Nuggets of Wisdom

It's been a while since I've shared some of these little nuggets I glean during my reading and study time. I'll start with a quote and then follow it with my own commentary of what I gleaned from the passage.

"Failure to do exactly what God asks, regardless of how strange or incomplete

His instructions may seem, shows that we don’t trust Him. 

It shows we don’t believe that He is God and knows what’s best. 

When we don’t do what God tells us to do,

we are saying that we don’t think He is wise enough or capable enough 

to handle our situations." 

~ Priscilla Shirer, He Speaks to Me: Preparing to Hear the Voice of God.  

Um, wow! Just wow! I recently heard Chuck Swindoll teaching on Abraham being asked to sacrifice Isaac. Now there is a great example of strange instruction from God. This beloved and long awaited son was now to be sacrificed. It really didn't make any sense. God didn't tell Abraham what was going to happen. Hebrews 11:17 gives us a clue about Abraham's quick obedience. Abraham knew God's promise and by faith followed those instructions not knowing how God would keep His promise, but Abraham trusted God.

"You and I were not designed to be whom others expect us to be, 

or even want us to be.

We were created to become all that God planned for us to be."

-- and --

"God had established Eve’s worth as His child and the crown of His creation. 

He also gave Eve every woman’s desire: intimacy, beauty, security, significance, 

and purpose. Yet Satan conjured up feelings of insecurity by getting Eve 

to take her eyes off what she had and focus on what she didn’t have." 

~ Renee Swope, The 7-Day Doubt Diet.

Okay, there are two different quotes here from the same book. I just started reading this short little book which is a companion to one I've already read which is called A Confident Heart by Renee Swope. The first quote is simply a great reminder that God didn't make any mistakes when He created us AND we should not strive to live up to other people's expectations, particularly if those expectations are contrary to God's principles. God has a plan for each of us! The second quote is closely related to the first. We should find our worth in God and not in others. Satan (our Enemy) WILL try to make us feel inferior, insecure, doubt, and he will discourage us.

"In the lifelong process of discovering what true love is, 

God's steadfast love holds us up. He will never leave us or forsake us

along the way. And the more we experience and live in his love, 

the more we'll be free to love like him— with no strings attached, 

without demanding compliance or running away, and… without hypocrisy." 

~ Tim Clinton & Pat Springle,  Break Through: When to Give In, How to Push Back. The Moment that Changes Everything.

I've said this before on this blog but it is definitely worth repeating. Until we begin to understand God's love for us first, it's difficult to truly love others the way we should.