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Sunday, 5.5.24
1. “Salvation is God's idea, not
ours; Therefore, it has unfathomable depth.”
We would not know we need salvation
if God did not make us abundantly aware. Praise God, therefore, for His loving
convictions.
We will grow in understanding and
appreciation of our salvation for the rest of our existence, which means, forevermore.
Salvation has “unfathomable depth,” because it has to do with soul and spirit—domains
of our person for which we have very little knowledge or understanding.
That means I'm going to have to
take God's Word for my salvation. I can't figure it out on my own. I can't
perceive all the intricacies. If God says I need it, and if God says Jesus is
the only way, I must be willing to trust God in the matter and do what He says
if I want His salvation.
Our theology and doctrines have
nothing to do with being saved. They are simply means whereby finite humans minds
can begin to fathom the infinite intricacies of God—in particular, the work of Christ's
cross and Resurrection.
Beloved, let's trust God's Word
over our own understanding in every situation.
Father, thank You for saving us. We
had no idea, and we have no capacity to save ourselves. We joyfully and gladly
receive Your magnanimous gift of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. Please
continue to help us perceive and appreciate all You've done for us. We are
forever in Your debt.
2. “Our experience of salvation
is simply the door through which salvation comes into our conscious level so we
are aware it has taken place.”
Have we “experienced” salvation?
That is, is there something in the “conscious level” that convinces us we’re saved?
Was it a flash in the moment we received Christ? Or is it the day-by-day experience
of the presence of the Holy Spirit that makes us aware that we are God’s children?
In whatever way we know that we
know that we know, it's God's grace that has brought that to our conscious mind.
It may not be an emotion, but it's a knowing and awareness that God has done
something in first by his spirit.
Something has changed on the inside,
and that change is, we have been saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ.
It's that real and evident.
Hallelujah.
Father, please make us abundantly
aware in our hearts and minds that you have saved us by faith in Christ. May
there be no doubt or wavering. Thank you for the conscious experience of an
unconscious but real and true transaction that has occurred in our soul. Thank
you that, in Christ, we have been forgiven, adopted as your child, and are
being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). Hallelujah to the Lord our God
forevermore!
3. “In the teachings of Jesus, God’s
judgment is always brought out. It's the sign of God’s love.”
This is a wonderful and remarkable
statement.
In our culture, we don’t judge. That
is, we do not criticize others, lest they criticize us. It's one of the only
taboos left.
But God, out of His love, convicts
us of our sin. When we’re stepping outside of God's ways, God lets us know.
Because, anything less than God's way is a tremendous compromise in our life.
More so, our sin always affects
others. No sin is private. We may sin in private, but our sin is reflected in
our attitudes, affects and relationships with others. And it's never helpful.
It's why Jesus spoke of sin to
begin with. It's a demonstration of the tremendous love of God. Jesus broke taboos
when He spoke of sin, but He did so because we know we're falling short of
God's glory.
Lord Jesus, thank You for requiring
us to contend with our sin. Although we may object at first, we recognize our
sin is destructive to us and others. Thank You for loving us enough to help us
realize that. And thank You for loving us enough to give Your life that we
might be forgiven.
4. “Never sympathize with
someone who finds it difficult to get to God. God is not to blame.”
We’re certainly a sympathetic
people. It's hard for us to watch someone suffer.
However, sympathizing with someone
who’s struggling with God is another matter. When we do, we make God out to be
a hard taskmaster, indicting His calling upon our lives and justifying our difficulties
in following Jesus.
But nothing is easier then entering
into a relationship with God, because God did the heavy lifting for us in the
cross of Jesus Christ. We may find it challenging to turn from our sin and
embrace Christ, but embracing Christ is pure joy once we do.
God isn't to blame when we struggle
with our sin. God is our refuge and strength, our victory and deliverance. God’s
not our enemy; sin is. And although our sin may seek our sympathy as we wrestle,
it's a liar. God’s not denying us gratification; sin is denying us access to
the Living God.
Heavenly Father, may we give our
sin no refuge. Although it cries out as our friend, may we see it for what it
is—that which stands between us, others and You. By the cross of Jesus Christ, and
through the power of Your Holy Spirit, may all sin be vanquished in our soul.
Thank You for being so available and tenacious in setting us free.
5. “The moment we recognize our
complete weakness and dependence upon God will be the very moment the Spirit of
God will exhibit His power.”
Truer words have never been spoken.
“Unless you change and become as a
little child, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 18:3). “Childlikeness”
is not childishness. It's the recognition of our complete and utter dependence
upon our God.
We are dependent upon God for our
next heartbeat, our next breath, the next sunrise, our tomorrow, our future and
our eternity. We have zero control over any of these things. They are all in
the realm of our God.
When we come to the place of recognizing
this truth, we realize the goodness of God and His favor toward us: “God is for
us and not against us” (Romans 8:31). The devil would have us think otherwise, but
a careful observation of our finitude reveals the loving hand of our gracious
God.
And with that realization comes the
warmth, goodness and all-consuming love and power of God's Holy Spirit, opening
our eyes to the gift of forgiveness in Christ, and whisking us into the very
presence of our Heavenly Father as we entrust ourselves to His care.
May we remain in the place of
recognizing “our complete weakness and dependence upon God.”
Thank You, Holy Spirit, for opening
our eyes to our need for our God, and thank You for Your loving disposition
towards us. We receive You as our God and Savior through faith in Christ our
Lord. Hallelujah!
***********
5.4.24
1. “Our ability to approach God
is due entirely to Christ’s vicarious, substitutionary identification with our
sin.”
This is a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact
analysis of Christ atoning cross.
We don't wander, stumble or blunder
into the presence of God. It's impossible for us to stand face-to-face with God
outside of Christ's death and Resurrection.
To think otherwise is to ignore or vastly
underestimate the serious ramifications of our sin: Our sin results in complete
and eternal separation from our God and Creator.
Only Christ’s cross and Resurrection
can contend with our sin. “Christ became sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21). With
His death He sacrificed Himself for our sin “once for all” (Hebrews 7:27), and
with His Resurrection, “Christ was raised to life for our justification”
(Romans 4:25).
The result is, we can “boldly
approach the throne of God” (Hebrews 4:16), “not by works of righteousness which
we have done, but by His mercy” (Titus 3:5).
Is this how we understand the
Christian faith? Surely anything less infinitely diminishes all Christ has done
for us.
Lord Jesus, what an overwhelming
depiction of Your cross and Resurrection. We’ll forever praise and thank You
for working salvation on our behalf. We are unworthy of Your mercy and grace,
yet we receive it today as Your free gift to us. Thank You for complete and
unhindered access to Your Heavenly Father and ours. Hallelujah!
2. “We see things in ourselves
and others that we think need no atonement.”
Are we out of our ever-loving mind?
Are we so out of touch with the holiness of God that we think any part of our
sullied soul is worthy?
What do we not understand about
this statement: “No one shall see God and live” (Exodus 3:20)?
Or this one: “The soul that sins, it
shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20)?
Or this one: “All have sinned and
fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)?
Here's our fallacy: “Measuring
ourselves by one another and comparing ourselves with one another is not wise”
(2 Corinthians 10:12). God’s standard for goodness is not us or the people
around us. God's standard is Christ, and all of us fall woefully short.
Thank God for His amazing grace: “The
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord” (Roman 6:23).
No wonder we’ll stand before our
God and thank and praise Him for all eternity!
Lord Jesus, “You alone are worthy to
receive glory and honor and power” (Revelation 4:11). Therefore we join all of
heaven in declaring, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is, and
is to come” (Revelation 4:9). Hallelujah forevermore!
3. “When we don't identify with God’s
interests in others, we get irritated with Him.”
Isn't this the truth?
When our hearts are not aligned
with God's, we find His ways to
be intrusive, limiting and not to our liking. We become critical of the God of Scripture,
and begin deconstructing and reestablishing faith along the lines of our own reasoning.
How embarrassing for the pot to
reprimand the Potter (Romans 9:20). Lord, have mercy.
Instead, as we identify with God's
interests in others, we gain God's heart and perspective. We begin to
comprehend His holiness and His great compassion for sinners like us. Then we’re
able to receive and offer others God’s unlimited mercy and grace through Christ
our Lord.
May we forever marvel at and revel
in God’s great interest in each of us. Hallelujah.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your
remarkable ways. Please forgive us when we get sideways and irritated with You.
Please help us align ourself aligned with our God and King. May we be forever
amazed at Your amazing grace.
4. “Intercession means we
deliberately substitute God's interests in others for our natural sympathies.”
We assume our natural sympathies
are correct and best. At the same time, we know our natural sympathies can lead
to enabling, codependency, dysfunction, self-pity and more.
If we're not careful, we can
project our sympathies upon God by assuming our sympathies align with His. Yet
God's eternal perspective always runs counter to our immediate perspective. We’re
often convinced what's best in the moment is best in the long run. But we know
this is not true in many other aspects of our life—the education process, diet
and exercise, saving for the future, etc.
Thank God He doesn’t give us what
we think we need, but what He knows we need.
It takes continual effort to align
our hearts with God’s. It's an indication of how extremely different He is from
us: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways” (Isaiah
55:8).
Heavenly Father, please help us
adjust our perspective to mirror Yours. Help us trust Your wisdom and ways above
our own. We confess, You are God and we’re not. And we're so glad.
***********
5.3.24
1. “We may find our intercession
will cost those for whom we intercede.”
Perhaps we’re familiar with the old
adage, “Never pray for patience.” The reason is Romans 5:3, “Tribulation increases
our patience.” God doesn't simply zap us with patience. He forges and forms our
patience through everyday hardship and challenges.
Indeed, there's a price to pay for
patience.
That’s Oswald's line of reasoning
here. As we intercede for others, God is at work shaping, fashioning and
molding their lives. And some of that process is unpleasant. God involves the
grind of everyday life to make us more like Jesus.
Therefore, we mustn't despair for those
for whom we are interceding as they experience these struggles. It's all part
of God’s process in their life, just as it’s part of God’s continuing process in
our life.
Let's never forget, godly character
comes at a cost. May we be willing to pay the price for God’s work in us, and prayerfully
stand with others as they pay the price as well.
Heavenly Father, thank You for ongoing
Your work. Please help us endure, and we pray for others as they endure. We
entrust ourselves and our friends to Your love, care and best interests.
2. God is gradually lifting up
others to a totally different level in direct answer to our prayers.”
How did we get to where we are and
our own God walk? We got here as God gradually lifted us from one level to
another. Perhaps much of that was in response to someone else praying for us.
In Christ, we don't lift ourselves
up by our own bootstraps. It's Christ Himself, working in us by His Holy
Spirit, bringing us into new vistas, new understandings, new faith and new
levels of commitment to Jesus.
That's what God's doing for others
in response to our praying. He's dislodging them from where they are and
raising them up to the next level. Don't forget the consternation and
difficulty we experience as God also does so for us. That's precisely what our
friends are experiencing as a result of our praying for them.
And just as we're surviving, so
will they. God keeps us even as He increasingly forms our faith.
Father, we commit ourselves and
those for whom we’re praying to Your loving lifting. Take us higher, deeper,
farther and nearer. As You dislodge us from the old and take us into the new,
please give us grace to participate in Your process. If that's what it takes to
draw closer to You, receive Your gracious work with gratitude.
3. “The danger is, when we begin
to intercede for others out of sympathy, we step out of vital connection with
God.”
Oswald is challenging our sympathies.
As we intercede for others, we’ll
also watch them endure the formative process. If we're not careful, we may
begin praying against the very things God is using to form them.
Some of our sympathy can actually be
an objection to God's ways: “This is a deliberate rebuke to God.” We can be
critical of God's process of growing us by wounding us.
But isn't this precisely how muscle
tissue is formed? Muscle fibers are ripped and torn as we lift and stretch, then
they repair themselves to build new and increased muscle strength.
In the same way, if out of sympathy
we help a baby bird emerge from its shell, we harm the bird’s development by interfering
in the process.
As counterintuitive as it sounds, sympathy
isn't necessarily the appropriate response towards others. If God is working through
their struggle, our appropriate response is to maintain vital connection with
God and intercede.
Father, please help us discern when
we are to step in and alleviate hardships, and when we must permit the
hardships to play out in order for You to accomplish Your purposes. Please help
us beware of our sympathies for ourselves and others as You continue Your work
in us.
4. “The key to vital
intercession is to be perfectly and completely sure of God.”
Do we trust God’s work in those for
whom we intercede? Or do we feel the need to supplement God's work with our
own?
Surely God is able to work in others’
lives just as He is working in ours. He’s kept us through thick and thin, and surely
He will do the same for them.
Intercession is entrusting our
beloved to God's care, and trusting that God’ perfectly capable of letting us
know when He needs our help.
Father, please forgive us for
feeling indispensable to someone else's relationship with You. Thank You for Your
intimate care for us and for them. We trust You to bring us all along. In the
meantime, we pray for ourselves and them, and we happily make ourselves
available for Your use in others’ lives.
5. When we’re completely and
entirely identified with God's interests and concerns for others, we’re less
inclined to pity ourselves.”
I can certainly feel sorry for myself,
and I'm good at gaining sympathy by licking my wounds, complaining, and make everyone
else acutely aware of my emotional duress. Lord, have mercy.
But in the act of “identifying with
God's interests and concerns for others,” I'm able to visualize God's process
as He forms their heart and mind. And I become more aware God’s doing the same
in me.
As a result, I grow less critical
of God in my hardships, and more determined for God to use those hardships to
conform me to the image of Jesus, just as He’s doing for others.
Self-pity and pity for others can hinder
our intercession. Instead, may our intersession help us stay on God's line.
Father, thank You for these
insights into Your continuing work in our lives and others’. Please help us
participate with You as You forge our faith.
***********
5.2.24
1. “Patience is not the same as
indifference.”
This is well-stated.
We all know the difference between patience
and indifference. When we're indifferent, we have no strong allure or opinion.
The thing is not high in our priorities or preferences. It doesn't make the thing
a bad thing, it's simply not critical in our eyes.
Patience, on the other hand, is a
virtue. We must diligently exercise patience because we care very much about a thing.
We have a strong opinion and preference, and it’s high on our priority list.
