Truth for Life - Volume 1 Quotes

“The truth is that we are not good people who make mistakes; we are sinful people in need of mercy. Because it requires humility to accept what our hearts are truly like, those same hearts will tend to prefer to be deceived by preachers of self-esteem and self-confidence rather than listen to prophets such as Jeremiah.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“Before we open our mouths, we ought to heed the advice of the missionary Amy Carmichael and ask: Is what I’m about to say kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“In marriage, the husband’s primary objective is not to make sure his wife is physically and emotionally sustained. That is part of it, of course—but his ultimate objective should be that his wife will be prepared to meet Jesus. To that end, the word that Paul uses for “love” here, agape, is important: it expresses self-sacrifice and self-abasement. It’s about what we give, not what we get. It’s about what we owe, not what we’re due. It’s not about seeking what’s good for you; it’s about giving yourself up for what’s truly good for your wife, so that she might be “holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:27).”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“humility’s presence leads to anxiety’s absence.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“As Christians, our great daily opportunity is to walk out into another day and be different—to be what we are: citizens of heaven, people who are not from round here. We should find people saying, “Hey, I can tell by the way you walk and talk that there is something different about you.” This means that when you think about your life, you need to ask yourself some questions: What is the object of my devotion, the thing that makes me tick and drives my existence? Is it my appearance? Is it my portfolio? Is it passion and pleasure? What am I living for?”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“Real humility is not self-deprecation; it is freedom from ourselves. It’s the freedom to be ourselves and forget ourselves. It’s the freedom that comes from knowing that we are not the center of the universe.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“What will bring us into line with His compassion and send us joyfully on His mission? Simply this: to understand that we are no better than anyone else—no less deserving of His wrath and no more deserving of His kindness. As it demonstrates the mercy of God, the cross humbles our hearts and fills them with the same compassion and grace that took His Son to Calvary.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“Prayer loosens the grip of envy on our hearts.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“Just as Bartimaeus was: by going to Jesus and calling out to Him for mercy, asking for the loving forgiveness and new life that only He can provide. You will never know Jesus Christ as a reality in your life until you know Him as a necessity.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“Peter’s confession of faith, like our own, could never have come about by his own strength. Faith is a gift that we are given. This exchange between Peter and Jesus is a concrete example of the Spirit of God taking the word of God and bringing it to someone’s mind and heart in a way that causes him or her to declare the messiahship of Jesus.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“In a very specific way, God was establishing this essential truth: He is willing to do what is necessary to bring sinful people into His presence. Since His people were (and still are!) unruly, He had to provide a sacrifice for their sinfulness, allowing them to approach Him based on the actions of another. And each sacrifice pointed beyond itself to the perfect sacrifice that Christ would offer by His death on the cross, dealing with sin once and for all. As a result, we can enjoy utter confidence before God.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“When we follow Jesus’ example and pray like this, one of the things we are asking is that God’s sovereign rule might increasingly be established in our hearts and lives.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“Darkness is a result of disinterest in God, rebellion against Him, and unwillingness to do what He says. There is but one message that shines light into such darkness, refreshing hearts and minds: “Behold your God!”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“She wanted the best for her enemy, rather than hoping for the worst. This is remarkable. How could she do this? Because presumably, in the face of her emptiness and the sadness of being separated from her family, she had turned time and time again to her loving God and His promises.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“Suffering in and of itself does not lead a person into a deeper relationship with God. As with those who hear the word of God yet do not respond to it with faith, suffering divorced from faith and hope will actually embitter us as our hearts grow harder rather than softer toward God. In other words, suffering will either make us run to God or away from Him. In the midst of trials, we must ask ourselves, “Is this trial making me bitter and callous, or is it making me loving and gentle?”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“To relate to God’s word this way requires us to get beyond using the Bible merely as a textbook to study, a book of proof texts for arguments, or a promise book to which we occasionally turn. Cherishing God’s word requires us to seek the perspective of the psalmist who, distancing himself from the proud and the scoffers of his day, says of the man who is walking with God, “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“Paul, though, could say not only that he was content but that he could be content “in whatever situation I am.” This is what everyone is searching for! What was the secret, then? It was to ground his sense of self and his outlook on life in the sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul didn’t champion a stiff upper lip in the face of hardship or offer a false gospel of self-sufficiency. No, his contentment was the result of bowing his heart and mind to God’s will, no matter what conditions he faced.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“Satan, the Evil One, is completely opposed to the spiritual well-being of his victims. He is a ferocious lion, and (though not outside of God’s sovereign control) he is the ruler of this world. He is behind all sin; and before anyone is born again of the Spirit of God, they actually belong to his domain, and their evil actions give proof of his ownership.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“We, too, could easily forget that the good news is not a message of “Do your best, and be good enough!” but rather “Your best is never enough—but Jesus is.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“The Puritan Thomas Brooks once wrote, “We know metals by their tinkling, and men by their talking.”[113”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“Jesus came to do not His own will but His Father’s (John 6:38). As a result, He accepted hardship. He was isolated and ill-treated. He endured malice, misunderstanding, and death. Jesus was broken in order that our broken lives may be repaired and transformed. It was He who came to die on a cross, submitting Himself to the will of the Father, in order that He might provide a ransom for all who are humble enough to bow down and say, “That is the very Savior I need.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“What a word for us! It is God who, when we are wandering away from Him, comes to us in the storms and valleys, who alters our circumstances to catch our attention, who allows us to feel isolated and separated all in order that we might say, “This is not where I belong. This is not what God wants for me. I cannot get myself out of this predicament. But He is able.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“Here, then, is a picture of great reluctance—not only Jonah’s reluctance to do what he’s told but God’s reluctance to leave His servant in the dejection and misery of his sin. The three days Jonah would soon spend in the belly of the great fish further testify to this truth about God. Although Jonah’s rebellion merited punishment, God would soon rescue Jonah from perishing at sea and restore him in order that he would preach judgment and mercy to the people of Nineveh.”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions

“Holy Spirit, living breath of God,
Breathe new life into my willing soul.
Let the presence of the risen Lord,
Come renew my heart and make me whole.
Cause Your Word to come alive in me;
Give me faith for what I cannot see,
Give me passion for Your purity;
Holy Spirit, breathe new life in me.[1]”
― Alistair Begg, Truth for Life - Volume 1: 365 Daily Devotions