Finished two books this month.

I feel like I haven’t found any good fiction in a long while. A sweet friend of Freedom recently visited the DR and discovered I had never read Redeeming Love. She promptly sent me her copy, which I devoured in about four days. Oh, Mylanta. This book is an incredible retelling of the story of Hosea and Gomer. What a precious picture of God’s redeeming love and forgiveness. If you walk away from this book with dry eyes, you have no heart. Heh.

Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret was refreshing and encouraging and heartbreaking and… all the emotions. Taylor, missionary to China and “Father of Faith Missions”, lived an incredible life – so deeply rooted in Christ alone. It was clear that the Lord completely cared for him and his ministry through the darkest of times. How I pray I can learn to rest in Jesus in the same way, no matter what may come. This book is worth the read – and currently just $.99 on Amazon!

Below: another installment of some quotes that stood out to me this month.

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“I want to be free, Michael, for once in my life, I just want to be free.”
“You are free. You just don’t know it yet.” ¹

Love is the way back into Eden. It is the way back to life. ¹

Bear not a single care thyself,
One is too much for thee;
The work is Mine, and Mine alone;
Thy work – to rest in Me. ²

I feel as if I could not live if something is not done for China. ²

If we are faithful to God in little things, we shall gain experience and strength that will be helpful to us in the more serious trials of life. ²

Pray much for me. It is easy to talk of leaving all for Christ, but when it comes to the proof – it is only as we stand “complete in Him” we can go through with it. ²

Their utter wretchedness and misery and my inability to help them or even point them to Jesus powerfully affected me. Satan came in as a flood, but there was One who lifted up a standard against him. Jesus is here, and though unknown by the majority and uncared-for by many who might know Him, He is present and precious to His own. ²

We thank Thee, Lord, for pilgrim days
When desert springs were dry,
When first we knew what depths of need
Thy love could satisfy. ²

“My father sought the Truth,” he continued sadly, “and died without finding it. Oh why did you not come sooner?” It was a moment, the pain of which Hudson Taylor could never forget, and which deepened his earnestness in seeking to bring Christ to those who might still be reached. ²

The very last bag of rice had been opened, and was disappearing rapidly. “Then,” replied Hudson Taylor, “the Lord’s time for helping must be close at hand.” And so it proved… ²

Depend upon it, God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supplies. ²

It doesn’t matter, really, how great the pressure is,” he used to say; “it only matters where the pressure lies. See that it never comes between you and the Lord – then, the greater the pressure, the more it presses you to His breast. ²

But how to get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting in the Faithful One. ²

“Come unto me and drink.” Not, come and take a hasty draught; not, come and slightly alleviate, or for a short time remove one’s thirst. No! “drink,” or “be drinking” constantly, habitually. The cause of thirst may be irremediable. One coming, one drinking may refresh and comfort: but we are to be ever coming, ever drinking. No fear of emptying the fountain or exhausting the river!” ²

Compared with this union with Christ, heaven or earth are unimportant accidents. ²

It were well that we oftener read our own diaries, especially noting the hand of the Lord in helping us in suffering, want, labour, or dilemma. This is the grand use of memory, to furnish us with proofs of the Lord’s faithfulness, and lead us onward to a growing confidence in him. ³

The very shade of God is sweet to a believer. Under the eagle wings of Jehovah we hide from all fear, and we do this naturally and at once, because we have aforetime tried and proved both his love and his power. We are not only safe but happy in God: we rejoice as well as repose. ³

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¹ Francine Rivers, Redeeming Love
² Dr. and Mrs. Howard Taylor, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret
³ Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Psalm 63:7