The worst days of darkness through which I have ever passed have been greatly alleviated by throwing myself with all my energy into some work relating to others. — GARFIELD.
The life of man is made up of action and endurance; and life is fruitful in the ratio in which it is laid out in noble action or in patient perseverance. — H. P. LIDDON.
This world is given as a prize for the men in earnest; and that which is true of this world is truer still of the world to come. — F. W. ROBERTSON.
A man's labors must pass like the sunrises and sunsets of the world. The next thing, not the last, must be his care. — GEORGE MACDONALD.
Showing posts with label patience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label patience. Show all posts
Friday, April 18, 2008
Diligent and Courageous Activity
Learn these two things: Never be discouraged because good things get on so slowly here, and never fail daily to do that good which lies next to your hand. Do not be in a hurry, but be diligent. Enter into the sublime patience of the Lord. Be charitable in view of it. God can afford to wait; why can not we — since we have Him to fall back upon? Let patience have her perfect work and bring forth her celestial fruits. Trust to God to weave your little thread into a web, though the patterns show it not yet. — GEORGE MACDONALD.
His Doing and Ours
And yet the doing is ours — not His. He inspired it; we wrought it out. He quickened, but we brought forth; His the heart-beat, but ours the hand-stroke; His the influence, ours the effluence. — GEORGE C. LORIMER.
His Doing and Ours
And yet the doing is ours — not His. He inspired it; we wrought it out. He quickened, but we brought forth; His the heart-beat, but ours the hand-stroke; His the influence, ours the effluence. — GEORGE C. LORIMER.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Sitting Still
1902
To the best comes the time when their very good is evil spoken of. It takes goodness to understand goodness. The pure in heart see God, and only such can recognize the life of God when manifested in the saints. Few trials are more keen than the misrepresentation of goodness. An evil motive imputed to a saintly deed is as the sting of a serpent. The clouds of defamation lower at some time over every saintly heart. The life of the saint is hidden and cannot be understood by the worldling. "Sitting still" is the only possibility. Time exerts a remedial influence, and such remedy that it cannot exert the One to whom the saints are dead will. He will bring out our goodness as the light and our righteousness as the noonday. — Episcopal Recorder.
To the best comes the time when their very good is evil spoken of. It takes goodness to understand goodness. The pure in heart see God, and only such can recognize the life of God when manifested in the saints. Few trials are more keen than the misrepresentation of goodness. An evil motive imputed to a saintly deed is as the sting of a serpent. The clouds of defamation lower at some time over every saintly heart. The life of the saint is hidden and cannot be understood by the worldling. "Sitting still" is the only possibility. Time exerts a remedial influence, and such remedy that it cannot exert the One to whom the saints are dead will. He will bring out our goodness as the light and our righteousness as the noonday. — Episcopal Recorder.
Friday, June 29, 2007
A Place for Hosea
1896
Dean Hole, in his "Little Tour in America," gives the following good story, which was picked up at an entertainment given in his honor by the Lotos Club of New York. The quaintest story of the evening was told by Dr. Greer, of a tedious, monotonous preacher, who had exhausted the patience of his hearers by an elaborate dissertation on the four greater prophets, and when, to their sad disgust, he passed on to the minor, and asked, "And now, my brethren, where shall we place Hosea?" a man rose from the congregation and made answer, "You can place him here, sir. I'm off."
City Paved With Gold
Prescott, the capital of Arizona, boasts that it is the nearest approach to the New Jerusalem as described in the Bible, as its streets are being paved with gold. The granite used for pavements contains $4 in gold and twenty cents in silver to every ton, so that in time, when less expensive methods of reducing ores are used, it may pay the city to tear up and crush its street pavements. — New York Times.
Time for Prayer
If a praying machine were invented many would use it if it did not take too much time from business to wind it up.
Dean Hole, in his "Little Tour in America," gives the following good story, which was picked up at an entertainment given in his honor by the Lotos Club of New York. The quaintest story of the evening was told by Dr. Greer, of a tedious, monotonous preacher, who had exhausted the patience of his hearers by an elaborate dissertation on the four greater prophets, and when, to their sad disgust, he passed on to the minor, and asked, "And now, my brethren, where shall we place Hosea?" a man rose from the congregation and made answer, "You can place him here, sir. I'm off."
