God uses suffering to purge sin from our lives, strengthen our commitment to Him, force us to depend on grace, bind us together with other believers, produce discernment, foster sensitivity, discipline our minds, spend our time wisely, stretch our hope, cause us to know Christ better, make us long for truth, lead us to repentance of sin, teach us to give thanks in time of sorrow, increase faith, and strengthen character.
Joni Eareckson Tada (Evangelist, Author)
The weaker we feel, the harder we lean on God. And the harder we lean the stronger we grow.
Joni Eareckson Tada (Evangelist, Author)
Faith isn’t the ability to believe long and far into the misty future. It’s simply taking God at His Word and taking the next step.
Joni Eareckson Tada (Evangelist, Author)
Nothing is a surprise to God; nothing is a setback to His plans; nothing can thwart His purposes; and nothing is beyond His control. His sovereignty is absolute. Everything that happens is uniquely ordained by God. Sovereignty is a weighty thing to ascribe to the nature and character of God. Yet if He were not sovereign, He would not be God. The Bible is clear that God is in control of everything that happens.
Joni Eareckson Tada (Evangelist, Author)
Real satisfaction comes not in understanding God’s motives, but in understanding His character, in trusting in His promises, and in leaning on Him and resting in Him as the Sovereign who knows what He is doing and does all things well.
Joni Eareckson Tada (Evangelist, Author)
God is more concerned with conforming me to the likeness of His Son than leaving me in my comfort zones. God is more interested in inward qualities than outward circumstances – things like refining my faith, humbling my heart, cleaning up my thought life and strengthening my character.
Joni Eareckson Tada (Evangelist, Author)
As the excellence of steel is strength, and the excellence of art is beauty, so the excellence of mankind is moral character.
A.W. Tozer (Pastor, Preacher)
Faith in God is to be demonstrated, not defined.
A.W. Tozer (Pastor, Preacher)
Our faith is to be applied into our lives, and by doing this we demonstrate how much God has changed our lives. We do not have to explain to people how God has changed us as much as show them how much God has changed us.
It is astonishing, how many difficulties clear up without any effort when the inner life gets straightened out. If half the time we spend trying to fix up outward things were spent in getting our hearts right, we would be delighted with the result. Strange as it may seem, harmony within our hearts depends mostly upon our getting into harmony with God.
A.W. Tozer (Pastor, Preacher)
To pray without expectation is to misunderstand the whole concept of prayer and relationship with God.
A.W. Tozer (Pastor, Preacher)