Liz Curtis Higgs Quotes

If the Almighty directs our steps, we've no need to look back over our shoulders.

But pleasing to the eye isn't the same as pleasing to God.

As writer Elisabeth Elliot phrased it, “The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman.

Hard times are purposeful, meant to refine and redirect us. They're not arbitrary or random, and they're definitely not cruel.

Fun is temporary at best; it's risky, even dangerous, at worst. Joy, on the other hand, was mystery I couldn't seem to decipher.

Lord, what an honor it will be to start the day with you. Give me the strength to lift my head, the courage to lift my heart, the joy to lift my spirits, and the confidence to lift my eyes and see you rising and shining in me.

And consider this: the angel appeared to Mary first, not to her husband-to-be, Joseph. 'She had no status or honor apart from him,' yet Gabriel came to Mary—further proof of how much God values women.

There you are. A simple commandment. Not ten of them, just one: 'Thou shalt not eat.' (Personally, I wish the very first edict from God hadn't involved dieting, don't you?)

Now consider this: the first person to hold the newborn Christ was Mary of Nazareth, and the first person to touch the newly risen Christ, however briefly, was Mary of Magdala. God placed himself in a woman's care when he came to earth, then entrusted a woman to announce his resurrection when he came back to life.

A good friend of mine feels the same way about Italy and another adores a certain island in the Caribbean. For me it will always be Scotland - Galloway in particular. the musical lilt of a Lowland accent never fails to boost my spirits. I'm simply deliriously happy there.

Our love for people doesn't end when they pass away. More often our feelings deepen as we realize how much they mean to us and how dearly we miss them.

I love everything that's old- old friends, old times, old manners, old books. Oliver Goldsmith

With God, it isn’t who you were that matters; it’s who you are becoming.

Long before silver bells jingled, Christmas lights twinkled, and horse-drawn sleighs went dashing through the snow, God reached down from heaven with the best gift of all. Love, wrapped in swaddling clothes. Hope, nestled in a manger.

We all throw away perfectly wonderful lives because our foolish, sinful appetites take us places we should not go.

In the end the women of Christmas quietly stepped aside, making room for the One who truly matters.

Even serving God in his holy temple, Zechariah was unprepared for something holy to happen.

An army bringing news of peace! And not 'good will toward men,' as we often say, but 'peace among people of good will!'. Peace comes from knowing God.

The loss of speech wasn't punishment; it was the proof Zechariah had asked for, the assurance of God's power.

First the Lord used Elizabeth, who was ‘too old,’ then he used Mary, who would be ‘too young’ by today’s standards. At any age we can serve the Lord.

Wise is the woman who rises above her circumstances.

In those days men were the ones who usually conferred blessings. Yet here we have a woman proclaiming a blessing upon another woman. Wow. Even from the womb, Jesus was changing the culture.

This wasn't the sixth month of the year; it was 'six months after Elizabeth knew she was to become a mother'. Imagine the Lord using an expectant mother's growing waistline to measure time! Never doubt for a moment that women matter to the Almighty.

From beginning to end he was poor, with few material goods to call his own. The Lord chose to be born into poverty, to identify with the unseen of society--the unkempt, the unpopular, the undernourished. His earthly parents had nothing the world counts as valuable. 'Had they been rich, room would have been made for them.' Instead, they were poor, yet they made room in their hearts for God.

As the sun moves higher in the cloudless sky, all the verses regarding seedtime and harvest come to mind, especially this one, which suits our hard-working Ruth: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”26

The Lord hadn't forgotten Elizabeth, nor had he tarried in answering her prayer without a good purpose. He chose her—an older woman with an unproven womb—in order to display his power, his might, his authority. And he blessed her to honor her faithfulness. The truth is, God's strength is fully revealed when our strength is depleted.

No one knows the weight of another's burden

Every conception has a touch of the miraculous - this one far more than most.

Marrying a woman of priestly ancestry was a special blessing.

What we call miraculous, God calls business as usual.

