I am about 2/3 through John MacAurthur's "The Gospel According to Jesus". It's been GREAT! It's not a new book...I think my husband would call it an "oldie but goodie". In fact, it's one of the top most influential books in his life (if I am quoting him correctly:)). Anyway, that's my little "ad" to get you to read it, too...but what I really wanted to share was a quote in MacArthurs's book made by Charles Spurgeon. MacAurthur was writing about the metaphor of the vine and the branches and talking specifically about the spiritual pruning that takes place in believer's lives. The pruning knife He (God) often uses is the Word of God. Spurgeon says
"The Word is often the knife with which the great Husbandman prunes the vine; and, brothers and sisters, if we were more willing to feel the edge of the Word, and to let it cut away something that may be very dear to us, we should not need so much pruning by affliction."
I never thought if it like that...but boy did it give me a lot to meditate on! It was also a wonderful reminder to daily ask the Lord to help me LOVE His Word and LONG for it more than anything else!
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Thus says the LORD, "Heaven is My throne and earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place where I may rest? For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word." WOW, thanks LORD for telling us of who You are,and who we are and what is most important..