Daily Archives: June 11, 2016

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Holding On to Our Hope

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1 Samuel 1:1-18

Hannah’s situation seemed hopeless. She was heartbroken because she was childless, which was a source of disgrace for a Hebrew woman. But Hannah suffered even more because of the deliberate provocation by her husband’s other wife, who was blessed with children.

Holding on to hope can be difficult when miserable circumstances show no signs of improving. For believers, this can be even more discouraging, because they know God could have fulfilled their hopes but hasn’t.

Hannah was a woman of great faith, even in the midst of disappointment and pain. Year after year she kept going to Shiloh to worship the Lord. Perseverance like hers is a quality the Father highly values in His people. Endurance in trials leads to godly character and hope that does not disappoint (Rom. 5:3-5).

Great pain often drives us to God. Hannah had faithfully worshipped Him with all of Israel, but this time she went by herself to the tabernacle and prayed to the only one who could help her. Weeping bitterly, she poured out her soul before the Lord and offered a sacrifice of the very thing she valued most—a child. She laid her hope at His feet and promised that if He fulfilled her desire, she’d give her son to be God’s servant.

Sometimes what we strive to hold can be kept only by surrendering it to God. This applies to our hopes as well as to our very lives (Luke 9:24). Learn from Hannah’s faith, and pour out your heart and hopes before God—He alone can fulfill your desires or change them to match His will.

Bible in a Year: Psalms 1-7

 

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Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread –  Safety Net

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Read: Matthew 5:43–48 | Bible in a Year: Ezra 1–2; John 19:23–42

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48

For years I thought of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7) as a blueprint for human behavior, a standard no one could possibly meet. How could I have missed the true meaning? Jesus spoke these words not to frustrate us, but to tell us what God is like.

Why should we love our enemies? Because our merciful Father causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good. Why store up treasures in heaven? Because the Father lives there and will lavishly reward us. Why live without fear and worry? Because the same God who clothes the lilies and the grass of the field has promised to take care of us. Why pray? If an earthly father gives his son bread or fish, how much more will the Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask?

Only God can transform a sinful soul into a masterpiece of grace.

Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7) not only to explain God’s ideal toward which we should never stop striving but also to show that in this life none of us will ever reach that ideal.

Before God, we all stand on level ground: murderers and tantrum-throwers, adulterers and lusters, thieves and coveters. We are all desperate, and that is the only state appropriate to a human being who wants to know God. Having fallen from the absolute ideal, we have nowhere to land but in the safety net of absolute grace.

Dear Lord, I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin. You did what I could not do for myself, and in humility I accept Your gift of grace. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to You.

Only God can transform a sinful soul into a masterpiece of grace.

INSIGHT:

The final verse in today’s reading is often used as an encouragement to live morally pure lives: “Be perfect . . . as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Jesus’s words in this passage, however, are more than moral instruction. The word translated “perfect” in the original language means “mature,” “complete,” or “grown-up.” Perfection in this context includes loving and praying for those who seek to do us harm—just as Christ did on the cross. When we love our enemies, we mirror the perfection of heaven and the heart of the Father.

 

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John MacArthur

John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Integrity Results in Fruitful Ministry

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“And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king” (Daniel 1:21).

People of integrity are people of significant spiritual influence.

When King Nebuchadnezzar took Daniel as one of his personal servants, it was just the beginning of a ministry that would last for seventy years. Daniel 2:48 records that soon afterward “the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.” At Daniel’s request, the king also appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to positions of authority, thereby providing an even stronger voice for righteousness in Babylon.

Years later, Nebuchadnezzar’s son, Belshazzar, “clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom” (Dan. 5:29). Following Belshazzar’s death and the fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians, Darius the Mede appointed Daniel as one of only three men in the kingdom to have oversight over all his governors (Dan. 6:1-2). As the Lord continued to bless Daniel, and as he distinguished himself among Darius’ leaders, the king appointed him as prime minister over the entire kingdom. Daniel therefore “enjoyed success in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian” (Dan. 6:28).

Daniel’s life was one of enormous influence, which began when he was a youth who chose commitment over compromise. He was faithful with little, and the Lord gave him much. Perhaps few Christians will have the breadth of influence Daniel enjoyed, but every Christian should have his commitment. Remember, the choices you make for Christ today directly impact the influence you will have for Him tomorrow. So live each day to hear the Lord’s “Well done, good and faithful [servant]; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:23).

