A sheep in October
Just finished the last chapter of Shadow of the Almighty by Elizabeth Elliot, on the life and testimony of Jim Elliot.
To say that it was compelling would be an understatement.
I would read a paragraph and then have to set it down and ponder for a moment the truths that were being so clearly set before me. The life of Jim Elliot, the personal struggles and soul searching that he did was all so captivating and encouraging to me that I can confidently say that it's definitely on the list of books that have impacted my life.
You won't regret reading the book.
In other news, October is already two days advanced and I'm loving it! Beautiful shades of Autumn color have been painted upon hillsides and swooping flocks of sparrows are gathering up for the Winter.
As the trees turn color and shed their leaves, I can only pray that when I am stripped bare for Winter I too will give glory and praise to God.
An intricate and intense yearning for the Lord and His Spirit and all that He encompasses has been awakened within me...and everything about Autumn augments it. Consecrating oneself to the Lord can be done in a moment, but it is when seasons and changes come that the true purity of consecration comes to surface. The gold becomes refined, the offering must be burnt, and true holiness is not found in the moment of dedication (where it is begun), but instead it is worked out in the daily living of the vocation.
I don't know why God would choose me to be His servant, because outside of His will I am a hopeless case--yet He has chosen me to be of His flock and I am a sheep entering His gate.
To say that it was compelling would be an understatement.
I would read a paragraph and then have to set it down and ponder for a moment the truths that were being so clearly set before me. The life of Jim Elliot, the personal struggles and soul searching that he did was all so captivating and encouraging to me that I can confidently say that it's definitely on the list of books that have impacted my life.
You won't regret reading the book.
In other news, October is already two days advanced and I'm loving it! Beautiful shades of Autumn color have been painted upon hillsides and swooping flocks of sparrows are gathering up for the Winter.
As the trees turn color and shed their leaves, I can only pray that when I am stripped bare for Winter I too will give glory and praise to God.
An intricate and intense yearning for the Lord and His Spirit and all that He encompasses has been awakened within me...and everything about Autumn augments it. Consecrating oneself to the Lord can be done in a moment, but it is when seasons and changes come that the true purity of consecration comes to surface. The gold becomes refined, the offering must be burnt, and true holiness is not found in the moment of dedication (where it is begun), but instead it is worked out in the daily living of the vocation.
I don't know why God would choose me to be His servant, because outside of His will I am a hopeless case--yet He has chosen me to be of His flock and I am a sheep entering His gate.
"Overcome anything in the confidence of your union with Him, so that contemplating trial, enduring persecution or loneliness, you may know the blessedness of the "joy set before," for "We are the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise." And what are the sheep doing going into the gate? What is their purpose inside those courts? To bleat melodies and enjoy the company of the flock? No. Those sheep were headed for the altar. Their pasture feeding had been for one purpose: to test them and fatten them for bloody sacrifice. Give Him thanks, then, that you have been counted worthy of His altars. Enter into the work with praise." ~Jim Elliot (1949)Yes! Enter His gates with singing and praise! And as this Autumn progresses, never forget the reason you've been redeemed: to sing unto His Name and to sacrifice your all for His glory, for He is to be highly exalted.
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