Longing for More

Timothy Willard

Description

Catch your breath and sit for a moment. Now listen . . .What do you hear--questions of trust, longing, disappointment, courage, and love? In Longing for More, Timothy Willard invites us to think and pray through our deepest needs, and explores how the ebb and flow of life can be used for God's glory. Creatively organized in 52 chapters that follow the four seasons of the year, the daily readings point the way to a richer spiritual life."Timothy Willard is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. His poetic words and soul-reaching insights leave me longing for more--more beauty, more depth, more Jesus, which is exactly what this book offers."--Sarah Mae, author of Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe"There are sacred moments when life catches you up in its beautiful mystery. Suddenly everything feels heavy and connected. You want to weep and cheer at the same time. You come away empowered, fully alive. Timothy sets you down in these moments. Get caught up in them and watch yourself come to life." --Lacey Sturm, platinum-selling musician and author of The Reason: How I Discovered a Life Worth Living

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 14 octobre 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441264916
• Langue: English

Extrait

© 2014 by Flickermail, LLC
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Ebook edition created 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-4412-6491-6
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Unless otherwise identified, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2007
Scripture quotations identified NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations identified T HE M ESSAGE are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified NET are from the NET BIBLE®, copyright © 2003 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.netbible.com . Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations identified NKJV are from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Cover design by Brand Navigation
Author is represented by Christopher Ferebee
“There are sacred moments when life catches you up in its beautiful mystery. Suddenly everything feels heavy and connected. You want to weep and cheer at the same time. You come away empowered, fully alive. Timothy sets you down in these moments. Get caught up in them and watch yourself come to life.”
—Lacey Sturm, platinum-selling musician and author of The Reason: How I Discovered a Life Worth Living
“Timothy Willard is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. His poetic words and soul-reaching insights leave me longing for more: more beauty, more depth, more Jesus , which is exactly what this book offers. If you’re aching to see the face of God, if you’re asking to be brought into deeper relationship, if you’re longing for more, let Tim’s words help usher you in.”
—Sarah Mae, coauthor of Desperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe
“One of the great needs I see for leaders is continued spiritual growth—the kind that goes deep and fosters intimacy with God. In Longing for More , the reader finds spiritual respite and guidance in insights that point directly to God.”
—Brad Lomenick, former director of Catalyst and author of The Catalyst Leader: 8 Essentials for Becoming a Change Maker
“Timothy Willard has a chance to be the Oswald Chambers to a new generation. He has a gift to release the power of devotion that shakes our complacency, exposes our self-righteousness, and triggers a fresh appetite for the heart of God.”
—Dr. Stephen R. Graves, organizational strategist, theologian, and author of From Concept to Scale: Creating a Gospel-Minded Organization
“In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader , C. S. Lewis describes water so sweet and the Lamb on the shore. In Longing for More , Timothy Willard, a spiritual writer gifted beyond his peers and wise beyond his years, has drawn sweet draughts to quench our thirst and held up visions of the Lamb to inspire our pilgrimage.”
—Simon Ponsonby, teaching pastor at St. Aldates Church and author of More: How You Can Have More of the Spirit When You Already Have Everything in Christ
“‘Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things,’ Paul wrote in Colossians. In Longing for More , Tim Willard masterfully weaves the heavenly and scriptural perspective of things above with authentic and relatable stories of life here below. One can’t help but recalibrate the inner spirit man onto an upward facing trajectory. Thoughtful, encouraging, and insightful, this book is more than just good reading, it’s a daily challenge for greater living.”
—Logan Wolfram, executive director of Allume and author of LoganWolfram.com
For Whitie, my father and friend. Your silent pursuit of Christ hastened mine.
“You must sit down,” says Love, “and taste my meat.” So I did sit and eat. [1]
George Herbert
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Endorsements
Dedication
Epigraph
God Rhythms

WEEK 1 Joy
WEEK 2 Love
WEEK 3 Newness
WEEK 4 Thirst
WEEK 5 Hope
WEEK 6 Confession
WEEK 7 Courage
WEEK 8 Work
WEEK 9 Silence
WEEK 10 Light
WEEK 11 Trust
The Long Pause WEEK 12 I Want to Be Human

