Tozer Devotional

[{"id":"1586","title":"Heart Perception","body":"<p>However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him' \u2014 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.<\/p><p><\/p><p>\u2014 1 Corinthians 2:9-10<\/p><p><\/p><p>There is a deeply spiritual and thoroughly mystical quality in New Testament religion that we cannot afford to ignore if we would be Christians in fact as well as in name.<\/p><p><\/p><p>I think it well to let our worshiping hearts decide our theological questions.<\/p><p><\/p><p>After the purity of the text has been established and the mind assured that the translation is trustworthy, the best source of true light is always the Spirit-illuminated heart. A praying heart, aglow with love for God, will intuit truth, will pass behind the veil and see and hear that which is not lawful to be uttered, which indeed cannot be uttered or even intellectually understood. It is my opinion that the real battle line in the theological war today is not the line that separates fundamentalism from liberalism.<\/p><p><\/p><p>That war has been fought and won.<\/p><p><\/p><p>No one need be in any wise confused on the question of Bible theology versus man-conceived liberalism. Both sides have said their say boldly. Everyone can know where he stands on such matters as the inspiration of the Scriptures, the deity of Jesus Christ, salvation through the blood of atonement, death and judgment, heaven and hell.<\/p><p><\/p><p>The true battle line is elsewhere.<\/p><p><\/p><p>THOUGHT<\/p><p><\/p><p>Spiritual truth is spiritually discerned. The intellect is certainly active but there is truth communicated by the Holy Spirit to our human spirit which is beyond intellectual understanding.<\/p><p><\/p><p>PRAYER<\/p><p><\/p><p>Lord, give me a heart understanding of You and Your truth!<\/p><p><\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","body_rich":"<p><strong>However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him' \u2014 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.<\/strong><\/p><p><strong>\u2014 1 Corinthians 2:9-10<\/strong><\/p><p>There is a deeply spiritual and thoroughly mystical quality in New Testament religion that we cannot afford to ignore if we would be Christians in fact as well as in name.<\/p><p> I think it well to let our worshiping hearts decide our theological questions. <\/p><p>After the purity of the text has been established and the mind assured that the translation is trustworthy, the best source of true light is always the Spirit-illuminated heart. A praying heart, aglow with love for God, will intuit truth, will pass behind the veil and see and hear that which is not lawful to be uttered, which indeed cannot be uttered or even intellectually understood. It is my opinion that the real battle line in the theological war today is not the line that separates fundamentalism from liberalism. <\/p><p>That war has been fought and won. <\/p><p>No one need be in any wise confused on the question of Bible theology versus man-conceived liberalism. Both sides have said their say boldly. Everyone can know where he stands on such matters as the inspiration of the Scriptures, the deity of Jesus Christ, salvation through the blood of atonement, death and judgment, heaven and hell. <\/p><p>The true battle line is elsewhere.<\/p><p><strong>THOUGHT<\/strong><\/p><p>Spiritual truth is spiritually discerned. The intellect is certainly active but there is truth communicated by the Holy Spirit to our human spirit which is beyond intellectual understanding.<\/p><p><strong>PRAYER<\/strong><\/p><p>Lord, give me a heart understanding of You and Your truth!<\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","section":"General","source":"dbp","translation":null,"status":"Published","content_segmentation_id":null,"added":"2021-11-20T14:30:02+00:00","added_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","updated":"2021-11-20T14:30:02+00:00","updated_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","slug":"heart-perception","information_sections":[],"related":{"notifications":[]},"files":{"documents":[]},"share":{"id":"fm1HvOuTRLwAPhLx0DPEwHci7","url":"http:\/\/www.naracoorteuca.org.au\/verses\/heart-perception"},"body_plain":"However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him' \u2014 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.\n\n\u2014 1 Corinthians 2:9-10\n\nThere is a deeply spiritual and thoroughly mystical quality in New Testament religion that we cannot afford to ignore if we would be Christians in fact as well as in name.\n\nI think it well to let our worshiping hearts decide our theological questions.\n\nAfter the purity of the text has been established and the mind assured that the translation is trustworthy, the best source of true light is always the Spirit-illuminated heart. A praying heart, aglow with love for God, will intuit truth, will pass behind the veil and see and hear that which is not lawful to be uttered, which indeed cannot be uttered or even intellectually understood. It is my opinion that the real battle line in the theological war today is not the line that separates fundamentalism from liberalism.\n\nThat war has been fought and won.\n\nNo one need be in any wise confused on the question of Bible theology versus man-conceived liberalism. Both sides have said their say boldly. Everyone can know where he stands on such matters as the inspiration of the Scriptures, the deity of Jesus Christ, salvation through the blood of atonement, death and judgment, heaven and hell.\n\nThe true battle line is elsewhere.\n\nTHOUGHT\n\nSpiritual truth is spiritually discerned. The intellect is certainly active but there is truth communicated by the Holy Spirit to our human spirit which is beyond intellectual understanding.\n\nPRAYER\n\nLord, give me a heart understanding of You and Your truth!\n\nhttps:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/","body_short":"<p>However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him' \u2014 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.<\/p>","body_truncated":"<p>However, as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him' \u2014 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.\u2014 1 Corinthians 2:9-10There is a deeply spiritual and thoroughly mystical quality in New Testament religion that we cannot afford to ignore if we would be Christians in fact as well as in name.I think it well to let our worshiping hearts decide our theological questions.After the purity of the text has been established and the mind assured that the translation is trustworthy, the best source of true light is always...<\/p>","__type":"verses"},{"id":"1585","title":"Religious Word-Rationing","body":"<p>They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.<\/p><p><\/p><p>\u2014 Mark 12:40<\/p><p><\/p><p>Most religious people have been guilty of multiplying words as substitutes for worthy deeds, and of all such the writer of these lines is probably the worst offender. But because we have offended is not sufficient reason for our going on to repeat the offense.<\/p><p><\/p><p>It is better that we face the whole thing with self-effacing humility and try to correct our fault. It remains only to be said that where shallow eloquence is most out of place and where it is oftenest found is the prayer meeting. The most halting speaker seems to become unusually fluent when he kneels to pray, especially when he has an audience. I have heard much flowery speech in the prayer room, and I suppose I have uttered a good deal of it.