God particularly favors older women as channels of divine grace.

And when she was good She was very, very good, But when she was bad she was horrid. HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 2 Corinthians 5:10

While we’re obsessed with here and now, God is focused on forever.

Even the things we don't understand are a display of the goodness of God.

For no word from God will ever fail.” Luke 1:37

History provides a great example but a terrible excuse.

God knows the hour of each person's passing. Whatever we did or didn't do for someone we loved, the timing of his or her departure was God's alone. "Thy will be done" is more than a prayer request. It's a forgone conclusion.

God, and she was changed. As commentator Matthew Henry eloquently described this scene, “Those who, through grace, are brought to experience the delights of communion with God will say that the one-half was not told them of the pleasures of Wisdom’s ways.”26

When men declare their love for us, we should handle them with the utmost care, even if the feelings aren't mutual. For the sake of future marital happiness, or to leave their hearts intact for another woman down the pike, let's be gentle and trustworthy with their brave declarations.

A constant awareness of his superiority keeps things in perspective and, frankly, takes the pressure off. If God is in charge, I don’t have to be—and neither do you. What a relief! So let your fear turn to wonder. And let your wonder turn to faith, as you believe in the One who saves you from yourself.

Joseph was faithful to the letter of the law, but he was also faithful to the spirit of the law. He was grace giving. He was loving. He was merciful. Would God the Father entrust the upbringing of his Son to anyone else? The Lord made certain that Mary was betrothed to a man who was 'mild, amiable, and tender.' A man like Joseph of Nazareth.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19 Mary focused on caring for her baby while she stored all she’d seen and done “like a secret treasure in her heart” (NIrV). Some women like to talk their way through experiences; others prefer the Mary approach: “weighing and pondering” (AMP), “mulling them over” (CJB), and “trying to understand them” (ERV). Sometimes the Lord does such a profound work in us and through us that sharing it with others would sound like bragging. Even if we say, “Look what God has done,” others may perceive it as “Look what I’ve done” or “Look how special I am!” God, as always, knows best. The shepherds were noisy, yet the mother of Jesus was quiet.

It’s not her ability to give birth—whether one son or seven—that has earned their respect. It’s Ruth’s love for Naomi. This translation gets to the heart of it: “she loves you more than seven sons of your own would love you” (CEV). These women know hesed when they see it. They recognize loyalty and compassion and loving-kindness. They’re applauding Ruth for her deep commitment to Naomi, her lengthy trek from Moab, her weeks of gleaning, her willingness to marry an older man, her eagerness to bear an heir for Naomi’s family, her hours of labor to bring this redeemer into the world, and, above all, her faith in the God of Israel. Those are seven solid reasons; we could probably come up with seventy more.

They sought to pummel His pride, not understanding He'd laid it aside at birth, when He gave up heaven and came to earth.

Not 'I am finished,' but 'it is finished.' His supreme sacrifice was over. His mighty work of redemption was done. He came to earth to do the will of His Father, and He had accomplished that...By His death Jesus abolished the ceremonial Law and all its obligations, stamping them *paid in full*.

As writer Elisabeth Elliot phrased it, “The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman.”1

world.” John 11:27 Go, Martha! When Jesus said, “I am,” she affirmed, “You are.” Her “I believe” confession is remarkable because she stated His title, His divine nature, and His calling. Neither Peter nor John made this bold proclamation that day in Bethany. A woman did. God’s woman. Martha’s faith was now as solid and unshakable as her sister’s. She who served the food also dished out the truth: “It is for Your coming that the world has waited” (AMPC).

That’s what suffering does; it grinds away our pride and self-sufficiency. It also prepares our hearts for the blessings to come. As author Linda Hollies wrote, “When we are down to almost nothing, God is up to something bigger than we can ever imagine.”36 Amen, sister.

