...
Sometimes it takes herculean effort to pull yourself away from the pain of hurt feelings. The only possible way to do so is to praise God...Just like Ruth, you and I need a Rescuer – someone who will tuck you under His wing and guard your fragile heart. Rather than step in and rescue yourself by fighting back, what might happen if you, like David, chose instead to simply cry out to the Lord and wait? What if, instead of acting out your hurt and anger, you chose to bow low before the Father and honor Him with your tongue?"
-Hespeaksinsilence devo
ON THE PERVASIVE SIN OF FAVORITISM THAT INHIBITS FELLOWSHIP AND OFFENDS GOD;
"There is an evil which I have seen under the sun--one that grows and does not diminish. And it is all the more dangerous because it is done without evil aforethought but, as it were, carelessly and without wrong intent.
It is the evil of giving to them that have and withholding from them that have not. It is the evil of blessing with a loud voice them that are already blessed and letting the unblessed and the outcast lie forgotten...
Our openness to other people may be determined by class favoritism or by lack of comfort...But whatever triggers favoritism violates brotherly/sisterly love."
-Tozer devo
ON AVOIDING APATHY/SPIRITUAL SLEEP;
"Christians who isolate themselves and walk alone, are very liable to grow drowsy. Hold Christian company, and you will be kept wakeful by it, and refreshed and encouraged to make quicker progress in the road to heaven...Let the eye of faith be constantly looking unto him; let your heart be full of him; let your lips speak of his worth. Friend, live near to the cross, and thou wilt not sleep." 3.5
- Spurgeon devo
ON OUR OBSESSION WITH OUR "CALLING" AND HOW OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST RADICALLY SHAPES EVERYTHING;
"We have such a difficult time affirming people's callings into the arts, or medicine, or education, or government, or law, or business, or the home because we don't see those callings directly or specifically affirmed in the scripture and then we assume that God doesn't care about them. We're asking the scripture a question it wasn't meant to answer because scripture assumes people of the scriptures will also have the holy spirit and commune with him to direct specific callings of their lives.
If we get a theology of vocation right, understanding highest calling to commune with God, our common calling as all Christians, and our specific calling as individual believers, it's gonna impact the way we live...
Many of you are probably engaged in work that you don't think matters very much...but have you considered how that work would be transformed if it became a time and place of being aware of God's presence with you? How it would be transformed, lifted up from a secular/mundane/profane profession into a holy calling where God is present? God doesn't do anything that doesn't matter and if He is with you, your work matters.
Your value is in your highest calling: that you're a child of God. How different would your life be if you saw all of life as a communication with God. His voice over you is not declaring disappointment or a desire for you to achieve more, but His voice says 'I am well pleased because you are my beloved child.'"
- Newsong sermon
ON HONORING GOD WITH OUR TONGUE DURING TIMES OF EMOTIONAL PAIN:
Some of us protect ourselves by putting a hard shell around our hearts. Others withdraw, keeping a safe distance from anyone who might lash out and hurt their tender souls. Or sometimes we fight back, returning meanness for meanness in an attempt to turn away the flood of negativity, giving them just what they deserve for hurting us so.
We end up feeling as ugly as we sound, or bound up and cold hearted; unable to pour on people the extravagant affection that makes a woman truly beautiful...
Sometimes it takes herculean effort to pull yourself away from the pain of hurt feelings. The only possible way to do so is to praise God...Just like Ruth, you and I need a Rescuer – someone who will tuck you under His wing and guard your fragile heart. Rather than step in and rescue yourself by fighting back, what might happen if you, like David, chose instead to simply cry out to the Lord and wait? What if, instead of acting out your hurt and anger, you chose to bow low before the Father and honor Him with your tongue?"
-Hespeaksinsilence devo
ON THE PERVASIVE SIN OF FAVORITISM THAT INHIBITS FELLOWSHIP AND OFFENDS GOD;
"There is an evil which I have seen under the sun--one that grows and does not diminish. And it is all the more dangerous because it is done without evil aforethought but, as it were, carelessly and without wrong intent.
It is the evil of giving to them that have and withholding from them that have not. It is the evil of blessing with a loud voice them that are already blessed and letting the unblessed and the outcast lie forgotten...
Our openness to other people may be determined by class favoritism or by lack of comfort...But whatever triggers favoritism violates brotherly/sisterly love."
-Tozer devo
ON AVOIDING APATHY/SPIRITUAL SLEEP;
"Christians who isolate themselves and walk alone, are very liable to grow drowsy. Hold Christian company, and you will be kept wakeful by it, and refreshed and encouraged to make quicker progress in the road to heaven...Let the eye of faith be constantly looking unto him; let your heart be full of him; let your lips speak of his worth. Friend, live near to the cross, and thou wilt not sleep." 3.5
- Spurgeon devo
ON OUR OBSESSION WITH OUR "CALLING" AND HOW OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST RADICALLY SHAPES EVERYTHING;
"We have such a difficult time affirming people's callings into the arts, or medicine, or education, or government, or law, or business, or the home because we don't see those callings directly or specifically affirmed in the scripture and then we assume that God doesn't care about them. We're asking the scripture a question it wasn't meant to answer because scripture assumes people of the scriptures will also have the holy spirit and commune with him to direct specific callings of their lives.
If we get a theology of vocation right, understanding highest calling to commune with God, our common calling as all Christians, and our specific calling as individual believers, it's gonna impact the way we live...
Many of you are probably engaged in work that you don't think matters very much...but have you considered how that work would be transformed if it became a time and place of being aware of God's presence with you? How it would be transformed, lifted up from a secular/mundane/profane profession into a holy calling where God is present? God doesn't do anything that doesn't matter and if He is with you, your work matters.
Your value is in your highest calling: that you're a child of God. How different would your life be if you saw all of life as a communication with God. His voice over you is not declaring disappointment or a desire for you to achieve more, but His voice says 'I am well pleased because you are my beloved child.'"
- Newsong sermon
sidenotes;
tear my gaze from me so i can see You and Your peeople
tear my gaze from me so i can see You and Your peeople