<\/p><p><\/p><p>But again, there is no reason for continuing to utter words without wisdom. A conscious sense of the presence of God is a wonderful cure for empty talk, whether in the pulpit or in the pew. When the Holy Spirit falls on a man, he is likely to become strangely eloquent. Out of the awe and silence of the soul comes an uprushing of power-filled words that move the hearts of the hearers to tears and to action.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Such eloquence as this is something else; of this we do not here speak. Of this latter we need a great deal more, but we can do with a lot fewer empty words in religious circles.<\/p><p><\/p><p>THOUGHT<\/p><p><\/p><p>Prayers from the heart prayed to God, as if no one else were listening, are strangely moving, aren't they. Then there are those long, well-rehearsed prayers addressed to people as if God might be listening in.<\/p><p><\/p><p>PRAYER<\/p><p><\/p><p>O God, teach me to pray!<\/p><p><\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","body_rich":"<p><strong><em>They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.<\/em><\/strong><\/p><p><strong><em>\u2014 Mark 12:40<\/em><\/strong><\/p><p>Most religious people have been guilty of multiplying words as substitutes for worthy deeds, and of all such the writer of these lines is probably the worst offender. But because we have offended is not sufficient reason for our going on to repeat the offense.<\/p><p> It is better that we face the whole thing with self-effacing humility and try to correct our fault. It remains only to be said that where shallow eloquence is most out of place and where it is oftenest found is the prayer meeting. The most halting speaker seems to become unusually fluent when he kneels to pray, especially when he has an audience. I have heard much flowery speech in the prayer room, and I suppose I have uttered a good deal of it. <\/p><p>But again, there is no reason for continuing to utter words without wisdom. A conscious sense of the presence of God is a wonderful cure for empty talk, whether in the pulpit or in the pew. When the Holy Spirit falls on a man, he is likely to become strangely eloquent. Out of the awe and silence of the soul comes an uprushing of power-filled words that move the hearts of the hearers to tears and to action. <\/p><p>Such eloquence as this is something else; of this we do not here speak. Of this latter we need a great deal more, but we can do with a lot fewer empty words in religious circles.<\/p><p><strong><em>THOUGHT<\/em><\/strong><\/p><p>Prayers from the heart prayed to God, as if no one else were listening, are strangely moving, aren't they. Then there are those long, well-rehearsed prayers addressed to people as if God might be listening in.<\/p><p><strong>PRAYER<\/strong><\/p><p>O God, teach me to pray!<\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","section":"General","source":"dbp","translation":null,"status":"Published","content_segmentation_id":null,"added":"2021-11-19T14:30:01+00:00","added_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","updated":"2021-11-19T14:30:01+00:00","updated_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","slug":"religious-word-rationing","information_sections":[],"related":{"notifications":[]},"files":{"documents":[]},"share":{"id":"QKuXUj5KL4MlgraEkErsrDa5N","url":"http:\/\/www.naracoorteuca.org.au\/verses\/religious-word-rationing"},"body_plain":"They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.\n\n\u2014 Mark 12:40\n\nMost religious people have been guilty of multiplying words as substitutes for worthy deeds, and of all such the writer of these lines is probably the worst offender. But because we have offended is not sufficient reason for our going on to repeat the offense.\n\nIt is better that we face the whole thing with self-effacing humility and try to correct our fault. It remains only to be said that where shallow eloquence is most out of place and where it is oftenest found is the prayer meeting. The most halting speaker seems to become unusually fluent when he kneels to pray, especially when he has an audience. I have heard much flowery speech in the prayer room, and I suppose I have uttered a good deal of it.\n\nBut again, there is no reason for continuing to utter words without wisdom. A conscious sense of the presence of God is a wonderful cure for empty talk, whether in the pulpit or in the pew. When the Holy Spirit falls on a man, he is likely to become strangely eloquent. Out of the awe and silence of the soul comes an uprushing of power-filled words that move the hearts of the hearers to tears and to action.\n\nSuch eloquence as this is something else; of this we do not here speak. Of this latter we need a great deal more, but we can do with a lot fewer empty words in religious circles.\n\nTHOUGHT\n\nPrayers from the heart prayed to God, as if no one else were listening, are strangely moving, aren't they. Then there are those long, well-rehearsed prayers addressed to people as if God might be listening in.\n\nPRAYER\n\nO God, teach me to pray!\n\nhttps:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/","body_short":"<p>They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.<\/p>","body_truncated":"<p>They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.\u2014 Mark 12:40Most religious people have been guilty of multiplying words as substitutes for worthy deeds, and of all such the writer of these lines is probably the worst offender. But because we have offended is not sufficient reason for our going on to repeat the offense.It is better that we face the whole thing with self-effacing humility and try to correct our fault. It remains only to be said that where shallow eloquence is most out of place and where it is oftenest found is the prayer...<\/p>","__type":"verses"},{"id":"1584","title":"Mighty Deeds and Empty Words","body":"<p>My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonsration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.<\/p><p><\/p><p>\u2014 First Corinthians 2:4-5<\/p><p><\/p><p>Again, that world-shaking event, the crucifixion of Christ, is stated in four words, \"There they crucified him.\"<\/p><p><\/p><p>One shudders to think what fanfare and buildup such a stupendous event would require if written by the shallow novelists or dramatists of our day.<\/p><p><\/p><p>To represent such a solemn event on the stage would cost thousands of dollars and would require enough words to fill a dozen pages of script. The reason for the difference is of course that the evangelists felt the crucifixion and instinctively spoke of it in few words.<\/p><p><\/p><p>To follow this thought further, it is only necessary to note the simple brevity of the announcement of our Lord's resurrection. The \"young man\" told the inquiring disciples the story in three words: \"He is risen.\"<\/p><p><\/p><p>These needed no eloquent preface to such a wondrous announcement. Where there have been mighty deeds, there need be no multitude of words to tell of them.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Many words are required only where the deeds have been too feeble to speak for themselves.<\/p><p><\/p><p>THOUGHT<\/p><p><\/p><p>Demonstration of God's power needs little verbal explanation. Powerless preaching, though eloquent, can entertain but cannot penetrate to the heart of the listener. Action speaks so much louder than empty words!<\/p><p><\/p><p>PRAYER<\/p><p><\/p><p>Father, may our preachers and teachers prepare well in prayerful study and then present Your Word, trusting You to speak not their eloquent presentation.<\/p><p><\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","body_rich":"<p><strong>My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonsration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.<\/strong><\/p><p><strong>\u2014 First Corinthians 2:4-5<\/strong><\/p><p>Again, that world-shaking event, the crucifixion of Christ, is stated in four words, \"There they crucified him.