What Do You Find Comfort In?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘We seem to think that God wants us to give up things! God purified Abraham from this error, and the same process is at work in our lives. God never tells us to give up things just for the sake of giving them up, but He tells us to give them up for the sake of the only thing worth having, namely, life with Himself. It is a matter of loosening the bands that hold back our lives. Those bands are loosened immediately by identification with the death of Jesus. Then we enter into a relationship with God whereby we may sacrifice our lives to Him. It is of no value to God to give Him your life for death. He wants you to be a “living sacrifice”— to let Him have all your strengths that have been saved and sanctified through Jesus (Romans 12:1). This is what is acceptable to God.’ CHAMBERS

 

As part of our journey with God, we have greatly simplified our lives.  The accumulation, the comforts, the hobbies .. most of that has been cast off.  The selling of our house to serve.  The things that we, typically, in the United States consider necessities for comfort and security.  As we travel around telling our story and what God is doing in various parts of the world, many people marvel at what has been given up.

 

Paul said, “I consider everything as a loss or trash” (Philippians 3:8)  He said he cast off everything that slowed him down as he ran the “race” .. that is lived for God.  It is not about what you or I give up that is the focus here.  It is what we have replaced it with .. that is the point.  We live for God and to know Christ.  Our comfort, our confidence and our hope is in Him.  These other things that we formerly clung to are nothing more than wood, hay, and stubble.  They will all be burned up.  They will not last .. they never truly satisfy.

 

What do you need to make you feel secure in this life? Money in the bank, a nice home or car … cable TV .. maybe new clothes …  whatever it is that is not from God may be pleasant but it is not sufficient.  Give your heart to God.  ‘Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart’ (Psalm 37:4) In other words, He will cause you to desire what He desires.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)