Sayings Of Samuel Godfrey George - March 2014

After Jesus Christ desperately cried out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" he also confidently said, "Father into thy hands I commend my spirit." Even after the apparent abandonment by God, Jesus still trusted in God enough to commit entirely to the Almighty. This is the ultimate test in faith and Jesus passed it.

When the water is bitter, do not forget the miracle that happened a few days ago.

I feared that God would fail me today. But He came through at the last moment. "Thank you God. You really did save me today."

Counter every negative thought with a positive one. Let no negative thought survive.

How much of it is in God's hands? I think there's plenty in our hands and we need to do what we have to do and then God will do what only he can do.

Don't make an impression. That's the only impression that you need to make.

Don't despair. God is with you.

Lord, I don't understand. But I will try to appreciate.

Fasting is not staying away from food. Fasting is staying away from yourself.

It's difficult to pray for friends. It's unthinkable to pray for enemies. But just do the difficult thing. It's what Jesus wants.

Pray for those who promise to help you and then disappear.

After many prayers and many apparent rejections by God, say "thank you."

When God embarrasses you say "thank you".

Don't anticipate an action. Be willing to be surprised. Life is best when surprised.

I thought that God would save me from my weakness. But my weakness still remains in me. However God also stays near my weakness. He must loom larger than my weakness. This is my wish.

Try not to quarrel with God. You may have plenty of reasons to do that. But let every wound and doubt be gathered under the umbrella of trust. Trust in God's goodness even when you see the opposite of it. There is much that we will never know, so a lot of trust is going to be involved in an ongoing relationship with God. But even if you quarrel with God he will understand. No one who is truly God's can be snatched away from his hand.

Be grateful for the little. Be absolutely grateful for the paltry little that you have.

God is good. People are not. So it is in God that you must trust. It is God that you must turn to when you need help. And God may help through a human. But it is God who helps and not the human.

It is a blessing to have at least one person who supports a work that seems largely ignored.

If only one person cares enough to support your ministry then thank God for that one person and postpone your lamentations indefinitely.

This is the day that you did not want. This is the trouble that you wished to avoid. But still give thanks to God, whose goodness to you will never fail.

Today I ask God for a grateful heart and a positive memory. I want to remember every good thing that God has done in my life and I want to thank him for it. I want to do this sincerely even as I wait on God to provide my present needs.

We don't have to be perfect to receive a gift from God. God gave us the great gift of life when we were not perfect. God gave us the greatest gift of salvation when we were nowhere near perfect. So let us not try to be good to earn a gift from God. We cannot earn God's gift.

When God sent me his great gifts I never prayed all that much. Sometimes I didn't pray and I still received. Now when I'm greatly in need, why am I trying so hard to pray? There is a place for persistent prayer. But there is also a place for simple, believing prayer. Above all there is a place for grace in the absolute lack of prayer.

To know about the goodness of God is one thing. To believe in the goodness of God is another thing. But to know the goodness of God in the worst of times is the ultimate thing.

The proper response to crisis is not to worry but to trust in God. Give your care to God and trust in Him to work out a solution. And wait for that solution patiently.

If you want to rejoice in anything, rejoice in God's goodness and faithfulness. Your joy will last when it comes from God.

There's not a day in our lives when we can go without the blessing of God. May His grace be richly given to His expectant children today.

For a bitter Marah the remedy is always near. So do not lose heart. For your God is still capable of supplying your needs.

"And the Lord shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory." Keep believing and saying that even as the expected supply is delayed.

This praying and receiving business is not a straightforward one at all. Some requests are certainly granted. But sometimes one prays for years and doesn't get anything. Sometimes one doesn't pray even once and still gets something that one wants. It's crazy.

I want it one way. But God does it another way. Sometimes God doesn't do it at all. I must learn to live with God.

There must be certain things impossible even for God. Not all human beings can be led to the point of accepting God. There are some who will never accept God or bow down to him in this life time. If God has indeed granted free will to humans, he has certainly driven human decisions beyond his own control. This has to be so. God cannot let human beings make their own decisions and still control them effectively. Whatever control God exercises in the human heart takes place only as human beings allow God to influence them. Thus several constraints are placed on God's intervention in human affairs, and as a result this human world seems to be outside the effective control of God.

A man wavers in faith only because he doesn't know God very well. Anyone who knows that God is faithful and able will not waver in his faith. For God to deny a man's prayer as it is lacking in faith is not reflective of the understanding and compassion that we associate with God, who has made the ultimate allowance for human imperfections. God may well not use the quality of faith as a measure to approve or deny a prayer request. He may even grant the secret wish of a person who neither knows nor prays to God, because that may well be the only way God can reach him.