\"<\/p><p> One shudders to think what fanfare and buildup such a stupendous event would require if written by the shallow novelists or dramatists of our day.<\/p><p>To represent such a solemn event on the stage would cost thousands of dollars and would require enough words to fill a dozen pages of script. The reason for the difference is of course that the evangelists felt the crucifixion and instinctively spoke of it in few words. <\/p><p>To follow this thought further, it is only necessary to note the simple brevity of the announcement of our Lord's resurrection. The \"young man\" told the inquiring disciples the story in three words: \"He is risen.\" <\/p><p>These needed no eloquent preface to such a wondrous announcement. Where there have been mighty deeds, there need be no multitude of words to tell of them. <\/p><p>Many words are required only where the deeds have been too feeble to speak for themselves.<\/p><p><strong>THOUGHT<\/strong><\/p><p>Demonstration of God's power needs little verbal explanation. Powerless preaching, though eloquent, can entertain but cannot penetrate to the heart of the listener. Action speaks so much louder than empty words!<\/p><p><strong>PRAYER<\/strong><\/p><p>Father, may our preachers and teachers prepare well in prayerful study and then present Your Word, trusting You to speak not their eloquent presentation.<\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","section":"General","source":"dbp","translation":null,"status":"Published","content_segmentation_id":null,"added":"2021-11-18T14:30:02+00:00","added_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","updated":"2021-11-18T14:30:02+00:00","updated_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","slug":"mighty-deeds-and-empty-words","information_sections":[],"related":{"notifications":[]},"files":{"documents":[]},"share":{"id":"GlaAgBjo7N8p2nm5lAHRnMgST","url":"http:\/\/www.naracoorteuca.org.au\/verses\/mighty-deeds-and-empty-words"},"body_plain":"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonsration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.\n\n\u2014 First Corinthians 2:4-5\n\nAgain, that world-shaking event, the crucifixion of Christ, is stated in four words, \"There they crucified him.\"\n\nOne shudders to think what fanfare and buildup such a stupendous event would require if written by the shallow novelists or dramatists of our day.\n\nTo represent such a solemn event on the stage would cost thousands of dollars and would require enough words to fill a dozen pages of script. The reason for the difference is of course that the evangelists felt the crucifixion and instinctively spoke of it in few words.\n\nTo follow this thought further, it is only necessary to note the simple brevity of the announcement of our Lord's resurrection. The \"young man\" told the inquiring disciples the story in three words: \"He is risen.\"\n\nThese needed no eloquent preface to such a wondrous announcement. Where there have been mighty deeds, there need be no multitude of words to tell of them.\n\nMany words are required only where the deeds have been too feeble to speak for themselves.\n\nTHOUGHT\n\nDemonstration of God's power needs little verbal explanation. Powerless preaching, though eloquent, can entertain but cannot penetrate to the heart of the listener. Action speaks so much louder than empty words!\n\nPRAYER\n\nFather, may our preachers and teachers prepare well in prayerful study and then present Your Word, trusting You to speak not their eloquent presentation.\n\nhttps:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/","body_short":"<p>My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonsration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.<\/p>","body_truncated":"<p>My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonsration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.\u2014 First Corinthians 2:4-5Again, that world-shaking event, the crucifixion of Christ, is stated in four words, \"There they crucified him.\"One shudders to think what fanfare and buildup such a stupendous event would require if written by the shallow novelists or dramatists of our day.To represent such a solemn event on the stage would cost thousands of dollars and would require enough words to fill a dozen page...<\/p>","__type":"verses"},{"id":"1583","title":"Knowing Our Weakness and God's Power","body":"<p>Moses said to the LORD, 'O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.'<\/p><p><\/p><p>\u2014 Exodus 4:10<\/p><p><\/p><p>Moses was not a fluent man.<\/p><p><\/p><p>His words spoken to God must be accepted as being a sincere and fair appraisal of the facts: \"O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue\" (Exodus 4:10).<\/p><p><\/p><p>The Lord did not try to cheer up His doubting servant by telling him that he had misjudged his ability. He allowed Moses' statement to stand unchallenged. But He said to Moses, \"What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well.\" God gave Aaron an \"A\" in speech. He was undoubtedly an eloquent man. Yet it was the halting Moses, not the fluent Aaron, who faced Pharaoh time after time in defense of Israel; it was Moses, not the eloquent Aaron, who wrote the brilliant and beautiful story of the creation; it was Moses who penned the Book of Deuteronomy, one of the most poetical and moving books ever written.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Was Aaron too fluent for God to use after all?<\/p><p><\/p><p>I do not claim to know why, but whatever the reason, we have but few samples of Aaron's words in the Bible and countless pages of Moses'. The reason back of all this is that great emotions rarely produce fluency of speech, whereas shallow feelings are sure to express themselves in many words. We tend to use words in inverse proportion to the depth of our feelings.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Some of the profoundest emotions of the heart utter themselves in a chaste brevity of words, as when John tells us of Christ's sharp grief at the grave of Lazarus. He says simply, \"Jesus wept.\" With exquisite good taste, the scholars who divided the Bible into verses allowed those two words to stand alone.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Nothing more is needed to reveal the mighty depth of Christ's love for His friend.<\/p><p><\/p><p>THOUGHT<\/p><p><\/p><p>Moses was not eloquent but he was humble, \"more humble than anyone on the face of the earth\" (Numbers 12:3). That is why God could use him as He did!<\/p><p><\/p><p>PRAYER<\/p><p><\/p><p>Thank You, Lord, for those humbling experiences that have forcefully demonstrated to me that I can't do it. It is You who must speak and work through me.<\/p><p><\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","body_rich":"<p><strong>Moses said to the LORD, 'O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.'<\/strong><\/p><p><strong>\u2014 Exodus 4:10<\/strong><\/p><p>Moses was not a fluent man.<\/p><p> His words spoken to God must be accepted as being a sincere and fair appraisal of the facts: \"O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue\" (Exodus 4:10). <\/p><p>The Lord did not try to cheer up His doubting servant by telling him that he had misjudged his ability. He allowed Moses' statement to stand unchallenged. But He said to Moses, \"What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well.\" God gave Aaron an \"A\" in speech. He was undoubtedly an eloquent man. Yet it was the halting Moses, not the fluent Aaron, who faced Pharaoh time after time in defense of Israel; it was Moses, not the eloquent Aaron, who wrote the brilliant and beautiful story of the creation; it was Moses who penned the Book of Deuteronomy, one of the most poetical and moving books ever written. <\/p><p>Was Aaron too fluent for God to use after all?