Glen and I are enjoying some time on the tip of Florida at Hollywood and Miami beach. Lot’s of time to catch up on some reading and particularly on a devotional we should have finished by the end of 2009. It’s “Abundant living” by E. Stanley Jones. Here’s an excerpt that’s speaking profoundly right now. He’s referring to 2 Timothy 1:6-7–God did not give us a spirit of timidity…
“Paul puts his finger on the thing that dims the spiritual life more than any other: timidity. If I had one gift to give myself and others, I would unhesitatingly give courage. For more people grow dim and need rekindling of the divine gift through lack of courage than through any other thing. First of all, the courage to take from God what He offers. That is the supreme courage: to pay the price and take the gift. That takes courage, for it shifts the whole basis of life from self-sufficiency to God-sufficiency. Then the next step: the courage to face up to the world with this appropriated gift of God and to believe that this and this alone will meet every need–and to say so, even when men are pathetically trying unworkable ways.”
“To pay the price and take the gift.” To me that means to swallow my pride and take the gift.”
In the Character of God course one of the attributes we study is God’s goodness. I believe we are afraid to believe God is as good as He is. Yes, it takes courage to believe in His goodness. If we used the faith and courage He gives to believe, I think we would see a lot more miracles occurring in our daily lives and others watching the church with gaping mouths…and being drawn to Jesus.
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