Source (book): "Teach Us to Number Our Days", Chapter 59, "Bookworm", Page 271.
By David Roper, Pastor, and regular and popular writer for Our Daily Bread.
By David Roper, Pastor, and regular and popular writer for Our Daily Bread.
PHOTO: There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears the human soul.
- Emily Dickinson
I've been a bookworm ever since I learned how to read. My two strongest memories as a child are pick-up baseball games at the part and sitting under a gigantic willow tree in our backyard and reading until it was dark. My parents once gave me a set of bookplates that portrayed a smiling worm sticking his head out of an apple, licking his lips and saying, "As for me, give me a book!" Books were my "frigates" (warships) that took me lands away.
And I'm still a bookworm. It's almost impossible for me to sit down without picking up something to read. Among my favorite days are Saturdays when Carolyn and I haunt our local library.
Some years ago I read a short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges entitled "The Library of Babylon," in which he describes a library that contains all the books that were written, or will ever be written, with all editions and all possible variations of every volume. Oh, how I'd love to have a library card for such a place!
Carolyn and I love books, and we give away or loan out most of our books after we've read them; otherwise our libraries would take up most of the house. (C. S. Lewis once commented that those books we've loaned out are the only books we'll have in heaven. We'll have space enough there.) The exceptions are those we cherish and want to read again and again.
My reading tastes have always been more eclectic (wide-ranging) than refined, I suppose. When it comes to books, I read widely - poetry, history, theology, philosophy, mysteries and other who done-its - although I don't read many contemporary writers (only a few to keep up with my friends). Most of all, I like authors from the past. To read these men and women is to sit in conversation with some of the greatest minds of history.
Reading engages the mind and ignites the imagination. And mental stimulation is important as we age, for our minds, like our muscles, atrophy (deteriorate) if we don't use them. Reading can help us keep our mind nimble, flexible, and strong. Certainly there is some cognitive (the mental process of thinking and understanding) loss as we age, but we can learn and our minds can expand to the end of our lives. George MacDonald wrote in his last years:
Above all, I read the Bible. As John Wesley said, "God himself has condescended (descended) to teach the way; for this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price give me the book of God! I have it; here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri [a man of one book]." This is my prayer as well.
I've approached the Bible in a number of ways over the years, and all have served me well at one time or another. My current method is based on a scheme as old as Jeremiah and John: I eat it.
I take small bites - a verse, a few sentences, or at most a short paragraph. Then I think about that text for a long time. I read and re-read it, a dozen times or more, reflecting on what the Author is saying and, more importantly, what He is saying to me. I've found that understanding comes through patient reading and reflection; every text must be brooded over. As Mortimer Adler writes in his How to Read a Book: "What things would you do by yourself if your life depended on understanding something readable which at first perusal (scrutiny) left you somewhat in the dark?"
Some sayings are hard, so I must think hard and long about their meaning. And if I ponder the Scriptures long enough, I find there's always something there.
The next step is prayer, which I suppose is analogous to the enzymes that break down our daily bread. We chew and then we digest.
Folks have asked me if prayer is essential to understand the Bible, and my answer is "of course," but probably for a different reason than they may think. Almost anyone can understand the language of the Bible, given an application of the rules we apply to normal speech. Paul does insist that those without the Spirit cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God, (1 Corinthians 2:14) but I believe he was referring not to the words of Scripture, but to understanding their implication for life. I have, in the past, had non-Christian professors whose insights into the biblical text were startling. It was the meaning of those insights, the personal significance of the text, the deep wisdom that touches and changes the heart that eluded (evaded) them.
It's here that prayer plays a crucial role, and it's here that the Bible is radically different from other books. Prayer cannot help me determine the difference between prose and poetry, between nouns and verbs, or between commands and general observations about life. That understanding comes from thoughtful effort, not free association, intuitive flashes, or special insight. But prayer can lead me to understand the particular truth that I need for myself. I believe that's what Paul meant when he presented Timothy with a series of metaphors and insisted that he reflect on them, for the Lord, would give insight into each one. (2 Timothy 2:7) Reflection on the words of Scripture and reliance on the Spirit of God enable me to see what God wants me to see.
Prayer is also essential to rid my mind of pride, prejudice, and the preconceptions to which I so doggedly cling. It enables me to hear God's Word with objectivity and susceptibility, so that I can understand what's being said to my self-will, self-indulgence, and self-reliance.
Truth cannot be rationally assimilated; the process by which the Word becomes flesh and touches our heart of hearts is supra-rational - accomplished alone by prayer. It's for that reason that Paul knelt before the Father and prayed that those in Ephesus who read his words might "know" what could not otherwise be known. (Ephesians 3:19)
Finally, what we eat must be integrated into our being. It's not enough to read God's Word and leave it there. We cannot say we know any truth until we've begun to obey it. As someone has said, "To know and not to do is not to know at all."
Jeremy Taylor wrote: "Be sure to meditate so long, till you . . . get some new arguments against a sin, or some new encouragements to virtue; some spiritual strength and advantage, or else some act of prayer to God, or glorification of him." That step, the walk of obedience, is the hardest part. Here's where we need God's help, for we are utterly helpless to help ourselves.
I find encouragement in a story Russian author Leo Tolstoy told about a cobbler, Martin Avdyeeich, who lost his wife and his little child, Kapitoshka, then lost his faith and desire to live. One day an old peasant came by - a man known for his godliness - and Martin spoke to him about his despair.
"What then is a man to live for?" Avdyeeich asked.
"For God, Martin!" the old man answered.
Avdyeeich then asked: "And how must one live for God?"
"Christ hath shown us the way. Buy the Gospels and read; there you will find out how to live for God."
So Martin bought a New Testament and began to read. "And the more he read, the more clearly he understood what God wanted of him, and how it behooved him (it is a duty or responsibility) to live for God . . . And he began to measure his own life by these words. And he thought to himself . . . O Lord, help me!"
This is my beginning: to know that I am a poor creature, utterly incapable of doing what God has asked me to do - and to ask for His help. In this way I read the Bible these days: I ponder it long and I pray, "Lord, help me!"
