“There have always been literate ignoramuses who have read too widely and not well. The Greeks had a name for such a mixture of learning and folly which might be applied to the bookish but poorly read of all ages. They are all sophomores.”
Mortimer J Adler & Charles Van Doren, How to Read a Book
haha… this is so true.
My soul clings to the dust;
give me life according to your word!
When I told of my ways, you answered me;
teach me your statutes!
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
My soul melts away for sorrow;
strengthen me according to your word!
Put false ways far from me
and graciously teach me your law!
I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I set your rules before me.
I cling to your testimonies, O LORD;
let me not be put to shame!
I will run in the way of your commandments
when you enlarge my heart!
(Psalm 119:25-32 ESV)
He ever lives and abides a Priest continually. His continuance in the Priestly office should comfort us under all our heart-breakings, short-comings, and deadness in prayer and praise; his blood will be heard for us — when we are ashamed of our pleading for ourselves.
-James Smith (HT: Of First Importance)
— Thomas Brooks (HT: Challies)
Do we profess to believe in God? He’s a missionary God. Do we say that we are committed to Christ? He’s a missionary Christ. Do we claim to be filled with the Spirit? He’s a missionary Spirit. Do we delight in belonging to the church? It’s a missionary society. Do we hope to go to heaven when we die? It’s a heaven filled with the fruits of a missionary enterprise. It is not possible to avoid these things.”
- John Stott
You are retired for your private devotions; you have opened the Bible, and you begin to read.
Now, do not be satisfied with merely reading through a chapter. Some people thoughtlessly read through two or three chapters—stupid people for doing such a thing!
It is always better to read a little and digest it, than it is to read much and then think you have done a good thing by merely reading the letter of the word.
For you might as well read the alphabet backwards and forwards, as read a chapter of Scripture, unless you meditate upon it, and seek to comprehend its meaning.
Merely to read words is nothing: the letter kills.
The business of the believer with his Bible open is to pray, “Lord, give me the meaning and spirit of your word, while it lies open before me; apply your word with power to my soul, threatening or promise, doctrine or precept, whatever it may be; lead me into the soul and marrow of your word.”
Also, it is not the form of prayer, but the spirit of prayer that shall truly benefit your souls.
That prayer has not benefited you, which is not the prayer of the soul.
You have need to say, “Lord, give me the spirit of prayer; now help me to feel my need deeply, to perceive your promises clearly, and to exercise faith upon them.”
In your private devotions, strive after vital godliness, real soul-work, the life-giving operation of the Spirit of God in your hearts.
”—
Charles Spurgeon (HT: Justin Taylor)
May I put aside all laziness and thoughtlessness in my private devotion. I must read until I truly read, pray until I really pray.
—
Martyn Lloyd Jones, Spiritual Depression, p. 282-285
What a humbling and terrifying thought. Take away my meetings and my books and leave me alone, deaf and blind. Then what will my knowledge and love for God be?
Oh, I do not just want to know more about Him. I want to know Him!
A desire for God which cannot break the chains of sleep is a weak thing and will do but little good for God after it has indulged itself fully. The desire for God that keeps so far behind the devil and the world at the beginning of the day will never catch up.
- E.M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer
I think one may be quite rid of the old haunting suspicion—which raises its head in every temptation—that there is something else than God, some other country into which he forbids us to trespass, some kind of delight which he ‘doesn’t appreciate’ or just chooses to forbid, but which would be real delight if only we were allowed to get it.
The thing just isn’t there. Whatever we desire is either what God is trying to give us as quickly as he can, or else a false picture of what he is trying to give us, a false picture which would not attract us for a moment if we saw the real thing… . He knows what we want, even in our vilest acts. He is longing to give it to us
”— C.S. Lewis
