It has been almost a month since my last post. Time goes by quickly. However it happens I stay busy with this or that. We got our Christmas cards out so most who receive this will have that. Sorry we didn't get a picture of the whole family to you. I have my Christmas shopping done following this morning's outing to downtown Holland. We look forward to all the family being with us Christmas Day.
Now for a couple readings that caught my attention in the last few weeks which I believe will be of interest or helpful to you. The first is from a classic work on The Sovereignty of God by AW Pink a Christian theologian and author of the early twentieth century. It was listed by one web site as one of ten must reads for all pastors. I have been reading through it as part of my centering prayer time.
"Prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude - an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God. Prayer is a confession of creature weakness, yea of helplessness. Prayer is the acknowledgement of our need and the spreading of it before God... Prayer is both an attitude and an act, a human act, and yet there is the Divine element in it too, and it is this which makes an exhaustive analysis impossible as well as impious to attempt... Prayer is the very opposite of dictating to God...the one who really prays is submissive, submissive to the Divine will; and submission to the Divine will means, that we are content for the Lord to supply our need according to the dictates of His own sovereign pleasure. And hence it is that we say, every prayer that is offered to God in this spirit is sure of meeting with an answer of response from Him."
The second quote is from The Spiritual Formation Bible and related to Malachi 3:1-4 which was part of the lectionary Bible readings for the second week of Advent or was it the first I don't recall. It is a quote from Teresa of Avila a Catholic sister of the middle ages (that's my guess at her time frame).
"God's appeals come through the conversations of good people, or from sermons, or through reading of good books (like the above Sovereignty of God); and there are many other ways...in which God calls. Or they come through sicknesses and trials (some who receive this are going through these), or by means of truths which God teaches us at times when we are engaged in prayer; however feeble such prayers may be, God values them highly. You must not despise this first favor, nor be disconsolate, even though you have not responded immediately to the Lord's call; for his majesty is quite prepared to wait for many days, and even years, especially when he sees we are persevering and have good desires."
I pray God's presence and care for you as you reflect on and apply the above thoughts to your soul and daily living. Truly I celebrate "Emmanuel" God with us. May your Christmas celebration finds its foundation in that great truth and reality.
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