Quotes about God

It then occurred to me that after God made all this, he pronounced it good, for heaven's sake. It's his way of letting us know he rather prefers adventure, danger, risk, the element of surprise. This whole creation is unapologetically wild. God loves it that way.

Most men have a hard time sustaining any sort of devotional life because it has no vital connection to recovering and protecting their strength; it feels about as important as flossing. But if you saw your life as a great battle and you knew you needed time with God for your very survival, you would do it.

Yes—God is sovereign. And in his sovereignty he created a world in which the choices of men and angels matter. Tremendously. He has granted to us "the dignity of causation," as Pascal called it. Our choices have enormous consequences.

For that which draws us to the heart of God is that which often first lifts our own hearts above the mundane, awakens longing and desire. And it is that life, my brothers, the life of your heart, that God is most keenly after.

Communion with God is the one need of the soul beyond all other need," wrote George MacDonald. "Prayer is the beginning of that communion and some need is the motive of that prayer."

We simply start saying, "I love you" as we turn our attention toward him for a moment or two. As I do so I find it helpful to recall some reason I love God: his goodness, the beauty of the world (ninety thousand caribou stacked up for a river crossing), a kindness I recently received. "God is the creator of everything I love." Just repeat that to yourself, "God is the creator of everything I love.

Sometimes it takes time for a person to be ready to forgive. It often helps to explain that forgiveness is not saying it didn't matter; it is not saying we simply choose to overlook the offense. Forgiveness is saying the cross is enough—we require no further payment than Jesus paid. Forgiveness is releasing the person to God for him to deal with.

Faith is something that looks backward - we remember the ways God has come through for his people, and for us, and our belief is strengthened that he will come through again. Love is exercised in the present moment; we love in the now. Hope reaches into the future to take hold of something we do not yet have, may not even see.

Yet this is the world God has made—a world that requires us to live with risk. Because God wants us to live by faith.

Remember—the battle right now is for the narrative; who gets to frame the story for you? Either it will be God, or someone else. If you are "alarmed," something has drawn your attention away from the story of God. Let your fears, anxieties, anger, or rage alert you that you've been taken hostage; stop and get your bearings.

God can handle your anger, disappointment, even bitterness. But walking away from Jesus is forsaking your only hope out of the heartache.

In 'The Allure of Hope,' Jan says, Eve was convinced that God was withholding something from her. Not even the extravagance of Eden could convince her that God's heart is good.