Watch Against Pride

"Let us watch against pride in every shape – pride of intellect, pride of wealth, pride of our own goodness. Nothing is so likely to keep a person out of heaven, and prevent them from seeing Christ, as pride. So long as we think we are something we shall never be saved. Let us pray for and cultivate humility; let us seek to know ourselves correctly, and to find out our place in the sight of a holy God." ~ J.C. Ryle

The Center of Sin and Pride

Oh how true. Food for thought and prayer. Posted from The Narrow Gate on Facebook.

Katy the Young Bride

I enjoyed  Elisabeth Elliot's radio broadcast "Gateway to Joy" and have a few of the transcripts bookmarked on my computer, most connected with some of her readings from the book Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. The reading on one particular day was from some of the thoughts Katy had when she was first married. Or may I say struggles Katy had. Katy was married on January 16, 1837, the day after her birthday. Her wedding day reflections were pretty good ones, I rather think:

"Yesterday was my birthday and today is my wedding day. We meant to celebrate the one with the other, but Sunday would come this year on the 15th! I am dressed and have turned everybody out of this room, where I have suffered so much mortification and experienced so much joy, that before I give myself to Earnest and before I leave home forever, I may once more give away myself to God. I have been much too absorbed in my earthly love and am shocked to find how it fills my thoughts, but I do want to belong to God. I will begin my married life in His fear, depending on Him to make me an unselfish, devoted wife."

But then, after having been back from the honeymoon for just a short while, we see a regression. On February 16th she writes:

"Our honeymoon ends today. There hasn't been quite as much honey in it as I expected. I supposed that Earnest would be home every evening at least, and that he would read aloud and have me play and sing and that we should have delightful times together. But now he has got me, he seems satisfied and goes about his business as if he had been married 100 years. "

After some more unfortunate reflections and a less than pleasant confrontation with her new husband, she wrote this on February 17th:

"February 17. Mrs. Embury has been here today. I longed to compare notes with her and find out whether it really is my fault that I'm not quite happy, but I could not bear to open my heart to her on so sacred a subject. We had some general conversation, however, which did me good for the time at least. She said she thought one of the first lessons a wife should learn is self-forgetfulness. I should like to know if there is any reason on earth why a woman should learn self-forgetfulness, that does not apply to a man."  

Mrs. Elliot made some good points on this that I wanted to pass on. Quoting Colossians 3:12-21, she mentions that as a good passage for parents to pass on to their children who are leaving home to be married: "And for a recipe for a happy marriage and a peaceful home, a passage that I often give to young couples when they are getting married is in Colossians 3. If any couple would take this passage for their rule of life, I don't think there would ever be a divorce."

You know, I would agree with Mrs. Elliot. And I do believe Katy learned this as the years went by. And one many of us continue to learn.

What to Put On

 (Art by Elaine Vollherbst - Lane)

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 

Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

Colossians 3:12-14

Grace to the Humble

“ God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6

The proud resist God: in their understanding they resist the truths of God; in their will they resist the laws of God; in their passions they resist the providence of God; therefore, no wonder that God resists the proud. How wretched the state of those who make God their enemy! God will give more grace to the humble, because they see their need of it, pray for it are thankful for it, and such shall have it. Submit your understanding to the truth of God; submit your wills to the will of his precept, the will of his providence. Submit yourselves to God, for he is ready to do you good. If we yield to temptations, the devil will continually follow us; but if we put on the whole armor of God, and stand out against him, he will leave us. Let sinners then submit to God, and seek his grace and favor; resisting the devil. All sin must be wept over; here, in godly sorrow, or, hereafter, in eternal misery. And the Lord will not refuse to comfort one who really mourns for sin, or to exalt one who humbles himself before him.

- Matthew Henry

Path of Humility

Accept every humiliation,look upon every fellow-man who tries or vexes you, as a means of grace to humble you. Use every opportunity of humbling' yourself before your fellow-men as a help to abide humble before God. God will accept such humbling of yourself as the proof that your whole heart desires it, as the very best prayer for it, as your preparation for His mighty work of grace, when, by the mighty strengthening of His Holy Spirit, He reveals Christ fully in you, so that He, in His form of a servant, is truly formed in you, and dwells in your heart. It is the path of humility which leads to perfect death, the full and perfect experience that we are dead in Christ.

Andrew Murray

Charity Vaunteth Not Itself . .

"Humility is a most essential and distinguishing trait in all true piety. It is the attendant of every grace, and in a peculiar manner tends to the purity of Christian feeling. It is the ornament of the spirit; the source of some of the sweetest exercises of Christian experience; the most acceptable sacrifice we can offer to God; the subject of the richest of his promises; the spirit with which he will dwell on earth, and which he will crown with glory in heaven hereafter."

~ Jonathan Edwards, from Charity and Its Fruits

Note: I have recently become a member of a new venture on the Internet, a fellowship group called The Reformed Quotes Fellowship, which is exciting for me because of my love for the quotes of some of the great Reformers of the past. Now I'll be connecting with others of like mind and who have that same love. They have asked that we post at least four quotes per month and that I would love to do! I've set aside Wednesday as quote day, at least to start out. I'll see how that works out. If you know me and are familiar at all with this blog, you know that's one of the primary reasons we've been here anyway, so I doubt if you'll only see quotes on Wednesdays.

Many blessings to any of my fellow "quoters" who stop by! I'll try to visit you as often as possible.

Lovely Apparel

A passage of Scripture which has always been dear to me tells of some beautiful clothing which we can and should be wearing. Certainly it's apparel that should be a part of each of our wardrobes:

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Colossians 3:12-15

The Valley of Humility

Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility. Proverbs 18:12

Humility is one of my favorite topics. Not that I have it. I just know that I need to seek it. And, of course, there's only one Source. I hope this is the first of many posts about the subject. Hopefully, I'll post about it from different sources and perspectives.

In Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyon, Faithful told Christian about his being assaulted by Discontent in the Valley of Humility. Discontent unsuccessfully tried to persuade Faithful to go back rather than wade through such a valley, and by doing so, turn against his friends Pride, Arrogancy, Self-conceit, and Worldly-glory. Well friends, I hope I'll be able to answer Discontent as Faithful did:

"I told him that although all these that he named might claim kindred of me, and that rightly (for indeed they were my relations according to the flesh), yet since I became a pilgrim they have disowned me, as I also have rejected them..."

As to Discontent's claim that the valley was without honour, Faithful let it be known that THAT was a misrepresentation of the thing, since "before honour is humility, and a haughty spirit before a fall."

I hope I'll be able to put Discontent in his place. He would like me to embrace my "friends" as he calls them. I need to be careful of them, because they love to sneak in and try to pull pilgrims back in. Methinks Worldly-glory could try grabbing hold of those of us who love to blog and write.

Oh Lord, may it be that this pilgrim not seek

the glory that the world gives, but only the glory of Christ.

Speaking of valleys, our lilies of the valley started blooming today. Don't you just love perennials? Such a reminder of the workings of an Almighty Creator.