All Inspirational Quotes

This Day’s Thought

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James Duff — A layman visited a great city church…

A layman visited a great city church during a business trip.  After the service, he congratulated the minister on his service and sermon.  “But,” said the manufacturer, “if you were my salesman, I’d discharge you.  You got my attention by your appearance, voice and manner; your prayer, reading and logical discourse aroused my interest; you warmed my heart with a desire for what you preached; and then- and then you stopped without asking me to do something about it.  In business the important thing is to get them to sign on the dotted line.”
James Duff 

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The Elim Evangel — A story is told of old Thomas K. Beecher…

A story is told of old Thomas K. Beecher, who could not bear deceit in any form.  Finding that a clock in his church was habitually too fast or too slow he hung a placard on the wall above it, reading in large letters:  ”DON’T BLAME MY HANDS- THE TROUBLE LIES DEEPER.”  That is where the trouble lies with us when our hands do wrong, or our feet, or our lips, or even our thoughts.  The trouble lies so deep that only God’s miracle power can deal with it.  Sin indeed goes deep, but Christ goes deeper.
The Elim Evangel

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Unknown — When you feel unlovable…

When you feel unlovable, unworthy and unclean, when you think that no one can heal you:
Remember, Friend,
God Can.
When you think that you are unforgivable for your guilt and your shame:
Remember, Friend,
God Can.
When you think that all is hidden and no one can see within:
Remember, Friend,
God Can.
And when you have reached the bottom and you think that no one can hear:
Remember, my dear Friend,
God Can.
And when you think that no one can love the real person deep inside of you:
Remember, my dear Friend,
God Does.
Unknown

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Douglas Gresham — Now, once again loaded with responsibilities…

Now, once again loaded with responsibilities- two orphaned teenage boys, an elderly alcoholic brother, and a household- bereaved and sorrowing, ill and tired, Jack [C. S. Lewis] discovered one of the greatest secrets of life: that no matter what is actually happening around you, you can still be content if you hand your life over entirely to Christ.  Jack settled into a contentment that is hard to understand.  He had to retire from Cambridge University.  He was no longer able to go for the long walks he had delighted in.  He was not allowed to drink wine or beer, not allowed to eat anything other than a strict diet prescribed by his doctors.  All the pleasures of his life had been taken away from him as also had been the love of his life [the loss of his wife], and yet he was content.  He was in that rare stature in which his physical disabilities and his emotional distresses no longer affected his happiness or lack of it.  He had finally become able to make God the center of his life and to regard himself as merely a bit player in the drama.  He was not exactly happy; he had merely come to the conclusion that his happiness was not what he should be seeking at all.  In fact it was completely irrelevant, and therefore he was content to be without it.
Douglas Gresham

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John Donne — The whole life of Christ…

The whole life of Christ was a continual Passion; others die martyrs but Christ was born a martyr.  He found a Golgotha even in Bethlehem, where he was born; for to his tenderness then the straws were almost as sharp as the thorns after, and the manger as uneasy at first as his cross at last.  His birth and his death were but one continual act, and his Christmas day and his Good Friday are but the evening and morning of one and the same day.  And as even his birth is his death, so every action and passage that manifests Christ to us is his birth, for Epiphany is manifestation.
John Donne

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Rachel Van Crème — Lost Christmas…

Lost Christmas

Why wait till Christmas time again is here?
Why spend those precious hours in hectic ways
Doing the things that you could do all year
And let the noise of whirl of festival days
Drown out the angel’s song?  Why not take time
To lift the eyes to candles in the sky;
To walk some silent night, while carols chime
And hear the hush of wings brush softly by?
Take time to mediate:  to catch the spell
Of childish trust, that simple faith you knew
When love was everywhere, and all was well…
The gift you lost may now come back to you.
Seek not for Christmas in the busy mart
But cradled somewhere in a trusting heart.

