Tuesday, September 28, 2010

A Praying Life by Paul Miller

A quote out of our women's Bible study book that really grabbed my attention. This was written by John of Landsburg, a Catholic monk in the sixteenth century. He wrote this quote, imagining that it was Jesus speaking to us personally:

"I know those moods when you sit there utterly alone, pining, eaten up with unhappiness, in a pure state of grief...This near-despair and self-pity are actually a form of pride. What you think was a state of absolute security from which you've fallen was really trusting too much in your own strength and ability...what really ails you is that things simply haven't happened as you expected and wanted.

In fact I don't want you to rely on your own strength and abilities and plans, but to distrust them and to distrust yourself, and to trust me and no one and nothing else. As long as you rely entirely on yourself, you are bound to come to grief...your own strength will no more help you stand upright then propping yourself on a broken reed...You may hope and trust in me absolutely. My mercy is infinite."

What great hope!

2 comments:

Malia said...

I just started this book and I can't put it down! Well, except for checking in on blogs and stuff. ;) I saw that Paul Miller is coming to our church for a seminar in October and thought I should read his book first. It has been so encouraging. Thanks for sharing how you have been encouraged!

valthecraftygal said...

I totally love this quote!