Obedience flows from God's love. When I know I am loved and cherished by my heavenly Father, I long to be an obedient child. These days, it is the love of Christ that compels me. (2 Corinthians 5:14)
There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears the human soul.
- Emily Dickinson
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears the human soul.
- Emily Dickinson
I've been a bookworm ever since I learned how to read. My two strongest memories as a child are pick-up baseball games at the part and sitting under a gigantic willow tree in our backyard and reading until it was dark. My parents once gave me a set of bookplates that portrayed a smiling worm sticking his head out of an apple, licking his lips and saying, "As for me, give me a book!" Books were my "frigates" (warships) that took me lands away.
And I'm still a bookworm. It's almost impossible for me to sit down without picking up something to read. Among my favorite days are Saturdays when Carolyn and I haunt our local library.
Some years ago I read a short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges entitled "The Library of Babylon," in which he describes a library that contains all the books that were written, or will ever be written, with all editions and all possible variations of every volume. Oh, how I'd love to have a library card for such a place!
Carolyn and I love books, and we give away or loan out most of our books after we've read them; otherwise our libraries would take up most of the house. (C. S. Lewis once commented that those books we've loaned out are the only books we'll have in heaven. We'll have space enough there.) The exceptions are those we cherish and want to read again and again.
My reading tastes have always been more eclectic (wide-ranging) than refined, I suppose. When it comes to books, I read widely - poetry, history, theology, philosophy, mysteries and other who done-its - although I don't read many contemporary writers (only a few to keep up with my friends). Most of all, I like authors from the past. To read these men and women is to sit in conversation with some of the greatest minds of history.
Reading engages the mind and ignites the imagination. And mental stimulation is important as we age, for our minds, like our muscles, atrophy (deteriorate) if we don't use them. Reading can help us keep our mind nimble, flexible, and strong. Certainly there is some cognitive (the mental process of thinking and understanding) loss as we age, but we can learn and our minds can expand to the end of our lives. George MacDonald wrote in his last years:
So, like bees round the flower by which they thrive,
My thoughts are busy with the informing truth,
And as I build, I feed, and grow in youth. [307]
My thoughts are busy with the informing truth,
And as I build, I feed, and grow in youth. [307]
Above all, I read the Bible. As John Wesley said, "God himself has condescended (descended) to teach the way; for this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price give me the book of God! I have it; here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri [a man of one book]." This is my prayer as well.
I've approached the Bible in a number of ways over the years, and all have served me well at one time or another. My current method is based on a scheme as old as Jeremiah and John: I eat it.
I take small bites - a verse, a few sentences, or at most a short paragraph. Then I think about that text for a long time. I read and re-read it, a dozen times or more, reflecting on what the Author is saying and, more importantly, what He is saying to me. I've found that understanding comes through patient reading and reflection; every text must be brooded over. As Mortimer Adler writes in his How to Read a Book: "What things would you do by yourself if your life depended on understanding something readable which at first perusal (scrutiny) left you somewhat in the dark?"
Some sayings are hard, so I must think hard and long about their meaning. And if I ponder the Scriptures long enough, I find there's always something there.
The next step is prayer, which I suppose is analogous to the enzymes that break down our daily bread. We chew and then we digest.
Folks have asked me if prayer is essential to understand the Bible, and my answer is "of course," but probably for a different reason than they may think. Almost anyone can understand the language of the Bible, given an application of the rules we apply to normal speech. Paul does insist that those without the Spirit cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God, (1 Corinthians 2:14) but I believe he was referring not to the words of Scripture, but to understanding their implication for life. I have, in the past, had non-Christian professors whose insights into the biblical text were startling. It was the meaning of those insights, the personal significance of the text, the deep wisdom that touches and changes the heart that eluded (evaded) them.
It's here that prayer plays a crucial role, and it's here that the Bible is radically different from other books. Prayer cannot help me determine the difference between prose and poetry, between nouns and verbs, or between commands and general observations about life. That understanding comes from thoughtful effort, not free association, intuitive flashes, or special insight. But prayer can lead me to understand the particular truth that I need for myself. I believe that's what Paul meant when he presented Timothy with a series of metaphors and insisted that he reflect on them, for the Lord, would give insight into each one. (2 Timothy 2:7) Reflection on the words of Scripture and reliance on the Spirit of God enable me to see what God wants me to see.
Prayer is also essential to rid my mind of pride, prejudice, and the preconceptions to which I so doggedly cling. It enables me to hear God's Word with objectivity and susceptibility, so that I can understand what's being said to my self-will, self-indulgence, and self-reliance.
Truth cannot be rationally assimilated; the process by which the Word becomes flesh and touches our heart of hearts is supra-rational - accomplished alone by prayer. It's for that reason that Paul knelt before the Father and prayed that those in Ephesus who read his words might "know" what could not otherwise be known. (Ephesians 3:19)
Finally, what we eat must be integrated into our being. It's not enough to read God's Word and leave it there. We cannot say we know any truth until we've begun to obey it. As someone has said, "To know and not to do is not to know at all."
Jeremy Taylor wrote: "Be sure to meditate so long, till you . . . get some new arguments against a sin, or some new encouragements to virtue; some spiritual strength and advantage, or else some act of prayer to God, or glorification of him." That step, the walk of obedience, is the hardest part. Here's where we need God's help, for we are utterly helpless to help ourselves.
I find encouragement in a story Russian author Leo Tolstoy told about a cobbler, Martin Avdyeeich, who lost his wife and his little child, Kapitoshka, then lost his faith and desire to live. One day an old peasant came by - a man known for his godliness - and Martin spoke to him about his despair.
"What then is a man to live for?" Avdyeeich asked.
"For God, Martin!" the old man answered.
Avdyeeich then asked: "And how must one live for God?"
"Christ hath shown us the way. Buy the Gospels and read; there you will find out how to live for God."
So Martin bought a New Testament and began to read. "And the more he read, the more clearly he understood what God wanted of him, and how it behooved him (it is a duty or responsibility) to live for God . . . And he began to measure his own life by these words. And he thought to himself . . . O Lord, help me!"
This is my beginning: to know that I am a poor creature, utterly incapable of doing what God has asked me to do - and to ask for His help. In this way I read the Bible these days: I ponder it long and I pray, "Lord, help me!"