With all that's in us we wish to jump in, act, do or respond.
This is why patience is listed as a
“Fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23). There are times we feel so strongly
about a matter that we must tap into the patience of God to wait it out, bite
our tongue and respond appropriately.
May we be successfully patient in these
types of situations today.
Father, thank You for being a
patient God, and thank You for giving us grace to be patient as well. Today we
will have opportunity to lean into the patience You give us. May we exhibit Your
love and grace as we do so.
2. “Having a vision of God is
the source of patience because it gives us God's true and proper inspiration.”
We may not have a supernaturally
inspired vision for my future, for a business, for a ministry, etc., but God
does give us a vision of Christ Himself. And in that vision we recognize the
true essence of God’s patience. It’s loving, kind, steadfast, enduring,
gracious, merciful, hopeful, redemptive and more.
Such a vision is incredibly helpful
in the moments we struggle with patience. When we contrast our natural inclinations
with the incredibly controlled and the virtuous responses of Christ, we
recognize the difference. And we recognize what’s possible as we learn to
receive and act on God's patience.
Lord Jesus, please inspire us with
a vision of Your affect today. Help us picture You and Your responses in the
moments when we struggle with our own attitudes. May we become incredibly adept
at operating in the patient power of Your Holy Spirit.
3. “A patient person is not one
who is devoted to a cause or an issue, but devoted to God Himself.”
This is beautiful.
I'm all for “devotion to a cause or
an issue.” Thank God for those who are inspired and determined.
But ultimately, the patience Oswald
is speaking about here is the patience derived from our “devotion to God Himself.”
That is, it’s a determination to be faithful to God, to faithfully reflect Christ-likeness
towards others, and to guard God's reputation above all our ways.
Indeed, may it be our devotion to our
God that drives our thoughts, actions, words and deeds today. May our
allegiance to Jesus be our greatest resolve, always.
Holy God, may You be our highest
affinity. Please help us truly love You with all our heart, soul, mind and
strength. And, may great patience and grace result.
4. “There’s a sense of greatness
and vitality to your life when everything is energized by God.”
This is surely central to the
“abundant life” (John 10:10) Jesus offers His followers.
That is, every wit of our life
matters to God and His Kingdom. Even in the mundane, we are serving the King of
Kings and Lord of Lords. This brings “a sense of greatness and vitality” to all
we do.
It's not about us; It's about our God
and Savior.
What might be the thing we dread
about our day today? Are we able to see that thing in God's light? Can we perceive
how our attitudes, faithfulness, words and actions reflect Christ Himself? It's
this perspective by which God energizes all that’s before us today, because in
these matters we have opportunity to bring glory to Jesus.
Heavenly Father, please energize us
today with the recognition that we are bearing Your image before others in all
we say and do. Thank You for “the sense of greatness and vitality” we receive
as we faithfully serve You in all that's before us today. Thank You for such a
high calling in Christ.
5. “It's a bad thing to be
satisfied spiritually.”
How incredibly insightful. God,
have mercy.
“We’re apt to look for satisfaction
within ourselves.” This is a recipe for settling for less. If we seek to gain
satisfaction only by attempting to quiet our heart, still our soul, find
resolve, etc., we're forgoing missing the satisfaction only Christ provides.
Likewise, if we seek satisfaction only
along the order of the physical world, we’re also compromising what can be ours
in Christ alone.
“Our reach must exceed our grasp.”
To reach within, to reach to others, or to reach for accomplishments, pleasures,
material things, etc., is to reach beneath ourselves. It's when we reach for
Christ that He can fill our hands and our heart with His supernatural
satisfaction. We were made by and for God, and anything less than union with
God is infinitely less then what could be.
“Not that I have already attained
or am already made perfect, but I press on.” This is the joy, aspiration and
enthusiasm of our God-walk. The best is always yet to come. Praise Jesus!
Father, thank You for what we've already
experienced in You. We relish the goodness You’ve poured out throughout our
lives. But thank You for the infinite dimension of our life in Christ. We
choose and determine to give ourselves to You today for all You might have in
store. Please use us, work through us and have Your way in us. May we only be
content and satisfied with more and more of You.
***********
5.1.24
1. “We begin to take on a
pitiful look and talk only of our trials and difficulties.”
God forbid!
This is one of my biggest gripes.
When I see a saint someone moping about, licking their wounds and highlighting
their hardships, I often detect a criticism, questioning and indictment of God.
I wonder if people see the same in
me? Dear, God.
“All the while, God is calling us
to do our work as hidden people who are not in the spotlight.” God has not
forsaken us in the mundane, in the challenges, when we are unappreciated, and when
we are criticized for our faith. Instead, God is conditioning us to walk
through these things with faith and confidence God will never leave us or
forsake us.
Some people seem masterful at this.
You would not know from their exterior of the great burdens they carry.
Instead, they have a twinkle in their eye, a skip in their step, they wear a
continual smile, and they always have a good word for God. Hallelujah.
It's of critical importance that we
“do our work without the continual glow of inspiration.” God has put us to the
ordinary tasks of everyday life, and has resourced us with His Holy Spirit so
we might exhibit the Fruit of the Spirit in all circumstances.
May it be our goal today to do so.
By God's grace.
Father, please forgive us for
grumbling. We act as if you've forgotten and forsaken us, or have unwittingly
or cruelly burdened us with our cross. May we carry it with great faithfulness
today.
2. “A self-assured saint is of
no value to God because they are completely unlike God.”
Oswald is speaking of my innate
desire to be seen and applauded by others as I serve God. Jesus said, “Don’t do
your good woks before others to be seen by them” (Matthew 6:6).
This is so contrary to the ways of
God Himself. God never sounds the trumpet before Himself. God never insists we
acknowledge Him when He blesses us. He works in the stillness and the silence,
and only the heart tuned to God's frequency recognizes His gracious hand and
offers praise and gratitude.
“Don't let your left hand know what
your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:6). This is the life of the saint, “hidden
with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). We're not working for the praise of
others, but for the honor and glory of God.
“Your Father Who sees in secret
will reward you” (Matthew 6:4). We're not looking for recognition from God, but
only to please his heart. And when we do, we are thrilled to know of God's good
pleasure.
Heavenly Father, thank You for your
undetectable ways. And thank You for Your Holy Spirit in us that permits us to
detect them all around. May we be content with doing the same, living our
everyday lives doing undetectable things for which we’ll never receive praise
from others, but which bless Your heart. It’s our honor.
3. “If we continually try to
bring back those exceptional moments of inspiration, it's a sign it’s not God
we want.”
We all love those “moments of
exceptional inspiration.” We’re thankful for the nearness of God, the clarity
of vision, the warmth of heart, and the exceeding joy. May we never forget.
But those are the exceptions, not
the rule. The rule is faithfully following Jesus in the shadows, in the mundane,
in and the ups and downs, and in the highs and lows of ordinary human life on
planet earth.
“We’re to do it with an infinitely
greater power because we have been born from above.” This was surely the
demonstration of Jesus. So many looked upon Him as an ordinary Man. They could
not see what we see: this is God in the flesh, “The fullness of the Godhead in Bodily
form” (Colossians 2:9).
Jesus wasn't looking for the praise
of people. He wanted people to see God in Him and lift their eyes to His Heavenly
Father. May we set our sights, not on the thrill of “the exceptional moments of
inspiration,” put on our Father in Heaven. May He be our ultimate desire and
aim.
So be it, Father. We desire You
above all things. Thank You for the moments of glory, but thank You as well and
more for Your nearness in the everyday. Hallelujah.
4. “God wants us to walk by
faith.”
It's one thing to walk in moments
of glory, when God is tangible and our souls are tingling. It's another to walk
when our bodies hurt, when our hearts are downcast, and when we can't see the
next step.
“We have to get up on our own,
without any inspiration and without any sudden touch from God.” So it has been
with Bible characters, the saints of God throughout history, and Christ-followers
all over the world today. Our victories do not always come with the fireworks
of heaven, but in the smallest acts of obedience, with great fidelity to the
God we love.
When we step out in this way, we
discover “He was there all the time, and we never knew.”
Father, thank You for Your constant
nearness, even when we can't detect it. Please help us walk, step by step, day
by day, in full assurance You go with us. Thank You for the glorious moments,
but thank You even more for being with us in every moment. Help us “walk by
faith and not by sight” today.
5. “God will give us His touches
of inspiration only when He sees we are not in danger of being led away by
them.”
God is helping us mature in Christ.
He's weaning us from milk that we might walk by faith.
We can become prideful in moments
of inspiration, as if we earned them or deserve them, or as if they are marks of
spiritual maturity or of God's approval. Instead, may we humble ourselves when
God chooses to reveal Himself in greater ways.
We can also become dependent upon
those moments. “I cannot do anything until God appears to me.” If this is the
case, we’ll be of little use to God. God anticipates us to “rise up and walk”
every moment of every day.
When we grow accustomed to walking
by faith and not by sight, God’s moments of inspiration come as pleasant
surprises. We’re thankful and appreciate those moments, but we realize God’s no
closer in those moments than He always is. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your
constant fellowship and for the persistent shadow of Your wings over us. Thank You
for moments of inspiration, but please help us to walk in the same knowledge of
Your faithfulness even when we're not inspired. We trust You today.
***********
4.30.24
1. “Love isn’t premeditated; it’s
spontaneous.”
This depiction of love is thought
provoking.
I don't believe Oswald is
suggesting love is an emotion, coming and going, whimsical and spontaneous.
Instead, we know love is a verb. It's not what we feel, it's what we do because
we love.
“Spontaneous” describes the
“imprecise nature of love.” It's not robotic, pre-programmed, or prescribed by a
list of do’s and don'ts. It's what we do in the moment because we love. And
because we can’t predict the moment, we can’t predict how our love might be
exhibited.
The goal of our love is for it to evidence
itself naturally, instinctively, and without hesitation. In Christ, we’re growing
in a love which isn’t forced or contrived, manipulated or choreographed. Rather,
it flows from us as freely as a mountain spring.
Because we’re not its source. God
in us is.
Father, thank You for a love
relationship with You. It's a joy to freely love You because You love us (1
John 4:19). We pray that, like You, everything we do would be motivated by Your
love. Thank You for Your endless supply.
2. “When the Holy Spirit is
having His way with us, we live according to His standards without even
realizing it.”
For me, this is the meaning of
Jesus’ statement, “If You love Me, you’ll keep My commands” (John14:15).
This is the way of love. It's God's
chief motivator, compelling everything God has ever done. He created in love,
provides in love, approaches us in love, redeems us in love, etc.
And, in Christ, it's our love that
motivates our God-walk. We’re compelled to respond to, obey and follow Jesus
out of our growing love for Jesus. Then, instead of it being arduous, it's our
joy.
When we first ride a bicycle, we’re
so aware of every movement, every distraction, and the sense of dread we might
fall off. But, in time, riding a bike becomes second nature. We hop on and go,
and enjoy the ride.
So it is as we walk in a love
relationship with God. We walk, talk, think and imagine in fellowship and union
with God, and we don't give it one wit of thought. It's our joy and delight
Because we love one another.
Father, may it be so. May we love You
with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and may love be the driving force
in our relationship with You and others. Spirit, have Your way in us,
especially when we don't even realize.
3. “When we look back, we’re amazed.”
Oswald says this is the evidence of
the spontaneous nature of love. It happens when we don't realize it. We only
become aware of it after the fact. And we're amazed because we weren't even
trying.
“This is the nature of everything
involved in the God life.” We don't realize the change going on in us, but
others certainly do. We don't realize our common sense decisions are becoming
naturally inclined towards the things of God. We don't realize we’re inadvertently
walking in the ways of God, not because we're disciplining ourselves, but
because of our new nature in Christ.
“The life of God in us is only
discerned when we have been through a thing and it's in our past.” This is the
way of our new nature In Christ. We don't realize it in the moment, but it
leaves a trail of evidence behind. Hallelujah!
Lord Jesus, may we continuously be
the most amazed people on earth and who we’re becoming, because we’re aware it
has nothing to do with us. Thank You for transforming us from the inside out.
4. “The fountains from which
love flows are in God, not in us.”
This is the realization of “Christ
in us, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). If our understanding of faith in
Christ is anything less than Christ living in us, it is infinitely less.
The entire purpose of Christ’s Atonement
was to make away for the Spirit of the Living God to live in us, love through
us and empower us as He unites us with God.
Our God-walk is not gritting our
teeth to follow God's commands out of fear of retribution. It's our realization
that we are incapable of doing so. Therefore, we humble ourselves, receive Christ
as our Savior, and permit God to form Christ within us (Galatians 4:19).
Our freedom in Christ comes from rafting
the river of the fountain of love and life which flows through us from the
throne of God. It's the greatest joy and liberation a human being can know.
Father, thank You for the rivers of
Living Water that flow through us because of Christ in us. Thank You for the
daily taste of the Divine as we walk in union with you. Thank You for the incredible
and endless peace and joy we receive by Your Spirit. Hallalujah!
5. “If we try to prove to God
how much we love Him, it's a sure sign we really don't love Him.”
How might we parse this out?
Obviously we do things for others
to demonstrate our love for them. It's why we speak and do kind things, attend
to needs, give gifts, etc. We want others to know beyond the shadow of a doubt we
love them.
Don’t we do the same for God? Don’t
we not adopt spiritual disciplines out of faithfulness to our Savior? Don’t we tell
God we love Him and offer Him praise and thanksgiving out of love?
Perhaps Oswald is attempting to
help us understand we can never “prove” our love. We can't see it under a
microscope, detect it with a Geiger counter, taste it or quantify it. Our love
is evident simply because we love.
And the people we love know of our
love even if we we’re unable to prove it. And if they aren't able to recognize
it, we are incapable of helping them do so.
Such is God’s love for us. He demonstrated
it fully in the cross of Jesus Christ and those of us who believe can sense and
receive His love. But if someone doesn’t, there is no way in heaven or on earth
to force them to believe.
Father, may we grow in our
sensitivity and awareness of Your love. May we forever be swept up and
titillated by Your love for us. And may we forever reciprocate out of our love
for You. May Your love in us increase and increase, and become more and more
evident to You and others.
***********
4.29.24
1. “We look upon uncertainty as
a bad thing, but in Christ, we are certain in our uncertainty.”