A God who understands the frailty of human beings should make allowances for a frail human faith. Jesus did say that all that is required to move God in one's favour is a little bit of faith. But at other places in the Bible one learns that more than a little faith is required in the most unadulterated form, i.e. without any doubts or wavering. Such faith may indeed be rare among humans, and it may well be unrealistic to demand such a degree of conviction, given the distorted and sinful make-up of the human heart. A God who accepts an imperfect man must also be willing to accept the imperfect faith of that man.

It is easy to simulate faith and unfaith. But it is never easy to live by your convictions especially when they make you look like a fool.

To believe in God one should consider disbelieving in him. To trust in God one should consider distrusting him. Otherwise belief and trust can only be wispy things that cannot stand the test of time and conflict. And belief and trust can never be theoretical constructs. They must be empirical truths in experience. One should dare to believe in God. One should risk trusting in him. And though it will not be easy it is the road to a secure faith.

If God fails to help me this time, it will not change the essential way in which I regard him. What I have learned from him has enhanced me decidedly. From God I have learned to distinguish between black and white. I have seen my original darkness and his intrusive brightness. I long for all the gifts that God will give me and will wait for them even if it takes ages for me to receive them. I cannot turn from my faith in him. If I turn away, to whom will I turn? There is no worthy alternative that I can see.

We learn to love by hating. We grow up hating and despising others. We grow up hating ourselves. But after a while we learn to see the meaninglessness of our own hatred. We see our littleness and our inadequate understanding of the world. We realize our incapacity to fathom the overwhelming complexities in the workings of this world. We learn to value life after spurning it. We learn to save lives after destroying them. Could this be why the Bible progresses from hateful exclusiveness to loving inclusiveness? Even God, who is portrayed by feeble human beings, who can never totally know him, progresses from maniacal wrath to tender love, from severe judgmentalism to scandalous graciousness, from an insistence on xenophobic exclusiveness to universal inclusiveness. Has God himself learned to love just like us? It is more likely that we have learned to love just like him.

Every essential truth regarding God is in the Bible. Without the Bible one cannot even start to understand the heart of God. No one who desires to know God can afford to ignore the biblical declarations concerning God's nature. However to know God experientially one must move beyond the Bible and observe the world. The world is the greatest testament to God's essential nature. The universe speaks a message more eloquent than what men have accomplished in their God-breathed, scriptural presentations of God. To know the incomprehensible breadth of God's artistry and the unfathomable depth of God's love one must observe the world and the life forms that we see around us. How can such beauty exist with such ugliness? How can such morality be found in the overwhelming presence of such depravity? How can such meaningfulness be compressed into a small planet against the daunting background of such immeasurable meaninglessness? This alone should inspire a human to find God.

The God who is portrayed in the Bible may not be likeable. Yet we must love him. We must love him because he first loved us. And he loved us so much that he found a way to spare us from eternal death. And that way is Jesus, whose death spared us from the terrible judgement reserved for sin. We were all sinners before Christ and we are all still sinners after Christ. Our propensity to sin has not diminished despite what Christ achieved on the cross. We are as morally bankrupt as we ever were, and not even Christ has visibly changed the moral fabric of humanity. But there is change at a deeper level. The awareness of human sinfulness is Christ's great gift to human beings. And it is this awareness and the recognition of Christ's atonement for sins that make his disciples stand out in this immoral world, despite their own failings.

Does the Bible do justice to the portrayal of God as love? If it does it does so painfully. The severe, judgemental attitude of God looms large in the background even as he is projected as one whose love endures forever and whose grace scandalizes those who desire his inflexible commitment to condemn every wrongdoer of every wrong. Eventually God disturbingly emerges as one who will forgive the worst criminal as long as he is repentant, while he will not spare the lesser criminal who is not repentant. Also God does finally manage a smile through Jesus, but it is the frowning Father that lingers in memory. Also the Jesus who appears in the Revelation to John is more severe than the man Jesus we see in the gospels.

When God is quiet I too must be quiet.

When trouble comes we appreciate God even more.

It is better to love God than to fear him. But you can never love him till you grow out of your fear of him.

All my life I've been a wretch, still God has helped me. Today I need God's help again. So I'm in no hurry to be a saint.

God is love. But what are we?

Do not fear. God is near. And God will be God.

The preoccupation with sin is the sickness of religion. If only religion is preoccupied with loving and accepting others just as they are!

Loving people is the only way to loving God.

What you do in your bedroom privately is not as important as what you do with people publicly.

Don't worry about your sins. But worry about your lack of love for others.

And the Lord shall supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. Believe this. And declare this.

Let's appreciate the people in our life before we lose the opportunity to do so.

We do ourselves a disservice if we encourage our prejudices against others. Disagreeable people may be instructive. Agreeable people may be misleading. Knowledge must be detached from the person who displays it and be acknowledged on its own merits. The tragedy of being disagreeable in the exposition of knowledge is this: the person who speaks is not heard and the listener is not benefited. But to fight this both the speaker and the listener must be willing to accommodate each other.