City Paved With Gold
Prescott, the capital of Arizona, boasts that it is the nearest approach to the New Jerusalem as described in the Bible, as its streets are being paved with gold. The granite used for pavements contains $4 in gold and twenty cents in silver to every ton, so that in time, when less expensive methods of reducing ores are used, it may pay the city to tear up and crush its street pavements. — New York Times.
Time for Prayer
If a praying machine were invented many would use it if it did not take too much time from business to wind it up.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Faith On Trial (James 1:1-18)
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
People of faith sometimes think it's strange that they have problems and others perhaps do not. The Bible gives enough evidence that it doesn't need to seem so strange. This questioning comes up often enough in the Psalms (10:1), and then there's the story of Job.
James has some advice that turns it all around: "Count it all joy." How is that possible? For anyone who's been camping, you might have a few stories to tell of various disasters that not only can you laugh about now, but they were also kind of funny at the time! Or in a more serious light, think of Jesus at the Cross (Heb. 12:2), with the "joy" set before Him. For us, pain is pain, but behind every cloud...
So what is it that tries your faith? There are many problems we can think of involving children, sickness, finances, various failures. Sometimes just life in general. All are real problems, but our faith can endure and our joy can be real. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
James declares in verse 3 that the trial of faith results in patience, which, as we're involved in these real life issues, can indeed "have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (1:4). That's a good result, progress on the way. Faith doesn't need to waver (1:6); we can hang on, and become stronger in our faith. That's really the whole point!
God sustains us through prayer (Phil. 4:6), the word (Rom. 10:17), and by His care (1 Pt. 5:7), just to name a few of the many ways. And in this chapter of James (1:5), God offers wisdom to those who ask it of Him.
So, your faith is on trial. Don't despair! Recognize it, look to God, handle things as best as you can in a spiritual way, and let your faith help you endure everything. It's helpful now and it will be stronger next time.
People of faith sometimes think it's strange that they have problems and others perhaps do not. The Bible gives enough evidence that it doesn't need to seem so strange. This questioning comes up often enough in the Psalms (10:1), and then there's the story of Job.
James has some advice that turns it all around: "Count it all joy." How is that possible? For anyone who's been camping, you might have a few stories to tell of various disasters that not only can you laugh about now, but they were also kind of funny at the time! Or in a more serious light, think of Jesus at the Cross (Heb. 12:2), with the "joy" set before Him. For us, pain is pain, but behind every cloud...
So what is it that tries your faith? There are many problems we can think of involving children, sickness, finances, various failures. Sometimes just life in general. All are real problems, but our faith can endure and our joy can be real. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28).
James declares in verse 3 that the trial of faith results in patience, which, as we're involved in these real life issues, can indeed "have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (1:4). That's a good result, progress on the way. Faith doesn't need to waver (1:6); we can hang on, and become stronger in our faith. That's really the whole point!
God sustains us through prayer (Phil. 4:6), the word (Rom. 10:17), and by His care (1 Pt. 5:7), just to name a few of the many ways. And in this chapter of James (1:5), God offers wisdom to those who ask it of Him.
So, your faith is on trial. Don't despair! Recognize it, look to God, handle things as best as you can in a spiritual way, and let your faith help you endure everything. It's helpful now and it will be stronger next time.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Gems of Thought — "Patience is Sorrow's Slave"
1877
Gems
Gathered by Mrs. Felix Van Wyke
Patience is sorrow's slave.
Every path has its puddle.
Time passed never returns.
Talkers are no good doers.
There is no joy without alloy.
The more law the less justice.
Great bargains empty the purse.
Strew not roses before swine.
A good fellow is a costly name.
The little alms are the good alms.
He that is down needs fear no fall.
Saving is a greater art than gaining.
The cock is lord on his own dunghill.
Think to-day, and speak to-morrow.
An idle brain is the devil's workshop.
Quick believers need broad shoulders.
Every one is the son of his own works.
Pin not your faith on another's sleeve.
Though a lie be swift truth overtakes it.
Virtue is but dryly praised, and starves.
— The Reynolds Herald.
Gems
Gathered by Mrs. Felix Van Wyke
Patience is sorrow's slave.
Every path has its puddle.
Time passed never returns.
Talkers are no good doers.
There is no joy without alloy.
The more law the less justice.
Great bargains empty the purse.
Strew not roses before swine.
A good fellow is a costly name.
The little alms are the good alms.