Whenever we have trouble loving one another, it’s usually because we’ve forgotten how much God loves us. If we go back to the Source, if we fill our hearts and minds with his Word, then his loving-kindness will naturally—no, supernaturally—pour out of us and into the lives of others. As his Word assures us, “If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”35 Love the Lord, love one another. That’s how Ruth walked out her faith.

Gordon could ignore his conscience, but he could not disregard the Almighty.

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; …” Luke 1:30 How like the Lord to identify our fears and hasten to ease them. Notice that Gabriel called her by name: “Mary, you have nothing to fear” (MSG). God knew her name just as he knows ours.

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:5

Just as God always knew how the life of his Son would unfold on earth, God knows how our lives will unfold as well. Nothing is a surprise to him. When we stumble, however badly, he stretches out his hands, pulls us to our feet, and draws us into his embrace.

The tricky part for me is remembering to give God all the glory and keep none for myself. That’s why “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”8 Boaz took no credit for his kindness, nor did Ruth. Even Naomi, who at first blessed the landowner, praised God when she learned the man’s name. We can follow her fine example, giving God the credit for “every good and perfect gift.”9

For sure, I would much rather look as if I have it all together and never make mistakes. But as the Bible cautions us, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”12

and he began to speak, praising God. Luke 1:64 He didn’t ask God why he’d been silenced, nor did he bemoan the many conversations he’d missed. Instead, Zechariah “shouted out praises to God

and they shared her joy. Luke 1:58

Whatever good we accomplish, the Lord is ultimately responsible, and He alone deserves the praise. The whole purpose of our lives is to magnify His fame and “sing the glory of his name.”29

Except for some queasiness in the morning or tiredness in the afternoon, Mary may not have noticed any real signs of her pregnancy yet. Elizabeth's words to Mary, then, were a confirmation of God's promise and more powerful than any blood test.

Elizabeth just made her confession of faith, and Jesus wasn't even born yet.

His pride was trampled, and his spirit was humbled, yet he knew the way out: praising God. That's our way out, too. Out of sin, out of misery, out of fear. When we start praising God for all the great things he has done, there's little time left for whining or worrying.

When we experience his grace, we're compelled to tell others so they may praise the Lord with us. In doing so, their faith is bolstered, knowing that God is real, God is powerful, God is sovereign, and God is moving.

But here's the thing: shepherds were despised. They couldn't keep the ceremonial laws while traveling about the hills, they were often regarded as thieves, and because they were considered unreliable, they were not permitted to give evidence in court. Yet this was whom God chose for his witnesses and entrusted with his good news.

It may sound as if Elizabeth and her husband were obedient and so earned God's approval, but, in truth, it was the other way around. God's power and strength at work in their lives made it possible for them to do the right thing in the first place.

This is how God works: a blessing for one is a blessing for all, and the end result is a greater focus on him. When we experience his grace, we're compelled to tell others so they may praise the Lord with us. In doing so, their faith is bolstered, knowing that God is real, God is powerful, God is sovereign, and God is moving.

There's something wonderful about Jesus the Son being presented to God the Father. Though God is spirit, not flesh, at some level it must have been like looking into a mirror.

When I hear women rail that the Bible is misogynistic, I wonder if we're reading the same book. God loves women, redeems women, empowers women--then and now. On the day we call Christmas, He could have simply arrived on earth, yet He chose to enter through a virgin's womb. On the day we call Easter, He could have appeared first to His beloved disciple, John, yet He chose as His first witness a woman set free from seven demons.

In our darkest moments, when we cry out to God and wonder if He’s listening, He sometimes whispers, Wait. It’s a hard word to hear yet comforting as well. It means He is there, He is with us, and He has a plan, even if it is not our plan.

Forgiveness is a gift

No one knows the weight of another’s burden. GEORGE HERBERT

Grievous words stir up anger.

In every life story, including our own, decisions are made in haste that determine the course of eternity.

He called himself "chief among sinners" yet proclaimed himself made new in Christ.

Mrs. Lot was a sandwich-generation woman, not sure what life might hold for her-scared of going forward, frightened of going back.