Rachel Van Crème

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Morris Goldstein — In the morning hours of a new day…

In the morning hours of a new day we take a moment to give thought to what this day may mean for us.  What is a day in a person’s life?  Isn’t it the most precious treasure that can be given to us?  If we were denied this day in which to live, you know full well, all of our possessions would mean nothing, our fondest hopes and plans would be of no avail.  First and foremost, therefore, is the gift of a new day, one more day of life.  Therefore, let us begin the day properly.  Let us thank God for this wonderful gift.  Let us resolve not to waste one hour of it.  Let us resolve to share happiness with those who are closest to us- our family; our neighbors; our associates.  This is the greater meaning of the verse we read in the Holy Bible:  “So teach us to number our days that we may get us a heart of wisdom.”
Morris Goldstein

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Adelaide Anne Proctor — I thank thee more that all our joy…

I thank thee more that all our joy is touched with pain;
That shadows fall on brightest hours, that thorns remain;
So that earth’s bliss may be our guide, and not our chain.

For thou, who knowest, Lord, how soon our weak heart clings,
Hast given us joys, tender and true, yet all with wings;
So that we see, gleaming on high, diviner things.

Adelaide Anne Proctor

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Amy Nappa — God might want you to extend his love…

God might want you to extend his love by offering to baby-sit for the single parent down the street. He might want you to prepare a hearty meal for that lonely old man who lost his wife — and to sit and visit with him while he eats. Who knows, he might even want you to reach out and touch the life of a total stranger in some way you can’t imagine right now. Are you willing to set aside your own comfort to touch someone else with God’s love?
Amy Nappa

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Walter Heiby — A lone shipwreck survivor…

A lone shipwreck survivor on an uninhabited island managed to build a rude hut in which he placed all that he had saved from the sinking ship.  He prayed to God for deliverance, and anxiously scanned the horizon each day to hail any passing ship.  One day he was horrified to find his hut in flames.  All that he had was gone.  To the man’s limited vision, it was the worst that could happen and he cursed God.  Yet the very next day a ship arrived.  “We saw your smoke signal,” the captain said.
Walter Heiby

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Henri Nouwen — When you pray…

When you pray, you open yourself to the influence of the power which has revealed itself as love.  The power gives you freedom and independence.  Once touched by this power, you are no longer swayed back and forth by the countless opinions, ideas, and feelings which flow through you.  You have found a center for your life that gives you a creative distance so that everything you see, hear, and feel can be tested against the source.
Henri Nouwen

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Frederick Buechner — Of the seven deadly sins…

Of the seven deadly sins, anger is possibly the most fun.  To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back- in many ways it is a feast fit for a king.  The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself.  The skeleton at the feast is you.
Frederick Buechner

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Joyce Vaughan Byars — The thought of Jesus Christ laughing…

The thought of Jesus Christ laughing probably is not thought of too much, but it should be.  Amidst the trials of this World, in Him we have ultimate joy, and peace.  When He walked upon this Earth, it is written that He cried, more than once, and though scriptures do not depict the Christ laughing, it is safe to say He did, for He had all human characteristics…His strength was in what He did with them while He walked among us on this Earth.  Once I was told of a little boy about 5 or 6 who was dying, I believe it was of cancer.  He was put down to rest and he went to sleep. The end was not thought to be very far away, and while he was sleeping, he sort of put his arms out, and rolled a little onto one side, then drew his knees up somewhat and started laughing and tilted his head back a little…he continued to laugh for a short time, then he just went limp, and he died.  His mother declares that Jesus Christ came and picked him up in His arms, and carried him to Heaven.  She believes that he was being tickled on the tummy and made him laugh while he was being picked up.  That could very well be true…we have no way of knowing how God handles things in the realm that we have yet to step.  But we know we are safe with Him   Jesus Christ gives us His Peace,
Joyce Vaughan Byars

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C. S. Lewis — There is one vice of which no man in the world is free…

There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians ever imagine that they are guilty themselves….The essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastely, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil; Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind…As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.
C. S. Lewis

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Henri Nouwen — If you really want to know God…