This is good stuff today. Praise
the Lord.
“Our natural inclination always
tries to forecast what will happen next.” Indeed. This indicates our need to
control our environment, our present activity and our future.
But this notion is at odds with
walking with Jesus.
“Certain in our uncertainty” is a
great way of describing faith. We have no idea what the day might hold, or
where we'll end up at the end of our days. But we have absolute confidence in
the God Who goes before us.
Perhaps this helps us understand
why human beings struggle with faith. We want to know more than we’re able to
know. But if we’ll rest in Christ, our uncertainties melt into “peace that
transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
Father, thank You for this glorious
thing called faith. Thank You for the nature of our God-walk. Thank You for
helping us learn how to thrive in Your realm. Please forgive for our attempts
to control. We give ourselves to You and Your will today. We trust You, and
gratefully receive Your incredible grace and peace in return.
2. “The nature of the spiritual
life is, we don't put down roots.”
This is a great way of saying,
“this world is not my home.”
Perhaps we have a notion that, one
day, our life will plateau and we’ll “live happily ever after.” But that's not
the way of things on planet earth. And it's certainly not the way of God's
people.
Instead, “We’re pilgrims on the earth, desiring a better
country” (Hebrews 11:13-16).
The older I get, the less desirable
the things of this world become. We’ve been there and done that. Our heart
longs for more than this existence can provide.
Thank God for the amazing contentment
and satisfaction of a life lived abiding in Christ our Lord.
Beloved, let's put down deep roots
in the Kingdom of God. Our God alone offers us the groundedness we long for.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the
incredible freedom of knowing we're just passing through this life. Thank You for
liberating us from the finite that we might live our lives to the fullest.
Thank You we get to live in eternity, today.
3. “To be certain of God means
living in breathless expectation.”
What a spectacular sentiment. We
get to live in the glorious unknown, absolutely certain of God's Sovereign
grace, reveling in His fellowship, with great anticipation for what He might
have in store.
Surely nothing expresses our
absolute trust in our God then our statement, “not my will, but Yours be done.”
It says to God, “bring it on; we're all in.”
I wonder what God might be up to today?
Rather than living in dread and hesitation, let's anticipate the great
adventure God may set before us.
Lord Jesus, I can imagine the
disciples wondering day by day what their Lord and Master would do next, then
rejoice as He blew their ever-loving minds. We want to live with the same “breathless
expectation.” Bring about what You may. We’re here for You. Hallelujah.
4. “As soon as we abandon
ourselves to God and do the task He has placed closest to us, He begins to fill
our lives with surprises.”
Christ followers do not sit on
their hands waiting for the next revelation of God. We do what we know to do,
“working heartily as unto the Lord” (Colossians 3:23), anticipating God At
every turn.
We call this, “synergy.” In the
words of John Wesley, “God works as we work.”
As we serve Jesus with great
abandoned today, may He give us eyes to see His amazing surprises. And may we
rejoice with childlike wonder that God is using us, even us.
Father, thank You for things to do
for You today. Please help us be faithful in our doing. We can't wait to experience
more of You along the way.
5. “When we become simply a
promoter or defender of a particular belief, something within us dies.”
This is powerful. It suggests it's
possible to reduce our relationship with the Living God into statements of
faith and doctrine. Then we simply become religious people who defend and
promote our beliefs.
God, have mercy.
Doctrine and dogma certainly have
their place. They provide pavement stones and guardrails as we grow in Christ
and speak of Him to others. But there’s no nutrient in statements of faith alone.
Instead, we “abide in the Vine” (John
15:4), which is Christ our Lord. We draw life and strength from Christ Himself,
not from our beliefs about Him. As beneficial as reciting our creeds can be,
it's no substitute for dynamic, life-giving union with our Savior.
Without the Vine, “something in us dies.”
Faith-tenets can’t nourish our soul. Only the God who made us for Himself.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the living,
breathing, nurturing, satisfying Life that flows through our system as we “live
and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) in You. We drink deeply from Your well
today. Praise.
***********
Sunday, 4.28.24
1. “I will give your life to you
as a prize.”
This is a sensational statement.
God has certainly given us the gift
of life. I’m living and breathing today by the grace of God. Even with life's difficulties,
I thank God for the gift of life.
But, on this earth, my life can and
will be taken from me. Perhaps by accident, sickness or old age, my life will
depart my physical body. At that point, it’s no longer mine. I have no control.
My eternal future is all God's doing.
But, in Christ, God “gives our life
to us as a prize.” That is, God has placed the destiny of our life in our hands
for time and eternity. Whether I live or die, my life is mine forever in
Christ. Hallelujah!
There’s no more important thing
than our life. And, although we don’t know the day our life on this planet will
end, we know our life is safely hidden in Christ for eternity.
The beauty of having been “given my
life as a prize,” means I can choose to give it to the One Who gave it to me.
God gifts me with a prize more precious than anything else, that I might have
the most precious gift to offer my God.
O God, what a beautiful truth!
Thank You forever and ever for the gift of my life. It is my greatest treasure.
And with great love and joy I lay it at Your feet.
2. “Are you prepared to let God
take you into total oneness with Himself?”
I wonder what “total oneness with
God” looks like? I wonder what it might cost? Oswald says it looks like this: “You
no longer pay attention to what you call the great things of life.”
That’s a tall order. I wonder if
that prospect might be hindering me from total oneness with God?
“Are you prepared to surrender
totally and let go?” That's a big question. I might fool myself into thinking I’ve
done so already, but God makes me aware of my tight grip on many externals.
Mercy.
The truth is, God cannot “give my
life to me as a prize” if my hands are already full of the stuff of this life.
It takes guts to let go, but I’m willing to bet what God has to give is of far
greater worth.
Father, I'm drawn to the idea of
“total oneness” with You. I like the romantic notion of “surrendering totally
and letting go.” I’m confident, from Your perspective, this is not the case
with me. Thank You for Your continuing work in my heart toward this aim. May You
accomplish Your goal of total oneness with me.
3. “Once you surrender to God,
you no longer think about what God is going to do.”
In Christ, we may wonder where
things are headed, but we’re not obstinate, demanding or fearful. We’re content
to receive from Jesus’ hand as He chooses.
This is the joyful freedom of our
God-walk, and it comes from trusting God more than we trust our own intuitions.
After all, who else “knows the end from the beginning”? (Isaiah 46:10).
Surrender unburdens us from
concerning ourselves about tomorrow: “Don’t worry about your life, for tomorrow
will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34). And in its place we receive “the peace
that transcends all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
What a tremendous tradeoff.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your
very personal care. We happily surrender our lives to You. We look forward to
doing what we find at hand to do (Ecclesiastes 9:10) and trust You to direct
our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). Thank You for the emancipation of walking with You.
4. “If you’re not totally
surrendered to God, it is either because of disobedience in your life or your
refusal to be simple enough.”
This is heavy and very convicting.
I know good and well I’m not
totally surrendered to God. I certainly don't have the audacity to claim
otherwise. I know I’ve placed limitations and stipulations on my Heavenly Father. ☹
Perhaps there’s known disobedience
in my life, those secret sins I allow myself and have yet to relinquish to God.
Or perhaps I'm not “simple enough”
to receive from my Father's hand as His precious child. I make faith, doctrine,
worldview, etc., much more complicated than that. I encumber my God-walk with
theology, philosophy, reasoning and more.
Ugh.
If the above serve as an impediment
to total surrender, they’re my enemies rather than the friends they claim to be.
And I probably know it better than
I'm willing to admit.
Father, I love the notion of being
totally surrendered to You, heart, mind, body, soul and spirit. Please continue
Your work in my life to this end. May I be simple and obedient enough to fully
abandon to You.
***********
4.27.24
1. “God wants you to be in a
much closer relationship with Himself than simply receiving His gifts.”
The gifts of God are wonderful. The
gift of God Himself is infinitely more so.
Our God is a “giver of all good
gifts” (James 1:17). And the very best Gift He can give is the gift of Himself.
Which means, if our sights are set on anything less, our sights are set on
something infinitely less.
We’re apt to equate God Himself
with His blessings. We give God thanks for the good things in our life. Do we
also gift God thanks for the greatest Gift, the Gift of God Himself?
I wonder if God ever sees us like a
child at Christmas, who opens a gift and plays with the box instead of the gift
inside? How often are we enthralled by the blessings rather than the Giver of
all good gifts?
Heavenly Father, thank You for
giving us the gift of Yourself through faith in Christ. Thank You for
approaching us personally in Jesus, and living in us personally through Your
Holy Spirit. May we revel in Your glorious Gift of our amazing, living and
breathing relationship with You.
2. “There is nothing easier than
getting into right relationship with God, unless it’s not God you’re seeking.”
Why is it so easy to be in
relationship with God? It’s because of the great price God paid with Christ’s
cross. When we take a small step towards God, He takes a giant leap towards us.
Praise Him.
If we miss the mark of right
relationship with God, it’s because we’re aiming at something else.
We may well be striving for good
things—a healthy marriage and family, a healthy mind and body, even meeting
others’ needs. But even well-meaning aims can distract us from the best—right
relationship with God in Christ.
What keeps me from knowing the
ideal relationship with my God? Perhaps it’s because it’s not my focus.
Heavenly Father, thank You for
providing the Way into union with You through the death and Resurrection of
Jesus Christ. Thank You for a taste of that glorious place. May our life-goal
and desire of my heart be more and more of You.
3. Am I a “Christian on my own
terms?”
It’s complete natural to live according
to my own terms. It’s true of every relationship, activity and pursuit we’re a
part of.
That inclination must be defeated
in our relationship with Jesus. To gain fullness of relationship with God requires
surrendering our terms to His.
And it’s a life-long struggle.
God makes it clear to us when we’re
relating to Him on our terms: “God puts
His finger on the reason.” He also gives us the grace to release that thing to
Him—if we only will.
Lord Jesus, please forgive me for attempting
to dictate the terms of our relationship. Please help me walk with You in Your
way, not my own. I give You permission to put Your finger on any impediment,
and I receive Your grace as I seek to dislodge that thing.
4. “As you draw closer to God,
you will cease asking for things altogether.”
This is a beautiful sentiment, but
it’s typically not where I find myself.
I must confess, my prayer life is
full of asks. But that's not wrong. Jesus says, “Ask and you will receive, and
your joy will be made full” (John 16:24).
So, if “God knows our needs before
we ask” (Matthew 6:8), why would we ever ask? Oswald gives us the answer: “We
ask that we might get to know Him.”
Our prayer life, then, is not
simply asking. It’s fellowship with our Father. It’s breathing the oxygen of
heaven. It’s spending time in the healing and fulfilling presence of our
Almighty God.
What a gift.
Father, thank You for the gift of
prayer. We’re so thankful to have Your ear, and even more thankful to have Your
heart. Thank You for wanting to be with us. It’s our joy to be with You as Your
beloved children.
5. “God always ignores your
present level of completeness in favor of your ultimate future completeness.”
What a profound statement.
Our heads are usually in our
present space. We’re very conscious and aware of matters immediately at hand—our
needs, struggles, challenges, wants, etc.
But God views us in the bigger
picture. He certainly cares about our immediate needs, but His eye is on the
long game. “God has begun a good work in us, and will bring it to completion by
the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:6).
God wants us to trust Him in the
present and gain a greater perspective for His Kingdom. God is far more
interested in our eternity than in our present. And if we’re wise, so are we.
Father, thank You for what You do
for us every day, and thank You for what you’re doing for our eternity. We
trust You to do what You must today to bring about our very best forever. We
entrust ourselves to You toward that end.
***********
4.26.24
1. “Character determines how a
person interprets God’s will.”
This makes sense. Surely we ascribe
things to God based on the way we perceive God.
If we view God as a cruel
taskmaster, only motivated by our misery, it’s easy to imagine God’s
commandments as burdensome and arduous.
But if we perceive God as our
Heavenly Father, desiring only that which leads to our flourishing, we recognize
God’s commandments as good and loving.
And, as God continues to shape our
character after His Own, we look forward to obeying. After all, who’s better equipped
to satisfy our soul than the Genius Who made us?
Heavenly Father, not our will, but Yours
be done. We believe You’re perfect in all Your ways. We happily submit
ourselves to You. By Your grace, please help us live in joyful obedience to Your
perfect purposes for our lives.
2. “When God sent an angel to
stay Abraham’s hand, Abraham obeyed.”
This is a masterful interpretation
of this story.
I don’t know of any story in the
Bible that gives us as much consternation as the Story of Abraham Sacrificing Isaac.
But, as Oswald says, “Our character determines how we interpret.”
Oswald’s insight is brilliant. The
Scriptures commend Abraham for his willing obedience to take up the knife to
slay his son. Yet Oswald commends Abraham for his obedience in heeding the
angel and staying his hand.
If Abraham was a “religious
fanatic,” he would have rebuked the angel and followed through with the
sacrifice. Instead, this story depicts Abraham’s determination to obey God,
regardless.
Am I willing to do the same? What
comes first, my conviction or God’s leadership? If it’s the latter, we’ll never
be surprised at how creative, and challenging, God’s leadership can be.
Heavenly Father, please help us be
more obedient than we are religious. Please forgive us when we place our beliefs
before our God. We want to be fully Your fully devoted followers.
3. “It takes the pain of a
tremendous ordeal to break us from beliefs that misrepresent God.”
It’s critical that we examine what
we believe about God, because our God-views are often shaped by family, traditions,
rituals, culture, movies, music, history, philosophy, etc., rather than by the
Scriptures and historic, orthodox doctrine.
And some of our views can be dead
wrong.
“It took the pain of tremendous ordeal
to set Abraham right.” In like manner, God must forcefully “break us from beliefs
that misrepresent Him.” The process can be arduous when our deeply held
convictions are not in keeping with God’s Truth.
May God grace us as He continues
this lifelong process in us.
Heavenly Father, we certainly don’t
want to hold beliefs contrary to Who You are. Please refine us as You must.
Strip away that which is false, even when it hurts. Holy Spirit, please “lead
us in all Truth” (John 16:13).
4. “The devil lies about the true
nature of God.”
Isn’t this the truth? The devil’s
greatest ploy is to misrepresent God and convince us. “The devil is a liar and
the father of lies” (John 8:44). Because it’s a win for the wicked one if he
can skew our God-view.
