A man whose right hand was withered came to learn from Christ (see Luke 6:6). Whether he had any expectation to be healed by him does not appear. But those that would be cured by the grace of Christ must be willing to learn the doctrine of Christ.
– Matthew Henry –
The end of all learning is to know God, and out of that knowledge to love and imitate Him.
– John Milton –
1608 – 1674 AD
Tried this morning especially to pray against idols in the shape of my books and studies. These encroach upon my direct communion with God, and need to be watched.
– Andrew Bonar –
from Andrew Bonar: Diary & Life (Saturday, September 7, 1850)
Satan dreads nothing but prayer … The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.
– Samuel Chadwick –
The vigor of our Spiritual Life will be in exact proportion to the place held by the Bible in our life and thoughts.
– George Müller –
I wish that men studied the praise they profess to present unto God more.
– Charles Spurgeon –
from Spurgeon on Praise
Wisdom saith, “This is the way, walk in it”; and you shall not only find life at the end, but pleasure in the way. That which is the only right way to happiness we must resolve to travel, and to proceed and persevere in it, whether it be fair or foul, pleasant or unpleasant: but it is a great encouragement to a traveller, to know that his way is not only the right way, but a pleasant way: and such the way to heaven is.
– Matthew Henry –
from The Pleasantness of a Religious Life, 1714
Those who resemble God are the most likely to understand God. If a man is not willing to turn from sin, he will not know God’s will. God will not reveal His secrets to him. But, if a man is willing to turn from sin, he will be surprised to see how the light will come in!
– DL Moody –
from The Way to God
The discipline of our mind is the one domain God has put in our keeping. It is impossible to be of any use to God if we are lazy. God won’t cure laziness, we have to cure it.
– Oswald Chambers –