Is there an age limit for those who give advice? Can young people advise old people? You should not have a problem with taking advice from a person who is younger than you. But some of us have a problem with it. They think that the younger a person is the less he knows. This is a misunderstanding because not all young people are likely to know less. There are some young people who are likely to know more. There are some young people who have insights that even older people are not capable of having. Age should not be a barrier to accepting knowledge. Wherever knowledge is found, wherever wisdom is found, even if it is found in someone younger than we are, let us be brave and open-minded enough to accept advice from younger people.

People are different. This is a fact that we must face. Those who refuse to face this fact refuse to be enlightened, and refuse to pave the way for peace and harmony. People who insist on a certain way of life or force others to follow a way of life are not working toward unity. They are certainly not doing something that will bring the world together. We must accept the world as we find it, as God accepts us just as we are without stipulating the conditions for our eligibility. If God accepts us just as we are, why can’t we do the same? Why can’t we accept people just as they are? Why can’t we tolerate differences if we cannot appreciate them?

It is better to speak the truth which no one applauds than speak the untruth that people wildly applaud.

If what you want to say is important but will marginalize you, then say it and be marginalized.

The proper reaction to anything is "Thank you Lord." Let the first words on my lips every day be "Thank you Lord." Let the last words on lips every day be "Thank you Lord."

I'm glad and grateful that God uses even me.

God, when you work in expected ways, it is beautiful. It is also beautiful when you work in unexpected ways. Let me appreciate the beauty of that as well.

Never give up your hope in God. I’m glad that I didn’t. God saved me. And even today, as I find myself in other problems, I remember what God has done in my life. I will not forget the many blessings that I have received. I will not forget the many benefits of God. And I will say to myself, “The Lord who saved you so many times will save you again.” I say the same thing to you. The Lord will save you. He has saved you before. And he will save you now if you believe in him. Believe in him and wait on him. He will not disappoint you."

God has saved me on many occasions. Today I can say with confidence, “There is a God who cares. There is a God who listens to prayers. There is a God who steps in when you need him to step in. There is a God who arrives on time to save you from dangers.” And my God has saved me many times. My God saved me recently. My God is there for me. Jehovah Shammah: the Lord is there. The Lord is there for me. He is present in my life. He is also present in your life. Just believe that he will come. Just believe that he will save you. Never give up your hope in him.

I’m grateful to God today for what he has done. What he has done is provide for my needs. God made a provision for me. God supplied my needs. The Bible says, “God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory.” This is what happened in my life. God supplied my needs. And because of that I can smile today. I can sigh in relief today because God came just in time to save me. And that’s what he has done for a very long time.

Let's analyse but let's not over-analyse. Let's judge but let's not condemn. Let's read God's word to understand ourselves but let's not read it to denounce others. Let's see a loving God who is willing to forgive all our sins, but let's not see a vengeful God who is waiting to roast us in hell for all our sins.

This is what I want to say. This is what I want to convey to the world. Let us give thanks to God for what we have. We may not have much. Some of us actually have little. But there is one thing we will always have, and that is God. Though some of us feel that we have little, though some of us feel that we don’t have as much as someone else has, let us be thankful for what we have. Today I’m thankful for one working ear, one perfectly working ear. I’m thankful for the many years in which I enjoyed perfect hearing in both ears. I’m thankful for the health that I enjoyed all my life. And I just have this to say to God, “Thank you for giving me life. Thank you for letting me live. Today I will not count what is missing in my life. But I will count my blessings."

Let’s stay with God. His promises endure forever. His words will outlast everything. “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Let's put our faith in God, difficult as it is. Sometimes we do realize that it is best to place our faith in God. Sometimes we actually experience the rewards of waiting on God. It may not happen always, but sometimes they do happen. Sometimes I have not understood God very well. I have not understood what he is doing in my life. Sometimes I am not able to appreciate what God is doing in my life. But let me trust God with this. Let me trust his judgment. Let's trust God and his judgment and his way and his plan, no matter how incomprehensible those things may be. Let's trust in God.

We desire one thing and receive another. We want one thing but the opposite arrives. What do we do in that situation? We trust in God even we realize that our trust has not been rewarded. We wait on God even when we realize that He hasn’t shown up. There are certain people who would immediately consider giving up on God. There are certain people who will be quick to leave the path of belief. Will we join such people? Or will we stick with God no matter what? What will we do? Let us who believe in God stay with God no matter what happens, no matter how confusing life becomes, no matter how contradictory our faith experience is. Let's stick with God.

Let's cheer up. Life is not always what we want it to be. Life gets tough. Life gets confusing. Life defies expectations. Life doesn’t go the way we want it to go. But we must be aware of the eternal truth that God is the same. Those who believe in God, the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, should be aware of his constant nature. God is constant. He is a constant presence. He is a constant friend. His love is constant. His love endures forever. Our experience doesn’t endure forever. Our feelings don’t endure forever. Our joy doesn’t endure forever. Our love doesn’t endure forever. But God’s love endures forever. God’s mercy lasts forever. This is what we must place our trust in, especially when life moves in a way in which we cannot appreciate or understand.