Obedience flows from God's love. When I know I am loved and cherished by my heavenly Father, I long to be an obedient child. These days, it is the love of Christ that compels me. (2 Corinthians 5:14)
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There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears the human soul.
- Emily Dickinson
PHOTO: There is no frigate like a book to take us lands away, nor any coursers like a page of prancing poetry. This traverse may the poorest take without oppress of toll; How frugal is the chariot that bears the human soul. - Emily Dickinson
Picture posted by The Travelling Historian
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3PgtIWfOi-TRYtFWfzUZ5yEpVVURbhlHRN-YC0g_DF9F7Xyucvgqjirg6PhlQC3AZATn_-10QgZi1qstz7fl5xbpQaVxpRzc13GjuDX6h9eg4Ne2_bBFPHKKm13ap6PrKpJd5cFwnhiWs_3fOWtoztNEbIa4wp4YHO5AtXi_H26YTMmvZNqoMBA1V=s781
http://www.travellinghistorian.com/seap1a1.jpg
http://www.travellinghistorian.com/sea.html
I've been a bookworm ever since I learned how to read. My two strongest memories as a child are pick-up baseball games at the part and sitting under a gigantic willow tree in our backyard and reading until it was dark. My parents once gave me a set of bookplates that portrayed a smiling worm sticking his head out of an apple, licking his lips and saying, "As for me, give me a book!" Books were my "frigates" (warships) that took me lands away.
Picture posted by The Travelling Historian
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3PgtIWfOi-TRYtFWfzUZ5yEpVVURbhlHRN-YC0g_DF9F7Xyucvgqjirg6PhlQC3AZATn_-10QgZi1qstz7fl5xbpQaVxpRzc13GjuDX6h9eg4Ne2_bBFPHKKm13ap6PrKpJd5cFwnhiWs_3fOWtoztNEbIa4wp4YHO5AtXi_H26YTMmvZNqoMBA1V=s781
http://www.travellinghistorian.com/seap1a1.jpg
http://www.travellinghistorian.com/sea.html
I've been a bookworm ever since I learned how to read. My two strongest memories as a child are pick-up baseball games at the part and sitting under a gigantic willow tree in our backyard and reading until it was dark. My parents once gave me a set of bookplates that portrayed a smiling worm sticking his head out of an apple, licking his lips and saying, "As for me, give me a book!" Books were my "frigates" (warships) that took me lands away.
PHOTO: Books were "frigates" that took us lands away.
Picture posted by wallpaper.mob.org
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https://mobimg.b-cdn.net/v3/fetch/99/9915de45b2b982ff9771c5a4262c1af8.jpeg
https://ru.wallpaper.mob.org/image/art-korabl-shtorm-volni-yakor-fotoshop-136463.html
And I'm still a bookworm. It's almost impossible for me to sit down without picking up something to read. Among my favorite days are Saturdays when Carolyn and I haunt our local library.
Some years ago I read a short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges entitled "The Library of Babylon," in which he describes a library that contains all the books that were written, or will ever be written, with all editions and all possible variations of every volume. Oh, how I'd love to have a library card for such a place!
Picture posted by wallpaper.mob.org
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https://ru.wallpaper.mob.org/image/art-korabl-shtorm-volni-yakor-fotoshop-136463.html
And I'm still a bookworm. It's almost impossible for me to sit down without picking up something to read. Among my favorite days are Saturdays when Carolyn and I haunt our local library.
Some years ago I read a short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges entitled "The Library of Babylon," in which he describes a library that contains all the books that were written, or will ever be written, with all editions and all possible variations of every volume. Oh, how I'd love to have a library card for such a place!
PHOTO: A short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges entitled "The Library of Babylon," in which he describes a library that contains all the books that were written, or will ever be written, with all editions and all possible variations of every volume.
Artwork by Pierre Clayette (1930-2005) - The Impossible Architecture of the Infinite Library. Illustrations from Jorge Luis Borges’ story ‘The Library of Babel’
Picture posted by polymorphousculturevulture, Tumblr
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https://polymorphousculturevulture.tumblr.com/post/654949225241690112/talonabraxas-the-impossible-architecture-of/amp
Carolyn and I love books, and we give away or loan out most of our books after we've read them; otherwise our libraries would take up most of the house. (C. S. Lewis once commented that those books we've loaned out are the only books we'll have in heaven. We'll have space enough there.) The exceptions are those we cherish and want to read again and again.
My reading tastes have always been more eclectic (wide-ranging) than refined, I suppose. When it comes to books, I read widely - poetry, history, theology, philosophy, mysteries and other who done-its - although I don't read many contemporary writers (only a few to keep up with my friends). Most of all, I like authors from the past. To read these men and women is to sit in conversation with some of the greatest minds of history.
Artwork by Pierre Clayette (1930-2005) - The Impossible Architecture of the Infinite Library. Illustrations from Jorge Luis Borges’ story ‘The Library of Babel’
Picture posted by polymorphousculturevulture, Tumblr
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIIaD1k2ZfkDYKhCyu8qF35hksiUNsI-si1n2hMhuQgJl9D11YCjClE74eq3kjiCKBaeaQFrMO8cMQhDAgwU647-5CxxZxn8EB2YOlyYWpOzlEeSDAljlkJ2dMhzY0S33EORuMdHfWnbnCI_XeP5ab6ZT9t3naITDEWYaeQQhVdDdZ1JH0-pYNS59O=s1080
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https://polymorphousculturevulture.tumblr.com/post/654949225241690112/talonabraxas-the-impossible-architecture-of/amp
Carolyn and I love books, and we give away or loan out most of our books after we've read them; otherwise our libraries would take up most of the house. (C. S. Lewis once commented that those books we've loaned out are the only books we'll have in heaven. We'll have space enough there.) The exceptions are those we cherish and want to read again and again.
My reading tastes have always been more eclectic (wide-ranging) than refined, I suppose. When it comes to books, I read widely - poetry, history, theology, philosophy, mysteries and other who done-its - although I don't read many contemporary writers (only a few to keep up with my friends). Most of all, I like authors from the past. To read these men and women is to sit in conversation with some of the greatest minds of history.
