Resources for a wondering soul

Some cool things to consider enjoying during Lent:

• A helpful article from The Gospel Coalition, Why bother with Lent?
• Matt Perman's new book on gospel-centered productivity, Whats Best Next - How the gospel transforms the way you get things done
• Page CXVI's new album, Lent to Maundy Thursday. Album's only $7 on iTunes, and their group's artistry is definitely worth supporting.
  My favorite track on the album "I love the Lord" below.

Words.

Some of my favorite verses beautifully depicted. Courtesy of Faithlife Women

See

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

1 John 3:1-2, ESV

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From "What does it mean to be human?," a talk given by Ravi Zacharias (Part 1, Part 2)

The Canadian writer Douglas Coupland has a book called Life after God. He's a Gen X-er, and he wanted to abandon God and decided he would. But at the end he said, "I have come to the conclusion that I need God. I don't know how but I need him." 

At one point he tells a story of him walking through a botanical garden and he heard some voices. He saw a group of blind women who were out for the day in a botanical garden. All of a sudden one of the them said, "Am I hearing somebody here?" 

He said, "Yes, ma'am, but it's alright I'm just walking by."
She says "Sir, would you do us a favor?"
He says, "Yes."
"Would you take a photograph of us?"
And for a moment, he put his head back and thought to himself, "Is this a joke or what?"

One woman rummages in her purse, takes her camera, and gives it to him and they all come next to each other, positioning themselves and he helps them. He takes that photograph and walks away scratching his head, "What was that about?"

Do you know what it's about? They're probably going to take that picture to get it developed, and they'd show it to somebody with eyes. That somebody with eyes will tell them what they were wearing and what they looked like, because they themselves will remember what they felt and who they were with.

I am convinced when we stand face to face with God and look at this world through his eyes, it'll all make sense. He'll tell us what we look like, and the reflection will be glorious –that he made us in his own image. And we'll remember what we felt and who we were with, and finally it will all come together.

Accolades of worth, an excerpt

"Accepting the accolade proclaimed in Bethlehem does, however, confront the very banal narcissism that epitomizes our numbed consumer hearts. When it comes down to it, we may find that we in fact prefer the consumer transaction that tells us that being human is about what we can buy. We may find that there is something comforting and familiar in paying for our sense of worth and value. We might find it baffling to accept the idea that something deemed a gift could come to us fragile and broken. Or maybe it is the personal nature of his humanness that we find altogether unnerving—namely, he was not simply born a child in first century Bethlehem, he was born a child in first century Bethlehem for you. It is far easier to accept an empty compliment."

http://www.rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/accolades-of-worth/

The full article is well worth the read!

The law of God is perfect.

The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the Lord is sure,

making wise the simple;

the precepts of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

the fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever;

the rules of the Lord are true,

and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold,

even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey

and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors?

Declare me innocent from hidden faults.

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;

let them not have dominion over me!

Then I shall be blameless,

and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight,

O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 19:7-14 (ESV)

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In these days of being under imperfect, damaging, and unsure law we see our need for Law in which we can rejoice –Law that has been fulfilled in light and love.

Remembrance.

“What answers we find [in God's Word] may not be exhaustive, but they give us the God who is there, and who gives us some measure of comfort and assurance.”
― D.A. Carson, How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil

Spectacularly simple.

Random links that I have saved on my laptop desktop.

"James Montgomery's (1771-1854) hymn has long recognized this:

Prayer is the soul's sincere desire,

unuttered or expressed,

the motion of a hidden fire

that trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the burden of a sigh,

the falling of a tear,

the upward glancing of an eye

when none but God is near."

From When you can't even pray by Ray Ortlund of The Gospel Coalition

A stoat. It's pretty epic.