None of us are above being
deceived. Beginning with Adam & Eve, saints and unbelievers throughout
history have bought the lies.
Is it possible some of our beliefs
are deceptions? Until we’re convinced we can be mistaken, we’re not interested
in self-examination. But once we recognize our vulnerability, we will gladly
and perpetually permit the Holy Spirit to examine us in the Light of the Scriptures
and historic, orthodox doctrine.
Because “we desire God’s Truth in
our inward parts” (Psalm 51:6).
Heavenly Father, please “lead us
not into temptation, but keep us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). Please help
us recognize our liability to be deceived, that we might be all the more driven
to abide in You.
5. “If we remain true to God, He
will lead us straight through every barrier into the inner chamber of knowledge
of Himself.”
Perhaps we think it’s complicated
to comprehend and walk with God. However, Jesus said, “Unless you become as
little children, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 18:3).
“If we remain true to God, He will
lead us…” If we’re willing to give ourselves to God, He’ll bring us into “the
inner chamber” of His fellowship. All we do is “remain true to God” and go
along for the ride.
This is the joy and simplicity of
the God-walk. He’ll take us where we’ve never been, and we can’t begin to explain
how we got there.
Heavenly Father, here we are.
Please help us remain faithful to You above all things. We’re eager for your to
take us to Yourself.
***********
4.25.24
1. “Be ready, whether we
feel like it or not.”
It’s one thing to respond to God when we feel closest to God. It’s
another to do what we know to do for God and His Kingdom, even when we’re
feeling uninspired.
We’ve learned to do what we must do
in other realms of our lives. We get up in the morning and go to work. We care
for our family. We do yard work.
I must learn to do the same in my God-walk.
I must haul myself up daily, plop myself down in the Scriptures, force myself
to my knees in prayer, love unlovely people, and give myself to the service of
God.
It may not be a moment of high
inspiration, but the Holy Spirit dwells in me nevertheless. And when I make the
effort, the Holy Spirit follows with His all-sufficient strength.
No wonder we’re called “disciples.
There’s a discipline to following Jesus.
Heavenly Father, I always know of something
to do as I relate to You. I ask for the spiritual gift of gumption to do that
thing whether I feel like it or not. Please and thank You.
2. “There are some people who
are totally unemployable in the spiritual realm.”
God forbid this should be us.
Mercy.
To be “employed by God” is the
essence of life. We were made by God for His purposes, and nothing less will
satisfy our soul. Our lives are an endless search for that “certain something”
until we discover being “employed by God.”
How sad to be found “unemployable
in the spiritual realm, ” to discover we’re incapable of being used by God.
What on earth has happened to us if this is the case?
“Those who are unemployable are
spiritually feeble and weak.” No one wants to be physically feeble and weak. We
do our best with diet, exercise, rest and more to insure this isn’t the case.
Why would we not do the same
spiritually? Just as physical limitations hamper our daily life, how much more do
our spiritual limitations hamper our mind, body, soul, emotions, imaginations,
creativity and more?
May God help us recognize the “unemployability”
in us, and stir our desire to be absolutely everything we can possibly be for
our God.
Father, we desire to be fully employed
by You. We want to be of use to You. We want to bring You glory and honor all
the days of our finite life on earth. Please make us aware of ways we inhibit
being of use to You. May serving You be the driving force of our life.
3. “Now that I've experienced
this moment of inspiration, I will always be like this for God.”
It's certainly tempting to believe
this is true. In those mountain top moments, we feel as if we could slay dragons.
We’re sure we’ll never be complacent about the things of God again.
This is the challenge with high
spiritual moments. We are sure they represent an upshift in our God-walk, and
we assume we will remain inspired and enlightened.
When we find we are not, we're apt
to go in search of the next mountain top. But, as Oswald says, “Those times are
entirely the gift of God. We cannot give them to ourself when we choose.”
Don't we want to be those who are
consistent in our attitudes and affects, capable of loving and doing, regardless
our emotions or circumstances?
We must recognize doing so will
require a strength beyond our own. Which is why God gave us His Holy Spirit. As
we learn to walk in synergy with God's Spirit, we find God's strength to say, do
and be, regardless of our sense of inspiration.
Holy Spirit, may it be so. Thank You
for the mountain tops, but thank You even more for Your constant presence in
us. Please help us develop a low impedance connection with You, that we might
be empowered in the daily grind. And all for Your glory.
4. “If you make a god out of
your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life.”
I grieve thinking of the many, many
Christians I’ve known who base their faith and God-walk in the best moments of
their past. Perhaps it was during a meaningful conversion experience or
baptism. Perhaps it was a powerful worship service or mission trip. Perhaps it
was a particular small group or individuals in our past.
Then, as those moments fade, so
does our sense of God's presence. We try with all of our might to replicate
those moments, but we will always be unsuccessful. They were then, and this is
now.
Thank God, “His mercies are new
every morning” (Lamentations 3:22). May we discover our best moments were
merely a taste about things to come. Hallelujah!
Heavenly Father, may You be our
only God, rather than us making a god out of our best moments. May we learn to
live in the everyday dynamic of fellowship with You by Your Spirit. Thank You
for giving us a taste of what is possible on an ongoing basis.***********
4.24.24
1. “The trap that most endangers
us as Christian workers is not worldliness or sin, it’s desiring spiritual
success.”
What’s “spiritual success?” Oswald
says it’s “the form set by this religious age in which we now live.”
What does this amount to in our
day? For starters, perhaps it's the goal of going to heaven when we die. If
that’s our mark of our faith, we fall short of God's greater intentions for us.
Our names are certainly written in the Lamb’s Book of Life when we trust Christ,
but that’s only the beginning of our God-walk:
God intends to “conform us to the image of Jesus” (Romans 8:29).
Or, our “religious age” might suggest
spiritual success looks like a plentiful, carefree life, with perfect health
and material blessings. Or perhaps an ideal marriage, family and kids. Or
complete freedom from hurts, hang ups and habits. But walking with Jesus may
not yield the perfect life on earth: “Jesus said, ‘In this world you will have
tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’” (John 16:33).
Instead, may we “never seek
anything other than the approval of God.” This is spiritual success in the eyes
of God. We're not striving for the standards of this age, but God’s Kingdom standards.
And we can only rise to these standards by the grace of God through the Holy
Spirit.
Father, thank You for Your work in delivering
us from worldliness and sin. Please also deliver us from using “the form set by
this religious age” to measure our spiritual success. Instead, may our hope and
aim be no less than Your daily approval. Only by Your grace, O Lord.
2. “We have a commercialized
view of spiritual success—how many souls have been saved and sanctified.”
Oswald isn’t downplaying our work in
helping people know Jesus. Instead, Oswald is challenging us to take people
beyond salvation and new life, into a lifetime of discipleship.
“Our work is not to save souls, but
to disciple them.” This is directly in line with New Horizon’s present posture.
Our aim is not simply church attendance, conversions and baptisms, but to make
disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples.
“Salvation and sanctification are
the work of God's grace, and our work as His disciples is to disciple others.”
This is a great breakdown of the progression in Christian faith, and visualizing
God's role and our role. Indeed, we play a part in sharing and inviting people
to the Kingdom of God, yet it's God Who draws people to Himself, and imbues
them with salvation and new life. Then it’s our role to help them “live lives
that are totally yielded to God.”
Of course, we can’t lead people
where we have not been ourselves. Therefore, we must honestly assess our God-walk.
Perhaps we’re saved and have received new life in Christ, but are we moving in
the direction of totally yielding our lives to God? It's only as we walk this
path that we can help others walk this path.
Holy Father, thank You for
entrusting us in Your process of transforming lives. May we be faithful to do
what only we can do as You do what only You can do.
3. “One life totally devoted to
God is of more value to Him than one hundred lives which have been simply
awakened by His Spirit.”
I'm so convicted by this statement.
For years and years I've worked to create ministries and experiences that
awaken people's spirit. And I'm thrilled when they have powerful God-moments.
But this is only the beginning of
the process. Our work continues by helping people become totally devoted to
God. It’s only those who are totally devoted to God that transform families,
churches communities and our world for God’s Kingdom.
Father, please help us go far
beyond aiming to provide titillating God-experiences. Please give us a heart
for connecting with people who have had such experiences, and leading them in
the even greater experience of becoming fully-devoted followers of Jesus
Christ.
4. “As God's workers, we must
reproduce our own kind spiritually.”
This has been my coaching with New
Horizon’s disciple-makers. That is, they are not merely group leaders, but they
are commissioned to “reproduce our own kind spiritually.”
It's one thing too facilitate group
conversation. It's another thing altogether to press into others, help them lay
foundation stones of faith, and work to transfer what we've received from
Christ into their souls.
“As Christian workers, God is
bringing us up to a standard of life through His grace, and we are responsible
for reproducing that same standard in others.” We’re growing in faith, and God
intends for us to help others grow in faith as well. All God has invested in us,
He intends for us to invest in others.
Father, how we squander what You've
given us. We receive it and enjoy it as if the end game is our personal
edification. Please help us visualize ourselves helping others receive from You
what we've received from You.
5. “Unless the Christian worker
lives a life that is ‘hidden with Christ in God,’” we will be unsuccessful in replicating
disciples.
It's only as we “live life that is
hidden with Christ in God,” that we sense God's calling to help others do the
same. Until then, our faith is only a practical matter—going to Heaven when we
die, strength for daily living, peace, joy, fulfilment, etc.
But, as we grow in our relationship
with Jesus, we gain His heart for others, and we begin to embrace Gis Great
Commission to “go and make disciples.”
It’s in union worth God through
Christ that we learn to access the Holy Spirit in us for the purpose of helping
others know and grow in Jesus. As we abide in Christ, we come to realize we
have nothing to offer except that which we have received from Jesus Himself.
I cannot give to others what I don’t
possess myself. I cannot call others to live
a life “hidden with Christ in God” if mine is not. Lord, have mercy
Father, Son and Spirit, we want to
live in union with You in the way and to the degree You intend. As we seek to
do so, please help us also graciously receive your commission to help others do
the same. May we be successful in replication, O Lord.
***********
4.23.24
1. “We are God's fellow workers,” (1 Corinthians 3:9)
Oswald is reminding us of the
nuance of this Scripture passage. We don't simply work FOR God; we work WITH God.
Those two statements are very different.
The first is laborious. We're apt
to see ourselves as minions under God’s hand. Or, perhaps we see ourselves
working to appease God and earn His favor. Or, we may choose our work and
justify its importance as “God's work.”
This approach can be exhausting. It
can lead to bitterness towards God if we’re working in our own strength. It can also breed a sense of superiority in
our work—after all, what could be more important than working for God?
Working WITH God is a different
matter. First, we’re subordinate to God—God chooses the work and calls the
shots. We don’t dictate to God, but follow His leadership. Second, we don’t labor
alone, but in partnership with God. That means God does the heavy lifting. Third,
the purpose of our work is God’s, not our own. We're more concerned with what
God gets out of it than what we get out of it.
The latter is a very freeing notion
of serving God. As we work together with God, we enjoy fellowship with God, and
experience the ups and downs, laughs and heartaches, and rigor and celebration
with God.
Nothing in this world is more
satisfying then serving alongside the King of Kings.
Father, thank You for our
incredibly meaningful lives as we serve with our Savior. Lord Jesus, have us
today. Put us to Your use. We look forward to being with You.
2. “As we concentrate on God, we’re
completely free with the freedom God gives His worshipping child.”
Soul-freedom is the best kind of
freedom. And it's ours as we give ourselves to Jesus.
A number of years ago I was blessed
to do a walking sabbatical in Italy. As I traveled from cathedral to cathedral
with my Bible in hand, I stayed in various Air B&B’s and even a convent.
In the convent, a senior nun
befriended me. She could only speak Italian, so we used Google Translate on my
phone to communicate. She loved doting on me during my stay. We even topped off
my visit with a time of extended prayer together in their Chapel. It was a joy.
As I was leaving, she made a
comment that humbled my heart. She said, “You’re the freest individual I've
ever met.” I can't imagine a greater compliment. And I owe it all to the
freedom Christ affords me with His loving fellowship. Hallelujah!
May Christ’s freedom be our daily
experience, beloved.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the
incredible freedom You offer as we live in a worshipping relationship with You.
Thank You for bearing our burdens. Thank you for filling our hearts with Your
love, joy and peace. Thank You for the Great Adventure of walking with You day-by-day.
Love.
3. “A worker who lacks concentration on God will
become overly burdened, a slave to their own limits, burned out and defeated.”
I certainly know this experience.
We can become so consumed by our work, and so distracted from God, that we wind
up working in our own strength, trying our hearts and minds, and exhausted and
depleted.
That's not to say God doesn't call
us to do hard things that will tax our reserves. Hardly. He called Jesus to the
cross.
But I've also experienced the
wonderful satisfaction of being completely and utterly exhausted—mind, body,
soul and spirit—in serving alongside Jesus. In my depleted state, I find the great
satisfaction of having been a co-laborer with my Savior.
And I sense His glorious words: “Well
done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).
Lord Jesus, thank You for those
opportunities to spend myself for You and Your Kingdom. I love when it feels
like every ounce of energy mattered. I long for that on a daily basis. I want
to know that my life is making a difference for time and eternity. Thank You
for such tremendous opportunities
4. “No longer is the responsibility on you for
the work. The only responsibility you have is to stay in constant touch with
God.”
As we serve God, I think some of
the greatest burden and burnout can come from a sense of great responsibility
for the outcome.
I suppose I'm responsible for the
outcome as I'm digging post holes for fencing around the New Horizon Orphanage
in Haiti. If I slack off or take shortcuts, the end product will suffer.
But, in serving God's Kingdom, we’re
also working with human hearts. Although we can encourage or discourage another
soul, we can't transform their heart to love and serve Jesus. Only God can do that.
When we relieve ourselves of the
responsibility of heart-change, we free ourselves to seek Jesus on behalf of
others. In doing so, we take our cues from Him along the way, effervesce the Fruit
of the Spirit, and entrust precious hearts to Jesus.
And that's becomes our greatest responsibility.
Lord Jesus, we offer You our full
attention today. We leave hearts in Your capable hands for shaping and forming.