Continue reading John MacArthur – Strength for Today – Integrity Results in Fruitful Ministry →

Wisdom Hunters

Wisdom Hunters – Start Young 

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For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Psalm 71:5, 17

Start to learn the ways of the Lord when you are young. This is your wisest and best investment. Youthful learning is leverage for the Lord. When you start young, you don’t have to wade through the muck and the mire of disobedient living and its consequences. There is no need to stray and go your own way, for you may end up back at the point where you originally drifted from God. Stay the course of Christ while you are young, and you will develop into an obedient adult. God does a masterful job of molding the young into the image of His Son, Jesus. He infuses youth with His spirit, so they become His image bearer. Youthful dependence on God results in an adult who depends on God. Do not kid yourself into thinking that you can change your ways quickly, once unhealthy habits have been entrenched in your life.

There is tremendous energy and passion around youthful hearts engaged with the eternal. Do not despise your youth or let others do the same. Paul exhorted his protégé, Timothy, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12, KJV). Take God at His word. Depend on Him for your confidence, wisdom, and security. God uses youth to accomplish His purposes.

Even as those older in the faith falter in fear, your heavenly Father frees youthful hearts to attempt big things for Him. Courage and conviction blossom in a young and hungry heart for God. The Holy Spirit is calling forth faithful young people to further His Kingdom. Listen to the heart of your heavenly Father and do what He says. People are dying of distress and neglect in their nutrition- deprived lifestyles. Yahweh is calling His youth to something much bigger than themselves. And you can facilitate their faith with prayer, financing, and training.

Help the youth start early in their engagement with God. Teach them, train them, model for them, and then send them out to serve on the Lord’s behalf. Youth do not need to be overly protected, but set free to think big for God. The larger their vision, the larger their God. So present them with a God-sized challenge. Expect great things from young people who have a heart to follow hard after God. Do not underestimate their ability to be catalysts for Christ. Release them to exceed your accomplishments in half the time. Pray for God to scatter young people across the connected planet. Now is the time to send them out in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Continue reading Wisdom Hunters – Start Young  →

Turning Point

Today’s Turning Point with David Jeremiah – Follow the Son This Summer: Hearing His Voice

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While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”

Matthew 17:5

In this year of presidential politics, besides the candidates’ voices, there are the voices of their supporters and detractors. And that’s just the political slice of life! There are just as many voices speaking in other areas: religion, health, finances, self-improvement, marriage and family, and more. How does one cut through the stream of voices?

Recommended Reading: Matthew 3:16-17

The Christian should begin by listening to one voice above all others: the voice of Jesus Christ. God the Father said as much when Jesus was transfigured into His glorious appearance in the presence of three of His disciples: “This is My beloved Son . . . . Hear Him!” Jesus affirmed the priority of His voice when He called Himself the Good Shepherd: “And the sheep follow [the shepherd], for they know his voice” (John 10:4). Knowing Christ’s voice comes from time spent listening through Bible study and prayer.

As you follow the Son this summer, don’t neglect daily times of meditating on His voice as found in God’s Word. Let His voice take priority over all others.

The Bible speaks to you in the very tones of God’s voice.

Charles H. Spurgeon

Read-Thru-the-Bible: Psalms 34 – 42

http://www.davidjeremiah.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – He Is with You

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Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. —Isaiah 41:10 NLT

No matter what your fear is, God’s Word says you are not to fear because He is with you. It is just that simple. I am sure the question comes to mind: If God is with me, why do bad things happen? God never promises us trouble-free lives, but He does promise us His presence and the strength (mental, physical, and emotional) we need to get through our troubles.

Whatever the problem is, you can be assured it will pass, God will be with you all the way through it, and you will be stronger and know God better when it is over than before it began.

Power Thought: God is with me at all times, so there is no need to be afraid.

From the book the book Power Thoughts Devotional by Joyce Meyer.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Campus Crusade for Christ

Campus Crusade for Christ; Bill Bright – How to Save Your Life

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“And He said to them all, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:23,24, KJV).

Martin Luther once told the maidens and housewives of Germany that in scrubbing floors and going about their household duties they were accomplishing just as great a work in the sight of heaven as the monks and priests with their penances and holy offices.

In the 15th century, a woman – Margery Baxter – had said the same thing couched in different terms.

“If ye desire to see the true cross of Christ,” she said, “I will show it to you at home in your own house.”

Stretching out her arms, she continued, “This is the true cross of Christ, thou mightest and mayest behold and worship in thine own house. Therefore, it is but vain to run to the church to worship dead crosses.”

Her message was plain: holiness is in our daily service.

Your life and mine are worshiping Christ today to the degree that we practice the presence of God in every minute detail of our lives throughout the day. We are taking up our cross when we shine for Jesus just where we are, obediently serving Him and sharing His good news with others.