If you really want to know God, go to his people. Go to your barber and talk about God. Tell the carpenter about what you’re experiencing. Take time to read the lives of the saints. They always knock you off your feet because they tell you the preoccupations you have aren’t the ones you should have. Get in touch with those women and men who did crazy things like falling in love with God.
Henri Nouwen

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Nancy Mochel — An Outline for Life…

An Outline for Life…
1.  Set high goals for yourself.
2.  Prepare as thoroughly as you can.
3.  Never give into discouragement
4.  Strive for self control.
5.  Go for absolute honesty.
6.  Chose Jesus as a role model.
7.  Look for God’s purpose in your life.
“The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what we want most, for what we want now.”
Nancy Mochel

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Unknown — A story is told about a little boy…

A story is told about a little boy with a big heart.  His next-door neighbor was an older gentleman whose wife had recently died.  When the youngster saw the elderly man crying, he climbed up onto his lap and simply sat there.  Later, his mother asked the boy what he had said to their saddened neighbor.  “Nothing,” the child replied.  “I just helped him cry.”  Sometimes that is the best thing we can do for people who are facing profound sorrow.  Often, our attempts to say something wise and helpful are far less valuable than just sitting next to the bereaved ones, holding their hand, and crying with them.
Unknown

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Jeff Bridges — One thing we may be sure of….

One thing we may be sure of, however: For the believer all pain has meaning; all adversity is profitable. There is no question that adversity is difficult. It usually takes us by surprise and seems to strike where we are most vulnerable. To us it often appears completely senseless and irrational, but to God none of it is either senseless or irrational. He has a purpose in every pain He brings or allows in our lives. We can be sure that in some way He intends it for our profit and His glory.
Jeff Bridges

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Helen Mallicoat — I was regretting the past…

I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly my Lord was speaking: “My name is I am.” He paused. I waited. He continued, “When you live in the past with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I WAS. When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I WILL BE. When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here. My name is I AM.
Helen Mallicoat

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Jack Riemer — What then is the difference…

What then is the difference between the good man and the bad? Only this: They both suffer, they both have pain, they both know tension and trouble, but there is a difference in what they suffer for, in what they have trouble from, in what takes away their peace of mind. The measure of a man is that which bothers him, that which disturbs his mind, that which annoys him and costs him pain.
Jack Riemer

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Frankfurt prayer — Lord, the Scripture says…

Lord, the Scripture says: “There is a time for silence and a time for speech.” Saviour, teach me the silence of humility, the silence of wisdom, the silence of love, the silence of perfection, the silence that speaks without words, the silence of faith. Lord, teach me to silence my own heart that I may listen to the gentle movement of the Holy Spirit within me and sense the depths which are of God.
Frankfurt prayer (Sixteenth century)

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R. Ruth Barton — As we begin to see…

As we begin to see the package God is putting together in our lives and discover his purposes for bringing us to our world, it will provide us with the framework we need to make wise choices. In addition, we will find that a sense of purpose gives hope in the midst of tragedy and difficulty, gives meaning to the mundane aspects of our lives, and helps us to make our lives count for God.
R. Ruth Barton

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C. Sproul — We know people…

We know people who have been “converted” many times. Every time there is a church revival they go to the altar and get “saved.” One minister told of a man in his congregation who had been “saved” seventeen times. During a revival meeting the evangelist made an altar call for all who wanted to be filled with the Spirit. The man who had been converted so often made his way toward the altar again. A woman from the congregation shouted, “Don’t fill him, Lord. He leaks!” Those who become “unconverted” were never converted in the first place.
C. Sproul

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Dorothy Dupont — One day…

One day, a child of mine came home in tears. Another child had been mean to him and hurt his feelings. I want to say now, as I said then, “When a person doesn’t like you, or is mean to you, it has more to do with them than it does with you. Dry your tears. You cannot be loved by everyone, because everyone cannot love themselves. You can know that I will always love you. And the greatest gift you can give to others is to love yourself. If you do that, you can love others without worrying whether they love you back. You will have enough love for both of you.”
Dorothy Dupont

