During bookshelf tidying this book "floated" up to the surface. It came to me in April '08, so says a note I made inside the front cover.
Briefly ... because I want to take a housework break and look at this, here are the rules:
1. Realise that God means for you to be where you are. (uh...bummer)
2. Be more concerned for God's glory then your relief.
3. Acknowledge your enemy, but keep your eyes on the Lord.
4. Pray
5. Stay calm and confident, and give God time to work.
6. When unsure, take the next logical step by faith.
7. Envision God's enveloping presence.
8. Trust God to deliver in His own unique way.
9. View your current crisis as a faith builder for the future.
10. Don't forget to praise Him.
Wonder why faith in God is so important ... I mean, my faith doesn't empower him in any way. Doesn't He just do what He wants to anyway? May want to think about that some ... .
Some quotes from this book ...
That which, like the sea, threatens to drown you, shall be a highway for your escape.
~Charles Spurgeon
You made a way through the sea and paths through the deep waters, but your footprints were not seen.
Ps. 77:19
"He knows the way He taketh," even if for a moment we do not. ~J.I. Packer
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,
And He delights in his way.
Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the Lord upholds him. Ps. 37:23-24
He has promised never to leave you or forsake you, never to forget, never to abandon. His love never ceases, and His care never dims. ~ Morgan (the author)
Our natural instinct is to ask:
How did I get into this mess and how can I get out?
How quickly can I solve this problem?
Why did this have to happen to me?
These are natural questions, but they may be the wrong ones to ask. ... The next time you are overwhelmed, instead of asking, "How can I get out of this mess?" try asking, "How can God be glorified in this situation?" One's perspective is entirely changed by the spiritual realities behind that approach. ~Morgan
The great tyrant has not forgotten you, and he designs your capture and re-enslavement.
~Charles Spurgeon
(This statement reminds me of an excellent very short book by C.S.Lewis ... Screwtape Letters)
Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
James 4: 7-8
Every time we resist the slightest temptation, we honor God. ~Morgan
Oh! I haven't seen this wonderful quote ... I guess since '08, but I paraphrased it in the margin of another of my books ... I like it.
"Faith is to pray, what the feather is to the arrow; it feathers the arrow of prayer, and makes it fly swifter, and pierce the throne of grace." ~ Thomas WatsonIn times of great difficulty and great expectation, it is our wisdom to keep our spirits calm, quiet, and sedate; for then we are in the best frame both to do our own work, and the work of God.
~Matthew Henry
I have found that if we go as far as we can,
God often opens up the rest of the way. ~Isobel Kuhn
Our main business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to see what lies clearly at hand.
~ Sir William Osler
I look before me and you're there,
then up ahead and you're there too -
your reassuring presence coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful-
I can't take it all in!
Ps. 139:5-6 The Message
I will never leave you or forsake you. ~Heb 13:5
The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations. ~2 Peter 2:9
God marks across some of our days, "Will explain later." ~ Vance Havner
Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this." ~ John 13:7
Wash your face every morning in a bath of praise. ~ Charles Spurgeon
Good little book ...
So ... faith ... what's that verse? Something like: Faith is the evidence of things not seen, yet believed. ...better go find it so I don't botch it ... might be important! Oops ... not quite!
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ~Hebrew 11:1
Faith allows me to believe God ... first that there is a God, then on to a relationship from there. This is interesting to think about. Faith pilots me into a relationship with the "unseen" ... hmmm. So ... lunch time is over, but at least I have something interesting to think about while I swab the decks!
Oh! Too funny, I really do need to note this here while I remember. In recent posts, I've been thinking about us as ... houses under construction. So, I really am back to house work and I openned the front door of my home to sweep out the foyer and front porch ... it seems like tiny bits of dirt just walk in on their own! I picked up the mat and started shaking it out ... well, I shoulda said it is a beautiful sunny day here. This morning when I carried out the trash I noticed a light wind from the NE on the ground, but the clouds were moving due South ... moved briskly by a wind from the N ... super pleasant day after yesterday's storminess. Okay ... so I was wondering "Where's the wind coming from now?", like I always do ... no movement on the rose bush ... not a ripple to be seen anywhere. So now, I am shaking the mat and ... clouds of powdery dust start flying out of it (and float quite nicely due South). The dirt blowing away evidenced the wind. It shook out from the mat and then was blown perpendicular. I could see the unseen because it was carrying the dirt away ... !
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