<\/p><p> I do not claim to know why, but whatever the reason, we have but few samples of Aaron's words in the Bible and countless pages of Moses'. The reason back of all this is that great emotions rarely produce fluency of speech, whereas shallow feelings are sure to express themselves in many words. We tend to use words in inverse proportion to the depth of our feelings. <\/p><p>Some of the profoundest emotions of the heart utter themselves in a chaste brevity of words, as when John tells us of Christ's sharp grief at the grave of Lazarus. He says simply, \"Jesus wept.\" With exquisite good taste, the scholars who divided the Bible into verses allowed those two words to stand alone. <\/p><p>Nothing more is needed to reveal the mighty depth of Christ's love for His friend.<\/p><p><strong>THOUGHT<\/strong><\/p><p>Moses was not eloquent but he was humble, \"more humble than anyone on the face of the earth\" (Numbers 12:3). That is why God could use him as He did!<\/p><p><strong>PRAYER<\/strong><\/p><p>Thank You, Lord, for those humbling experiences that have forcefully demonstrated to me that I can't do it. It is You who must speak and work through me.<\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","section":"General","source":"dbp","translation":null,"status":"Published","content_segmentation_id":null,"added":"2021-11-17T14:30:02+00:00","added_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","updated":"2021-11-17T14:30:02+00:00","updated_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","slug":"knowing-our-weakness-and-gods-power","information_sections":[],"related":{"notifications":[]},"files":{"documents":[]},"share":{"id":"awHsyxwmIS6y7zrJiKRuup9a3","url":"http:\/\/www.naracoorteuca.org.au\/verses\/knowing-our-weakness-and-gods-power"},"body_plain":"Moses said to the LORD, 'O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.'\n\n\u2014 Exodus 4:10\n\nMoses was not a fluent man.\n\nHis words spoken to God must be accepted as being a sincere and fair appraisal of the facts: \"O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue\" (Exodus 4:10).\n\nThe Lord did not try to cheer up His doubting servant by telling him that he had misjudged his ability. He allowed Moses' statement to stand unchallenged. But He said to Moses, \"What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well.\" God gave Aaron an \"A\" in speech. He was undoubtedly an eloquent man. Yet it was the halting Moses, not the fluent Aaron, who faced Pharaoh time after time in defense of Israel; it was Moses, not the eloquent Aaron, who wrote the brilliant and beautiful story of the creation; it was Moses who penned the Book of Deuteronomy, one of the most poetical and moving books ever written.\n\nWas Aaron too fluent for God to use after all?\n\nI do not claim to know why, but whatever the reason, we have but few samples of Aaron's words in the Bible and countless pages of Moses'. The reason back of all this is that great emotions rarely produce fluency of speech, whereas shallow feelings are sure to express themselves in many words. We tend to use words in inverse proportion to the depth of our feelings.\n\nSome of the profoundest emotions of the heart utter themselves in a chaste brevity of words, as when John tells us of Christ's sharp grief at the grave of Lazarus. He says simply, \"Jesus wept.\" With exquisite good taste, the scholars who divided the Bible into verses allowed those two words to stand alone.\n\nNothing more is needed to reveal the mighty depth of Christ's love for His friend.\n\nTHOUGHT\n\nMoses was not eloquent but he was humble, \"more humble than anyone on the face of the earth\" (Numbers 12:3). That is why God could use him as He did!\n\nPRAYER\n\nThank You, Lord, for those humbling experiences that have forcefully demonstrated to me that I can't do it. It is You who must speak and work through me.\n\nhttps:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/","body_short":"<p>Moses said to the LORD, 'O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.'<\/p>","body_truncated":"<p>Moses said to the LORD, 'O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.'\u2014 Exodus 4:10Moses was not a fluent man.His words spoken to God must be accepted as being a sincere and fair appraisal of the facts: \"O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue\" (Exodus 4:10).The Lord did not try to cheer up His doubting servant by telling him that he had misjudged his ability. He allowed Moses' statement to stand unchallenged. But He s...<\/p>","__type":"verses"},{"id":"1581","title":"The Danger of Eloquence","body":"<p>When I came to you, brethren, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.<\/p><p><\/p><p>\u2014 First Corinthians 2:1-2<\/p><p><\/p><p>There are few things in religious circles held in greater esteem than eloquence. Yet there are few things of less actual value or that bring with them greater temptation or more harm. One qualification everyone expects a preacher to have is the ability to discourse fluently on almost any religious or moral subject.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Yet such ability is at best a doubtful asset and unless brought to Christ for cleansing may easily turn out to be the greatest enemy the preacher faces here below.<\/p><p><\/p><p>The man who finds that he is able to preach on a moment's notice should accept his ability as an obstacle over which he must try to get victory before he is at his best for God and His kingdom.<\/p><p><\/p><p>THOUGHT<\/p><p><\/p><p>Eloquence and knowledge are major weapons in Satan's arsenal to render ineffective God's servants. Self-reliance and pride follow like fast growing weeds. God uses the weak, the humble who fully rely on Him.<\/p><p><\/p><p>PRAYER<\/p><p><\/p><p>Father, remind me to pray for my pastor that he may powerfully proclaim Christ and Him crucified, trusting wholly in You to minister through him.<\/p><p><\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","body_rich":"<p><strong>When I came to you, brethren, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.<\/strong><\/p><p><strong>\u2014 First Corinthians 2:1-2<\/strong><\/p><p>There are few things in religious circles held in greater esteem than eloquence. Yet there are few things of less actual value or that bring with them greater temptation or more harm. One qualification everyone expects a preacher to have is the ability to discourse fluently on almost any religious or moral subject. <\/p><p>Yet such ability is at best a doubtful asset and unless brought to Christ for cleansing may easily turn out to be the greatest enemy the preacher faces here below. <\/p><p>The man who finds that he is able to preach on a moment's notice should accept his ability as an obstacle over which he must try to get victory before he is at his best for God and His kingdom.<\/p><p><strong>THOUGHT<\/strong><\/p><p>Eloquence and knowledge are major weapons in Satan's arsenal to render ineffective God's servants. Self-reliance and pride follow like fast growing weeds. God uses the weak, the humble who fully rely on Him.<\/p><p><strong>PRAYER<\/strong><\/p><p>Father, remind me to pray for my pastor that he may powerfully proclaim Christ and Him crucified, trusting wholly in You to minister through him.