We are all sinners. And we will remain sinners until we die. What God wants most from us is that we honestly acknowledge our sins and seek Him who alone can save us from our sins. Let us therefore be honest today and confess our sins to God. That alone will please Him more than anything else.

The proper response to forgiveness is repentance. And the only way to repent is to seek God above everything else.

Grace comes out of a terrible humbling.

Our terrible weaknesses make us desperately seek God. How then can they be misplaced in us? Our weaknesses may be our great blessings.

It is good to do unto others what you would want them to do unto you. It is better to do unto others even what they refuse to do unto you. It is best to do good unto others without any expectation of reciprocation because those who are by nature good need no motivation to be good other than the desire to be like God who inspires us to be good.

Trust in Jesus. Give Him your pain. And believe that He will do what is best for you.

There is a God who cares. This I know again. I struggled in life. I cried out to Him for help. And He sent help once more when it mattered most. God has done this many times. He has saved me many times. I should not doubt his faithfulness again. I should trust him with all my problems.

Many of us are focused on our own suffering. If only we would focus on God's suffering, we will find our own suffering inconsequential. God suffered and still suffers on account of us. He suffers because we still do not care to know Him in spite of His ultimate sacrifice and His unbearable pain. Yes, His pain exceeds all our pain put together. Let us know God today. Let us focus on His suffering.

What God does only God knows. We know that God does what we don't know. And that will do.

We all seem to be plagued with the problem of rage, which I believe is an expression of our inward fear and insecurity. We are children of God and heirs to His manifold riches. Why then are we so insecure and threatened in this world? I think we should joyfully consider our positions and gratefully forgive every sin against us. However it is not easy, but it should be less bothersome, as we fail and learn many a time. Paul is indeed right, when he declares that if God be for us no one can be against us. In this assertion lies supreme confidence, and with this confidence comes the grace to forgive the wrongs that people unfailingly commit against us time and again.

A great act of service to God is to do what we said that we would do.

Sayings Of Samuel Godfrey George - February 2014

While waiting it is important for us to consider the various benefits of God and give thanks to him So let's use the time of testing to consider the gifts of God. And that’s what I did today – maybe not so well, maybe not so consistently, but I did it. I just said, “Thank you God. Thank you for all that you’ve done." So let’s do it. Let’s do it when it is most difficult. Let’s thank God when it is most difficult to do so. Let’s thank God in trying circumstances. Let’s remember all the good that God has done in our lives.

Be thankful even in times of pain and disease. Be thankful for the health that you once enjoyed. Be thankful for the health that you still enjoy.

What does one do when one experiences delays? What did I do today? I had to wait in a queue. I had to wait today in order to pay my bill. There was someone ahead of me, and he had many bills to pay. And I had to wait patiently. How did I wait? I was a little upset that someone who had so many bills to pay was ahead of me. At the same time I realized that the best way to spend time in that situation was in giving praise to God for all that he has done in my life and particularly for that situation, which he presented to me. A situation like that can teach me a lot. A situation like that can train me in patience. Patience is an indispensable quality. Life requires patience many times. One has to wait. And a situation like the one I mentioned will help me train myself to wait.

We're here not only to touch other people's lives but also to add to our own lives. So let us enjoy and learn and add to our experience even as we help others.

One should not do anything just for the sake of pleasing the world, or just for the sake of going along with the world, or just because the world approves of it, or just because the majority approves of it. One should do something because one feels that it is the right thing to do and that it is the constructive thing to do. Let us approach life today with a certain sense of consideration and caution. Life is short; we need to make the best possible use of the time that we have.

Whatever we do let us do something worthwhile today bearing in mind that life is short and that it could be very short for some of us. Let us do what is best for us, and let us do what is best for others as well. Let us be prepared to face death today. The only way we can face death today is if we do what we think is right. If we believe that something is good for us and for others, we should do that.

There is another question which comes to mind. What sort of pleasure should we pursue? It is best to devote oneself to pleasure that builds one up, that constructs a person. It is not always possible to pursue pleasure like that. Generally one does what one pleases. One does what one wants. "I want this, so I will have it, as long as it does not trouble someone else." If that’s the attitude to pleasure that one has, the pleasure that one seeks may not necessarily be constructive. It may just be pleasure that is meaningless in the end.

What is the best possible way to use one's time? Should one do something for oneself? Or should one do something for another person? That’s a question which needs to be answered. Each person needs to answer that question for himself. Activities that focus on one’s own self may not be as rewarding as activities that are devoted to others. Then again one can’t live for others purely. One should also live for oneself. One should also take care of one’s needs. One should also do what one finds pleasing.

