Quotes

I often use quotes in a scenic backdrop as the image that introduce my posts. Is it just me or is there not something wildly fascinating about a great quote? I’m not talking about idioms, memes or clichés but a genuine quote as a free flowing thought that immediately resonates with our very souls. It’s almost magical how a short phrase can capture a universal connectedness; promote a common feel or obvious truth that requires no more explanation than the wisdom presented in the quote itself.

Do you have a favorite quote? Oh my God! There are so many quotes that I love. Sometimes, I find myself going to websites in hopes of being encouraged by some thoughtful excerpt that I’d never heard before or to be re-inspired by ones that I hadn’t considered in a long while.
It seems evident to me now that there are more than a few people who can’t help but speak profoundly. Whenever I think of American Pastor, Warren Wiersbe, who said:

“Truth without love is brutality, and love without truth is hypocrisy.” “God doesn't bless us just to make us happy; He blesses us to make us a blessing.”

I honestly can’t imagine him simply asking for buttered toast and coffee without sounding effortlessly profound. However, it really doesn’t take greatness to find yourself in a moment where something irrefutably timeless and relevant will unexpectedly spill right out of your mouth.
My favorite category of quote is that which deals with spiritual enlightenment. You don’t have to be a Zig Ziglar, A.W. Tozer, Spurgeon, C.S. Lewis, GK Chesterton (or Wiersbe...and so many others) to say something captivating, as there are many, many ‘unknowns’ that have made just as indelible a mark. For example:

“In life you will meet two kinds of people: Those who build you up and those who tear you down. But in the end, you will thank them both.” ~Unknown.

Here’s The Word:

Proverbs 15:23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man, and a word in season, how good it is!

Luke 12:12 “for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Luke 21:15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

Now, there’s a definite context to each of these verses that give specific meaning to the situation in which they’re placed but if we take a higher view, we see a God who knows us and enables us to be an undeniable encouragement (a blessing) that establishes and exemplifies His truth.
Of course, I don’t mean for us to try and conjure up wise sayings to try and impress others, but I also wouldn’t want to understate the ability of God to touch those in our immediate hearing as well as generations down the line if we’re found in Him, embracing the work of His hands on our lives, and being living epistles of the love that God has for all. You may not be able to coin a phrase like an Oswald Chambers or Joni Eareckson Tada, but don’t let that stop you from proclaiming God’s praises just the same.

The point here is Christ! His richness, applicability, empowerment and absolutely everything about Him that draws us to Himself. To me, He’s that magical revelation that touches our souls when we read a great quote. Notwithstanding, we do need to be aware of cleverly worded, or otherwise saavy counterfeits but If it’s true, it’s because HE is truth. If it helps us hold fast or be encouraged to press on, it’s because HE is The Way. If it identifies with our common experience in a manner of surreal pertinence, it’s because HE is Life! He is to be glorified! We are at our best when we’re close to Him, reflecting His light and responding to the world in the power of His Spirit and the character of Christlikeness.

Now, flip it and think of it this way. Before God formed you in the womb, He ordered your days. He had you and your purpose in mind well before He decided to “say” your name and breathe life into your frame. If you can receive that on a daily basis, you can yield to His leading and be that simple, clear yet profound quote He intended the world to hear when He made you. The only way to be an unknown is to leave the life that Christ offers, unlived. It will testify to His truth and love and bring glory to His Son!


In Him,
Cros