<\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","section":"General","source":"dbp","translation":null,"status":"Published","content_segmentation_id":null,"added":"2021-11-16T14:30:02+00:00","added_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","updated":"2021-11-16T14:30:02+00:00","updated_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","slug":"the-danger-of-eloquence","information_sections":[],"related":{"notifications":[]},"files":{"documents":[]},"share":{"id":"DDYQjc7ZMJeyvjKbi9JXTDfbZ","url":"http:\/\/www.naracoorteuca.org.au\/verses\/the-danger-of-eloquence"},"body_plain":"When I came to you, brethren, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.\n\n\u2014 First Corinthians 2:1-2\n\nThere are few things in religious circles held in greater esteem than eloquence. Yet there are few things of less actual value or that bring with them greater temptation or more harm. One qualification everyone expects a preacher to have is the ability to discourse fluently on almost any religious or moral subject.\n\nYet such ability is at best a doubtful asset and unless brought to Christ for cleansing may easily turn out to be the greatest enemy the preacher faces here below.\n\nThe man who finds that he is able to preach on a moment's notice should accept his ability as an obstacle over which he must try to get victory before he is at his best for God and His kingdom.\n\nTHOUGHT\n\nEloquence and knowledge are major weapons in Satan's arsenal to render ineffective God's servants. Self-reliance and pride follow like fast growing weeds. God uses the weak, the humble who fully rely on Him.\n\nPRAYER\n\nFather, remind me to pray for my pastor that he may powerfully proclaim Christ and Him crucified, trusting wholly in You to minister through him.\n\nhttps:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/","body_short":"<p>When I came to you, brethren, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.<\/p>","body_truncated":"<p>When I came to you, brethren, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.\u2014 First Corinthians 2:1-2There are few things in religious circles held in greater esteem than eloquence. Yet there are few things of less actual value or that bring with them greater temptation or more harm. One qualification everyone expects a preacher to have is the ability to discourse fluently on almost any religious or moral subject.Yet such ability is at best a doubtful a...<\/p>","__type":"verses"},{"id":"1580","title":"Knowing God.","body":"<p>I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me . . .<\/p><p><\/p><p>\u2014 John 10:14<\/p><p><\/p><p>The witness of the Spirit is a sacred inner thing which cannot be explained.<\/p><p><\/p><p>It is altogether personal and cannot be passed from one to another. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of God's waterspouts, and the outward ear cannot hear what it says. Much less can the worldly onlooker know what is taking place. The Spirit whispers its mysterious Presence to the heart, and the heart knows without knowing how it knows.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Just as we know we are alive by unmediated knowledge and without recourse to proof, so we know we are alive in the Holy Spirit. Our knowledge is by immediate cognition altogether independent of inference and without the support of reason. The witness is in the hidden regions of the spirit, too deep for proof, where external evidence is invalid and \"signs\" are of no use.<\/p><p><\/p><p>When all is said, it may easily be that the great difference between professing Christians (the important difference in this day) is not between modernists and evangelicals but between those who have reduced Christianity to an intellectual formula and those who believe that the true essence of our faith lies in the supernatural workings of the Spirit in a region of the soul not accessible to mere reason.<\/p><p><\/p><p>THOUGHT<\/p><p><\/p><p>Holy Spirit to human spirit communication takes place at the deepest levels of the spirit. Unshakable assurance results though inexplicable at the intellectual and emotional levels. It is just that one knows!<\/p><p><\/p><p>PRAYER<\/p><p><\/p><p>Thank You, Lord, for that knowing of spirit You give even when my feelings and thoughts are in denial.<\/p><p><\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","body_rich":"<p><strong>I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me . . .<\/strong><\/p><p><strong>\u2014 John 10:14<\/strong><\/p><p>The witness of the Spirit is a sacred inner thing which cannot be explained. <\/p><p>It is altogether personal and cannot be passed from one to another. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of God's waterspouts, and the outward ear cannot hear what it says. Much less can the worldly onlooker know what is taking place. The Spirit whispers its mysterious Presence to the heart, and the heart knows without knowing how it knows. <\/p><p>Just as we know we are alive by unmediated knowledge and without recourse to proof, so we know we are alive in the Holy Spirit. Our knowledge is by immediate cognition altogether independent of inference and without the support of reason. The witness is in the hidden regions of the spirit, too deep for proof, where external evidence is invalid and \"signs\" are of no use. <\/p><p>When all is said, it may easily be that the great difference between professing Christians (the important difference in this day) is not between modernists and evangelicals but between those who have reduced Christianity to an intellectual formula and those who believe that the true essence of our faith lies in the supernatural workings of the Spirit in a region of the soul not accessible to mere reason.<\/p><p><strong>THOUGHT<\/strong><\/p><p>Holy Spirit to human spirit communication takes place at the deepest levels of the spirit. Unshakable assurance results though inexplicable at the intellectual and emotional levels. It is just that one knows!<\/p><p><strong>PRAYER<\/strong><\/p><p>Thank You, Lord, for that knowing of spirit You give even when my feelings and thoughts are in denial.<\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","section":"General","source":"custom","translation":null,"status":"Published","content_segmentation_id":null,"added":"2021-11-15T14:30:02+00:00","added_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","updated":"2021-11-15T14:30:02+00:00","updated_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","slug":"knowing-god","information_sections":[],"related":{"notifications":[]},"files":{"documents":[]},"share":{"id":"n1ZyyGMvsK4mLBtDEtuXY6swa","url":"http:\/\/www.naracoorteuca.org.au\/verses\/knowing-god"},"body_plain":"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me . . .\n\n\u2014 John 10:14\n\nThe witness of the Spirit is a sacred inner thing which cannot be explained.\n\nIt is altogether personal and cannot be passed from one to another. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of God's waterspouts, and the outward ear cannot hear what it says. Much less can the worldly onlooker know what is taking place. The Spirit whispers its mysterious Presence to the heart, and the heart knows without knowing how it knows.\n\nJust as we know we are alive by unmediated knowledge and without recourse to proof, so we know we are alive in the Holy Spirit. Our knowledge is by immediate cognition altogether independent of inference and without the support of reason. The witness is in the hidden regions of the spirit, too deep for proof, where external evidence is invalid and \"signs\" are of no use.\n\nWhen all is said, it may easily be that the great difference between professing Christians (the important difference in this day) is not between modernists and evangelicals but between those who have reduced Christianity to an intellectual formula and those who believe that the true essence of our faith lies in the supernatural workings of the Spirit in a region of the soul not accessible to mere reason.