If you and I want to save our lives, we do well to lose them in obedient service to the Lord Jesus Christ, allowing His indwelling Holy Spirit to work in us and through us.

Bible Reading: John 12:23-26

TODAY’S ACTION POINT: I will take up my cross today – shining just where He puts me at this point in my life.

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Ray Stedman

Ray Stedman – Praying Together

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Read: Matthew 18:18-20

For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. Matthew 18:20

The expression of the power of Jesus Christ is never fully seen in an individual Christian, but only in the church as a whole. The simplest form of the church is here described, Where two or three gather in my name. You and I, as individual Christians, cannot fully reflect Jesus Christ. It is only when two or three, or two or three hundred, or two or three thousand are gathered in his name that in a full and complete sense the power which is committed to Jesus Christ, who is above every name which is named, both in this age and in the age to come, is fully manifested in this life. This means we can never fully know Jesus Christ unless we know him in relation to someone else.

In Paul’s great prayer in Ephesians 3, he prays that we may know what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and come to know with all saints the love which is in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:17-19). With all saints. We will never know it by ourselves. We can take our Bible and study it by ourselves, we can analyze it and saturate our minds with it and memorize it, but till we begin to share it with other Christians we never grasp what Jesus Christ fully is.

Furthermore, we can never learn how mighty and glorious he is unless we begin to make demands upon his power and his glory, and thus learn that we can never touch bottom. That is the thing that gives meaning to the gatherings of believers today. Where two or three gather in my name, Jesus says, there I am with them. The power of the church does not lie in the numbers that it can gather together. What a mistaken idea it is, that if we can get enough people together to pray, we shall have enough power to correct the things that are wrong in the world and set them right again. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Nor is the power of the church the status which it occupies in a community. We think if we can get so many people who are in positions of authority or leadership or stature in a community, the leaders of civic life, the Mayor, the bankers and those in business, the titans, the tycoons, into our church then we will have enough status that we can wield great power in the minds and hearts of people. How foolish we are. The power of the church does not rest in its numbers, its status, its wealth, its money, its position. The power of the Church of Jesus Christ is stated here. Where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.

Continue reading Ray Stedman – Praying Together →

Words of Hope

Words of Hope – Daily Devotional – Incomprehensible

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Read: Philippians 4:6-7

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. (v. 7)

In my work as a chaplain, I often pray for this peace, especially with families who are anticipating the imminent death of a loved one. It acknowledges our limited human understanding. When we brace for the major shifts that are brought on by death, we can’t possibly wrap our minds around the magnitude of what is unfolding as it is happening. But this passage in Philippians gently reminds us that peace is not something we achieve by cognitive ability. Rather, it is a gift bestowed on us by God who graciously knows that we cannot comprehend the full impact of death. That peace may feel elusive during the long journey of grief, but it can alight on us inexplicably at times as well. And the peace of God is indeed a protective factor, one which will “guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (v. 7). It can guard us against the anxiety and even despair that can threaten to overtake us as we cope with the changes that dying and death inevitably bring.

Peace can also equip us as we embark on the search for understanding, asking questions which may or may not produce answers. Why did this happen? How am I supposed to go on? How much longer will I have to live out my days without this loved one? As we continue with prayer and supplication to make our requests known to God (v. 6), may we also be open to receiving the gift of peace.

Prayer:

We long to understand, O God. Sustain us with your peace.

Jessica Bratt Carle

https://woh.org/

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie – The Value of a Fender Stratocaster? It Depends.

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“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”—2 Corinthians 4:7

I read about someone who just paid one million dollars for a Fender Stratocaster. Why so much? It was the guitar Bob Dylan played at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.

The festival was a defining moment for Dylan, who went from playing acoustic to electric. The folk purists saw this as an act of treachery.

That purchase may make a little more sense than the person who paid $380,000 for a burned guitar. That was also a Fender Strat, but it was played by Jimi Hendrix at the Monterey Pop Festival. He played the song “Wild Thing” and then set his guitar on fire!

The value in both of these guitars was in who played them. If I were to play a Strat, it would go down in value. But, get Hendrix or Dylan or Eric Clapton to play it and the value goes up.

The disciples’ greatness was not because of who they were as individuals. It was because of who called and used them.

“This priceless treasure we hold, so to speak, in a common earthenware jar to show that the splendid power of it belongs to God and not to us. We are handicapped on all sides, but we are never frustrated; we are puzzled, but never in despair. We are persecuted, but we never have to stand it alone: We may be knocked down but we are never knocked out!” (2 Corinthians 4:7–9 PHI).

