Inspirational Quotes by Charles Swindoll

“God seldom gives us all we need in order to understand, but He always gives us all we need to obey.”

“Pain knocked upon my door and said That she had come to stay; And though I would not welcome her But bade her go away, She entered in. And like my own shade She followed after me, And from her stabbing, stinging sword, No moment was I free. And then one day another knocked Most gently at my door. I said, “No, Pain is here. There’s not room for more.” And then I heard His tender voice, “It is I, be not afraid.” And from the day He entered in— Ah, the difference He made!6”

“Let me ask you, what are you planning to do with the rest of your days?”

“You may have had big-time plans in your life-major league dreams that haven't panned out. You were going to write a best-selling book, but the opportunities just haven't come along. Are you willing to write for your church newsletter?”

“When God's in it ... it flows. When the flesh is in it ... it's forced.”

“...ask yourself, "Who's getting the glory in this ministry?" You see, if we do ministry OUR way, it won't be for His glory, because our ways are not His ways.”

“God doesn't mock us. He never gives us a goal that we cannot accomplish in His strength. I want to assure you, you can glorify God, you MUST glorify God. But you have to determine deep within your heart that you're going to do it His way.”

“CAUGHT, NOT TAUGHT 1 Corinthians 4 Some things are better felt than telt,” say our Scottish friends. And that is so true. Take insight, for example—that elusive weave of intuition, perception, alertness, and sensitivity. You just can’t teach it. You can, however, nurture it. You can even expand it. But there’s no one-two-three process that suddenly makes one insightful. Yet insight is essential in things like teaching or counseling or writing. When insight is present, those skills literally come alive. Insight makes the simple profound and the difficult understandable. Those who have it were not taught it; they caught it. From God. Another example? Touch. We refer to a gifted musician as having the right “touch”— that sixth sense that lifts sterile black notes off white pages and transforms them into the colorful and moving strains of a masterpiece. Give some pianists the score and you get harmony and rhythm played with proper timing. Place the same piece before one with touch—and there is no comparison. One plays music. The”

“I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent of how I react to it. And so it is with you. We are in charge of our attitudes.”

“The secret lies in how we handle today, not yesterday or tomorrow. Today... that special block of time holding the key that locks out yesterday's nightmares and unlocks tomorrow's dreams.”

“Israel's first king, Saul, looked like he was born for the role. He was tall, handsome, intelligent, and sensitive to God's leading. But he eventually lost most of his attractive qualities, the most important being obedience.”

“In other words Jesus went into the desert to confront His enemy and throw down the gauntlet. He would prove Himself to be the legitimate shepherd of Israel by overcoming the temptations that had undone all of Israel's previous kings, including His mighty ancestor, King David.”

“Thoughts, positive or negative, grow stronger when fertilized with constant repetition.”

“Isn't God the one who urges us to "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord"? Why do we always think that means singing? Seems to me the most obvious joyful sound on earth is laughter... I've seen folks quote verses like "Rejoice in the Lord always" while their faces look like they just buried a rich uncle who willed everything to his pregnant guinea pig. Something is missing.”

“Then there are principles . . . and these are general guidelines that require discernment and maturity if we are to grasp them. . . . Like the sign that says, “Drive carefully.” This may mean forty miles an hour on a clear, uncongested highway, or it may mean ten miles an hour on an ice-covered curve. But it always means that we must be alert and aware of conditions; it always means we have to be discerning. . . . These principles require wisdom and discernment. The Mystery of God’s Will”

“We gain the ability to rejoice under pressure through a carefully monitored training program directed by the Lord Himself.”

“A Rare Commodity A man’s pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor. PROVERBS 29:23 Humility isn’t a show we put on; in fact, if we think we’re humble, we’re probably not. And in our day of self-promotion, self-assertion, spotlighting “celebrities of the faith,” and magnifying the flesh, this quality—so greatly valued by the Lord Jesus—is a rare commodity indeed. . . . A truly humble person looks for opportunities to give himself freely to others rather than holding back, to release rather than hoarding, to build up rather than tearing down, to serve rather than being served, to learn from others rather than clamoring for the teaching stand. How blessed are those who learn this early in life. Hope Again”

“Power to Overcome Apply your heart to discipline and your ears to words of knowledge. PROVERBS 23:12 Can’t and won’t. Christians need to be very careful which one they choose. It seems that we prefer to use “can’t.” “I just can’t get along with my wife.” “My husband and I can’t communicate.” “I just can’t discipline the kids as I should.” “I just can’t give up the affair I’m having.” “I can’t stop overeating.” “I can’t find time to pray.” Any Christian who takes the Bible seriously will have to agree the word here really should be “won’t.” Why? Because we have been given the power, the ability to overcome. . . . We’re really saying “I won’t,” because we don’t choose to say “With the help of God, I will!” Day by Day with Charles Swindoll”

“God’s New Morning Message The LORD raises up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous. PSALM 146:8 Do you know what God’s fresh, new morning message is to us? Whether the sun is shining brightly or whether it’s pouring down rain? Whether the morning is bright or whether it’s gray and overcast? His promise is the dawn itself. . . . Every morning the Lord comes through with His encouraging message, “We’re still on speaking terms, you know! I’m here. I haven’t moved. Let’s go together today.” . . . Trust God to remember you. He won’t forget your name. He won’t forget your circumstances, He certainly won’t forget your prayers. . . . Trust Him, He remembers you. The Mystery of God’s Will”

“Real Riches In [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. COLOSSIANS 2:3 From the looks of things, you’re pretty impressive. You’ve got a nice place. And I suppose your neighbors would agree that you’re a hard worker . . . climbing right on up that ladder toward success, right? . . . Your salary is good and your material possessions are growing in number, but . . . the truth is you are empty on the inside and you’re faking it on the outside. Not one thing you own in your “kingdom” has brought you the happiness you long for. So you’re thinking, “Maybe if I could land that better job,” or “get into that bigger house,” or . . . or . . . . But don’t allow the smoke screen of more money to blind your eyes to the truth. There’s a lot more to being rich than making more money. Seneca, the Roman, was right “Money has never yet made anyone rich.” Do you want riches? Then listen to Jesus: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you (Matt. 6:33). For the real riches, try switching kingdoms. Living on the Ragged Edge”