PHOTO: David & Carolyn Roper, Idaho Mountain Ministries
David and Carolyn have co-led Idaho Mountain Ministries since 1995. (IMM is a ministry of encouragement and support to clergy couples here in Idaho.) David and Carolyn have three grown sons, Randy (wife, Jenny), Brian (wife, Jill) and Josh, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. David and Carolyn enjoy their back patio, the Boise Green Belt, reading, and spending time with clergy couples, family, friends and one another.
Picture posted by Cole Community Church, making disciples of Jesus Chirst
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https://colecommunity.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ROPER-David-Carolyn.jpg
https://colecommunity.org/project/david-carolyn-roper/
Reading engages the mind and ignites the imagination. And mental stimulation is important as we age, for our minds, like our muscles, atrophy (deteriorate) if we don't use them. Reading can help us keep our mind nimble, flexible, and strong. Certainly there is some cognitive (the mental process of thinking and understanding) loss as we age, but we can learn and our minds can expand to the end of our lives. George MacDonald wrote in his last years:
David and Carolyn have co-led Idaho Mountain Ministries since 1995. (IMM is a ministry of encouragement and support to clergy couples here in Idaho.) David and Carolyn have three grown sons, Randy (wife, Jenny), Brian (wife, Jill) and Josh, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. David and Carolyn enjoy their back patio, the Boise Green Belt, reading, and spending time with clergy couples, family, friends and one another.
Picture posted by Cole Community Church, making disciples of Jesus Chirst
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVBNGXd6DZegfuY27yYDNLIv6X5IBoY_wV7rHE_WHUJJPXOka2fYRqR4lK5viNFPcrIRDFfeLUyQe_Lb3HTAFlJPCzyLGBjIzvG23Kg9LulR0E0QCwo7e7EKK_bSRlLA7dgKfwLYGpMluvjC0qpfcNTGg5irwuRKhIZ4X_DbLmDw2HYA7OA6cAjaON=s1250
https://colecommunity.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ROPER-David-Carolyn.jpg
https://colecommunity.org/project/david-carolyn-roper/
Reading engages the mind and ignites the imagination. And mental stimulation is important as we age, for our minds, like our muscles, atrophy (deteriorate) if we don't use them. Reading can help us keep our mind nimble, flexible, and strong. Certainly there is some cognitive (the mental process of thinking and understanding) loss as we age, but we can learn and our minds can expand to the end of our lives. George MacDonald wrote in his last years:
So, like bees round the flower by which they thrive,
My thoughts are busy with the informing truth,
And as I build, I feed, and grow in youth. [307]
My thoughts are busy with the informing truth,
And as I build, I feed, and grow in youth. [307]
PHOTO: Reading engages the mind and ignites the imagination. And mental stimulation is important as we age, for our minds, like our muscles, atrophy (deteriorate) if we don't use them. Reading can help us keep our mind nimble, flexible, and strong. Certainly there is some cognitive (the mental process of thinking and understanding) loss as we age, but we can learn and our minds can expand to the end of our lives.
Picture posted by The Fantasy Bazaar
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Above all, I read the Bible. As John Wesley said, "God himself has condescended (descended) to teach the way; for this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price give me the book of God! I have it; here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri [a man of one book]." [308] This is my prayer as well.
I've approached the Bible in a number of ways over the years, and all have served me well at one time or another. My current method is based on a scheme as old as Jeremiah and John: I eat it. [309]
I take small bites - a verse, a few sentences, or at most a short paragraph. Then I think about that text for a long time. I read and re-read it, a dozen times or more, reflecting on what the Author is saying and, more importantly, what He is saying to me. I've found that understanding comes through patient reading and reflection; every text must be brooded over. As Mortimer Adler writes in his How to Read a Book: "What things would you do by yourself if your life depended on understanding something readable which at first perusal (scrutiny) left you somewhat in the dark?"
Picture posted by The Fantasy Bazaar
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https://www.pinterest.com/pin/196962183691412984/
Above all, I read the Bible. As John Wesley said, "God himself has condescended (descended) to teach the way; for this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. O give me that book! At any price give me the book of God! I have it; here is knowledge enough for me. Let me be homo unius libri [a man of one book]." [308] This is my prayer as well.
I've approached the Bible in a number of ways over the years, and all have served me well at one time or another. My current method is based on a scheme as old as Jeremiah and John: I eat it. [309]
I take small bites - a verse, a few sentences, or at most a short paragraph. Then I think about that text for a long time. I read and re-read it, a dozen times or more, reflecting on what the Author is saying and, more importantly, what He is saying to me. I've found that understanding comes through patient reading and reflection; every text must be brooded over. As Mortimer Adler writes in his How to Read a Book: "What things would you do by yourself if your life depended on understanding something readable which at first perusal (scrutiny) left you somewhat in the dark?"
PHOTO: We approached the Bible in a number of ways over the years, and all have served us well at one time or another. One method is based on a scheme as old as Jeremiah and John: We eat it.
We take small bites - a verse, a few sentences, or at most a short paragraph. Then we think about that text for a long time. We read and re-read it, a dozen times or more, reflecting on what the Author is saying and, more importantly, what He is saying to us. Understanding comes through patient reading and reflection; every text must be brooded over.
Picture posted by Vanguardia
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https://vanguardia.com.mx/binrepository/907x432/70c0/768d432/down-right/11604/GDCV/padres-leen-cuento-nina-primavera-p_VG3213748_MG3329388.jpg
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Some sayings are hard, so I must think hard and long about their meaning. And if I ponder the Scriptures long enough, I find there's always something there.
The next step is prayer, which I suppose is analogous to the enzymes that break down our daily bread. We chew and then we digest.
We take small bites - a verse, a few sentences, or at most a short paragraph. Then we think about that text for a long time. We read and re-read it, a dozen times or more, reflecting on what the Author is saying and, more importantly, what He is saying to us. Understanding comes through patient reading and reflection; every text must be brooded over.
Picture posted by Vanguardia
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https://vanguardia.com.mx/vida/5-ideas-para-disfrutar-la-primavera-en-familia-ITVG3213748
Some sayings are hard, so I must think hard and long about their meaning. And if I ponder the Scriptures long enough, I find there's always something there.