Please inspire us with winsome words as we relate to others. May our proximity
to You become evident to them.
5. “God engineers everything He
places on us, and our goal is to pour out our lives in wholehearted devotion to
Him.”
This statement is a challenging. Do
I believe God in His Sovereignty is engineering the matters I will deal with
today? Do I believe He places them upon me with His Holy hand?
If I do, I will be of the mind to
draw upon His grace as I shoulder the come-what-may of today. If not, I'm
liable to grouse and complain, and think God unfair.
Which will I choose? My attitudes
and affect will certainly demonstrate my decision.
Heavenly Father, help me to grow in
my absolute confidence of Your complete Sovereignty. I know “stuff happens” on
planet earth, and much of it is beyond my control. Please help me gratefully
received from Your hand today, and pour out my energies in wholehearted
devotion to you.
***********
4.22.24
1. “People who used to be lights
to us will flicker out, and those who used to stand with us will turn away.”
Isn't this the sad truth? There are
so many who have been points of reference in our lives, yet no longer are.
Sometimes it's because of failed relationship
on our part or theirs. Sometimes it's because of life changes or moral failings.
But the effect is the same—we no
longer have that anchor to which we can moor our boat.
Oswald is speaking to our growing
relationship with Jesus. In time, regardless of the bulwarks in our life,
Christ becomes our ultimate grounding. Then, as people come and go, Christ
continually stands.
Thank God.
Lord Jesus, thank You for being the
Rock beneath our feet. How difficult if must be for those who don’t have Your immovable
foundation to stand upon. May our lives demonstrate the consistency of “the
anchor of our soul” (Hebrews 6:19), so others might discover and find security
in You, too.
2. “Important individuals in our
lives are meant to go, so that we will look into the face of God.”
I don't believe Oswald is
suggesting God plucks important individuals from our lives. Instead, they are training
wheels on our bike. As they are removed, we learn to look to Jesus for
ourselves.
As long as we have parents, teachers,
mentors, ministers, best friends, etc., we will look to those people before we
look to God. But, in time, we realize they cannot fully provide our needs.
It's in those moments we’re forced
to look to Jesus. Thank God for those people, but thank God we have something
more sure than the most important people in our lives.
We have the infallible God as our
Heavenly Father. Praise Him forever.
Father, thank You for teaching us
to look to You above all others. Thank You for the crises in our lives that
cause us to do so. Train our hearts to instinctively look to You before we look
to others—not out of disregard for others, but out of our highest regard for You.
3. “A Christian servant is one
who perpetually looks into the face of God and then goes forth to talk to
others.”
How profound. I’m never as useful
to others as when I'm closest to Jesus.
Proximity to Jesus doesn’t happen
by accident. I must diligently pursue Him. And when I do, my heart and mind become
seasoned and helpful as I interact with others.
It's amazing to me how often I’m able
to speak with others out of a very recent encounter with God in the Scriptures,
in prayer, in a conversation with someone else, etc.
As someone has said, “When I pray,
coincidences happen. When I don't, they don't.”
Heavenly Father, may our worth to
others be heightened by our consistent relationship with You. Thank You for the
grace and wisdom You give us for their sake.
4. “The ministry of Christ is
characterized by an abiding glory of which the servant is totally unaware.”
I've certainly experienced this in
other people. They have no idea they are glowing with the glory of God.
They are unaware because it has
nothing to do with them, and everything to do with God Himself. They simply
abide in Christ, and His glory manifests itself.
How I long to be this person, so beaming
with Jesus that others see Him instead of me!
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your
glory in others. Thank You for those saints who shine so brightly for You. In
time, may it be us as well, and may we be unimaginably oblivious.
5. “The secret of the servant's
life is that they stay in tune with God all the time.”
What does it mean to “stay in tune
with God?”
Does it mean we’re always obedient?
Does it mean we’re without sin? Does it mean we sequester ourselves to a monastic
life?
Surely not.
“David was a man after God's own
heart” (Acts 13:22). As we know full-well, David was anything but the perfect
man. He had incredible personal faults and fallouts.
Yet David knew how to seek God, how
to walk in faith, and how to repent. David certainly paid a high price for his
disobedience, yet he went down in the annals of Biblical history as one upon
whom God bestowed great matters.
Can we be entrusted with the things
of God? Can God anticipate us too step out in great faith? Are we those who
will respond to the Holy Spirit’s direction and conviction, including repenting
and turning from our disobedience?
Surely this is an opportunity for
all men and women. Surely God is searching for such. All it requires is our
determination. May it be so.
Heavenly Father, it's the desire of
our heart to be Your man or woman. We want You to safely trust in us. We want
our lives to fulfill the purposes for which You created us. Please give us the
heart and pluck to stay in tune with our God all the time. We say, “yes,” O
Lord.
***********
4.21.24
1. “Our Lord must be repeatedly
astounded at how “un-simple’ we are.”
I love the passages in the Gospels
when “the people were amazed at Jesus” (Matthew 7:28), because He’s that
awesome.
I'm also struck by the passages in
the Gospels when “Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith” (Mark 6:6). Ouch.
In both places, the amazement Jesus
and others experience is triggered by humankind’s lack of faith. Which means, sadly,
Jesus and I are consistently amazed by one another.
I can understand why Jesus views
faith as “simple.” We're “simply” trusting our Almighty God, the greatest Reality
of all.
But I’m never convinced faith is that
simple. It’s because I refuse to be so simple as to simply believe.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, “I believe; please help my
unbelief” (Mark 9:24). If only I were simple enough to trust You more. Please
increase my faith. I want to truly believe.
2. “When we are simple, we have
discernment all the time period”
For me, this speaks of our God-given
capability of discerning the things of God by virtue of the Holy Spirit living
in us.
It's me that complicates matters.
When I'm inspired with discernment, I seem to need to overthink it, reason it
through, and run multiple verifications in my thoughts and mind.
But if I'll be simple enough to be
moved by the quiet swaying of the Holy Spirit, I find it very natural to sense
God's heart and mind in the day-to-day.
If only I will.
Lord Jesus, You tell me, “unless I
become as a little child I will not inherit the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 18:3).
I pray I would become childlike enough to be “simple” enough to simply walk in Your
Spirit.
3. “It is highly probable that
we are hurting Jesus by what we ask.”
I wonder how often I hurt Jesus
with my constant questioning? Even if I don't speak the question, the question
is running in my heart: “Can I trust You? Do You have my best interest in mind?
Will You ever leave or forsake me?”
In Jesus’ mind, these questions
have all been answered by His cross and Resurrection. “All the promises of God
in Christ are yes” (2 Corinthians 1:20).
It surely breaks Jesus’ heart when I
question Him again and again. Thank God, He's patient with me, and is happy to
assure me as often as I need.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your
faithfulness. Please forgive me for needing verification time after time. “O for
grace to trust You more.”
4. “If I believe in Jesus and His
attributes, am I living up to my belief?”
I love reciting the Apostles Creed
and other statements of faith. And I love proclaiming the promises and mighty acts
of God.
The question is, do I truly believe
what I claim to believe? Because the only way to demonstrate my faith is to
live it.
Is God truly Almighty? Is nothing
impossible for God? Is He my Savior and Keeper? Does He hold me in the palm of
his hands? Will He meet my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ
Jesus?
It's one thing to speak these
things as true. It's another to navigate my daily life upon these paving
stones.
By Your mercy, O Lord, may it be so,
more and more.
5. “I have to get to the point
in my relationship with God to take everything exactly as it comes from Him.”
This speaks to our confidence in
the absolute Sovereignty of God.
Certainly there are evils in our
world that affect us every day. We also have an enemy of our soul who seeks to
steal, kill and destroy. And I am more than capable of dumb decisions.
At the same time, I have a God Who
oversees my life, and He anticipates me to trust Him explicitly with everything
that comes my way. Although He may not be the source of everything that affects
me, He’s my Rock and stay, no matter what.
My confidence in God’s Sovereignty
is borne out through my fully-devoted relationship to Jesus.
Lord Jesus, I confess my life does
not always demonstrate my utter confidence in Your Sovereignty. It's why I
worry, strive and wear myself out trying to manipulate and navigate. Thank You
for my growing relationship with You. May I grow in my confidence of Your Sovereignty
and receive everything that comes my way in fellowship with You.
***********
4.20.24
1. “Never measure our spiritual
capacity on the basis of our education or intellect.”
We're likely to think of our
spiritual capabilities much like we think of our natural capabilities, which can
be measured by an aptitude test. We're also likely to equate our natural
giftedness with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Neither is accurate. Certainly, any
capacity we have for thinking, breathing, moving, creating, etc., is a gift
from God. But “spiritual gifts” are manifestation of God's Spirit living in us
as believers.
Therefore, “it’s possible for us to
misjudge our capacities.” That’s because our natural capacities have nothing to
do with spiritual capacities. “Our capacity in spiritual things is measured on
the basis of the promises of God.”
Which means, as we seek God, and as
the Holy Spirit has His way in us, we’re unlimited in our spiritual capacities.
And recognizing this truth makes
all the difference when God nudges us.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the
gift of Your Holy Spirit in us, and the unlimited capacities He brings. May we learn
to judge ourself based on Your infinite rather than our finite.
2. “If we get less than God
wants us to have, we will falsely accuse God.”
We're likely unaware of our
accusations and indictments of God. Lord, have mercy.
“All the promises of God in Christ
are yes and amen.” The more and more we recognize the power of the cross and Holy
Spirit, the less we’ll blame God and recognize our shortcomings.
Our failures are never God's fault.
“When it's a question of God's Almighty
Spirit, never say, I can't.” God says we can because His Spirit dwells in us in
Christ. Our weakness is our failure to interface with God's Spirit and His
infinite capacities.
God forgive us when we lay blame at
His feet.
Holy Father, not only do we take You
for granted, but we unwittingly blame You for so many things. Please have
mercy. Thank You for giving us all things in Christ. Please help us give
ourselves to receiving all You have for us. May our lives be demonstrations of
our gratitude.
3. “If we have received the Holy
Spirit, God expects the work of the Holy Spirit to be exhibited in us.”
If we trust Christ, we’ve received
God's Spirit As such, the Spirit is eager to manifest Himself in our daily lives.
This certainly includes the Fruit
of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. These qualities are the supernatural effervescence
of Christ's Spirit living in us.
But the Holy Spirit is also to be
exhibited in our obedience, courage, boldness, tenacity, endurance and more.
The Spirit of God in us means we’re capable of sensing God's nudges and
responding to His leadership in the power of His Spirit.
The work of God's Kingdom is
accomplished by God's Spirit working through God's people. Thank God for the
latent and humane qualities of humankind. But thank God even more for the exhibition
of the Holy Spirit Through Christ's followers.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the
incredible demonstrations of our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the ages.
May we be among them in our day-to-day, as we serve Your purposes. All praise,
honor and glory is Yours. Amen!
4. “Have we been falsely
accusing God by daring to worry?”
Oswald offers quite the challenge.
Who are we to worry when “all the
promises of God in Christ are yes and amen”? It's as if we think God will leave
us hanging high and dry.
Jesus never worried because He was confident
of God's care and provision, every moment of every day. God extends that
privilege to us as we are adopted as His children through faith in Christ.
Do we consider worry to be
accusatory towards God? Perhaps that's not our intention, but think about how
God has proven Himself faithful time and again. Surely we’re hurt when those we
love distrust us.
“O for grace to trust You more.”
Heavenly Father, please forgive us
for inadvertently accusing You when we’re tempted to worry. You haven't failed
us yet. Please help us trust You won't fail us today. Thank You for caring and
providing for us just as You did for Your Son.
5. “The person who is lazy is
always full of anxious self-pity, always saying, ‘I haven’t been given a decent
chance.’”
Goodness. Oswald gives us quite the
insight here. This doesn't simply apply to our relationship with God, but regards
how others might experience us.
Do I exhibit self-pity? Am I
envious of others for their opportunities? Do I excuse myself because others seem
to have a leg-up over me?
We all know the smell of self-pity in
others. It's noxious. I wonder what people smell in us? God, have mercy.
Heavenly Father, please forgive us for
slothfulness. And please forgive us when we blame you instead of taking
responsibility. Thank you for the tremendous opportunities you've given us. By Your
Spirit, please help us take ourselves by the scruff of the neck and do what we
no to do. And offer Your glory.
***********
4.19.24
1. “Be alert about the things
that may appear to be the least likely to tempt you.”
We do well to recognize that better
people than us have fallen at lesser things. To maintain a keen sense of our
vulnerability to temptation and sin is a critical awareness.
No matter my station in life, I
will never outgrow my vulnerabilities. Temptation and sin may change form, but this
truth always remains: I’m always just one
step away from doing something very stupid.
I watch people struggle with
matters I don’t presently struggle with. If I’m not facing these temptations
presently, it's easy to presume I never will.
But, when I truly get to know
myself, I recognize I can never say never. “Where one person has turned backs
is exactly where anyone may be tempted to turn back.”
Lord Jesus, please have mercy. I’m not
above any temptation or sin. I’m as vulnerable as the next person. Please help me remain
vigilant and alert, with my eyes on You and my back towards my lusts. I'm no
match for them, but thankfully, they’re no match for You. Hallelujah!
2. “Beware of thinking you are
least likely to stumble in the areas of previous victories.”
I've had moments of great victory
over great temptation. They had me by the throat, but God prevailed and
delivered me. Hallelujah!
I'm foolish to think that particular
temptation no longer hold sway over me.
In fact, I may be more vulnerable
there than ever. For instance, I incurred a significant twisted ankle playing
volleyball years ago. I recovered from that injury, but that ankle remains more
prone to injury than my other.
I must not assume yesterday's
victory makes me impervious to today's temptation. I only survived yesterday by
God's grace, and I will only survive today by the same.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the
great victories You have wrought in my life. May I never assume Your
deliverance without also hiding myself in the shadow of Your wings.
3. “Don't try to predict where
temptation will come; the real danger is likely to be the least likely thing.”
If I am attempting to predict the
next temptation, my eyes are on the temptation instead of on Jesus. That leaves
me completely vulnerable to other temptations.
It is amazing how, while God graces
me to overcome a significant temptation, I can immediately fall to a smaller
and lesser temptation.
