"He would offer his son as God had directed him to do, and then trust God to raise him from the dead. This, says the writer to the Hebrews, was the solution his aching heart found sometime in the dark night, and he rose "early in the morning" to carry out the plan. It is beautiful to see that, while he erred as to God's method, he had correctly sensed the secret of His great heart."
— A.W. Tozer
Source: The Pursuit of God, ch. 2 "The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing"
神,黑暗,光,路
Views: 433
"Looking back, I can see that this was nothing less than the pivotal event of my entire life. Over time my character, values, attitude, priorities, worldview, philosophy, and relationships began to change—for the good. So much so that a few months after I became a follower of Jesus, our five-year-old daughter, Alison—who had previously only known a father who had been profane, angry, verbally harsh, drunken, and all too often absent—walked up to my wife and said, "Mommy, I want God to do for me what he's done for Daddy.""
— Lee Strobel
Source: The Case for Easter (Zondervan, 2003), Conclusion
Situation, Heart
Views: 496
"The main problem every marriage faces is the self-centeredness in both spouse’s hearts. … The solution, however, is the gospel of Christ, for it both humbles us and exalts us at the same time."
— Timothy Keller & Kathy Keller
Source: The Meaning of Marriage: A Couple's Devotional (2019), Introduction
Marriage, forgiveness, grace
Views: 437
"He has wise and gracious ends in permitting them, for a season, to be tossed with tempest, and not comforted. Ere long these designs will be more fully unfolded to us; and we shall be satisfied that he has done all things well. In the mean while it is our duty, and will be much for our comfort, to believe it upon the authority of his word."
— John Newton
Source: John Newton, Letter XIV, "On Temptation," in The Works of the Rev. John Newton, vol. 1 (1844), p. 143
Storm, Rest, Peace
Views: 417
"But you must realize that it isn't ultimately your spouse who is exposing the sinfulness of your heart—it's marriage itself. Marriage does not so much bring you into confrontation with your spouse as confront you with yourself. Marriage shows you a realistic, unflattering picture of who you are and then takes you by the scruff of the neck and forces you to pay attention to it. This may sound discouraging, but it is really the road to liberation."
— Timothy Keller
Source: Timothy Keller with Kathy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage (New York: Dutton, 2011)
Marriage, happiness, change
Views: 473
"Even though God did not aim, in the beginning, for marriages to be miserable, many are. That's what sin does. It makes us treat each other badly. Christ suffered and died to change that. … This kind of love is possible because Christ died for both husband and wife. Their sins are forgiven. Neither needs to make the other suffer for sins. Christ has borne that suffering. Now as two sinful and forgiven people we can return good for evil."
— John Piper
Source: Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die (2006), ch. 35, "To Give Marriage Its Deepest Meaning"
Family, conflict, happiness
Views: 447