The next step is prayer, which I suppose is analogous to the enzymes that break down our daily bread. We chew and then we digest.
PHOTO: The next step is prayer, which I suppose is analogous to the enzymes that break down our daily bread. We chew and then we digest.
Picture posted by Lurer.com on 06 September 2019 at 10:06
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https://lurer.com/?p=335235&l=am
Folks have asked me if prayer is essential to understand the Bible, and my answer is "of course," but probably for a different reason than they may think. Almost anyone can understand the language of the Bible, given an application of the rules we apply to normal speech. Paul does insist that those without the Spirit cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God, (1 Corinthians 2:14) [310] but I believe he was referring not to the words of Scripture, but to understanding their implication for life. I have, in the past, had non-Christian professors whose insights into the biblical text were startling. It was the meaning of those insights, the personal significance of the text, the deep wisdom that touches and changes the heart that eluded (evaded) them.
Picture posted by Lurer.com on 06 September 2019 at 10:06
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Folks have asked me if prayer is essential to understand the Bible, and my answer is "of course," but probably for a different reason than they may think. Almost anyone can understand the language of the Bible, given an application of the rules we apply to normal speech. Paul does insist that those without the Spirit cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God, (1 Corinthians 2:14) [310] but I believe he was referring not to the words of Scripture, but to understanding their implication for life. I have, in the past, had non-Christian professors whose insights into the biblical text were startling. It was the meaning of those insights, the personal significance of the text, the deep wisdom that touches and changes the heart that eluded (evaded) them.
PHOTO: Prayer is essential to understand the Bible. Paul does insist that those without the Spirit cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God, (1 Corinthians 2:14). We believe that he was referring not to the words of Scripture, but to understanding their implication for life. It is the meaning of those insights, the personal significance of the text, the deep wisdom that touches and changes the heart.
Picture posted by Artofkleyn - The Spirit of Fear of the Lord
Picture posted by Artofkleyn - The Spirit of Fear of the Lord
Picture is enlarged by AI-powered image upscaler from depositphotos at https://depositphotos.com/upscaler.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=button2&utm_campaign=ntf_upscaler&utm_content=en&iterable_campaign=2704095&iterable_template=3704971
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It's here that prayer plays a crucial role, and it's here that the Bible is radically different from other books. Prayer cannot help me determine the difference between prose and poetry, between nouns and verbs, or between commands and general observations about life. That understanding comes from thoughtful effort, not free association, intuitive flashes, or special insight. But prayer can lead me to understand the particular truth that I need for myself. I believe that's what Paul meant when he presented Timothy with a series of metaphors and insisted that he reflect on them, for the Lord, would give insight into each one. (2 Timothy 2:7) [311] Reflection on the words of Scripture and reliance on the Spirit of God enable me to see what God wants me to see.
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https://www.artofkleyn.co.za/pop%2022%2012.html
It's here that prayer plays a crucial role, and it's here that the Bible is radically different from other books. Prayer cannot help me determine the difference between prose and poetry, between nouns and verbs, or between commands and general observations about life. That understanding comes from thoughtful effort, not free association, intuitive flashes, or special insight. But prayer can lead me to understand the particular truth that I need for myself. I believe that's what Paul meant when he presented Timothy with a series of metaphors and insisted that he reflect on them, for the Lord, would give insight into each one. (2 Timothy 2:7) [311] Reflection on the words of Scripture and reliance on the Spirit of God enable me to see what God wants me to see.
PHOTO: Understanding comes from thoughtful effort, not free association, intuitive flashes, or special insight. But prayer can lead us to understand the particular truth that we need for ourselves. Reflection on the words of Scripture and reliance on the Spirit of God enable us to see what God wants us to see.
Painting by Ilse Kleyn - Seven-Fold Spirit of the Lord
Picture posted by FineArtAmerica on 19 July 2016
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Prayer is also essential to rid my mind of pride, prejudice, and the preconceptions to which I so doggedly cling. It enables me to hear God's Word with objectivity and susceptibility, so that I can understand what's being said to my self-will, self-indulgence, and self-reliance.
Truth cannot be rationally assimilated; the process by which the Word becomes flesh and touches our heart of hearts is supra-rational - accomplished alone by prayer. It's for that reason that Paul knelt before the Father and prayed that those in Ephesus who read his words might "know" what could not otherwise be known. (Ephesians 3:19) [312]
PHOTO: Prayer is also essential to rid our mind of pride, prejudice, and the preconceptions to which we so doggedly cling. It enables us to hear God's Word with objectivity and susceptibility, so that we can understand what's being said to our self-will, self-indulgence, and self-reliance. Those who read his words might "know" what could not otherwise be known. (Ephesians 3:19)
Picture posted by FineArtAmerica.com
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https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-what-child-is-that.html
Finally, what we eat must be integrated into our being. It's not enough to read God's Word and leave it there. We cannot say we know any truth until we've begun to obey it. As someone has said, "To know and not to do is not to know at all."
Jeremy Taylor wrote: "Be sure to meditate so long, till you . . . get some new arguments against a sin, or some new encouragements to virtue; some spiritual strength and advantage, or else some act of prayer to God, or glorification of him." That step, the walk of obedience, is the hardest part. Here's where we need God's help, for we are utterly helpless to help ourselves.
PHOTO: Finally, what we eat must be integrated into our being. It's not enough to read God's Word and leave it there. We cannot say we know any truth until we've begun to obey it. As someone has said, "To know and not to do is not to know at all."
The walk of obedience, is the hardest part. Here's where we need God's help, for we are utterly helpless to help ourselves.
With God there is no 钻牛角尖 (Zuān niú jiǎo jiān), insoluble problem.
Digital artwork by Dolores Develde uploaded on 03 June 2016.- Knocking On Heavens Door
Picture posted by FineArtAmerica.com
Painting by Ilse Kleyn - Seven-Fold Spirit of the Lord
Picture posted by FineArtAmerica on 19 July 2016
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Prayer is also essential to rid my mind of pride, prejudice, and the preconceptions to which I so doggedly cling. It enables me to hear God's Word with objectivity and susceptibility, so that I can understand what's being said to my self-will, self-indulgence, and self-reliance.