Sometimes it's because I get cocky.
If God can deliver me from that one, He can surely deliver me from anything.
I must recognize both God's
deliverance and my great vulnerability. I must sustain Christ as my rear guard
as well as my front-facing Shield.
Lord Jesus, please help me live in
a constant state of dependence upon You and Your power over temptation. I have
no idea where the next temptation will come from, but I know where my help
comes from. Therefore I will seek to continually dwell in Your powerful
presence.
4. “It's in the aftermath of a
great spiritual event that the least likely things begin to have an effect.”
I love an impactful mission trip, spiritual
retreat or other mountaintop experience with God. However, what I've learned
is, the devil is on the prowl, eager to trip us up afterwards. “Beware of the
undercurrent.”
As I lead such events, I
intentionally coach participants in what I affectionately refer to as “reentry.”
As we descend the mountain and reenter real life, we’ll discover nothing has
changed below—including our daily challenges, hardships and temptations.
It's utterly amazing how quickly we
can have our legs kicked out from under us after significant encounters with
God. We’re foolish to believe we're no longer vulnerable, even after the most
intense God-moments.
Lord, have mercy.
Indeed, Lord Jesus, have mercy on
our souls. We relish the periodic “great spiritual events” You gift us with along
the way. May we be fully aware of our vulnerabilities afterwards. Please help
us recognize You're not finished with us yet.
5. “Bible characters stumbled
over their strong points, never their weak ones.”
This is powerful. Our greatest
strengths can become our greatest liabilities.
Surely it's because we falsely
believe our strength is sufficient regarding our strong suits. We take for
granted our best capabilities, while avoiding or attempting to address our
weaknesses.
“Unguarded strength is actually a
double weakness.” If we’re guarding our liabilities, we leave our strengths unguarded.
In this way, our strengths ironically become our vulnerabilities.
And just imagine the mess we can
make with our greatest strengths.
Father, thank You for our areas of giftedness.
We offer them to You for Your purposes. Please help us steward them well, never
taking them for granted, and always aware of their great liabilities.
***********
4.18.24
1. “When God speaks, many of us
are like people in a fog and give no answer.”
“In a fog” is a great metaphor when
we discuss God’s “voice.”
For instance, we might be “foggy”
on the issue of whether or not God speaks to His people. God certainly does throughout
the Scriptures, but does He speak today? Jesus claims He does, and does so by
His Holy Spirit which He has given us: “My sheep know My voice and they follow Me”
(John 10:27).
We might also be “foggy” on how to
recognize God’s voice. How do we know it's God and not our own thoughts or even
the devil? Perhaps it’s helpful to consider how we’re able to recognize the
voice of a loved one, even in a crowd of other voices. And we hear their voice
even more distinctly when we eliminate distractions.
But it seems the “fog” Oswald is
speaking of is our willingness to respond when God does speak. Have we
determined to hear? Have we set aside our will to make way for His? Are we
anticipating His still, small voice? Are we delighted to hear and obey?
We will most likely always fight
the “fog” in this matter, but the fog begins to clear as we settle our hearts
on the matters above. Once we do, we may discover God speaks to us more often
than we imagined.
Father, there’s no greater joy then
hearing from our God. Thank You for Your nearness and fellowship. Thank You for
Your comforting words. Thank You for impressing upon our hearts Your love,
encouragement and leadership. May You find us eager to listen and respond.
2. “Readiness means having a
right relationship to God and having the knowledge of where we are.”
I hear, “right relationship,” as
prioritizing our relationship with God above all things. We're seeking God
because we aim to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We’re
eagerly participating in God's ongoing work of sanctification—refining us,
shaping us and conforming us to the image of Christ. We’re realizing God has
purpose for us every moment of every day, and we're determined to follow His
leadership to that end.
I hear, “knowledge of where we
are,” as self-awareness and self-understanding. For instance, I’m a human
being, created to bear the image of God everywhere I go. I’m a sinful soul in
need of Christ's forgiveness, and I’ll be eternally in His debt for His grace and
mercy. And I’m “God's workmanship, created for good works which God has
prepared for me” (Ephesians 2:10).
With these foundation stones in
place, I’m “ready” to hear and respond as God may call. His call is not a
strange thing, nor is it an imposition. Instead, it’s the desire of my heart,
and, by His grace, I've decided ahead of time to say “yes.
Heavenly Father, I want to be
“ready.” Please help me desire right relationship with You above all things,
and please give me greater understanding of who I am in Your eyes. I want to be
Your man, O God.
3. “We wait with the idea that
some great opportunity or something sensation will be coming our way.”
We may imagine God isn’t concerned
with the petty and mundane, but only with the great matters of our life and our
world. Unfortunately, if that is our posture, “we won’t be ready for some
obscure duty.”
Perhaps we only view God as
infinite in magnitude. As such, the trivial is surely beneath Him. However,
God's enormity also means He is forever and always present, even in the
smallest details.
Or perhaps we're not interested in
God's leadership in the day-to-day. If God would call us to some great work, we
would give it consideration. Surely we’re quite capable of handling everyday
matters.
But God almost seems more
interested in the micro than the macro. Perhaps it's because the macro is
made-up of scores of micros. But perhaps it's because, “You’ve been faithful in
the small things; I’ll entrust you with greater things” (Matthew 25:23).
Either way, in the eyes of God,
nothing is insignificant.
Heavenly Father, we offer ourselves
to You for big and small, things that seem important and unimportant, and things
seen by others and unseen. We're simply overjoyed to be included in the work of
Your Kingdom.
4. “Jesus expects to do with us
just as the Father did with Him.”
We often see Jesus’ life as an
example of how we, too, should live. Jesus is certainly our standard and
example for walking with God.
But Jesus also exhibited great
fidelity, deference and obedience to His Father. “The Son can say or do nothing
except what He sees His Father say or do” (from John 5:19). And Jesus
anticipates us to do the same.
That's why Oswald can assert, “Jesus
can put us wherever He wants because our union with Him is the same as His
union with the Father.”
We might imagine this kind of
relationship is far beyond our reach. But it certainly aligns with Jesus prayer:
“Father, may they be one just as You and I are one.”
Jesus is a Son to His Father, and by
Christ’s cross and Resurrection, we can be adopted as God’s sons and daughters.
As such, it’s God's gift and intention that we experience the same relationship
with Him as Jesus did.
Wow.
Heavenly Father, how can this be
so? Yet it is through Jesus Christ our Lord. Hallelujah! Lord Jesus, we give
ourselves to You as You gave Yourself to the Father. Thank You for so great a
privilege as to walk with You. Have Your way with us today.
5. “Be ready for the sudden
surprise visits of God.”
The funny thing is, even when we
feel we are “ready,” God's visits are always very pleasant surprises.
That is, we rarely anticipate when
or how God will approach us. Even with years and years of experience in walking
with Jesus, His ways remain mysterious and defy description.
But isn't that the joy of the God
walk? Thank God for a God who is infinitely beyond our comprehension.
Thank You for Your glorious ways, O
God. It's the joy of our life to walk in intimate and loving relationship with You.
May we do so more and more.
***********
4.17.24
1. Have you had a crisis in
which you have deliberately, earnestly and recklessly abandoned everything?”
We’ve all witnessed this happening in
another soul in very negative ways. That is, because of a great loss, rejection,
wounding, etc., some have completely withdrawn, isolate themselves and become emotionally
paralyzed.
That's not what Oswald is speaking
of when he speaks of “abandoning.”
He’s referring to life situations
which are so far beyond our control and ability, that we find ourselves on our
face before God, laying everything at His feet.
It's coming to the place where we
recognize God is our only hope.
I wouldn’t wish such crises upon
anyone, yet I know from experience what such moments bring about in our lives.
It's a very healthy thing to recognize how infinitesimally small we are in the
bigger picture, and how magnificently enormous our God truly is.
And sometimes only a crisis can
bring this revelation about.
Father, thank You for personal
crises in our lives which convince us of our finitude, and cause us to cry out to
our infinite God. Having “deliberately, earnestly and recklessly abandon
everything,” may we leave those things at Your feet and walk in the amazing,
unfettered freedom of the children of God.
2. “The giving up of only
external things may actually be an indication of your being in total bondage.”
This is very insightful.
There are those who imagine that
stripping themselves from all externals will free them on the inside. This is
certainly true if we feel we’re absolving ourselves by self-denial.
“Giving up external things” can
also be driven by our cravings and habits. There are those who sacrifice
family, friends, jobs and security, in order to feed all-consuming addictions.
“True surrender is reached
internally.” This is the “transaction of a will” Oswald is speaking of. We’re dethroning
ourselves, our preferences, druthers, decision making, etc., in favor of God's
leadership in our lives.
Unfortunately, we know from
experience, internal surrender is far more challenging than external.
At the same time, internal
surrender is much more freeing. It's because we're giving ourselves to the One
Who holds all things in His hands. We're abandoning ourselves to the God Who
made us and knows us better than we know ourselves. We’re His beloved, and only
our God knows what will truly satisfy our soul.
Lord Jesus, into Your hands we
command our heart, mind and will. We gladly surrender to Your Lordship and
leadership. We trust You and believe Your ways are best. Thank You for the
freedom we experience when we commit ourselves to You.
3. “Any positive emotion that results
from committing ourselves to Jesus is simply a superficial blessing.”
Oswald is challenging us not to be
subservient to our emotions. “If you focus your attention on the emotion, you
will never make the transaction.”
That is, our emotions cannot guide
us in our God-walk. There are certainly times of peace and joy as we are
obedient to Jesus, but they cannot be our guiding principle. Emotions are
fickle, and come and go like the wind.
Our guiding principle is the Lordship
of Jesus Christ. We commit ourselves to responding to His leadership,
regardless how we feel.
Love is on the same order. We don't
rely on our emotions when we love others. We love as an act of our will. There
may well be accompanying emotions, but they do not determine when and how we
will love another.
Thank God for His blessings, but the
greatest blessing is simply being His child. It's our relationship with our Heavenly
Father that sets everything else right in our lives.
Lord Jesus, we commit ourselves to You.
We believe You are Truth and Light. Thank You for the gift of life founded and
grounded on the Rock.
4. “Let everything else go, and
concentrate on maintaining your intimate relationship with Jesus.”
Herein lies the crux of the matter:
All of life’s incidentals become aligned
as we set our sights on the face of Jesus.
What does this look like in real life?
We're developing the ability to visualize ourselves, others and the world
around us, through the lens of the Kingdom of God. We’re becoming more aware that
every breath we take is breathed in the very presence of God.
When we begin to visualize God is
the Pinion of all things, great and small, then every matter becomes a God-matter.
Every decision becomes a God-decision. Every act effects time and eternity. And
we’re determined to make every moment count.
There’s no greater relationship
that our relationship with Jesus. And there’s no greater life-pursuit than sustaining
and deepening that relationship. Afterall, it’s the only thing that will last
forever.
Lord Jesus, in great gratitude,
with great conviction, and with great love and joy, we commit ourselves to You.
By Your grace, we choose to devote our greatest concentrations towards You.
***********
4.16.14
1. “We all have moments when we
feel better than ever, and feel fit for anything.”
Along the way with Jesus, we've all
had these moments. So did the disciples: after Jesus performed wonders, after
significant gatherings with people, the Mount of Transfiguration, the Triumphal
Entry, etc.
“We were not meant to always feel
this way.” These are special and blessed experiences. They are moments of
revelation and renewal. They are periodic way-points as we walk with Jesus.
“These are moments of insight which
we live up to even when we don't feel like it.” The motivation to hunker down
and do the hard work of reaching a goal is a vision of the goal itself. That's
what mountain top moments are all about.
One day, “our faith will become
sight.” But until that day we’re nudged along by periodic experiences of “the
glory to be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). May we be compelled by those special
moments.
Father, thank You for the
invaluable mountain top moments along the way. Thank You for transforming our
hearts in those moments, and giving us a taste of our greater reality. May the
memories of those precious moments fuel us as we press on day-by-day.
2. “Many of us are no good for
the everyday world when we are not on the mountaintop.”
This is a statement of the fickle
nature of human beings.
When life is good—when we love our
job, when our marriage is hitting on all cylinders, when we have cash in our pocket,
when we’re looking forward to an exciting life-adventure in the near future,
etc.—in these moments we’re happy, energetic and pleasant to be around.
But our whimsical moments can come
crashing down when we least expect them. Things can go south quickly—our plans
are disrupted, the demands of others stack up, the onset of aches and pains,
etc. Suddenly we are irritated, impatient and annoying.
A great challenge in our God-walk is
to be consistent throughout our ups and downs, mountain tops and valley lows,
euphoria and heartbreak, etc. This consistency is not within our fickle human
nature. However, it’s indeed the nature of Christ-in-us by His Holy Spirit, which
permits us to demonstrate the even-keel of Christ, come what may, if only we
will.
Christ’s reputation is on the line
in the daily lives of His followers. May
His consistent temperament be a constant and high priority for us today.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your
unchanging, steady-state, character, mood and affect. Thank You that “you do
not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). Please help us be more like
you.
3. “Never allow a feeling that
is awakened in you on the mountain top to evaporate.”
In those mountain-top moments, God
has given us a vision and taste of what can be. He doesn’t impute a state of
peace and pleasantness upon us. He's letting us experience the well-being that
can be ours as we abide in Christ.
Mountaintop experiences don’t transport
us out of chaos into a carefree existence. Instead, in those mountaintop
experiences, we experienced Christ Himself.
The joy and freedom of those
moments are the result of fellowship with Jesus. Which means, by the Holy
Spirit Christ has given us, those moments of fellowship can be daily and
ongoing.
I must develop the wherewithal to
walk in constant fellowship with Jesus if I am to sustain His grace and peace.
It's not the product of anything external to me, but living in perpetual union
with Christ in me.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the tastes
of what can be as we walk hand-in-hand with You. May we “act immediately” as
you offer us Your fellowship today.
4. “Pick yourself up by the back
of the neck and shake off your fleshly laziness.”
Oswald says our “laziness can
always be seen in our cravings for mountaintop experience.” Surely this
explains why we consistently speak of our God-experiences back in the day
instead of our God-experiences in the moment.
We can’t go back, but only forward.