WEEK 13 Intimacy
WEEK 14 Anxiety
WEEK 15 Surrender
WEEK 16 Humility
WEEK 17 Mystery
WEEK 18 Devotion
WEEK 19 Family
WEEK 20 Kindness
WEEK 21 Gentleness
WEEK 22 Faithfulness
WEEK 23 Leadership
The Long Pause WEEK 24 God of the Ridiculous

WEEK 25 Prayer
WEEK 26 Holy
WEEK 27 Romance
WEEK 28 Worth
WEEK 29 Wonder
WEEK 30 Worship
WEEK 31 Longing
WEEK 32 Forgiveness
WEEK 33 Imagination
WEEK 34 Pain
WEEK 35 Unity
The Long Pause WEEK 36 Christ, Our Delight

WEEK 37 Identity
WEEK 38 Dragons
WEEK 39 Disappointment
WEEK 40 Shame
WEEK 41 Strength
WEEK 42 Passion
WEEK 43 Calling
WEEK 44 Beauty
WEEK 45 Eclipse
WEEK 46 Anticipation
WEEK 47 Heights
The Long Pause WEEK 48 The Color Green

WEEK 49 Jesus
WEEK 50 Everlasting
WEEKS 51 & 52 Heavenly Peace and the Family of God: A Special Christmas Postscript

Acknowledgments
Notes
Even Deeper
About the Author
Back Cover
God Rhythms
I wrote this book over the course of two years. It began in the form of private emails to the fellows of Praxis, an entrepreneurial incubator program for founders of social justice organizations. In my service to the fellows, I wrote weekly devotional emails crafted to inspire, challenge, and engender transparency among those in the program. I wanted the writing to reflect the rhythms of daily life but also point to the heavens, to God.
I enjoyed exploring these “God rhythms” so much that I continued to send the emails even after the fellows completed the program; the little pieces enhanced my own times of quiet study and prayer with the Lord Jesus as well. And so, nearly two years later, I am not finishing per se, but bottling them all up for you, expanding some and shortening others.
Why God rhythms? Because life is anything but formulaic. Though I try to implement systems to help organize my time and relationships, these life buckets tend to mix and gel, clash and explode. I experience life like you do, in the whirlwind of reality’s rhythms.
But I do not despair in the whirlwind. Instead, I look to its creator, the author of life, the poet of the universe who holds the ebbing and flowing of life like a valley holds its rivers and streams and trees: in the beautiful cadence of balance. The storms interrupt, the rains nourish, the sunlight quickens, the fires purge, and the seasons create a cycle of anticipation. We are always looking to the daffodils, to the picnics, to the harvest parties, to the Christmas trees.
Though we each pass through the same stages of life, our experiences are quite different and yet mysteriously the same. My sisters finished college in four years, but it took me fourteen years, after taking nearly a decade off to pursue music in a band. Our life rhythms, though intermingled, beamed a unique beauty—same, yet different.
How does God weave himself into your life? Does he offer you a list of guidelines to help you from Point A to Point B? Or does he tangle himself into you with a cadence unique to you and specific to him? Everyone who has lived knows life is more like a tangle of rhythms—fugue-like—painful at times, painfully wonderful at others.
Seeking Cadence
The format of this book reflects my own interaction with the Scriptures: focusing on a passage, singling out a verse, reflecting on what the Word is saying and how I can apply it to my life. But do not look for little application points. At times the reflection will not button up nicely, which is quite fine with me. The spiritual life does not turn on and off each day. Rather, it ebbs and flows in a rhythmic dance. Some days I wake up angry for no reason—I need Christ, and quickly! But I do not always find answers. I do, however, find comfort. Sometimes I even pray the same prayer each day: “Lord Jesus, give me strength for this day!” Repetition and rhythm—this is our collective “everyday.”
As you will see, I have divided this book into “Weeks.” Though the overall layout of the weeks generally aligns with the church calendar, starting in January, you can really begin reading any time of the year. Whether you purchase the book midyear, or just want to jump around to topics you’d like to explore at certain times, the structure is there to suit your needs. Each week includes a writing for each working day, totaling five days. The weekends, I leave to you. I know my rhythm changes on most weekends. I may ride my mountain bike as my quiet time or Sabbath with my family, simply enjoying one another; and to me, this is t