Truth cannot be rationally assimilated; the process by which the Word becomes flesh and touches our heart of hearts is supra-rational - accomplished alone by prayer. It's for that reason that Paul knelt before the Father and prayed that those in Ephesus who read his words might "know" what could not otherwise be known. (Ephesians 3:19) [312]
PHOTO: Prayer is also essential to rid our mind of pride, prejudice, and the preconceptions to which we so doggedly cling. It enables us to hear God's Word with objectivity and susceptibility, so that we can understand what's being said to our self-will, self-indulgence, and self-reliance. Those who read his words might "know" what could not otherwise be known. (Ephesians 3:19)
Picture posted by FineArtAmerica.com
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https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/1/victory-dolores-develde.jpg
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/victory-dolores-develde.html
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-what-child-is-that.html
Finally, what we eat must be integrated into our being. It's not enough to read God's Word and leave it there. We cannot say we know any truth until we've begun to obey it. As someone has said, "To know and not to do is not to know at all."
Jeremy Taylor wrote: "Be sure to meditate so long, till you . . . get some new arguments against a sin, or some new encouragements to virtue; some spiritual strength and advantage, or else some act of prayer to God, or glorification of him." That step, the walk of obedience, is the hardest part. Here's where we need God's help, for we are utterly helpless to help ourselves.
PHOTO: Finally, what we eat must be integrated into our being. It's not enough to read God's Word and leave it there. We cannot say we know any truth until we've begun to obey it. As someone has said, "To know and not to do is not to know at all."
The walk of obedience, is the hardest part. Here's where we need God's help, for we are utterly helpless to help ourselves.
With God there is no 钻牛角尖 (Zuān niú jiǎo jiān), insoluble problem.
Digital artwork by Dolores Develde uploaded on 03 June 2016.- Knocking On Heavens Door
Picture posted by FineArtAmerica.com
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https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/07/reflection-will-you-respond-to-gods_20.html
I find encouragement in a story Russian author Leo Tolstoy told about a cobbler, Martin Avdyeeich, who lost his wife and his little child, Kapitoshka, then lost his faith and desire to live. [313] One day an old peasant came by - a man known for his godliness - and Martin spoke to him about his despair.
"What then is a man to live for?" Avdyeeich asked.
"For God, Martin!" the old man answered.
Avdyeeich then asked: "And how must one live for God?"
"Christ hath shown us the way. Buy the Gospels and read; there you will find out how to live for God."
PHOTO: I find encouragement in a story Russian author Leo Tolstoy told about a cobbler, Martin Avdyeeich, who lost his wife and his little child, Kapitoshka, then lost his faith and desire to live.
"Christ hath shown us the way. Buy the Gospels and read; there you will find out how to live for God."
Picture posted by Cell Code
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/07/reflection-will-you-respond-to-gods_20.html
I find encouragement in a story Russian author Leo Tolstoy told about a cobbler, Martin Avdyeeich, who lost his wife and his little child, Kapitoshka, then lost his faith and desire to live. [313] One day an old peasant came by - a man known for his godliness - and Martin spoke to him about his despair.
"What then is a man to live for?" Avdyeeich asked.
"For God, Martin!" the old man answered.
Avdyeeich then asked: "And how must one live for God?"
"Christ hath shown us the way. Buy the Gospels and read; there you will find out how to live for God."
PHOTO: I find encouragement in a story Russian author Leo Tolstoy told about a cobbler, Martin Avdyeeich, who lost his wife and his little child, Kapitoshka, then lost his faith and desire to live.
"Christ hath shown us the way. Buy the Gospels and read; there you will find out how to live for God."
Picture posted by Cell Code
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https://cellcode.us/quotes/welcoming-home-woman-christ-jesus-images.html
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/07/reflection-will-you-respond-to-gods_20.html
So Martin bought a New Testament and began to read. "And the more he read, the more clearly he understood what God wanted of him, and how it behooved him (it is a duty or responsibility) to live for God . . . And he began to measure his own life by these words. And he thought to himself . . . O Lord, help me!"
This is my beginning: to know that I am a poor creature, utterly incapable of doing what God has asked me to do - and to ask for His help. In this way I read the Bible these days: I ponder it long and I pray, "Lord, help me!"
Obedience flows from God's love. When I know I am loved and cherished by my heavenly Father, I long to be an obedient child. These days, it is the love of Christ that compels me. (2 Corinthians 5:14) [314]
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRHH7eQOOlWBNhA_xYiVvUkIU59m_Tdoc8pENC9jQupwpBrDlF2REQeBEdFeyfQHc9VUqK8JW3V8jCWRhbnxWtAVa8s-bdx9XC9pkM_yXoz06xKOtrHHIMd2Vdq0jCRUngGRxbWkKUyM/s1600/Piczee3qn.gif
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https://cellcode.us/quotes/welcoming-home-woman-christ-jesus-images.html
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/07/reflection-will-you-respond-to-gods_20.html
So Martin bought a New Testament and began to read. "And the more he read, the more clearly he understood what God wanted of him, and how it behooved him (it is a duty or responsibility) to live for God . . . And he began to measure his own life by these words. And he thought to himself . . . O Lord, help me!"
This is my beginning: to know that I am a poor creature, utterly incapable of doing what God has asked me to do - and to ask for His help. In this way I read the Bible these days: I ponder it long and I pray, "Lord, help me!"
Obedience flows from God's love. When I know I am loved and cherished by my heavenly Father, I long to be an obedient child. These days, it is the love of Christ that compels me. (2 Corinthians 5:14) [314]
PHOTO: This is my beginning: to know that I am a poor creature, utterly incapable of doing what God has asked me to do - and to ask for His help. In this way I read the Bible these days: I ponder it long and I pray, "Lord, help me!"
