A woman in her glory, a woman of beauty, is a woman who is not striving to become beautiful or worthy or enough. She knows in her quiet center where God dwells that he finds her beautiful, has deemed her worthy, and in him, she is enough.
—Stasi Eldredge, Captivating (via hopefisch)
(via -witheverything)
A man under the law does not escape from the dominion of sin because the law rouses the opposition of the human heart. There are a great many things that people never think of doing till they are forbidden. Lock up a closet in your house and say to your children, “You must never enter that closet or even look into the keyhole.” Perhaps they have never wanted to look into the dingy old closet before, but now they can hardly wait to inspect it. Law, by reason of our unruly nature, excites opposition and creates sin, for what a man may not do he immediately wants to do. He who is under the law will never escape from the dominion of sin, for sin comes by the law by reasons of the iniquities of our hearts. But when we are under grace, we love God for His love for us and labor to please Him in all things.
The law moreover offers a man no actual help. All it does is to say, “Thou shalt” and “Thou shalt not”. It can do no more. The law says, “Make you a new heart”; grace replies, “A new heart also I will give you, and a new spirit will I put within you” (Ezek 36:26). The law says, “Keep my commandments”; and grace answers, “Thou shalt keep my commandments and do them.” Grace brings the Holy Spirit into the soul to work in us holy desires a hatred of sin, and hence what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, grace accomplishes for us by its own almighty power (Rom. 8:3).
— Charles Spurgeon, “Believers Free from the Power of Sin”, A Passion for Holiness in a Believer’s Life (via whomshallifear)
This.
(via be-the-change)
(via on-my-toes-for-you)
I wanna know if you bleed sometimes through other people’s wounds.
—Andrea Gibson (via deebella123)
(Source: rosewaterinmasonjars, via eternalunfolding)
If we believe that God is love, we need to trust that even at those times when we want to cry with rage and frustration because something precious to us seems to have been taken away, God is treating us with love. Even at those times when we feel as though God is punishing us or depriving us of something or treating us unfairly in some way, we must have faith in God’s constant love for us, just as children learn to trust their parents.
—Laura A. Smit (via walkinameadow)
(via anchorofmysoul)
I refuse to believe that my life is worthless. I will not believe in unbelief anymore. I will not—I will simply walk away from unbelief. I refuse to believe the lies anymore that my life is of no value; that I will never amount to anything, that I will never accomplish anything in the kingdom of God. That is how the devil keeps half the church—or more—just sitting in their seats and quiet, when God has something spectacular that He wants to do through your life. He doesn’t want you when you’re full, He wants you when you’re empty. He doesn’t you when you’re strong, He wants you when you’re weak. He doesn’t want you when you’re something, He wants you when you’re nothing. Because He is the One who takes nothing and makes something out of it for His Name’s sake and His glory.
—Carter Conlon (via wewontbequiet)
(Source: a-restless-wind)
I’m in love with the Man that made the stars. Who put the world into motion. Who loved me, even when I was a disgusting, worthless sinner. He picked me up, refined my identity, and breathed love and life into my soul.
I’m in love with Jesus Christ, and I will never be ashamed.
(Source: imperfectlybeautifullylovely, via anchorofmysoul)