Those moments merely point to what can be today and tomorrow.
But it doesn't happen by accident,
nor is it a once-and-done. I must “pick myself up by the back of the neck” and
do what I must do in order to sustain my God-walk today.
Slothfulness is a killer. I don't
want to be in a state of running on fumes and memories. I want the fresh
inspiration a fresh manna today and every day. Please, O Lord.
Lord Jesus, please forgive me for my
laziness. I recognize You won’t force Yourself upon me. I must “shake off my
flash” and do what I know to do. Thank You for the atomic fortitude of the Holy
Spirit within me to do just that. Holy Spirit, I call upon you now...
5. “Stand committed to God by an
act of your own will.”
I see this as an ongoing, self-perpetuating
act.
We recognize the feeble strength of
our own will. If willpower alone was enough, we wouldn't need the Holy Spirit.
Yet it’s an act of our will that engages
the strength of God Spirit in us. We choose to make the connection, pull the
lever, and act in accordance with the Holy Spirit.
Doing so is our act of defiance
against our ego and self-sufficiency, and our procrastination and laziness. We are
choosing to step up to Christ’s willingness to live through us as we give Him permission
and opportunity.
This is the synergy between our
will and God's.
Holy Spirit, as an act of our will,
we call upon Your strength and leadership today. By Your grace, may we walk in Your
strength, experience Your fellowship, and produce the Fruit of the Spirit. We
determine to do so here and now. Thank You.
***********
4.15.24
1. “King Asa was obedient in
what he considered the most important areas, but he was not entirely right with
God.”
Apparently I am not the judge of
the things that matter to God, or of the matters that might separate me from
God.
It's certainly easy to make such judgment
calls, “Oh, that thing in my life doesn't matter much.” And perhaps it doesn't.
But my judgment is faulty.
If we want to be right with God, we
will we'll need to let God make the judgment calls.
“Nothing should be considered a
trivial matter by a child of God.” We may well conclude God is not nudging or
prompting because the matter that seems irrelevant. But perhaps it leads to
something more relevant than we can possibly imagine.
It would be a shame to miss all God
has for us, or wishes to do in or through us, because we are dismissing a small
matter.
Holy Father, as we seek to offer You
the key to our heart, please help us do so completely. Please continue to urge
us, even in the small matters. We don't want to compromise Your plans and
purposes for our life. Please continue to have at us.
2. “God keeps trying to teach us,
and He never loses patience.”
Thank God for our long-suffering
God. He never, ever gives up on us. Praise Him.
“How much longer are we going to
prevent God from teaching us something?” Surely there's something God’s showing
us, revealing to us, teaching us, even now. He's been at it for some time,
patiently knocking, wooing, drawing, orchestrating circumstances, etc, to get
to us to the point of recognizing, repenting, receiving, etc., in an area of
our life in which we remain incomplete.
He's quietly waiting for our willing
participation.
And, ironically, what He's working towards
will only benefit our soul. Why in the world would we not cooperate?
Father, thank You for Your infinite
patience. Please don't stop. Please get through our thick head, independence,
disobedience, pride, etc., in order for You to have more of our heart. Thank You
that Your will for us is nothing but good, always.
3. “Is there something in your
life God causes you to doubt?”
Oswald makes a very particular and
important point here.
I must be very careful not to
scrutinize myself. If I do, I may become overly critical. The Pharisees did
that. They were sure that more regulations meant more righteousness.
“Why do you test God by putting on
their necks a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?”
(Acts 15:10).
Instead, we must permit God alone scrutinize
our souls: “Whenever God causes a doubt about something, stop it immediately.”
This is the role of the Holy Spirit—opening
our eyes, convicting us, calling us to repentance, etc. These judgment calls
are above our pay grade and will only burden us. But when God makes the
judgment call, He also provides the grace to obey by His Holy Spirit.
There’s no greater freedom then
trusting God with the details of our obedience.
“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence
before God” (1 John 3:21).
Heavenly Father, we give You
permission to scrutinize our souls. We will trust You to cause us to doubt when
something is out of line. In the meantime, we will “walk in the liberty,
freedom and glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). Thank You.
4. “Are there things in your
physical or intellectual life to which you are not paying attention?”
This is certainly convicting.
We all have a physical life. We do
and don't do things with our bodies that can be wise, foolish, helpful,
hurtful, healthy, sinful, productive, slothful, etc. We know good and well when
we're being obedient and balanced, and when we’re being disobedient and
negligent.
Father, please help us do what we
know to do, and not to do what we know not to do.
We must also pay attention to our intellectual
life. This is an area in which we can become quite haughty. We pride ourselves
in our opinions, understanding, reasoning, education and more. One of the
greatest impediments to faith is intellect. We are not keen to give ourselves in
obedience if what God asks doesn't make sense to us.
Father, thank You for our minds.
Like our bodies, we submit our wits to you as well. May both our physical and
intellectual lives be subject to the Living God, even when we don't want to and
when we don't understand.
5. “You no more need a day off
from spiritual concentration then your heart needs a day off from beating.”
This Oswald-ism that has remained
in my mind for years and years.
“You cannot take a day off morally
and remain moral, neither can you take a day off spiritually and remain
spiritual.” We certainly are what we eat and do. I am morally and spiritually
the product of what I give myself to.
“God wants you to be entirely His,
and it requires paying to close attention to keep yourself fit.” Indeed, the
motivation for any pursuit must come from a vision for the outcome. Is it the
desire of my heart to belong entirely to Jesus? Then I will have to give myself
to that end.
“It takes a tremendous amount of
time to remain spiritually fit.” It's amazing how much time we will give to
things we enjoy and benefit from. May our love for Jesus draw us to Jesus more
and more and more.
Father, please help us give
ourselves to being at the top of our game in regards to our God-walk. May we be
insistent that nothing else crowd out our times of fellowship with You. May we
be more eager about our spiritual fitness than any other pursuit in our life.
**********************
4.14.24
1. “Take My yoke upon you and
learn from Me.”
Oswald says, we find our most
meaningful fellowship with God as we bear the burdens God places upon us. It's
under that yoke we find ourselves side-to-side with Jesus.
The burden isn’t ours alone. We’re sharing
in the burden of Christ. He bears the burdens of this world, including our
fragility, sin nature, self-centeredness and more.
It's under that yoke, and yoked
with Jesus, that we find Jesus alongside. There He fellowships with us and
changes our hearts: “Whom the Lord loves He chastens.”
How powerful to consider the
burdens we feel from this perspective. Oswald challenges us: “Are you
identifying with Jesus in your burdens? If so, you will thank God when you feel
the pressure.”
Lord Jesus, what a phenomenal way
to consider our hardships. Thank You for Your nearness as we take upon
ourselves Your prescribed yoke. Thank You for altering the dynamic of our
burdens, and transforming them into a time of fellowship and personal growth
with You. May we be found faithful as we bear those burdens today.
2. “Where do Saints get their
joy?”
Oftentimes we experience maturing saints,
and from their affect and outward appearance, “we might think they have no
burdens at all to bear.”
Oswald challenges us in that regard:
“The fact they have the peace, light and joy of God is proof they bear a burden
as well.” It's in this place they discover and demonstrate, “The joy of the
Lord is our strength.”
Indeed, it's by enduring the
burdens, stresses, strains and hardships, that we learn to fellowship with
Jesus and receive His grace and mercy.
Perhaps we think there surely must
be another way. Apparently there is not. We mustn't think God is cruel or
unkind. We must trust our God knows human nature better than anyone else, and
therefore knows how to help us receive His joy and peace.
And it comes through bearing our
burdens with Jesus.
Father, we want to be saints who
demonstrate You joy and peace. If it's only through our burdens we must learn
to draw from You, then so be it. Thank You we’re not alone as we do. Thank You
you're nearer than ever in those moments.
3. “The burden God places on us
squeezes the grapes in our lives and produces wine.”
Indeed, no one on the outside knows
the burdens we carry on the inside. What they experience is our words, deeds
and affect as we bear our burdens.
Do they the wine of God, or do they
only hear us whining? “If your life is producing only a whine instead of God’s wine,
then ruthlessly kick it out.” None of us like a whiner. Lord have mercy if that
whiner is us.
Heavenly Father, please forgive us
for purposely letting everyone know how burdened we are. Please forgive us for
looking for their sympathy as we lick our wounds. And please forgive us for
blaming You in our struggles. By Your grace, may we survive the squeeze and
produce only the beautiful wine of Christ in us.
4. “No power on earth or in hell
can conquer the Spirit of God living within the human spirit.”
This is a glorious statement. It
declares the strength and power on tap as we draw from the Holy Spirit living
in us.
The Spirit of God within us
“creates an inner invincibility.” That's why we can confidently make this
statement: “We are more than conquerors through Christ Who loves us” (Romans 8:31).
It's because it’s not us, but
Christ in us that empowers, sustains and keeps us moment-by-moment, and day-by-day.
And it’s through our daily circumstances and the press of our life that God
helps us learn and lean into the strength of His Spirit in us.
“It's definitely a crime for a
Christian to be weak in God's strength.” What a convicting statement. How can I
be weak, mopey and complaining if the Spirit that made the worlds lives in me?
Holy God, please forgive me for
acting at times as if You've forsaken me. Please forgive me for entertaining
thoughts that You aren’t just and fair. Thank You for Your strong Spirit living
within me through faith in Christ. May the strength of your Spirit grip me and gird
me up for victorious living today and every day.
***********
4.13.24
1. “We must recognize the
difference between burdens that are right for us to bear and burdens that are
wrong.”
This is helpful, because not all
burdens are the same.
Rightly, there are burdens God
places on our soul—like our care and concern for a neighbor or a loved one. We
see their struggle and long for them to find freedom in Christ. God has
burdened us for their sake, and we become intercessors and witnesses of the
goodness of God.
Wrongly, we can carry burdens of
sin, shame, doubt, fear, unforgiveness and more. These are unbearably heavy and
crush our soul and spirit. Some of us have carried these burdens so long they’ve
become part of us, and we’re no longer aware of the continual weariness they cause.
The cross of Jesus Christ is the
dumping ground for inappropriate burdens. We unload them at the foot of the
cross that they might become soaked in the blood of Jesus. By the grace and strength
of His Holy Spirit, our God can bear them away once and for all.
This is what happens when we finally
release a long-standing secret sin to Jesus, and discover His strength to
become free. Or when Jesus helps us recognize, dislodge and grant forgiveness for
a long held grudge. Or when Jesus is able to finally convince us our sin has
been forgiven and cast into the sea of forgetfulness (Micah 7:19).
Thank God for a burden-bearing God.
May we permit Him to bear away our caustic burdens today.
Lord Jesus, thank You for rescuing
us from burdens we cannot bear. By Your strong Spirit, please reveal such
burdens to us today, and give us grace to cast them upon You. Thank You for the
completeness of Your forgiveness, healing and heart change.
2. “There are some burdens
placed on us by God which He does not tend to lift.”
Has God burdened us with care and
concern for another soul? Or perhaps for another nation or people group? Or
perhaps with a present social dilemma?
Such a burden can become all-consuming.
Every minute and every circumstance can be a reminder. It's all we can think
about when we see the suffering, read a headline and kneel to pray.
Unlike unhealthy burdens, like fear,
doubt and unforgiveness, God will not bear away burdens He has placed upon us.
He placed it on there so we might be a co-laborer with Christ.
Key to bearing this burden is to
include God in the process. God burdens our soul we might participate in His
work. If we attempt to bear the burden alone, solve the problem ourselvces,
tend to the need in our own strength, etc., we will find ourselves over-burdened
and consumed.
Therefore, we “cast our burden upon
the Lord,” as a means of participating with God in addressing the need. We co-labor
with Jesus in intercession, with sacrifice, by the work of our hands and heart,
etc.
But we recognize that, ultimately,
the burden is beyond our capabilities. We must permit God do the heavy lifting
as we attend to the burden alongside Him.
Such is the life of a Christ-follower
yoked with Jesus.
Lord Jesus, thank You for burdening
our soul in this way. May we faithfully attend to You, doing what we know to
do, while trusting you to do what only You can do. Please help us faithfully
and correctly bear the burden You’ve placed on our shoulders. It's an honor to share
in Your burden.
3. “If we get out of touch with
God, the sense of responsibility we feel will be overwhelming and defeating.”
It's amazing to read of saints who’ve
served God's people in deplorable conditions, yet were able to maintain their
vitality in Christ.
For instance, Mother Teresa served among
the poor in Calcutta. She watched the suffering, witnessed the human atrocities,
yet faithfully fulfilled God's calling upon her life.
Only in her constant pursuit of and
connection with Jesus was she able to bear up. Christ bore her up as she bore
the burdens of the people God loves.
Surely she had to learn she could
not do it herself. Failure after failure, frustration after frustration, and
with every tear she cried, she learned to lean into Jesus with the burden He
had placed on her soul.
What burden has Christ laid on us? Are
we permitting Him to bear the burden alongside us? Otherwise, “the sense of
responsibility will be overwhelming and defeating.”
Lord Jesus, please forgive us when
we become so concerned about doing that we get out of touch with You. The
endless needs and the agonizing heartbreak is more than we can possibly bear
alone. Therefore, today, right now, in this moment, we draw close to You, that You
might help us carry our cross. Thank You.
4. “You will see that your
burden is lightened by the sense of companionship with Jesus.”
It is so helpful to have a friend
come alongside, recognize our burden, and tend to our soul by listening and
praying.
How much more does Jesus’
companionship do the same? He’s “closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24). Simply
the presence of Jesus lightens the load.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your
nearness when we call. Just knowing You're there, knowing You know, makes all
the difference. We draw near to You today with the burden on our soul simply to
gain Your ear and sense Your companionship. Please help us faithfully bear our
burdens as we walk with You.
***********
4.12.24
1. “Eternal life is not a gift FROM
God; Eternal life is the gift OF God Himself.”
I love this language. Eternal life is
“Christ in me, the Hope of Glory” (Colossians 1:27). God doesn’t simply bestow His
life upon me, but enters me and lives His Life in me.
“The life I live in the flesh I
live by the faith of the Son of God in me” (Galatians 2:20).
What could be a greater gift from
God than God Himself? And what could be a greater Life-Energy than the Spirit of
Life living in us?