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Kids 4 Truth

Kids 4 Truth International – God Commands You To Tell Others About Jesus Christ (Part 2)

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“And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

If we are obedient Christians, we will follow the command that God has given us in Mark 16:15 to tell others the Good News of Jesus Christ. But this command is not always easy to follow. Sometimes, we are afraid that others may laugh at us. Other times, we don’t know what to say. What are some things we can do that will help us obey this command?

Pray. Before we tell others, we should pray for them. Even though God uses us (no matter how young or old we are) to be witnesses for Him, it is ultimately the Holy Spirit who works in the hearts of those we tell. We can pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of our friends and neighbors before we give them the Good News. Also, we can pray for ourselves. Jesus promises that He is always with us, so we can pray that we will remember His promise and not be afraid. Jesus also promises that the Holy Spirit will empower us to witness for him (Acts 1:8)!

Prepare. Read your Bible and pick out verses that will help you when you talk, that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of the world, that God raised Jesus from the dead, and that we only need to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead in order to be saved. You may like to use the Romans Road, or verses that go with the Wordless book. You can write out these verses on a card or underline them in your Bible so that you can find them quickly. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is “powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword”!

Present. Start talking! Maybe you’re playing basketball with some friends and they ask you about why you have to go to church. Or maybe you’ve baked some cookies to take to your neighbor. We talk to people every day; why not talk about Jesus? You may choose to ask them directly, “Do you know Jesus?” Or you may choose to tell them about what you’ve been learning in Sunday School. Remember that Jesus is with you, so you don’t have to worry. And remember to be kind and polite.

If you are telling others the Good News of Jesus Christ, you are obeying God’s command. Your responsibility is simply to tell others; God will “give the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6)!

God wants us to obey His command, and He will help us to do so!

My Response:

» Am I afraid to tell others about Jesus Christ? Why?

» What can I do to overcome my fears and start obeying God’s command?

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Jerry Bridges – Holiness Day by Day Devotional – Garbage or Leftovers?

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Today’s Scripture: Ephesians 2:8

“This is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

I believe that human morality, rather than flagrant sin, is the greatest obstacle to the Gospel today. If you ask the average law-abiding person why he expects to go to heaven, the answer will be some form of “because I’ve been good.” And the more religious a person is, the more difficult it is to realize his or her need for the righteousness of Christ.

Have you renounced any confidence in your own religious experience and trusted solely in Christ’s blood and righteousness? Perhaps you grew up in a highly moral and religious family. You’ve always been good and essentially blameless in the eyes of other people. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. But if your hope of eternal life is based on that goodness, your religion has actually become dangerous to you. It will keep you from heaven.

Or you may think your sin is too great to be forgiven. But the blood of Christ can indeed cleanse us from all sin.

All of us have a natural drift toward a performance-based relationship with God. We know we’re saved by grace through faith—not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9), but we somehow get the idea that we earn blessings by our works. After throwing overboard our works as a means to salvation, we want to drag them back on board as a means of maintaining favor with God. Instead of seeing our own righteousness as table scraps to be dumped, we see it as leftovers to be used later to earn answers to prayer.

We need to remind ourselves every day that God’s blessings and answers to prayer come to us not on the basis of our works, but on the basis of the infinite merit of Jesus Christ.

 

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The Navigators

The Navigators – Leroy Eims – Daily Discipleship Devotional – Obeying God’s Voice

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Today’s Scripture: 2 Chronicles 33-36

So he gave them what they asked for, but sent a wasting disease upon them. – Psalm 106:15

Reading the story of the people of God is often like reading the biography of a yo-yo. Finally the string of the yo-yo breaks, and we watch the nation plunge to the bottom and stay there.

Second Chronicles 36 tells us that Zedekiah was twenty-one when he became king, and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against the Lord God of Israel. And the people and the priests followed his leadership. The record says they transgressed after all the abominations of the heathen and defiled the house of the Lord. When God continued to call them back to Himself, they mocked His messengers and despised His words till there was no remedy. And so we see the destruction of the kingdom of Judah and the city of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans.

If Zedekiah had simply made the Lord his friend, he could have prevented the ruin and saved the land. Because he would not humble himself and make himself the servant of God, he became the slave of his enemies. Multitudes were put to the sword, even in the sanctuary where they fled for refuge. But the sanctuary was ransacked, its treasures seized and carried to Babylon. The temple was burned, the walls of Jerusalem were demolished, and the stately palaces lay in ashes. The people who survived were carried to Babylon, enslaved, impoverished, insulted, and exposed to much misery in the enemy’s land.