\n\nTHOUGHT\n\nHoly Spirit to human spirit communication takes place at the deepest levels of the spirit. Unshakable assurance results though inexplicable at the intellectual and emotional levels. It is just that one knows!\n\nPRAYER\n\nThank You, Lord, for that knowing of spirit You give even when my feelings and thoughts are in denial.\n\nhttps:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/","body_short":"<p>I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me . . .<\/p>","body_truncated":"<p>I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me . . .\u2014 John 10:14The witness of the Spirit is a sacred inner thing which cannot be explained.It is altogether personal and cannot be passed from one to another. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of God's waterspouts, and the outward ear cannot hear what it says. Much less can the worldly onlooker know what is taking place. The Spirit whispers its mysterious Presence to the heart, and the heart knows without knowing how it knows.Just as we know we are alive by unmediated knowledge and without recourse to proof, so we know we are a...<\/p>","__type":"verses"},{"id":"1579","title":"Recognizing the Witness of the Spirit","body":"<p>For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba,Father.'<\/p><p><\/p><p>\u2014 Romans 8:15<\/p><p><\/p><p>Again, the experience of the Spirit's fullness coming upon the believer's heart is often judged by the amount and quality of emotional charge that accompanies it. Some go so far as to declare bluntly that no one is filled with the Spirit who has not experienced certain physical phenomena, particularly the act of speaking in unidentified tongues.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Others will settle for an increased degree of joy or more effectiveness in their service.<\/p><p><\/p><p>All this is wrong, both scripturally and psychologically.<\/p><p><\/p><p>It is the result of a misunderstanding of the nature of man's soul and of the relation of the spirit of man to the Spirit of God. The workings of God in the hearts of redeemed men always over flow into observable conduct. Certain moral changes will take place immediately in the life of the new convert. A moral revolution without will accompany the spiritual revolution that has occurred within.<\/p><p><\/p><p>As the evangelists tell us, even the cat will know it when the head of the house is converted. And the grocer will know it too, and the old cronies in the haunts where the man used to hang out will suspect that something has happened when they miss the new Christian from his accustomed place. All this is collateral proof of the validity of the man's Christian profession.<\/p><p><\/p><p>But it is in no sense evidence to the man's own heart. It is not the witness of the Spirit<\/p><p><\/p><p>THOUGHT<\/p><p><\/p><p>Of all creation only into humankind did God breathe the breath of life. It is by means of our spirit that we may commune with the Spirit of God. And it is in our spirit that we recognize the witness of the Holy Spirit.<\/p><p><\/p><p>PRAYER<\/p><p><\/p><p>It seems, Lord, that I sometimes become caught up in soulish expressions of worship and mistake them for spiritual worship \u2014 my spirit communing with Your Spirit.<\/p><p><\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","body_rich":"<p><strong>For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba,Father.'<\/strong><\/p><p><strong>\u2014 Romans 8:15<\/strong><\/p><p>Again, the experience of the Spirit's fullness coming upon the believer's heart is often judged by the amount and quality of emotional charge that accompanies it. Some go so far as to declare bluntly that no one is filled with the Spirit who has not experienced certain physical phenomena, particularly the act of speaking in unidentified tongues. <\/p><p>Others will settle for an increased degree of joy or more effectiveness in their service.<\/p><p> All this is wrong, both scripturally and psychologically. <\/p><p>It is the result of a misunderstanding of the nature of man's soul and of the relation of the spirit of man to the Spirit of God. The workings of God in the hearts of redeemed men always over flow into observable conduct. Certain moral changes will take place immediately in the life of the new convert. A moral revolution without will accompany the spiritual revolution that has occurred within. <\/p><p>As the evangelists tell us, even the cat will know it when the head of the house is converted. And the grocer will know it too, and the old cronies in the haunts where the man used to hang out will suspect that something has happened when they miss the new Christian from his accustomed place. All this is collateral proof of the validity of the man's Christian profession. <\/p><p>But it is in no sense evidence to the man's own heart. It is not the witness of the Spirit<\/p><p><strong>THOUGHT<\/strong><\/p><p>Of all creation only into humankind did God breathe the breath of life. It is by means of our spirit that we may commune with the Spirit of God. And it is in our spirit that we recognize the witness of the Holy Spirit.<\/p><p><strong>PRAYER<\/strong><\/p><p>It seems, Lord, that I sometimes become caught up in soulish expressions of worship and mistake them for spiritual worship \u2014 my spirit communing with Your Spirit.<\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","section":"General","source":"dbp","translation":null,"status":"Published","content_segmentation_id":null,"added":"2021-11-14T14:30:02+00:00","added_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","updated":"2021-11-14T14:30:02+00:00","updated_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","slug":"recognizing-the-witness-of-the-spirit","information_sections":[],"related":{"notifications":[]},"files":{"documents":[]},"share":{"id":"cAnHn533a5J6NepwRZ3lRzCo1","url":"http:\/\/www.naracoorteuca.org.au\/verses\/recognizing-the-witness-of-the-spirit"},"body_plain":"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba,Father.'\n\n\u2014 Romans 8:15\n\nAgain, the experience of the Spirit's fullness coming upon the believer's heart is often judged by the amount and quality of emotional charge that accompanies it. Some go so far as to declare bluntly that no one is filled with the Spirit who has not experienced certain physical phenomena, particularly the act of speaking in unidentified tongues.\n\nOthers will settle for an increased degree of joy or more effectiveness in their service.\n\nAll this is wrong, both scripturally and psychologically.\n\nIt is the result of a misunderstanding of the nature of man's soul and of the relation of the spirit of man to the Spirit of God. The workings of God in the hearts of redeemed men always over flow into observable conduct. Certain moral changes will take place immediately in the life of the new convert. A moral revolution without will accompany the spiritual revolution that has occurred within.\n\nAs the evangelists tell us, even the cat will know it when the head of the house is converted. And the grocer will know it too, and the old cronies in the haunts where the man used to hang out will suspect that something has happened when they miss the new Christian from his accustomed place. All this is collateral proof of the validity of the man's Christian profession.\n\nBut it is in no sense evidence to the man's own heart. It is not the witness of the Spirit\n\nTHOUGHT\n\nOf all creation only into humankind did God breathe the breath of life. It is by means of our spirit that we may commune with the Spirit of God. And it is in our spirit that we recognize the witness of the Holy Spirit.