{CHAMBERS} “Have
you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t,
I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a
tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once
we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding. Jesus did not show the
least concern that this rich young ruler should do what He told him, nor did
Jesus make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said to him, “Sell
all that you have…and come, follow Me.” Our Lord never pleaded with him; He
never tried to lure him— He simply spoke the strictest words that human ears
have ever heard, and then left him alone. Have I ever heard Jesus say something
difficult and unyielding to me? Has He said something personally to me to which
I have deliberately listened— not something I can explain for the sake of
others, but something I have heard Him say directly to me? This man understood
what Jesus said. He heard it clearly, realizing the full impact of its meaning,
and it broke his heart. He did not go away as a defiant person, but as one who
was sorrowful and discouraged. He had come to Jesus on fire with zeal and
determination, but the words of Jesus simply froze him. Instead of producing
enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, they produced heartbreaking discouragement. And
Jesus did not go after him, but let him go.”
{ELGIN} There are a couple of points in Chambers’
devotion that bear elaboration. First, the
manner in which Jesus interacts with us.
Chambers suggests that Jesus, Himself, speaks to us. Except for Paul’s experience on the road to
Damascus, I am not aware of another time that Jesus has interacted with someone
directly. We often say “Jesus told me or
God told me”, but what that really means is that the Father or the Son spoke
through the Spirit. I have mentioned
this on a number of occasions, but it bears repeating. We hear God’s or Jesus’ voice by the Spirit
through the Word, prayer, circumstances and other Believers. That is one reason why we are encouraged to
walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16) and
to live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). In order to communicate with the Father or
the Son we must be submitted to the Spirit.
In order to be submitted to the Spirit, who is holy, our hearts must be
free from sin. And we find that freedom through confession (1 John 1:9) How do you know if it is
really God? In my experience His direction
will be confirmed in more than one of those 4 ways. Let me add that often other Believers are
reluctant to tell you what God has told them about you. I think because they lack confidence that
they heard God, but in my experience, God uses others for that very purpose.
The second point has to do with why we struggle with obeying
what we are told. Our flesh, our natural
desires, are in direct competition with God for our devotion. We may agree with God that what He says is
right, but when it comes to doing it, laying our natural desires down and
following Jesus, well….. that is something else again. Jesus does not negotiate with us. Jesus does
not compromise. “I am the way and the
truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except by Me.” (John 14:6) There is no other way, as much as you might
want there to be one. “You cannot love
God and money” (Matthew 6:24) The Bible does not say you cannot love God
and “have” money. But the money cannot “have”
you. If God says give it away, you give
it away. Just make sure it is God talking
and not your emotion. We don’t sing the
old hymns much anymore, but the one that comes to mind as I type these words is
“All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him, in His
presence daily live. I surrender
all. I surrender all. All to Thee my blessed Savior, I surrender
all.” Great hymn but the only way we can
do that is by faith and laying ourselves down as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). So how about it?
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