What a picture of the person whose heart becomes hard and unyielding toward God. By the Lord’s grace, may we respond to His voice today, break out of the yo-yo syndrome, and walk with Him in daily discipleship.

Prayer

Lord, speak to me today and I will listen to Your voice and obey it. Amen.

To Ponder

The Lord calls to us through His Word, through our conscience, and through providential circumstances. What might He be saying to you today?

 

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Moody Global Ministries

Moody Global Ministries – Today in the Word – GRACE AND FAVORITISM

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Read Genesis 25:19–34

In his book Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them, John Ortberg writes about the tendency we have to exclude other people. He uses the example of the different ways an airline will treat the people in first class compared

to those in coach: “The first-class passengers were served gourmet food on china and crystal by their own flight attendants; those of us in coach ate snacks served in paper bags with plastic wrappers,” Ortberg writes. “The first- class passengers had room to stretch and sleep; those of us in coach were sitting with a proximity usually reserved for engaged couples in the back row of a movie.” Preferential treatment is a common feature of human behavior.

What about God? In today’s passage we learn that God’s plan for Jacob differed from His plan for Esau. Both would become the father of a nation, but the younger brother was to have supremacy. This plan violated cultural norms. In Isaac’s day, the right of inheritance was reserved for the firstborn.

What is the difference between grace and favoritism? The chief difference is that favoritism is based on some perceived advantage inherent in the one who is treated differently. It may be wealth, social status, or simply the fact that the one who is treated as a favorite is part of the same club. Grace is not bestowed on the basis of personal worth. Jacob did not deserve the primary place in God’s plan. Isaac and Rebekah demonstrated favoritism in their attitude toward their sons, preferring the child who shared their own interests. God does not show favoritism, but neither does He treat everyone the same. We are not all granted the same abilities, resources, or opportunities. God showed grace in His promise to Jacob, who had done nothing to deserve it, because of His own plans for His people.

APPLY THE WORD

Favoritism is rooted in selfishness and motivated by self-interest. We play favorites because we derive some benefit from the relationship. Grace is rooted in God’s character and motivated by mercy. It is a blessing bestowed upon the unworthy. In what way can you bless someone who can give you nothing in return as an act of worship for God?

http://www.todayintheword.org

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert for Kids – Heavenly Music

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Heavenly Music

Revelation 15:3

We cannot even begin to understand what God is going to do in the future. The book of Revelation gives us a tiny peek into that time. People who are believers will stand beside a sea that looks like glass mixed with fire. These believers will be singing praises to God.

Here is the praise song that they will sing:

Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord,
and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.
Revelation 15:3–4

On earth and in heaven we get to trust and praise God for who he is and what he has done for us. During good days or bad, peaceful times or stormy ones, God is always good, always in control, always with us.

Dear Lord, It is wonderful to know that we don’t have to wait for heaven or even for good days to sing songs of praise to you. Thank you for saving us. Amen.

Bible Gateway

C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis  – Today’s Reading – On joy

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In speaking of this desire for our own far-off country, which we find in ourselves even now, I feel a certain shyness. I am almost committing an indecency. I am trying to rip open the inconsolable secret in each one of you—the secret which hurts so much that you take your revenge on it by calling it names like Nostalgia and Romanticism and Adolescence: the secret also which pierces with such sweetness that when, in very intimate conversation, the mention of it becomes imminent, we grow awkward and affect to laugh at ourselves: the secret we cannot hide and cannot tell, though we desire to do both. We cannot tell it because it is a desire for something that has never actually appeared in our experience. We cannot hide it because our experience is constantly suggesting it, and we betray ourselves like lovers at the mention of a name. Our commonest expedient is to call it beauty and behave as if that had settled the matter. Wordsworth’s expedient was to identify it with certain moments in his own past. But all this is a cheat. If Wordsworth had gone back to those moments in the past, he would not have found the thing itself, but only the reminder of it; what he remembered would turn out to be itself a remembering. The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing. These things—the beauty, the memory of our own past—are good images of what we really desire; but if they are mistaken for the thing itself they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers. For they are not the thing itself; they are only the scent of a flower we have not found, the echo of a tune we have not heard, news from a country we have never yet visited. . . .

Apparently, then, our lifelong nostalgia, our longing to be re- united with something in the universe from which we now feel cut off, to be on the inside of some door which we have always seen from the outside, is no mere neurotic fancy, but the truest index of our real situation. And to be at last summoned inside would be both glory and honour beyond all our merits and also the healing of that old ache. . . . The whole man is to drink joy from the fountain of joy.

From The Weight of Glory

Compiled in Words to Live By

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