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Unknown — A little girl was taking a long journey…

A little girl was taking a long journey, and in the course of the day her train crossed a number of rivers. The water seen in advance always awakened doubts and fears in the child. She did not understand how it could safely be crossed. As they drew near the river, however, a bridge appeared and furnished the way over. Several times the same thing happened, and finally the child leaned back with a long breath of relief and confidence: “Somebody has put bridges for us all the way.” So God does likewise for His children all through life.
Unknown

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Unknown — A group of clergymen…

A group of clergymen were discussing whether or not they ought to invite Dwight L. Moody to their city. The success of the famed evangelist was brought to the attention of the men. One unimpressed minister commented, “Does Mr. Moody have a monopoly on the holy Ghost?” Another man quietly replied, “No, but the Holy Ghost seems to have a monopoly on Mr. Moody.”
Unknown

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Unknown — Enable me, our Father…

Enable me, our Father, to realize that words once spoken, like coins in circulation, pass from person to person along an uncharted course. Grant me the insight so to speak that any words of mine may be repeated without giving hurt. Help me not to criticize but rather to stress the things that are pure, lovely, and of good report. Make my habit of thought gentle and eager to pass along news of kindness and work well done. May my words build, never destroy, faith and confidence. To this end I pray that Thou wilt lead me in the ways of understanding. Amen.
Unknown

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Francis de Sales — One should gather a little nosegay of devotion…

One should gather a little nosegay of devotion. My meaning is as follows: Those who have been walking in a beautiful garden do not leave it willingly without taking away with them four or five flowers, in order to inhale their perfume and carry them about during the day: even so, when we have considered some mystery in meditation, we should choose one or two or three points in which we have found most relish, and which are specially proper to our advancement, in order to remember them throughout the day, and to inhale their perfume spiritually. Now we should do this in the place where we have made our meditation, either staying where we are, or walking about alone for a little while afterwards.
Francis de Sales

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Epistle to Diognetus — They dwell in their own countries…

(Written about AD 130, this is one of the earliest descriptions of Christians.)
They dwell in their own countries but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do others; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on the earth, but are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws in their lives. They love all, and are persecuted by all. They are poor, yet they make many rich; they are completely destitute, and yet they enjoy complete abundance. They are reviled, and yet they bless. When they do good they are punished as evildoers; undergoing punishment, they rejoice because they are brought to life.
Epistle to Diognetus, author unknown

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Unknown — A traveler…

A traveler, as he passed through a forest, saw a part of a huge oak, which appeared misshapen, and almost seemed to spoil the scenery. “If,” sad he, “I was the owner of this forest, I would cut down that tree.” But when he had ascended the hill, and taken a full view of the forest, this same tree appeared the most beautiful part of the landscape. “How erroneously,” said he, “I judged when I saw only a part!” The full view, the harmony and proportion of things, are all necessary to clear up our judgment.
Unknown

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Blaise Pascal — I ask you neither for health nor for sickness…

I ask you neither for health nor for sickness, for life nor for death; but that you may dispose of my health and my sickness, my life and my death, for your glory…You alone know what is expedient for me; you are the sovereign master, do with me according to your will. Give to me, or take away from me, only conform my will to yours. I know but one thing, Lord, that it is good to follow you, and bad to offend you. Apart from that, I know not what is good or bad in anything. I know not which is most profitable to me, health or sickness, wealth or poverty, nor anything else in the world. That discernment is beyond the power of men or angels, and is hidden among the secrets of your providence, which I adore, but do not seek to fathom.
Blaise Pascal

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Billy Graham — Ask the astronomer…

Ask the astronomer if God is a haphazard God. He will tell you that every star moves with precision in its celestial path. Ask the scientist if God is a haphazard God. He will tell you that his formulas and equations are fixed, and that to ignore the laws of science would be a fool’s folly. If the laws in the material realm are so fixed and exact, is it reasonable that God could afford to be haphazard in the spiritual realm where eternal destinies of souls are at stake? Just as God has equations and rules in the material realm, God has equations and rules in the spiritual.
Billy Graham