Obedience flows from God's love. When I know I am loved and cherished by my heavenly Father, I long to be an obedient child. These days, it is the love of Christ that compels me. (2 Corinthians 5:14)
"It doesn’t matter how much we have messed up or have fallen into sin. No matter how dry our bones have become, God can restore all things. If we have a friend or family member who has rejected Christ and who does not seem interested in Christianity, God can still work in and through them to bring them to him. Whenever we lose hope, despair when we watch the news, or worry about tomorrow, we can rest assured that God promises to restore all things, just as he had with the Israelite captives in Babylon." [2]
Artwork by South Africa Artist Ilse Kleyn - "Dry Bones"
Picture posted by Jean Pierre DeBernay, Prophetics Gallery
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0a-kyzT2oJ2B-KhxTKo-UN6J2ZJ83fszrNsKzNRTaHkcGQPNQasUMMD7vFeAi58PKRz6WLUVhknuSALVksHScBaAhR_JMyEI2nQ5n-KC2IbtH9BemEy7wUzb7Yw0Qp2xlwlCY5nib2JGWLP_idB2IaqPm_En2bVQUFygqzcEx9T9nVPPh6eIjUI1W=s1000
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https://www.propheticsgallery.com/store-warehouse/art_print_products/store-warehouse-ihfslecst4c?product_gallery=2252&related_products=true&source_page_id=14556
Obedience flows from God's love. When I know I am loved and cherished by my heavenly Father, I long to be an obedient child. These days, it is the love of Christ that compels me. (2 Corinthians 5:14)
"It doesn’t matter how much we have messed up or have fallen into sin. No matter how dry our bones have become, God can restore all things. If we have a friend or family member who has rejected Christ and who does not seem interested in Christianity, God can still work in and through them to bring them to him. Whenever we lose hope, despair when we watch the news, or worry about tomorrow, we can rest assured that God promises to restore all things, just as he had with the Israelite captives in Babylon." [2]
Artwork by South Africa Artist Ilse Kleyn - "Dry Bones"
Picture posted by Jean Pierre DeBernay, Prophetics Gallery
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0a-kyzT2oJ2B-KhxTKo-UN6J2ZJ83fszrNsKzNRTaHkcGQPNQasUMMD7vFeAi58PKRz6WLUVhknuSALVksHScBaAhR_JMyEI2nQ5n-KC2IbtH9BemEy7wUzb7Yw0Qp2xlwlCY5nib2JGWLP_idB2IaqPm_En2bVQUFygqzcEx9T9nVPPh6eIjUI1W=s1000
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https://www.propheticsgallery.com/store-warehouse/art_print_products/store-warehouse-ihfslecst4c?product_gallery=2252&related_products=true&source_page_id=14556
PHOTO: "Dear Lord, we learn from C. S. Lewis that those books we've loaned out are the only books we'll have in heaven. We'll have space enough there.
Also, to read authors from the past is to sit in conversation with some of the greatest minds of history.
Lord, we learn that reading engages the mind and ignites the imagination. And mental stimulation is important as we age, for our minds, like our muscles, atrophy if we don't use them. Reading can help us keep our mind nimble, flexible, and strong. Certainly there is some cognitive loss as we age, but we can learn and our minds can expand to the end of our lives.
John Wesley said, ‘God himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. We pray that we be homo unius libri [a man of one book], the book written by God.
We may have approached the Bible in a number of ways over the years, and all have served us well at one time or another. May our current method be based on a scheme as old as Jeremiah and John: We 'eat' it.
May we take small bites - a verse, a few sentences, or at most a short paragraph. Then think about that text for a long time. May we read and re-read it, a dozen times or more, reflecting on what the Author is saying and, more importantly, what You are saying to us. May we find understanding that comes through patient reading and reflection; every text that we brooded over.
Lord, some sayings are hard, may we think hard and long about their meaning. And if we ponder the Scriptures long enough, may we always find something there.
May we do the next step, prayer. May our prayer be analogous to the enzymes that break down our daily bread. We chew and then we digest. May we have the insights into the biblical text. May the meaning of those insights, the personal significance of the text, the deep wisdom that touches and changes the heart do not eluded us.
May our prayers play the crucial role, in leading us to understand the particular truth that we need for ourselves. May our reflection on the words of Scripture and reliance on the Spirit of God enable us to see what You want us to see.
May our prayer be essential to rid our mind of pride, prejudice, and the preconceptions to which we so doggedly cling. May it enable us to hear Your Word with objectivity and susceptibility, so that we can understand what's being said to our self-will, self-indulgence, and self-reliance.
May we follow Paul who knelt before the Father and prayed that those in Ephesus who read his words might ‘know’ what could not otherwise be known. Because the truth cannot be rationally assimilated; the process by which the Word becomes flesh and touches our heart of hearts is supra-rational - accomplished alone by prayer.
May what we ‘eat’ be integrated into our being. Because it's not enough to read Your Word and leave it there. We cannot say we know any truth until we've begun to obey it. As someone has said, ‘To know and not to do is not to know at all.’
May we meditate to get some new arguments against a sin, or some new encouragements to virtue; some spiritual strength and advantage, or some act of prayer to You, or glorification of You. Lord, this step, the walk of obedience, is the hardest part. We need Your help, for we are utterly helpless to help ourselves.
Lord, we pray that we understand that it our duty to live for God. We are beginning to know that we are poor creatures, utterly incapable of doing what You have asked us to do. We ask for Your help.
Lord obedience flows from Your love. When we know we are loved and cherished by our heavenly Father, we long to be an obedient child. May the love of Christ compels us to live for God.
Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
Artwork by outsiderzone
Picture posted by indivstock
Also, to read authors from the past is to sit in conversation with some of the greatest minds of history.
Lord, we learn that reading engages the mind and ignites the imagination. And mental stimulation is important as we age, for our minds, like our muscles, atrophy if we don't use them. Reading can help us keep our mind nimble, flexible, and strong. Certainly there is some cognitive loss as we age, but we can learn and our minds can expand to the end of our lives.
John Wesley said, ‘God himself has condescended to teach the way; for this very end he came from heaven. He hath written it down in a book. We pray that we be homo unius libri [a man of one book], the book written by God.
We may have approached the Bible in a number of ways over the years, and all have served us well at one time or another. May our current method be based on a scheme as old as Jeremiah and John: We 'eat' it.
May we take small bites - a verse, a few sentences, or at most a short paragraph. Then think about that text for a long time. May we read and re-read it, a dozen times or more, reflecting on what the Author is saying and, more importantly, what You are saying to us. May we find understanding that comes through patient reading and reflection; every text that we brooded over.