\n\nPRAYER\n\nIt seems, Lord, that I sometimes become caught up in soulish expressions of worship and mistake them for spiritual worship \u2014 my spirit communing with Your Spirit.\n\nhttps:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/","body_short":"<p>For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba,Father.'<\/p>","body_truncated":"<p>For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba,Father.'\u2014 Romans 8:15Again, the experience of the Spirit's fullness coming upon the believer's heart is often judged by the amount and quality of emotional charge that accompanies it. Some go so far as to declare bluntly that no one is filled with the Spirit who has not experienced certain physical phenomena, particularly the act of speaking in unidentified tongues.Others will settle for an increased degree of joy or more effectiveness in their service.All t...<\/p>","__type":"verses"},{"id":"1578","title":"The Inner Witness of the Spirit","body":"<p>The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.<\/p><p><\/p><p>\u2014 Romans 8:16<\/p><p><\/p><p>Then, there is another kind of divine working that may occur without our being aware of it, or at least without our recognizing it for what it is.<\/p><p><\/p><p>This is that wondrous operation of God known in theology as prevenient grace. It may be simple \"conviction,\" or a strange longing which nothing can satisfy, or a powerful aspiration after eternal values, or a feeling of disgust for sin and a desire to be delivered from its repulsive coils.<\/p><p><\/p><p>These strange workings within are the stirrings of the Holy Spirit but are rarely identified as such by the soul that is undergoing the experience. But there are two acts of God within the life of the seeking man that are never done without his knowledge. One is the miracle of the new birth and the other is the anointing of the Holy Spirit.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Of the new birth, Paul explicitly states, \"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit, that we are God's children\" (Romans 8:16), and John says, \"Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart\" (1 John 5:10).<\/p><p><\/p><p>These passages declare the fact of a divine witness but do not state the nature of it. This has made it possible for various people to read into it their own peculiar psychological reactions and set up those reactions as criteria by which they judge the spiritual claims of everyone. Some at the time of their conversion have felt unusually light on their feet; others have heard voices or seen lights or felt an unseen hand pass over them. In some places, the new convert must shout aloud or his profession is not accepted.<\/p><p><\/p><p>THOUGHT<\/p><p><\/p><p>Despite our personality, emotional and experiential differences, we can all know the witness of the Spirit with our spirit that we are children of God. It is His witness to us that matters!<\/p><p><\/p><p>PRAYER<\/p><p><\/p><p>I feel my sinfulness, unworthiness, failures, Father. But thank You for Your Spirit's assurance that I am Yours!<\/p><p><\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","body_rich":"<p><strong>The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.<\/strong><\/p><p><strong>\u2014 Romans 8:16<\/strong><\/p><p>Then, there is another kind of divine working that may occur without our being aware of it, or at least without our recognizing it for what it is. <\/p><p>This is that wondrous operation of God known in theology as prevenient grace. It may be simple \"conviction,\" or a strange longing which nothing can satisfy, or a powerful aspiration after eternal values, or a feeling of disgust for sin and a desire to be delivered from its repulsive coils. <\/p><p>These strange workings within are the stirrings of the Holy Spirit but are rarely identified as such by the soul that is undergoing the experience. But there are two acts of God within the life of the seeking man that are never done without his knowledge. One is the miracle of the new birth and the other is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. <\/p><p>Of the new birth, Paul explicitly states, \"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit, that we are God's children\" (Romans 8:16), and John says, \"Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart\" (1 John 5:10). <\/p><p>These passages declare the fact of a divine witness but do not state the nature of it. This has made it possible for various people to read into it their own peculiar psychological reactions and set up those reactions as criteria by which they judge the spiritual claims of everyone. Some at the time of their conversion have felt unusually light on their feet; others have heard voices or seen lights or felt an unseen hand pass over them. In some places, the new convert must shout aloud or his profession is not accepted.<\/p><p><strong>THOUGHT<\/strong><\/p><p>Despite our personality, emotional and experiential differences, we can all know the witness of the Spirit with our spirit that we are children of God. It is His witness to us that matters!<\/p><p><strong>PRAYER<\/strong><\/p><p>I feel my sinfulness, unworthiness, failures, Father. But thank You for Your Spirit's assurance that I am Yours!<\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","section":"General","source":"dbp","translation":null,"status":"Published","content_segmentation_id":null,"added":"2021-11-13T14:30:02+00:00","added_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","updated":"2021-11-13T14:30:02+00:00","updated_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","slug":"the-inner-witness-of-the-spirit","information_sections":[],"related":{"notifications":[]},"files":{"documents":[]},"share":{"id":"5aprqFaFu7XToIzIak8llurho","url":"http:\/\/www.naracoorteuca.org.au\/verses\/the-inner-witness-of-the-spirit"},"body_plain":"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.\n\n\u2014 Romans 8:16\n\nThen, there is another kind of divine working that may occur without our being aware of it, or at least without our recognizing it for what it is.\n\nThis is that wondrous operation of God known in theology as prevenient grace. It may be simple \"conviction,\" or a strange longing which nothing can satisfy, or a powerful aspiration after eternal values, or a feeling of disgust for sin and a desire to be delivered from its repulsive coils.\n\nThese strange workings within are the stirrings of the Holy Spirit but are rarely identified as such by the soul that is undergoing the experience. But there are two acts of God within the life of the seeking man that are never done without his knowledge. One is the miracle of the new birth and the other is the anointing of the Holy Spirit.\n\nOf the new birth, Paul explicitly states, \"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit, that we are God's children\" (Romans 8:16), and John says, \"Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart\" (1 John 5:10).\n\nThese passages declare the fact of a divine witness but do not state the nature of it. This has made it possible for various people to read into it their own peculiar psychological reactions and set up those reactions as criteria by which they judge the spiritual claims of everyone. Some at the time of their conversion have felt unusually light on their feet; others have heard voices or seen lights or felt an unseen hand pass over them. In some places, the new convert must shout aloud or his profession is not accepted.\n\nTHOUGHT\n\nDespite our personality, emotional and experiential differences, we can all know the witness of the Spirit with our spirit that we are children of God. It is His witness to us that matters!\n\nPRAYER\n\nI feel my sinfulness, unworthiness, failures, Father. But thank You for Your Spirit's assurance that I am Yours!