I left Regina at 7:30am Nov. 23 and up until now I have been doing a lot of deep thinking. During the 12 hour plane ride from Toronto to Tel Aviv I read a book called, "The Pursuit of God" by A.W. Tozer. I tried my best despite my exhaustion to digest what I was reading and I know that I will have to read it again a few times to allow it to really sink in and marinate into my mind and heart. At the moment I want to reflect on a few quotes that touched me deeply and helped me to settle some things in my heart and mind.
"The way to deeper knowledge of God is through the lonely valleys of soul poverty and abnegation of all things. The blessed ones who possess the kingdom are they who have repudiated every external thing and have rooted from their hearts all sense of possessing." (Pg. 23)
I own nothing truly in this world. Everything is the Lord's and I must surrender all to Him. Clinging tightly to the created does not bring me closer to my Creator.
"We are often hindered from giving up our treasures to the Lord out of fear for their safety. This is especially true when those treasures are loved relatives and friends. But we need have no such fears. Our Lord came not to destroy but to save. Everything is safe which we commit to Him, and nothing is really safe which is not so committed." (Pg. 28)
There have been numerous situations recently in which people I have been close to have walked away from the Lord and it has been a struggle to commit them to Him and let go of the burden I had been carrying to save them myself. Also relationships that I had put a lot of hope in were weighing me down because I had clinged so closely to them, thinking that I needed them for some security or identity, which I also required to let go and commit to God. These people I still treasure and pray for even though I cannot be close with them. They are in my Lord's loving hands, which is the safest place for them to be and I need not be afraid.
"Every soul belongs to God and exists by His pleasure. God being who and what He is, and we being who and what we are, the only thinkable relation between us is one of full Lordship on His part and complete submission on ours. We owe Him every honour that is in our power to give Him. Our everlasting grief lies in giving Him any less." (Pg. 96)
I want to honour the Lord with everything I am and in everything I think, say, and do. Making the tough decisions to deny myself daily is only the beginning.
Please Father above,
For the glory of Your Name, give me the strength and the will to do what is right.
Amen.
"The way to deeper knowledge of God is through the lonely valleys of soul poverty and abnegation of all things. The blessed ones who possess the kingdom are they who have repudiated every external thing and have rooted from their hearts all sense of possessing." (Pg. 23)
I own nothing truly in this world. Everything is the Lord's and I must surrender all to Him. Clinging tightly to the created does not bring me closer to my Creator.
"We are often hindered from giving up our treasures to the Lord out of fear for their safety. This is especially true when those treasures are loved relatives and friends. But we need have no such fears. Our Lord came not to destroy but to save. Everything is safe which we commit to Him, and nothing is really safe which is not so committed." (Pg. 28)
There have been numerous situations recently in which people I have been close to have walked away from the Lord and it has been a struggle to commit them to Him and let go of the burden I had been carrying to save them myself. Also relationships that I had put a lot of hope in were weighing me down because I had clinged so closely to them, thinking that I needed them for some security or identity, which I also required to let go and commit to God. These people I still treasure and pray for even though I cannot be close with them. They are in my Lord's loving hands, which is the safest place for them to be and I need not be afraid.
"Every soul belongs to God and exists by His pleasure. God being who and what He is, and we being who and what we are, the only thinkable relation between us is one of full Lordship on His part and complete submission on ours. We owe Him every honour that is in our power to give Him. Our everlasting grief lies in giving Him any less." (Pg. 96)
I want to honour the Lord with everything I am and in everything I think, say, and do. Making the tough decisions to deny myself daily is only the beginning.
Please Father above,
For the glory of Your Name, give me the strength and the will to do what is right.
Amen.
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