Lord, some sayings are hard, may we think hard and long about their meaning. And if we ponder the Scriptures long enough, may we always find something there.
May we do the next step, prayer. May our prayer be analogous to the enzymes that break down our daily bread. We chew and then we digest. May we have the insights into the biblical text. May the meaning of those insights, the personal significance of the text, the deep wisdom that touches and changes the heart do not eluded us.
May our prayers play the crucial role, in leading us to understand the particular truth that we need for ourselves. May our reflection on the words of Scripture and reliance on the Spirit of God enable us to see what You want us to see.
May our prayer be essential to rid our mind of pride, prejudice, and the preconceptions to which we so doggedly cling. May it enable us to hear Your Word with objectivity and susceptibility, so that we can understand what's being said to our self-will, self-indulgence, and self-reliance.
May we follow Paul who knelt before the Father and prayed that those in Ephesus who read his words might ‘know’ what could not otherwise be known. Because the truth cannot be rationally assimilated; the process by which the Word becomes flesh and touches our heart of hearts is supra-rational - accomplished alone by prayer.
May what we ‘eat’ be integrated into our being. Because it's not enough to read Your Word and leave it there. We cannot say we know any truth until we've begun to obey it. As someone has said, ‘To know and not to do is not to know at all.’
May we meditate to get some new arguments against a sin, or some new encouragements to virtue; some spiritual strength and advantage, or some act of prayer to You, or glorification of You. Lord, this step, the walk of obedience, is the hardest part. We need Your help, for we are utterly helpless to help ourselves.
Lord, we pray that we understand that it our duty to live for God. We are beginning to know that we are poor creatures, utterly incapable of doing what You have asked us to do. We ask for Your help.
Lord obedience flows from Your love. When we know we are loved and cherished by our heavenly Father, we long to be an obedient child. May the love of Christ compels us to live for God.
Through Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen!"
Artwork by outsiderzone
Picture posted by indivstock
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https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/05/octopus-nearly-rips-off-face-of-chinese.html
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/07/reflection-will-you-respond-to-gods.html
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https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/05/octopus-nearly-rips-off-face-of-chinese.html
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/07/reflection-will-you-respond-to-gods.html
Reflection - Number Our Days - Bookworm
Source (book): "Teach Us to Number Our Days", Chapter 59, "Bookworm", Page 271.
By David Roper, Pastor, and regular and popular writer for Our Daily Bread.
Source (book): "Teach Us to Number Our Days", Chapter 59, "Bookworm", Page 271.
By David Roper, Pastor, and regular and popular writer for Our Daily Bread.
"Faithful to the end", A Preacher's Exposition of 2 Timothy, @ 2014 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html
"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html
"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html
Reflection - Faithful to the end (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2017/06/reflection-faithful-to-end-links.html
"Finding rest for the soul" Responding to Jesus' Invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Finding rest for the soul (Links)
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2018/10/reflection-finding-rest-for-soul-links.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART I-III, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-i.html
"God in Pursuit" Lessons from the Book of Jonah, © 2016 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - God in Pursuit (Links) - PART IV, posted on Saturday, 10 August 2019
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2019/08/reflection-god-in-pursuit-links-part-iv.html
"Songs of Christmas", The Stories and Significance of 20 Well-Loved Carols, © 2018 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Songs of Christmas (Links), posted on Friday, 24 April 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/04/reflection-songs-of-christmas-links.html
"Growing Old Gracefully", Following Jesus to the End, © 2019 by Robert M. Solomon
Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part I - III (Links), posted on Wednesday, 09 December 2020
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part.html
Reflection - Growing Old Gracefully, Part IV - V (Links), posted on Thursday, 22 April 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2020/12/reflection-growing-old-gracefully-part_9.html
"Teach Us to Number Our Days", © 2008 by David Roper
Reflection - Number Our Days, Chapter 1 - 40 (Links), posted on Tuesday, 16 November 2021
https://veryfatoldman.blogspot.com/2021/11/reflection-number-our-days-chapter-1-40.html
Reference
[1] From "Teach Us to Number Our Days", Copyright © 2008 by David Roper, ISBN 978-981-11-7184-0, Chapter 59, "Bookworm", Page 271-278.
[2] Hope Bolinger, crosswalk.com, Why Does Ezekiel Prophecy to a Valley of Dry Bones?, posted on 04 March 2021, https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/why-does-ezekiel-prophecy-to-dry-bones.html
[307] George MacDonald, The Diary of an Old Soul, January 19.
[308] Henry Moore, The Life of the Rev. John Wesley.
[309] I'm indebted to Eugene H. Peterson and his Eat This Book for this reminder.
[310] See 1 Corinthians 2:14.
[311] See 2 Timothy 2:7.
[312] See Ephesians 3:19.
[313] Leo Tolstoy, "Where Love is, There God Is Also."
[314] See 2 Corinthians 5:14.
[2] Hope Bolinger, crosswalk.com, Why Does Ezekiel Prophecy to a Valley of Dry Bones?, posted on 04 March 2021, https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/why-does-ezekiel-prophecy-to-dry-bones.html
[307] George MacDonald, The Diary of an Old Soul, January 19.
[308] Henry Moore, The Life of the Rev. John Wesley.
[309] I'm indebted to Eugene H. Peterson and his Eat This Book for this reminder.
[310] See 1 Corinthians 2:14.
[311] See 2 Timothy 2:7.
[312] See Ephesians 3:19.
[313] Leo Tolstoy, "Where Love is, There God Is Also."
[314] See 2 Corinthians 5:14.
Links
New International Version (NIV), Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
1 Corinthians 2:14 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+2%3A14&version=NIV
2 Corinthians 5:14 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+5%3A14&version=NIV
2 Timothy 2:7 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+2%3A7&version=NIV
Ephesians 3:19 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+3%3A19&version=NIV
Matthew 11:28-29 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A28-29&version=NIV
2 Corinthians 5:14 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Corinthians+5%3A14&version=NIV
2 Timothy 2:7 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+2%3A7&version=NIV
Ephesians 3:19 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+3%3A19&version=NIV
Matthew 11:28-29 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11%3A28-29&version=NIV
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