There is a certain time allotted for us. May we make use of this time. May everyone make use of the time that is given to him. None of us know when our time will be up. There are people who are struggling to live; there are people who have been given a certain time to live. There are people with certain terminal illnesses, who have been given a certain time to live. They know when they will die. But no one really knows when exactly he will die. When such is the case it is important to take every moment in life seriously and use it in the best possible way.

Life is short. For some it is very short. Some people are fighting a battle to live, while others are living without being aware of the privilege of life. Life is a gift.

God sent me a note of hope in the wake of despair. I don't know why I despair sometimes. But I must trust in God and in His faithfulness no matter how grim a situation may look. Thank you God.

There will always be difference that is difficult to tolerate.

God came down to earth to show us love. Jesus Christ showed us what true love is. True love is accepting and being tolerant of all those who seem wayward and deviant. Jesus showed us love so that we may desire it and show it to others who are as undeserving as we are. But we humans have always struggled to show love and tolerance to such people. This is lamentable particularly in those who claim to know God, but are not able to tolerate those who are different from them.

It is not intolerance but ignorance that is the real problem. Intolerance arises from ignorance. People are intolerant of one another because of their mistaken belief in their own correctness. So unshakeable is their faith in their own understanding that they decry and denounce others when they depart from the way according to them. No one understands life and grasps all its truths. No one knows God and has seen him in his entirety. So anyone who is confident of his own knowledge regarding these matters is an ignorant person.

Anyone who appreciates me is welcome, even if he or she is disreputable by the world's standards.

Bear this in mind. God does not evaluate us by what we possess or even by who we are. We are all sinners. And we are all poor. No one is rich in God's eyes. Naked we entered this world and naked we will leave. There is nothing to boast of as far as human accomplishments are concerned. We are mere ants doing the things that ants do, believing that we are something greater than ants. This is the tragedy of human thinking.

"Love God and do whatever you want" said Saint Augustine. It is the love for God that is primary. God looks at the heart of Man and searches for love. The love for God is more important than any doctrine or prayer that may be said to God in a certain way. Quotations from the scriptures and declarations of faith are secondary. Even a keeping of God's commands is secondary to the love a human feels for God. This alone is God's primary requirement. And the love of God is expressed in the love for human beings. Any God lover must also love humans the way they are without trying to change them according to how he or she would like them to be.

Deprecate yourself and you will have a group of consolers. Appreciate yourself and you will find yourself alone.

Let us think that something wonderful will happen today.

Without God there is no me.

Let's love our children and not try to correct them, though it is most tempting to do so. Ultimately they will understand only our love.

If only we would show by example what we want our children to learn! It is not easy. We must seek God's help.

Let us be constant in our gaze towards God. No matter what we have suffered and will suffer it is in His promise and faithfulness that we will place our ultimate trust. We trust in God because He will not fail us. He is not like any human being. He will not lie to us. He is also perfectly able to fulfil His promise and perform His word.

What a long struggle this has been! But there is always hope because there is always God. He will not abandon the one who runs to him. O let's run to him today!

Perceiving it is one thing, conceiving it is another, but expressing it is the ultimate thing.

If you are not trading in certainty you are trading in uncertainty. Of what use is an uncertain faith?

I have always wanted my will to be done. But now I prepare myself to accept the will of God, which seems capable of being dreadful, yet it is the only option available to the one who seeks God.

I see no basis for my peace. So it must be from God.

Cursing comes more easily to us than blessing. Our normal reaction to anything negative is also negative. That is why Jesus said, "Bless those who curse you."

I'll respect your decision even if it goes against me. I will not impose myself on anyone who does not want to know me.

Hang on to hope if you believe in God, if you trust in him to do what you want him to do in your life. He will not disappoint. He did not disappoint me. Let’s believe in God. Let’s not be afraid.

God has not forsaken me. There have been difficulties in my life. There have been many difficulties and God has been there for me. God was there for me every time there was a difficulty. Even if I didn’t see any miracle happen, God was there. He helped me every time. And though my problems haven’t disappeared, and they still remain, I have the knowledge that God helped me. God helped me in the past. And that means only one thing to me. God will help me now. And God will help me in the future. Let me hang on to that hope.

I have doubts too. But my faith is greater than my doubts. Let this be the case with all believers in Jesus Christ.

“What’s the use of worrying? Can you add a hair to your head by worrying?” This is what Jesus Christ said to those who worry. Jesus told his disciples not to worry. He commanded his disciples not to worry. “Don’t be afraid. Just believe”, he said on one occasion. A statement so simple yet so powerful is one that I need to remember today. It’s a statement that many people will need to remember today, as they wait for the Lord Jesus Christ to do something in their lives, as they wait on God to solve their problems. Let us not be afraid today. Let us believe. Let us believe that our God is good, that he will save us just as he promised us, that he will be there for us, that he will not forsake us.

Sayings Of Samuel Godfrey George - January 2014

God does not want to condemn you. God wants to accept you. So get that condemnation complex out of your system. And dare to believe in a forgiving God.

