Whether Working or Waiting

I wanted to post two items that have been highlighted to me this week.

1. I have found the words of John Murray, quoted by C.J. at Next 2010 (and here), to encourage, humble my heart, and motivate me in my endeavors, as well as call my soul to praise the Lord. I want to keep them in front of me:

The more persistenly active we are in working, the more persuaded we may be that all the energizing grace and power is of God.

2. Mark Altrogge's post on Why It's Good to Wait For God is also water to my soul. I am especially thankful to be reminded that as God calls me to wait on him,

He helps us to treasure him above the things we are waiting for. He teaches us to find our contentment in him. He is our portion, not anything in this world. Only Jesus can truly satisfy us. No person or thing we wait for can satisfy us like Christ.

How wonderful to have all I need, and ever will need, right here in this moment in Christ. As I look to the future and as I look at the present, I find that there is no joy in either, apart from Christ. Just as heaven would be nothing to me if all the blessings of God were there but He was not (which I think is an impossible scenario anyway), my life here on earth is empty without the presence of my God.

The greatest blessing God gives is his presence. - Charles Spurgeon (more of his
quote here).

Whether working or waiting, all points to Christ.

photo: Hamburg, Germany 2007 - city of Arche Church

quote

Mere Christianity,

pages 132-133:

On the whole, God's love for us is a much safer subject to think about than our love for Him. Nobody can always have devout feelings: and even if we could, feelings are not what God principally cares about. Christian Love, either towards God or towards man, is an affair of the will. If we are trying to do His will we are obeying the commandment, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.' He will give us feelings of love if He pleases. We cannot create them for ourselves, and we must not demand them as a right. But the great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not. It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference; and, therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him. (emphasis mine)

We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

Because God works we work. (John Murray)

Side note: has anyone else ever gotten their hair stuck on a fly strip? What about your arm? yeah...it happened to me this evening. A garage is a silly place to have a fly strip, don't you think? ;-)

photo: Cinque Terre, Italy 2007