Trying too Hard .. Trusting too Little

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘God’s commands to us are actually given to the life of His Son in us. Consequently, to our human nature in which God’s Son has been formed (see Galatians 4:19), His commands are difficult. But they become divinely easy once we obey.’ CHAMBERS

 

This is something that escapes most Christians.  We accept that the Holy Spirit is in us.. We accept that we are new creatures in Christ … We accept that we have eternal life … We accept that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.   We know and acknowledge all of those things  .. and then we try to live our new life in the power of our flesh and wonder why it’s so difficult …. Any ideas?

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

Who Do You Love?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘ […] the Holy Spirit reveals to me that God loved me not because I was lovable, but because it was His nature to do so. Now He commands me to show the same love to others by saying, “. . . love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). He is saying, “I will bring a number of people around you whom you cannot respect, but you must exhibit My love to them, just as I have exhibited it to you.” This kind of love is not a patronizing love for the unlovable— it is His love, and it will not be evidenced in us overnight. […] I should look within and remember how wonderfully He has dealt with me. The knowledge that God has loved me beyond all limits will compel me to go into the world to love others in the same way. I may get irritated because I have to live with an unusually difficult person. But just think how disagreeable I have been with God! Am I prepared to be identified so closely with the Lord Jesus that His life and His sweetness will be continually poured out through Me?’ [CHAMBERS]

 

Wouldn’t it be great if we could choose who we show the love of God toward?  There are some people that are so easy to love.  Then there are others that we would prefer to never see again.  Does anyone come to mind as you read this?  Do you remember the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18.  The question posed to Jesus was about forgiveness. The principle behind the parable Jesus told is that just as God has treated us .. we who did not deserve His grace and mercy .. that we should show the same grace and mercy to others.  It is not an option .. God expects it.  But like the unforgiving servant .. we are not so quick to show that same love to other people … at least some people.

 

Loving others is something that springs out of my “new” nature toward everyone … if it does not, I need to examine my heart. What does that love look like?  1 Corinthians 13 “ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

What Are You Waiting For?

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save nor sanctify ourselves— God does that. But God will not give us good habits or character, and He will not force us to walk correctly before Him. We have to do all that ourselves. We must “work out” our “own salvation” which God has worked in us (Philippians 2:12). Add means that we must get into the habit of doing things, and in the initial stages that is difficult. To take the initiative is to make a beginning— to instruct yourself in the way you must go.’ CHAMBERS

 

What is it that you are waiting for?  Do you know what God wants you to do, but then you are waiting for Him to divinely intervene in your life so you can do it?  You have a long wait, my friend.  I have had many people say that they would love to serve like we do.  I ask, “If God has called you, why aren’t you?”  They say “Because we own a house.”  I say “Sell it”.  That normally ends the conversation. They have the opportunity to obey God, but they don’t want to do what they perceive as the “hard things”, they just want Him to make it happen somehow.  They have a long wait too.  In fact they will wait a lifetime unless they have a change of heart and mind.

 

How about you?

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

A Form Of Godliness

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘We simply begin to act on our own initiative. If we are eating only out of our own hand, and doing things solely on our own initiative without expecting God to come in, we are on a downward path. We have lost the vision. Is our attitude today an attitude that flows from our vision of God? Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done before?’ CHAMBERS

 

There is always a temptation to live the Christian life in our own strength.  Oh, we can do good things, but we don’t see great things done.  We think up good ideas but they are not motivated by great inspiration.  Zechariah 4:6  So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. We act with good intentions but we lack the power to achieve the supernatural. 2 Timothy 3:5  […] having a form of godliness but denying its power.

 

God does not expect us to do anything on our own for Him but only to obey His call and leading.  It is all God … Our challenge is not to get in the way, thinking that we can do on our own, what only God can do.  We might do good things .. but we will never achieve God’s purpose or see His glory displayed through our obedience. If that is what I am going to be satisfied with, well, I might as well be a greeter at Wal-Mart, for all the good it does the kingdom of God.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

In The Hands Of Our Lord

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘Perseverance means more than endurance— more than simply holding on until the end. A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, […] Faith is not some weak and pitiful emotion, but is strong and vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. And even though you cannot see Him right now and cannot understand what He is doing, you know Him.’ CHAMBERS

 

Do you see yourself as an arrow?  Are you willing to be “shot” wherever God pleases?  That requires faith and trust.  Something that goes far beyond the human will … it is dependent upon spiritual strength and maturity that comes from an abiding relationship with the Lord.  Don’t expect to make withdrawals if you have not made any deposits … don’t expect to exercise faith when you have not nurtured that faith.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

It Takes Faith To Know Truth

My Utmost For His Highest

 

‘[…] if we ourselves are free with the liberty of Christ, others will be brought into that same liberty— the liberty that comes from realizing the absolute control and authority of Jesus Christ.’ CHAMBERS

 

Jesus teachings were and are an apparent paradox.  Be last and you will be first … Be a servant to be the greatest …. Love God first … others second … and you, well … offer yourself as a living sacrifice.  Finally liberty comes when we are servants of the Lord.  When He is our master.  Spiritual truth is contrary to the reasoning of men, but it is truth nonetheless.  The problem is that you cannot know that truth until you act on it by faith. Once you do, you will know true freedom .. liberty … peace and joy ….

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)

When Do You Pray

My Utmost For His Highest

 

“God gives us discernment in the lives of others to call us to intercession for them, never so that we may find fault with them. … Vicarious intercession means that we deliberately substitute God’s interests in others for our natural sympathy with [attitudes towards] them.’ CHAMBERS

 

James 5:16  “[…]  and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

 

This is an easy one.  We don’t mind praying for people that are sick .. that we care about … or that someone we care about cares about.  Let me suggest this to you.  The next time someone asks you to pray .. pray right then .. not later.  If someone told you they were hungry and you had food in your hand, would you say .. come see me tomorrow and I will give you something to eat.  In the same way, when someone asks you to pray, you should not delay.  The request is a spiritual opportunity … Do you view prayer as a spiritual act?  Does that seem like an odd question?  Well, how you view prayer and how you respond to requests for prayer speaks about how you view your Christian life.  IS it compartmentalized .. where you are only spiritual at certain times which you have parsed out in your schedule?  Or are you always spiritually alert?  Knowing that there is another opportunity to glorify God and bless someone just around the corner.

 

Luke 6:27-28  "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  (28)  bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”

 

How do you respond to people you don’t like or who do bad things to you or others?  Do you know that they need the power of God’s forgiveness and grace in their lives?  Just like you did?  Do you see ‘those kind of people’ from a spiritual perspective or through the lens of your flesh?  Jesus said . “Pray for them.” Why? Because He came to seek that which was lost … to heal the sick .. to give sight to the blind …

 

Luke 4:17-21  And He [Jesus] was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:  (18)  "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; HE HAS SENT ME TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED;  (19)  TO PROCLAIM THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD."  (20)  Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.  (21)  And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

 

If you are His disciple, you are to embrace that same calling … When you hear of someone or experience the actions of someone who is living contrary to the Word of God, who has done terrible things …. pray for them .. our God is able to change even that life.  We should not sit in the judge’s seat and condemn, but pray for their salvation.

 

Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)