Just because a biblical text could be human assessment of God does not make it a fabrication. If so it is remarkable that a group of men from many backgrounds and periods of time have all fabricated more or less the same story. That certainly defies probability for me.

When you are overly cautious you may even turn God out.

I never run with my ideas. I walk with them.

You desire what you do not have. But the great lesson to be learned is to desire what you do have.

This is my voice. And God will speak through it. I will sit back and relax.

Recognize your foolishness. It will be the beginning of your humility.

The truth that Jesus embodies must be experienced and understood, only then can Jesus become believable. We need to see the truth of Jesus in order to believe in him. And this is the truth: God loved the world, which was lost in sin, and the only way to save the world was by God's sacrifice of his own son, which he offered on Calvary 2000 years ago. To see the truth one must recognize the fact that one is lost in sin and can be saved only by the death of Christ. To experience the truth one must accept it and live according to it.

Christian legalism is not in spirit different from Jewish legalism. Christians may no longer insist on following the law of Moses. But many still adhere to a literal interpretation of the Bible, which leads to inflexible, truculent attitudes. Many intolerant, inhumane attitudes have found their origin in a narrow, unimaginative and literal reading of the biblical text, and these are imposed by Christians on fellow-believers who dare not question the authority of such "knowledgeable" brothers and sisters. But God himself cannot be codified, and his love defies human definition. If God is love, and if he loves everyone unconditionally, he is also tolerant of people and their individualities. No limitations on God's loving acceptance of all human beings may be set by anyone, particularly by means of literal and inhumane interpretations of the biblical texts.

A grave sickness shows to me what truly matters. What truly matters is love. What truly matters is concern. What truly matters is consideration. All negative feelings, prejudices and unfavourable opinions are swept away by the news of a person’s grave illness. This is what I discovered. It’s good to know that my negative feelings have not triumphed over my essential humanity and Christian feeling. Thank God for that.

Someone is not well. I heard the news and I was filled with sadness. Though this is not a person who is close to me I cannot feel anything but sadness. The nature of the sickness is grave. And the situation offers little hope. As I sat in my room, reflecting on this piece of news, I asked myself the question, “What would I have done if this had happened to my mother?” My answer was, “I would have prayed. I would have prayed desperately. I would have cried out to God most urgently to heal my mother.” And then I said to myself, “I need to do the same for this man. I should pray for him as I would pray for my mother.”

Be happy with what you have and more will be given to you.

The venom of a fellow-believer is worse than the sting of an unbeliever.

God's love and forgiveness have put my swords to shame. The battles that I was eager to win once I am now willing to lose so that I may have the incomparable grace to love those whom I desired to hate with all my heart. This is never from me. This is from God.

Do not be ruled by what people say about you and think about you. Remember that God loves you no matter what you are and what you do and focus on what he says about you.

I have wrestled with powerful desires. As in physical wrestling I have fallen many times and have been overpowered many times. I have even been laid flat on my back many times. But the wrestling match in my life has not ended. And it is nowhere near ending. Something keeps it going. I'm still wrestling. Today I wonder: why have my powerful, worldly desires not overpowered me completely? If they have overcome me why will I still be wrestling with them? No, they have not overcome me. Because there is another desire in me, equally great and perhaps greater, and not from this world, but from another. This is a desire to be where God is. It is because of this desire that the wrestling bout still goes on.

God loves us no matter what we do. His love has no bearing on our actions. The knowledge of this should free us from the terrorizing fear of how God may see our actions and fall out of love with us.

Blessed is the state of an undivided heart. My heart is not so blessed.

In the act of loving there is much losing.

The pain of a lost son outweighs the joy of a present son.

I mustn't mourn for Absalom too much. I must care about my other sons.

Love. You cannot love in your own strength. You cannot love with what you have. And what you have is not love. But you may love with God. You may love with God in you. God is love, and when he lives in you, love lives in you and you may learn to love just as he does. It may not come quickly. It may not come easily. But it will come if you believe. Believe. Believe in God. Believe in love. And love without restraint and without stipulation. Love. Love those who are difficult to love. Jesus said in the New Testament, “Love those who are difficult to love" (a paraphrase). And the implication of that statement is this: love people whom you would not normally love. Love people whom you would walk away from. Love people whom you would avoid. Love those who seem repulsive to you. Love those who seem hateful to you.

The knowledge of my littleness is a great help.

“I’m dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” This is one of my favourite declarations. I make it every now and then, but not as frequently as I would like to make it. There are times when I feel that I am alive to sin. Many times I feel that I am alive to sin. Sometimes I say, “The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.” At the same time I think, “I do want.” The Lord is my shepherd, but I still want. I want despite the fact that the Lord is my shepherd. There are times when I declare one thing and feel something else. And that bothers me.

Don't ever desire the hectic life. If your life is slow and even uneventful learn to appreciate it.

Let me learn to say "Thank you God". Let me learn to say it promptly and honestly.

