Reading is from James 4:4-10

The exodus was not a movement from slavery to freedom, but from slavery to covenant. Redemption was for relationship with the redeemer, to serve his interests and his purposes in the world.    ~ Christopher Wright, Missiologist / Old Testament Scholar

Our communion with God lies in his giving himself to us and our giving ourselves and all that he requires to him. This communion with God flows from that union which is in Christ Jesus.~ John Owen, 1616-1683, pastor, theologian and Oxford academic

Everyone can prosper in this world, but the end is different. Those who worked with God, their works speak for eternity. If you did not work with God, then your works have a time frame… they die when you die. ~ Dr Paul Gitwaza, 1971- , Evangelist & Preacher, Rwanda, E. Africa

When the enemy realizes he can’t derail God’s covenant with you, he’ll work overtime to derail your faith response to it.  ~ Andrena Sawyer, 1986- , Ministry Strategist, Author, Consultant

God uses broken things. It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. It is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever. ~ Vance Havner, 1901-1986, Pastor and Evangelist

We regard God as an airman regards his parachute; it’s there for emergencies but he hopes he’ll never have to use it. ~ C.S. Lewis, 1898-1963, ‘The Problem of Pain’

The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. ~ John Piper, 1946- , Author, ‘A Hunger for God’

James 4: 1-10

Humility is freedom from the need to prove you are superior all the time, but egotism is a ravenous hunger in a small space—self-concerned, competitive, and distinction-hungry. Humility is infused with lovely emotions like admiration, companionship, and gratitude. ~ David Brooks, The Road to Character

Desire alone, divorced from the will, ruins peoples’ lives time after time. In our public life and even among leaders of our denominations or church organizations, time after time we see a desire that has been harbored and protected—nursed instead of deliberated—ruining the life of the person or group that they are leading. Your desires are not your friends.
~ E. James Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms,

Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves. ~ George Gordon Byron, 1788-1824, English Poet & Peer

God is not proud. He will have us even though we have shown that we prefer everything else to Him. ~ C.S Lewis, 1898-1963, British Literary Scholar

Your jealousy will last longer than the joy of those you are jealous of.
~ Amit Kalantri, 1988- , Author, Magician / Mentalist, Wealth of Words

Everything I’ve ever let go of has claw marks on it. ~ David Foster Wallace

Whatever you get paid attention for is never what you think is most important about yourself. ~ David Foster Wallace, 1962-2008, Writer / Professor

There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, and murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous. ~ Ezra Taft Benson, 1899-1994, Secretary of Agriculture