I'm currently in the middle of studying, filing and praying through Dallas Willard's "Hearing God", Henry Blackaby's "Hearing God's Voice", and Mark Buchanan's "The Rest of God". Instead of just reading and taking notes, I wanted to apply Charles Spurgeon's advice on digesting the books I read ... focusing on a few ...
"Master those books you have. Read them thoroughly. Bathe in them until they saturate you. Read and reread them, masticate and digest them. Let them go into your very self. Peruse a good book several times and make notes and analyses of it. A student will find that his mental constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered than by twenty books he has merely skimmed. Little learning and much pride comes of hasty reading."
Seeking Wisdom and Prayer ...
In the midst of praying through a lot of big decisions I need to make in the coming months, I wanted to walk beside proven men of wisdom. The books on hearing God have provided some much needed words of encouragement in my days of "seeking" ... and Buchanan's book on the Rest of God has been a great guide for me during my sabbatical. I never realized I had to learn how to rest properly.
Please pray for clarity as I seek God's next step for me in the coming weeks. I approach the final stretch of my sabbatical and I sense God requiring new steps of faith to be taken. Any time a step of faith is needed, I know a new adventure awaits ...
Podcast Update
And my podcasts for sermons and weekly memory verses have been updated on iTunes. And if you haven't checked out my "Interviews and Insights" podcast yet, check it out and listen to the first 2 episodes. Take care ... and please keep me in prayer. Thanks.
 | Currently Reading Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship With God By Dallas Willard |
6 comments:
Hey Eddie, long time! Just wanted to let you know that what you've taught has really stuck with me. It's been really helpful -- I'm doing religious education as a minor, and not only are they life lessons, but I'm hoping to pass them on through teaching too!
Thanks a lot Eddie! Hope to see you again sometime soon...
Thanks Young. Seriously, long time! I really appreciated your post. And I'm encouraged that you're seeking to use your studies to spread His message too. All the best to you bro and hope to see you around sometime.
Hey Eddie,
That's an awesome quote by Spurgeon. It makes me a bit less guilty for being a slow reader and it also encourages me to keep up my reading habits. I have this tendency to want to skim just so that I can say I have read more books, but honestly...I hate skimming. I don't retain much, if anything, when I skim.
Therefore...all in all, thanks for that wise quote.
BTW, is the Willard book part of the trilogy that Divine Conspiracy is in? Is it along the same lines?
Hey Sangi,
Yeah, that quote always gets me too. It's a good reminder that it's not about just reading a bunch of books, but what I will retain and change as a result of those books that count.
And no, I believe his trilogy consists of: 1. The Spirit of the Disciplines, 2. The Divine Conspiracy, and 3. Renovation of the Heart. All of which are excellent. There are so many nuggets of truth in his books that once you get it, it can really be life-changing. Several of my habits have been shaped by his teaching.
So keep reading and keep studying bro! May God prepare you well so He can use you well.
hope God's direction and will is made clear to you eddie!
praying for it!
And Gosh! your sabbatical went fast!
Hey Jenny! Thanks for your prayers. I really need them these days! :) And yeah, it's been an interesting year ... it went by both fast and slow at the same time ;P
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