Welcome to The Week In Words, where we share quotes from the last week’s reading. If something you read this past week inspired you, caused you to laugh, cry, think, dream, or just resonated with you in some way, please share it with us, attributing it to its source, which can be a book, newspaper, blog, Facebook — anything that you read. More information is here.
Here are some that ministered to me this past week:
From Counterintuitive Words of Comfort for the Hurting at Wendy Alsup’s Practical Theology for Women:
I am beginning to see that the primary point of long periods of silence by God during our earthly sorrows and suffering is that we show His worthiness of our belief and trust based fully on who He is and not on what things He gives us. Satan can’t believe we would trust God just based on His character and not on the blessings on earth He gives us. That’s Satan’s taunt–“They only worship you because you are good to them. They’d never worship you if you didn’t answer their prayers and take care of them like they expect.”
From a booklet titled Selfishness: From Loving Yourself to Loving Your Neighbor by Lou Priolo:
Thine own will is a corrupt and sinful will, and therefore unfit to be thy governor: What! Wilt thou choose an unjust, a wicked, an unmerciful governor that is inclined to do evil?…To prefer self will before the will of God, is, as the Jews, to prefer a murderer, Barabbas, before the Lord of life…When God is content to be your governor, prefer not such foolish sinners as yourself before Him ~ Richard Baxter, The Practical Works of Richard Baxter, Vol. 3, pp 400-401.
Very convicting and eye-opening.
And from p. 16 of the same booklet:
We are so selfish — that is, our love of self is so strong — that a love much stronger than our own is required to overpower it.
If you’ve read anything that particularly spoke to you that you’d like to share, please either list it in the comments below or write a post on your blog and then put the link to that post (not your general blog link) in Mr. Linky below. I do ask that only family-friendly quotes be included. I hope you’ll visit some of the other participants as well and glean some great thoughts to ponder.
And please do comment even if you don’t have quotes to share!
Stray Thoughts 
Pingback: WiW: Chosen Days, Sleep-filled Nights « bekahcubed
Hi Barbara,
“Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received – only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.” St. Francis of Assisi
Sally
“show His worthiness of our belief and trust based fully on who He is and not on what things He gives us”
Excellent. A battle we all have to wage when we get greedy for his gifts more than eager for his company.
Both Lou Priolo quotes are very convicting. Sounds like something I need to read…
Whoa…that bit about God’s silence is powerful indeed. I will hold on to it for those quiet times. Thank you!
Hi, Barbara!
Thanks for hosting this meme; I’m excited to participate today! 🙂
I especially appreciated the first quote you shared, particularly because just today over lunch, my oldest son and I were talking about God’s character. So much of life’s problems dissolve into mist when I focus more intently on who He is! Thanks for the reminder!
The Baxter quote is powerful.
I love that last one–love of self is such a huge issue that we all (I especially?) wrestle with. That quote reminds me of I John 4:19 “We love Him because He first loved us.” It is only His love for us that enables us to overcome our love for self and to love and worship the One who is truly worthy of all our devotion.
Pingback: What’s On Your Nightstand: April « Stray Thoughts