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Corrie ten Boom — I once visited a weaver’s school…

I once visited a weaver’s school where the students were making beautiful patterns. I asked, “When you make a mistake must you cut it out and start from the beginning?” A student said, “No, our teacher is such a great artist that when we make a mistake, he uses it to improve the beauty of the pattern.” That is what the Lord does with our mistakes.
Corrie ten Boom

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Unknown — Isn’t it strange…

Isn’t it strange how a 20 dollar bill seems like such a large amount when you donate it to church, but such a small amount when you go shopping?
Isn’t it strange how 2 hours seem so long when you’re at church, and how short they seem when you’re watching a good movie?
Isn’t it strange that you can’t find a word to say when you’re praying but you have no trouble thinking what to talk about with a friend?
Isn’t it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel?
Isn’t it strange how everyone wants front-row-tickets to concerts or games but they do whatever is possible to sit at the last row in Church?
Isn’t it strange how we need to know about an event for Church 2-3 weeks before the day so we can include it in our agenda, but we can adjust it for other events in the last minute?
Isn’t it strange how difficult it is to learn a fact about God to share it with others; but how easy it is to learn, understand, extend and repeat gossip?
Isn’t it strange how we believe everything that magazines and newspapers say but we question the words in the Bible?
Isn’t it strange how everyone wants a place in heaven but they don’t want to believe, do, or say anything to get there?
Isn’t it strange how we send jokes in e-mails and they are forwarded right away but when we are going to send messages about God, we think about it twice before we share it with others?
Unknown

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Robert Schuller — If you give God a thimble…

If you give God a thimble, perhaps He will choose to fill it. If you give God a five-gallon bucket, perhaps He will choose to fill that. If you give Him a fifty-gallon drum, perhaps He will choose to do something extraordinary and fill even that. If God chooses to do a miracle, you’d better be ready for it. Don’t buy a thimbleful of land. Buy a fifty-gallon drum.
(as told to Bill Hybels when visiting Robert Schuller to obtain his advice of the planning for Willow Creek church in Chicago)
Robert Schuller

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Pictures of Tragedy — When I see pictures of tragedy…

When I see pictures of tragedy,
Don’t let it get old to me
When I see hunger and poverty,
Don’t let it get old to me
When I see hatred and jealousy,
Don’t let it get old to me
When I see shattered integrity,
Don’t let it get old to me
Let my heart be broken
Give me eyes of compassion
Don’t let my hunger diminish
But let me finish strong
I want to hear you say to me
Well done

Pictures of Tragedy

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Norman Vincent Peale — There’s a story…

There’s a story that’s always meant a lot to Ruth and me. The story was about an African boy who gave his missionary teacher an unusually beautiful seashell as a Christmas gift. The boy had walked a great distance, over rough terrain, to the only place on the coast where these particular shells could be found. The teacher was touched. “You’ve traveled so far to bring me such a wonderful present,” she said. The boy looked puzzled, then his eyes widened with excitement: “Oh, teacher,” he explained, “long walk part of gift.” Sure, there have been plenty of times over the years when all the pre-holiday shopping and sermon writing and schedule arranging seemed to be too much, and my wife, Ruth, and I have been tempted to throw up our hands and say, “It’s just not worth the effort!” But then we’ve looked at each other and said, “Long walk part of gift.” And we’ve laughed and gotten back to work.
Norman Vincent Peale

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Mark Buchanan — Once we begin to flee…

Once we begin to flee the things that threaten and burden us, there is no end to fleeing. God’s solution is surprising. He offers rest. But it’s a unique form of rest. It’s to rest in him in the midst of our threats and our burdens. It’s discovering, as David did in seasons of distress, that God is our rock and refuge right in the thick of our situation.
Mark Buchanan