Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life's problems fall into place of their own accord.
J. I. PackerRead
God has not abandoned us any more than he abandoned Job. He never abandons anyone on whom he has set his love; nor does Christ, the good shepherd, ever lose track of his sheep.
Interpretation
What this quote means
God's love and attention persist even during our trials, akin to the story of Job in the Bible.
In this quote, J. I. Packer emphasizes the unwavering nature of God's love and presence in our lives, especially during difficult times. He compares our struggles to that of Job, who endured immense suffering yet remained under God's care, illustrating that we are never truly abandoned by divine love, akin to how a good shepherd is always aware of his sheep's whereabouts and needs.
Themes
FaithLoveSufferingShepherdGod
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon about faith during hardships, one might reference this quote to reassure the congregation.
More from J. I. Packer
All quotes →He that has learned to feel his sins, and to trust Christ as a Saviour, has learned the two hardest and greatest lessons in Christianity.
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We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the psalms, and that the habit of celebrating the greatness and graciousness of God yields an endless flow of thankfulness, joy, and zeal.
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The fruit of wisdom is Christlikeness, peace, humility and love. And, the root of it is faith in Christ as the manifested wisdom of God
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Were I asked to focus the New Testament message in three words, my proposal would be ADOPTION THROUGH PROPITIATION, and I do not expect ever to meet a richer or more pregnant summary of the gospel than that.
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Only when it is seen that what decides each individual's destiny is whether or not God decides to save him from his sins, and that this is a decision that God need not make in any individual case, can one begin to grasp the biblical view of grace.
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