You don't need to be loved to love someone. It is in your nature to love.

I thought that the first month of this year was going to be a tough one for me and my family. But God saved us from hard times by granting us a sudden financial blessing. I did not even pray hard. Yet God proved to be faithful. All that I have to say today to a fellow believer in Jesus Christ is this: "Keep trusting God. He will not let you down."

Know yourself. But don't be troubled by yourself. God loves the mess that you are.

The only approval you are likely to get in the world is from other human beings. So learn to live with human approval and not because of it. Live as though all human praise, fleetingly satisfying as it is, ultimately means nothing and counts as nothing.

Don't try to make up for what you didn't do yesterday. Let yesterday's work remain incomplete, for then it will show you the value of every day.

Whatever your troubles today, do not forget to worship your Lord Jesus Christ. Cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you.

Jesus is King. He is the King of your life. Submit to Him entirely. Surrender all your fears to Him. Cast all your cares on Him today. And trust in Him to work out the solution to your unending problem.

Thank God when you can. For a time may come when you cannot thank God easily.

Embrace your gifts even when they feel like nothing. Rejoice in your blessing even when it feels like a curse.

The way to celebrate God is to celebrate what he has given you.

If only I could see the shock therapy behind the foul words I will have compassion on this repeat offender.

I believe that God is free to do whatever he wants. He always chooses to do good, because he is good. And though his good may not always seem good to us, it is in fact good. He can do bad and sometimes it does seem to us that God does do bad things as well. Job admitted this: "Shall we accept good from God and not bad?" God can do bad but this is not what he ultimately does. God's love and God's goodness eventually overpower whatever is bad within him. Yes, God can hate and destroy. But he tries his best not to express these negative qualities. Because God is ultimately love, it is his love that will have the final say. God may seem bound by his promises. But this is what results from the irrevocable nature of his words. However this does not impair his free-will.

Say a prayer for someone else. Think about someone else. It is not easy to be selfless. Therefore always strive to consider others and their problems.

Enlightenment, according to me, is the awareness that every human being is a child of God. Every human being is made in the image of God. And every human being deserves respect because he or she is made in the image of God. When you turn a human being out for not being dressed appropriately, you are paying more attention to the dress that a human being wears than to what the human being is.

And what is a human being? He is made in the image of God. A human is a wonderful creature. He displays a complexity that is worthy of admiration. No clothes are really necessary to add to his wonderful nature. No education is actually necessary. But what I think is really necessary is an awareness – an awareness of who a human being is, of what God has made him to be.

Don't aim at perfection. Aim at satisfaction.

Blessed is he who knows the pettiness of his anger.

What is the truth regarding giving? The Bible says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Jesus said, “Freely you have received. Freely give.” This is the reason why we should give. We should give because we have been commanded by God to give. Giving is an act of obedience to God. We give not because we want to feel good about ourselves. There is nothing good in us. St. Paul said, “Nothing good lives inside me.” There is nothing good about us. So we should not aim at feeling good about ourselves. We should aim at obeying God, who said, “Give”. God told us to give. God commanded us to give. This is why we should give. Not because we feel good when we give. There is no reason why we should feel good about ourselves. If we give it is not because of any good quality in us. We give because God commands us to give. We give because God lives in us. We give because God inspires the giving in us. Then what are we happy about? If we are happy about anything let us be happy about God living in us and inspiring us to give. And we must give in all circumstances, not only when we have plenty, but also when we have less. And we must encourage others to give as well and not discourage them.

There is a God out there who cares about me. There is a God out there whom I should care about. There is a God out there whom I should tell people about. These basic facts will do for me.

Can I respect you without any regard to your wallet? This is the test of my integrity.

Every act of ours is targeted for applause. Every speech act of ours is targeted for approval. We strive to be noticed and admired. This is our ugliness and what separates us from beauty.

All of us toil for appreciation. This is the nature of our existence.

Few of us would like to see the processes that run within our bodies, for some of them do seem ugly and disgusting. But one cannot really appreciate the beautiful exterior without knowing the ugly interior.

May God's will be done in your life. May peace and strength flood your heart today. Be well. God is with you.

Let me slow down and appreciate what God has created to give me joy.

Can I go on despite my zeroes? I most certainly can.

Can you appreciate a little thing? That is the test of your greatness.

We are petty, self-centred people aiming to be lofty and selfless.

My desires are paltry. God's desires are lofty.

Extreme positions are best avoided.

I avoid crowds. That's good.

We believe that God created beautiful flowers. So we praise him.

Don't be in a hurry to move ahead. Remain behind where you are. There is much to gain from that.

Our sins separate us from God. Our sins also lead us to God. When we know our sins we run to God.

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, is a model of faith for all of us, who are eager to obey God. Mary was obedient to the will of God, though she was troubled by what God intended to do through her.

How do we know that God created anything? We don't. We just believe what we have been told. And no other explanation seems good enough to those who believe.