He that is down needs fear no fall.
Saving is a greater art than gaining.
The cock is lord on his own dunghill.
Think to-day, and speak to-morrow.
An idle brain is the devil's workshop.
Quick believers need broad shoulders.
Every one is the son of his own works.
Pin not your faith on another's sleeve.
Though a lie be swift truth overtakes it.
Virtue is but dryly praised, and starves.
— The Reynolds Herald.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Over the Telephone — An Unusual Conversion
1917
The Family Altar has a story of an unusual conversion. A young woman came before the session of a Presbyterian church and said that she wished to unite with that church. No one present knew her; she made an unusually clear confession of faith, impressing the minister so much that he asked her how she had been led to Christ. "Through Dr. S.," she replied. "Is Dr. S. a friend of yours?" she was asked. "No," she said, "I have never met or even seen him."
She was a telephone operator, and had had night service, from 9 p. m. to 3 a.m. Receiving many calls for this physician. Dr. S., she had more than once rung his bell by mistake. Always he answered, not only with courtesy, but in a voice that showed no trace of impatience. It was such a grateful relief from the surly, sleepy voices of others awakened at midnight, or the harsh expressions directed at her when she called a wrong number by mistake, that she finally became deeply interested and wanted to know the secret of the difference between Dr. S. and other men.
She made inquiries about him, until she learned that Christ was supreme in his heart and life, and that what she was so admiring in him was simply Christ living in an earnest Christian. Soon Dr. S.'s Savior was her Savior. Herein is a suggestion for those who have telephones and are sometimes annoyed by untimely calls.
The Family Altar has a story of an unusual conversion. A young woman came before the session of a Presbyterian church and said that she wished to unite with that church. No one present knew her; she made an unusually clear confession of faith, impressing the minister so much that he asked her how she had been led to Christ. "Through Dr. S.," she replied. "Is Dr. S. a friend of yours?" she was asked. "No," she said, "I have never met or even seen him."
She was a telephone operator, and had had night service, from 9 p. m. to 3 a.m. Receiving many calls for this physician. Dr. S., she had more than once rung his bell by mistake. Always he answered, not only with courtesy, but in a voice that showed no trace of impatience. It was such a grateful relief from the surly, sleepy voices of others awakened at midnight, or the harsh expressions directed at her when she called a wrong number by mistake, that she finally became deeply interested and wanted to know the secret of the difference between Dr. S. and other men.
She made inquiries about him, until she learned that Christ was supreme in his heart and life, and that what she was so admiring in him was simply Christ living in an earnest Christian. Soon Dr. S.'s Savior was her Savior. Herein is a suggestion for those who have telephones and are sometimes annoyed by untimely calls.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Blasts From Ram's Horn - Words of Wisdom
1903
BLASTS FROM RAM'S HORN
A mushy religion will not make men.
Patience is a fruit plucked only in the gardens of pain.
The only way to exclude the evil is to entertain the good.
Some people complain because it costs an egg to get a chick.
Watching others is often an attempt to hide our own weaknesses.
The seats in heaven will not be assigned by the size of our heads.
The attempt to be a good fellow has often prevented being a good man.
Sentimental tenderness to the criminal may be cruelty to his victims.
When a man is in the right he is not afraid of being misrepresented.
Grasping a dime may keep you out of heaven as much as greed for a dollar.
Perfection may be like the North Star, impossible to touch but good to steer by.
You cannot pull a man out of the mire of sin by throwing rocks of censure at him.
—Davenport Daily Republican, Davenport, Iowa, March 4, 1903, page 4.
BLASTS FROM RAM'S HORN
A mushy religion will not make men.
Patience is a fruit plucked only in the gardens of pain.
The only way to exclude the evil is to entertain the good.
Some people complain because it costs an egg to get a chick.
Watching others is often an attempt to hide our own weaknesses.
The seats in heaven will not be assigned by the size of our heads.
The attempt to be a good fellow has often prevented being a good man.
Sentimental tenderness to the criminal may be cruelty to his victims.
When a man is in the right he is not afraid of being misrepresented.
Grasping a dime may keep you out of heaven as much as greed for a dollar.
Perfection may be like the North Star, impossible to touch but good to steer by.
You cannot pull a man out of the mire of sin by throwing rocks of censure at him.
—Davenport Daily Republican, Davenport, Iowa, March 4, 1903, page 4.
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