Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest": May 23rd.

Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest": May 23rd.:

"Jesus sums up common-sense carefulness in a disciple as infidelity. If we have received the Spirit of God, He will press through and say - Now where does God come in in this relationship, in this mapped out holiday, in these new books? He always presses the point until we learn to make Him our first consideration. Whenever we put other things first, there is confusion"

The place where we enter into trouble is opening the door to worry. I don't believe Chamber means we shouldn't make plans for today or tomorrow. Only that these plans first should be made as the result of seeking God's plan and direction for our life. Once we've done this and we are confident that the direction is of God, now we must leave this to God. Casting our cares for the direction on Him and to follow in complete faith.

Read Oswald's devotion and see if you agree with my conclusion.

Be BLESSED Always!!!

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers

My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers:

"God does not keep His child immune from trouble; He promises, “I will be with him in trouble . . .” (Psalm 91:15). It doesn't matter how real or intense the adversities may be; nothing can ever separate him from his relationship to God. “In all these things we are more than conquerors . . .” (Romans 8:37)."

Keeping our eyes on the prize is difficult when things are a little bumpy for some and more so when it seems that "the wheels are coming off" for others. I fall into the first group. When I know without a doubt the fires of trial and tribulation are heating up, I'm all in!

When I've no doubt my experience is the result of spiritual warfare, I'm at the greatest peace and looking to Christ and my Father for the answers and the ultimate solution. I never doubt He will provide and He receives all the glory.

My weakness and short comings are the result of the day to day "minor" stuff, you know life. Just yesterday, my wife's car was having issues and she seemed to me to be coming apart with it. Instead of immediately looking to the cross and laying the whole issue there, I went into the "solution mode" and the "you're making too big a deal out of this mode".

After giving her direction and then waiting for her to arrive so I could investigate, God spoke..... I admit, conviction isn't always pleasant, it IS always right. Apologies and confessions are good and right. Now, the work.

Trusting God in the little things and in all things small and great, this is our work. Maybe you're like me and it's the smaller troubles of life that derail your walk, even for a moment. Or maybe it's the crisis.

Either case, the answer is the same. Our God is big enough for all of what life has to offer. He stands ready to provide everything, great and small we need. Are we ready to "let go and let God"?

He promises to never leave or forsake us. He sees the beginning from the end. He knows you and I better than we'll ever know ourselves. So, be confident that our needs are already met and that the trials will come and go. His purpose IS to complete HIS work and in that, we will become like Christ.

Be BLESSED Always!!!

Take the Initiative | My Utmost For His Highest

Take the Initiative | My Utmost For His Highest:

"If you hesitate when God tells you to do something, you are being careless, spurning the grace in which you stand. Take the initiative yourself, make a decision of your will right now, and make it impossible to go back."

Be committed, be certain and go where HE leads. This takes practice, heeding God's direction. It starts with small steps and leads to bigger steps. God doesn't force us to step in His ways or on His path. He will show us the way and then we must act. Growth is an "on purpose" activity.

Don't stand still and expect our Father to just give to you. We are in a relationship with The Most High, our Father and Creator of all we see and those things which we do not and cannot see. This relationship more than any other requires work on our part. There's no "free lunch" on this path.

God's gift of salvation requires us to reach out and receive the gift. So too does our growth require our action, our steps of faith. God promises to complete His work and that we are that workmanship. Our part is the willing piece of the whole process and this is our work.

Being created with free will and having fallen from grace, means we now must work at this relationship. Controlling my self will, my self desires and all independence within me...this is the work.

As God's child, I've chosen Him! His path for me, His will for me and His way for my life. Praise God for the choice, now we/I must roll up our sleeves and surrender daily and moment by moment to all the HE wants to work in me for HIS glory and honor!!!

It is the road less traveled and the way is narrow. How great is the reward?! Unmistakable and without rival. God is the prize and yet we will benefit for all eternity in HIS presence when we choose HIM and HIM alone!!!

Be BLESSED Always!

Liberty and the Standards of Jesus | My Utmost For His Highest

Liberty and the Standards of Jesus | My Utmost For His Highest:

"Don’t get impatient with others. Remember how God dealt with you— with patience and with gentleness. But never water down the truth of God. Let it have its way and never apologize for it. Jesus said, “Go . . . and make disciples. . .” (Matthew 28:19), not, “Make converts to your own thoughts and opinions.”"

Just this past weekend I was reminded to be a fruit bearer, not a producer. God is in the production business and we're called to bear His fruit. Bearing our burdens together, joy and struggles by coming along side each other as Christ walks with us in this life.

We are HIS workmanship, called to be who HE created us to be in HIS plan. When we allow the Master to produce in our life that which HE created us to be and do, then we are fit to bear HIS fruit in our life.

God hasn't called us to produce anything. He has called us to a relationship that is intimate and right with Him. When we enter this place, this holy place of agreement with HIM and HIS plan for our life. Now we glorify HIM, now we shine HIS light and now the lost are drawn to HIM!

God waits for us to yield to Him, His plan and purpose. When we do, HE will work in us so that we will bear HIS fruit. Now, we will see exactly how HIS yoke is easy and HIS burden is light.  While Christ was healing the sick, casting out demons, and preaching the good news, HE was building relationships and providing the example we need for our relationship with HIM and one another and with the lost.  Compassion and love, not rigidity and strife.

Be BLESSED Always

The Patience To Wait for the Vision | My Utmost For His Highest

The Patience To Wait for the Vision | My Utmost For His Highest:

"Having the vision of God is the source of patience because it gives us God’s true and proper inspiration. Moses endured, not because of his devotion to his principles of what was right, nor because of his sense of duty to God, but because he had a vision of God. “. . . he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27)."

I confess, and I suspect you might with me, tracing the source of my impatience is easily done.... I simply haven't had a vision of God. Sad commentary, yet true. How often I've steamed ahead "believing" my purposes lined up with His. The truth has been just the opposite. You might ask how I could know this is true. Simple, God's vision endures!

In this devotion Moses is the example. We have many others; Abraham, David, Daniel, Paul, Peter and the greatest of these... Jesus our Savior!!! Except for Christ, all of our examples may have stumbled in their journey, BUT they never lost sight of God or the vision HE gave them!

We must seek God's vision, purpose for our life and catch that vision and then hang on! When we embrace God's plan for our life, His provision will be there and we will be witness to His glory like never before.

Be Blessed Always!!!