The act of giving is good because it is something that Christ commanded us to do. We must give. We give not because we expect to receive. We give because we have already received. I want to share this with you so that you may also consider giving if you haven’t done that already. The Bible says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Shall we give today?

Hold on to nothing except God.

I am not getting out of this without a fight. I will fight till I am everything that God wants me to be.

Salvation is not based on my performance. Thank God for that.

Those who are determined to see God will see God.

It's been difficult for me. And that's good.

One grows up fighting and one learns to seek peace. But peace comes only after many fights and festering wounds.

If I can't love many people let me love at least one.

Let me not forget the bird in my hand today.

The entry of a rat may bring about the entry of a cat.

We who walk after Jesus Christ are selfish, immoral creatures aspiring to be selfless and moral. But if we ever attain the selflessness and the morality that we seek these will never be our achievements.

Why should I get people to like me when God can do that for me in the most appropriate manner?

We will not be drawn to God if He has no love.

To be called "Dad" seems like the most welcome address to me. It is something that I have never heard addressed to me. But I still hope that a day may indeed come when I hear it in that manner.

Mary is the most blessed of women. Let us honour and respect the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ. And may we remember her and her faith. She said, "Behold the handmaiden of the Lord! Here I am, the servant of the Lord!" This is how she received the good news that Gabriel gave her. Though it was good news, it was news that troubled her. She wondered how she could bear a child while she was still a virgin. Finally she accepted the message of God.

What is Christmas without Christ? What is Christ without God? And what is God without love?

We are trivial creatures aspiring to be great and being constantly reminded of our triviality.

If I can't help anyone, maybe I can receive help from them. This I believe is a positive outlook.

I should let people live their lives. This is my greatest act of love for them.

Some people apparently do not need my help. This should not bother me, but it does.

I am repelled by a judgemental attitude in anyone. But when I see it in a Christian, who is commanded by God not to judge (i.e. condemn and shun someone), I am even more repelled.

I wanted to do something that is noticed by the whole world. God led me to do something that no one notices. Actually a few people do notice, but the work that I do seems hopeless many times.

Nevertheless if God asked me to do it, then there must be light at the end of this tunnel.

We are here to help each other, not to compete with each other.

The spirit of competition is inimical to enlightenment.

For whatever you receive no matter from where you receive it give thanks sincerely to God.

There's an absolute nothingness to what appeals to my flesh. And yet I crave it with all my heart.

There are great sufferings going on in other people's lives. Let me step back from my own life and consider these trials that people go through and try to say a prayer for them.

O Lord, may I realize the futility of every desire except the desire for your presence and mastery over my life.

As I enter a New Year in my life I realize that troubles are still with me. Afraid as I am, I believe that along with troubles God is present. The promise of God is most obvious, is most desirable. I seek the promise of God. I trust in the promise of God, who said, “I will never leave you. I will never forsake you. I have a good plan for you, not a plan to harm you.” In this I will rest today.

When humans fail you will turn to God.

There was a time when I believed that I was a self-made man. There was a time when I believed I was self-directed. Today I understand that there is no such thing as self-direction in my life. If I am where I am today it is because someone has externally directed me. Someone continues to externally direct me. And I believe that this person is God. I have not seen him. I have not heard his voice. I have not seen his physical presence in my life. I have heard of him. I have read about him. I imagine him in my life. Very rarely I feel him.

Trouble humbles a man greatly. The troubles in my life have humbled me. There are times when I feel that I’m something, that I can do something. But troubles speak very loudly to me. Troubles let me know how little I am, how insecure I am, how incapable I am of taking care of my problems. Troubles make me understand my need of God. Troubles take me to God. Troubles bring me close to God. And troubles also make me understand my own insignificance.

Trouble is good. It brings a man down to a place of reality. There are times when a man can fool himself into thinking that he is secure, that he is even good and maybe great and probably invincible. A man is no such thing. A man cannot be good. A man cannot be great. A man cannot be invincible. Trouble makes a man realize this.

O Lord, thank you for all your benefits in the year 2013. How much we have received from you! Every day is a blessing. Every moment is a blessing. Every breath is a blessing. Every day of health is a blessing. Every friend we’ve made, every relationship in our lives is a blessing. Every opportunity to speak about your love, every opportunity to share your message is a blessing. And you gave me so many blessings. You gave my family so many blessings during this year. Thank you very much O Lord.

At the end of a year we ask ourselves questions: “What have we done this year and in the previous years? What have we not done? What should we do in the coming year?” These questions may trouble us. They may lead us to self-analysis. They may reveal certain truths about us. But this is the truth that we must be aware of: we are the creations of God made to be in union with God. And if we are not united with God we will not find purpose in our lives. But this is our purpose: to know God, to know the one who created us, to know the one who gave us life, who gave us the privilege to live in this beautiful world, who gave us the privilege to be able to think, to be able to wonder, to be able to even ask this question: “Does God exist?”