\n\nhttps:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/","body_short":"<p>The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.<\/p>","body_truncated":"<p>The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.\u2014 Romans 8:16Then, there is another kind of divine working that may occur without our being aware of it, or at least without our recognizing it for what it is.This is that wondrous operation of God known in theology as prevenient grace. It may be simple \"conviction,\" or a strange longing which nothing can satisfy, or a powerful aspiration after eternal values, or a feeling of disgust for sin and a desire to be delivered from its repulsive coils.These strange workings within are the stirrings of the Holy Spirit but are ra...<\/p>","__type":"verses"},{"id":"1577","title":"Evidence of the Spirit at Work","body":"<p>But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law.<\/p><p><\/p><p>\u2014 Galatians 5:22-23<\/p><p><\/p><p>Someone wrote to me recently asking what I meant by a statement which occurs in the booklet Paths to Power, which I wrote some years ago.<\/p><p><\/p><p>The passage reads: \"No one was ever filled with the Holy Spirit without knowing it. The Holy Spirit always announces Himself to the human consciousness.\" What bothered my correspondent was the nature of this \"announcement.\" Of what does it consist? How may we recognize it? Is it some kind of physical evidence, or what? This whole question is worthy of larger treatment than I can give it in this limited space. But possibly these thoughts will prove helpful to any who may be confused about the nature of spiritual evidence.<\/p><p><\/p><p>There is such a thing as the secret workings of the Spirit in the soul of man, for a time unknown and unsuspected by the individual. In fact, most of the fruits of the Spirit are unsuspected by the man in whom they are found. The most loving, most patient, most compassionate soul is unlikely to be aware of these graces. He is almost certain to believe that he is anything but loving or patient or kind.<\/p><p><\/p><p>Others will discover the operations of the Spirit within him long before he will and will thank God for his sweet Christian character while he may at the same time be walking in great humility before God, mourning the absence of the very graces that others know he possesses.<\/p><p><\/p><p>THOUGHT<\/p><p><\/p><p>God has wisely arranged it so that the fruit of the Spirit produced in believers is far more evident to others rather than to themselves. That encourages humility rather than misplaced pride.<\/p><p><\/p><p>PRAYER<\/p><p><\/p><p>O Lord, may Your Spirit produce in me fruit. I'm so conscious of works of the sinful nature.<\/p><p><\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","body_rich":"<p><strong>But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law.<\/strong><\/p><p><strong>\u2014 Galatians 5:22-23<\/strong><\/p><p>Someone wrote to me recently asking what I meant by a statement which occurs in the booklet Paths to Power, which I wrote some years ago. <\/p><p>The passage reads: \"No one was ever filled with the Holy Spirit without knowing it. The Holy Spirit always announces Himself to the human consciousness.\" What bothered my correspondent was the nature of this \"announcement.\" Of what does it consist? How may we recognize it? Is it some kind of physical evidence, or what? This whole question is worthy of larger treatment than I can give it in this limited space. But possibly these thoughts will prove helpful to any who may be confused about the nature of spiritual evidence. <\/p><p>There is such a thing as the secret workings of the Spirit in the soul of man, for a time unknown and unsuspected by the individual. In fact, most of the fruits of the Spirit are unsuspected by the man in whom they are found. The most loving, most patient, most compassionate soul is unlikely to be aware of these graces. He is almost certain to believe that he is anything but loving or patient or kind.<\/p><p> Others will discover the operations of the Spirit within him long before he will and will thank God for his sweet Christian character while he may at the same time be walking in great humility before God, mourning the absence of the very graces that others know he possesses.<\/p><p><strong>THOUGHT<\/strong><\/p><p>God has wisely arranged it so that the fruit of the Spirit produced in believers is far more evident to others rather than to themselves. That encourages humility rather than misplaced pride.<\/p><p><strong>PRAYER<\/strong><\/p><p>O Lord, may Your Spirit produce in me fruit. I'm so conscious of works of the sinful nature.<\/p><p>https:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/<\/p>","section":"General","source":"dbp","translation":null,"status":"Published","content_segmentation_id":null,"added":"2021-11-12T14:30:02+00:00","added_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","updated":"2021-11-12T14:30:02+00:00","updated_by":"Teresa_Atyeo","slug":"evidence-of-the-spirit-at-work","information_sections":[],"related":{"notifications":[]},"files":{"documents":[]},"share":{"id":"XXh6yeMo0XE1AokVZfOYlz449","url":"http:\/\/www.naracoorteuca.org.au\/verses\/evidence-of-the-spirit-at-work"},"body_plain":"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law.\n\n\u2014 Galatians 5:22-23\n\nSomeone wrote to me recently asking what I meant by a statement which occurs in the booklet Paths to Power, which I wrote some years ago.\n\nThe passage reads: \"No one was ever filled with the Holy Spirit without knowing it. The Holy Spirit always announces Himself to the human consciousness.\" What bothered my correspondent was the nature of this \"announcement.\" Of what does it consist? How may we recognize it? Is it some kind of physical evidence, or what? This whole question is worthy of larger treatment than I can give it in this limited space. But possibly these thoughts will prove helpful to any who may be confused about the nature of spiritual evidence.\n\nThere is such a thing as the secret workings of the Spirit in the soul of man, for a time unknown and unsuspected by the individual. In fact, most of the fruits of the Spirit are unsuspected by the man in whom they are found. The most loving, most patient, most compassionate soul is unlikely to be aware of these graces. He is almost certain to believe that he is anything but loving or patient or kind.\n\nOthers will discover the operations of the Spirit within him long before he will and will thank God for his sweet Christian character while he may at the same time be walking in great humility before God, mourning the absence of the very graces that others know he possesses.\n\nTHOUGHT\n\nGod has wisely arranged it so that the fruit of the Spirit produced in believers is far more evident to others rather than to themselves. That encourages humility rather than misplaced pride.\n\nPRAYER\n\nO Lord, may Your Spirit produce in me fruit. I'm so conscious of works of the sinful nature.\n\nhttps:\/\/cmalliance.org\/devotionals\/tozer\/","body_short":"<p>But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law.<\/p>","body_truncated":"<p>But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law.\u2014 Galatians 5:22-23Someone wrote to me recently asking what I meant by a statement which occurs in the booklet Paths to Power, which I wrote some years ago.The passage reads: \"No one was ever filled with the Holy Spirit without knowing it. The Holy Spirit always announces Himself to the human consciousness.\" What bothered my correspondent was the nature of this \"announcement.\" Of what does it consist? How may we recognize it? Is it some kind o...<\/p>","__type":"verses"}]