Thank God “for the gift of eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 6:23).
Father, Thank You for Your very Personal
Gift of dwelling in us in Christ. Thank You for the eternal quality of life You
live through us. In praise and gratitude, we welcome You, and we wholeheartedly
give ourselves to You in return.
2. “Eternal life is the life
which Jesus Christ exhibited on earth, and it's the same life which is made
evident in us when we are born again.”
Thank God for the gift of Jesus
Christ, and His atoning death and Resurrection. We believe we’re forgiven and
adopted as children of God as we trust in Christ’s work on our behalf.
But thank God also for Christ’s demonstration
of what life on earth can look like when we are fully given to God and His Holy
Spirit living in us!
Just to think, the life exhibited
by the Son of God on earth can be ours today in Christ! Hallelujah!
Heavenly Father, may it be so! Holy
Spirit, we give You full access to our lives that we might live like Jesus
lived. Thank You that the greatest and most profound ever lived can be ours in
Christ. Father, we want nothing less. Have Your way in us today. Make Your abode
in us. Live through us. Thank You for eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord!
3. “God's power is not a gift from the Holy
Spirit; God's power is the Holy Spirit in us.”
This is rubber-meets-the-road
stuff. We believe God created all that is by the power of His Holy Spirit. And
we believe God raised Jesus from the dead by the power of His Holy Spirit.
And, just to think, the Holy Spirit
and His power dwells in us!
What might our lives look like if
the Holy Spirit were to truly have His way in us, just as He did in Jesus? “The
energy and power which was evident in Jesus is also in us by an act of God's sovereign
grace.”
May it be so, O Lord!
Heavenly Father, it's one thing to
talk about this stuff. It's another for it to manifest itself in us. Thank You
for the Gift of Your Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, thank You that the power that
made the worlds dwells in us by faith in Christ. Holy Spirit, have Your way in
our lives today. Please help us offer You full reign. Please do in and through
us what You've always imagined.
4. “If it's difficult to get
right with God, it's because we refuse to make a moral decision about our sin.”
There's a great “if” in all of this
talk of the Holy Spirit. “IF we've made the complete and effective decision
about sin.” “IF we make the decision to be identified with Christ.” Etc.
God’s holiness, power, victory and
eternal life is a work of God's Spirit in us. But the “IF” is our part of the
bargain. I must reckon with the reality of my sinful nature, and fully embrace
the cross of Jesus Christ as God's provision for my forgiveness and adoption as
a child of God.
If there's anything between me and
God, it's on me, not on God. As soon as I own my sin, confess my powerlessness
over it, lay my sinful self-nature before the cross of Jesus Christ, and
receive absolute and complete cleansing by the blood of Jesus, there will
always be distance between me and God.
But, in an instant, and as an act
of my will, I can be done “permitting sin to reign in my mortal body” (Romans
6:12). I can dethrone my sinful nature and enthrone the Son of God in my heart.
And this we will do by the grace of
God.
Heavenly Father, we're sick of
compromise. We so quickly make excuses for our sin, and we’re so sure we can
deal with it in our own strength. Here and now we reckon with our sinful nature.
We place it upon Christ on His cross, and fully embrace His resurrected life in
us. By Your grace, please clear any obstructions between You and us. We decide
today for You rather than for our sin, and we receive “Your endless supply of
life” in Christ our Lord. Thank You, amen.
5. “Even the weakest saint can
experience the power of God when we’re willing to ‘let go.’”
I remember my first experience of rappelling
down a cliff face, hanging by a rope. In order to rappel well, one must lean
back into the harness and back down the cliff in a horizontal position. It
requires defeating our instinct to be upright and cling to the rope.
This has always served as an
analogy for me in my God-walk. I must be willing to “let go” of the rope, trust
Jesus, and permit Him to have me completely.
It certainly requires
counterintuitive effort to do so. But it certainly yields great joy and peace.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your
patience as I learn to let go and let You. Thank You that, as I do, “the great,
full life of God invades and penetrates every part” of me. Thank You for Your
grace as I learn to offer You “complete dominion” over me. Have Your way today,
O Lord.
***********
4.11.24
1. “Co resurrection.”
I love this language.
“If we have been united with Christ
in His death, we are also united with Him in His Resurrection.”
It's apparent we've been reading
through the section of My Utmost for His Highest intended to be reflections on
the Lenten Season, the suffering, death and Resurrection of Christ.
The Scriptures declare again and
again that we join Jesus in His death by dying to ourselves, and join Jesus in His
Resurrection by being born again to new life.
One might view this language as
metaphorical. Oswald is helping us see that it's much more than that. In
Christ, and in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, we truly do “put to death” our
old nature and “come alive” to our new nature by faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
This is the heart and soul of
Christian conversion. It's not simply a change of mind, habits and worldview,
but a transaction with God that results in a brand new creation. It’s literal,
not figurative.
And the gist of the God-walk is
recognizing the new and walking in it, as we deny and deprive the old.
Lord Jesus, may it be so in us. Instead
of striving to be godly, may spiritual death and resurrection truly be an occurrence
and practice in our life. Thank You for the power of the cross and the empty
grave. Hallelujah!
2. “The proof that I have
experienced crucifixion with Jesus is that I have a definite likeness to Him.”
Indeed. May it be said of us, “You're
not who you used to be!”
But it's not us knuckling down,
defeating bad habits, and becoming more optimistic, kind, generous, etc. It's truly
the Resurrected life of Christ happening in us.
The Fruit of the Spirit, “love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23) isn’t human in origin or effort. It's the
effervescence of the Holy Spirit making us new creations in Christ.
We’re not simply imitating Christ. We’re
learning to permit Christ to live through us and overwhelmed our old nature.
And, in time, it becomes as natural to us as the old nature used to be.
Lord Jesus, we desire this more
than ever. More of You, less of us. “He must increase, we must decrease” (John
3:30). May it be so in us today.
3. “The experiences of my life
must now be built on the foundation of His life.”
If Christ lives in me, I must learn
to bear in mind, whatever happens to me, happens to Him.
That means, as I face hardships,
struggles, temptations, sorrow, grief and more, Christ is experiencing these things
with me. I'm not alone. His mercy and grace comfort me, strengthen me, and help
me endure.
In like manner, as I celebrate
goodness, blessings, peace and joy, I'm experiencing these things along with
Jesus. Jesus shares in my enjoyment, and I get to laugh with Him, and thank and
praise Him along the way.
On the other hand, I can also drag Jesus
through the muck when I permit bad attitudes, prejudices, unforgiveness, anger,
outbursts, sin and disobedience manifest in my life. How dreadful it is when we
sully Jesus’ reputation.
Lord Jesus, thank You that we get
to live our life founded in Your life. Thank You for a new Cornerstone, the Rock
beneath our feet, and Your constant fellowship moment-by-moment. Thank You for
the overwhelming satisfaction of experiencing and sharing with You in the
day-to-day. Including right here and right now. Hallelujah!
4. “It takes the Omnipotence of
God to live the life of the Son of God in the flesh.”
Was this not true of Jesus of
Nazareth? His inward and outward life was that of the Incarnation, the fullness
of God in human flesh.
So it is for me. I cannot live into
the standards of God in my own strength. It requires “the omnipotence of God”
if I am to put to death the old and live the new.
As long as I think I can do it by
myself, I won’t lean into the life of Christ in me. Instead, in confessing my
weakness and inability, I permit the Resurrected Christ lived through me.
Father, in Your Omnipotence, and by
Your Spirit, may the life of Jesus Christ manifest itself in us today. We can’t
do it on our own. Therefore, we gladly give way to “Christ in us, the hope of
glory” (Colossians 1:27).
5. “The Holy Spirit cannot be
accepted as a Guest in merely one room of the house; He invades all of it.”
Denise's Uncle Jim used to say, “We
don't invite Jesus in and sit Him on the couch. We permit Him to rearrange the
furniture.”
Perhaps it's intimidating to allow the
Holy Spirit to invade our soul, to have His way, to call the shots and “conform
us to the image of Christ” (Romans 8:29).
What a shame it is when we inhibit the
Holy Spirit’s work in our life, when we put limits on Him, when we deny Him
access to hidden corridors. When we do so, we’ll never know what we could have
been otherwise.
Holy Spirit, come in and have Your
way. “Take charge of everything.” By Your grace, may we “walk in the Light and
obey all You reveal to us.” May we “find the life of Jesus in us all the time.”
Thank you we now “belong to a new spiritual order.” May it be so today.
***********
4.10.24
1. “Have you decided that sin
must be completely killed in you?”
This is a moral matter. I must
“agree with God’s verdict on the nature of sin in me.” God is not passive on
this point. Sin entered God’s perfect creation and has been destructive in human
souls and on planet earth ever since.
God's verdict is, sin is serious.
It’s evil and cannot be toyed with. I must address it head-on.
That's why this is also a violent
matter. “Sin must be completely killed in me.” I cannot treat sin politely. I
cannot allow it one inch or it will take a mile. I can’t toy with sin or nibble
at it. If I do, it will take the whole kit-and-caboodle.
The only way to deal with sin is to
crucify it. That's precisely what Jesus did with the sin of the world. I must
reckon with sin and bring it to a bloody death. After all, that's what it's
trying to do to me.
Heavenly Father, please help me
come to this point. Help me love You more than I love my sin, and please help
me hate my sin as much as You do. By Your grace, may sin be crucified in me, that
the Resurrected Life of Christ might live through me.
2. “It's the greatest moment in
your life once you decide that sin must die in you.”
We give ourselves much way too much
credit. We're sure we can navigate and manage sin on our own. We convince
ourselves we can “restrain, suppress or counteract sin.” Instead, sin must be
crucified. That's precisely the approach God took when He sent His Son to die
for the sin of the world.
“Pull yourself up, take some time
alone with God, and make this important decision.” I can point to these moments
in my life, when I confronted the thing in the presence of God, committed it to
death and committed myself to God's way. These were defining moments. And they’ve
lasted to this day. Hallelujah!
Lord Jesus, by Your grace, help me keep
my sin on the cross, dead and defeated. Thank You that through this process sin
no longer has a hold on me. Please help me sustain my sin’s death through
proximity with You. I'm loving my freedom more and more. Bless You, O Lord!
3. “Dying to sin was not some
divine future expectation on the part of Paul.”
We’re the best at justifying and
rationalizing as we fall to temptation and sin. We’re liable to conclude that it’s
only one day by-and-by that we’ll no longer need to deal with these matters.
Instead, that day can be today.
It won't come by positive thinking
and revving up our willpower. I must “reckon myself dead to sin.” It's a deliberate
personal struggle and a bloody death.
“You must radically deal with the
issue of your will before God.” My will says I can handle this. My will says
one day in heaven I will be free of this. Instead, we must wrestle our will to
the ground, agree with God, and will for our sin to be crucified with Christ.
Only then can we enter into “the
glorious freedom of the children of God” (Romans 8:21).
Lord Jesus, we certainly long for
the day when there will be no more sorrow or pain. But thank You that today can
be the day of salvation and freedom from “the sin that so easily beset our
souls” (Hebrews 12:1). We long for the freedom from sin afforded by Christ’s cross.
May it be ours today. Thank You for so great a victory.
4. “Are you prepared to let the Spirit
of God search you regarding your sin?”
Let's not become our own worst
enemy. We can do so by nitpicking
ourselves to death deciding what sin and righteousness look like.
For instance, the Pharisees “tithed
mint and dill” (Matthew 23:23) in their attempt to achieve self-righteousness.
That is, they decided that plucking and tithing to God one mint and dill leaf
per ten new leaves was a way of gaining right-standing with God.
That's why Christians in previous
generations forbid movies, dancing, card games and more. They were deciding for
themselves what sin and righteousness were, and heaped upon themselves rules
and regulations to that end.
Instead, we must permit the Holy
Spirit to search our hearts and reveal our sin. And when He does, He also
provides the supernatural ability to crucify and find victory over that sin.
Which means, if God isn’t convicting,
we can live in glorious freedom and assurance of right-standing with God. And,
when God convicts, we eagerly heed, repent, receive forgiveness, and crucify
that sin in our lives.
Holy Spirit, please search our
hearts. We want to be right with You. Please reveal our sin that we might
confront it and render it crucified, in Jesus’ Name. Thank You for the great
freedom of looking to You for our convictions.
5. Is this even possible?
“Have you entered into the glorious
privilege of being crucified with Christ, until all that remains in your flesh
and blood is his life?”
Wouldn't be glorious to be free
from our hurts, habits, hang ups, attitudes, prejudices, liabilities, lusts, unforgiveness,
self-centeredness and more? Surely that will be our experience in the Kingdom
of God.
But Jesus says, “the Kingdom of God
is among us.” That is, by His death and Resurrection, and by the indwelling
Holy Spirit, I can know “the glorious privilege” of being crucified and dead to
my old nature, and enjoy the vital, vibrant, vigorous and victorious life of
Christ within.
Hallelujah!
Lord Jesus, we infinitely desire Your
Life over our own. We have “tasted and seen the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8). Your
Life eclipses anything else this world has to offer. We long for it more and
more. Today, right now, and to that end, we give ourselves to You for
crucifixion and resurrection. Come, Lord Jesus!
***********
4.9.24
1. “Once you’ve seen Him, you
can never be the same.”
A truer statement has never been
spoken.
A nanosecond’s glimpse of the face
of Jesus is an absolute game-changer. It's so undeniable, so profound, so
glorious, it becomes all-consuming.
“Other things will not have the
appeal they did before.” What a huge understatement, because nothing else in
this world compares to Jesus.
It doesn't mean we can't be
distracted. But in those quiet moments with Jesus, everything else loses its
luster.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the way You
open our eyes as You reveal Yourself to us. I can’t describe what I've seen,
but my heart can’t forget. I'm different for having seen You. Thank You, thank You,
thank You.
2. “We cannot order or predict when
He will come.”
“Seeing Jesus” is always so
surprising. And so titillating.
It's not necessarily when I'm
seeking Him out, when I'm buried in the Scriptures, I've been fasting for days,
etc. He simply appears and vanishes instantaneously, without warning or fanfare.
Nor can we sustain God-sightings.
We can only revel in the moment, thanking Him, praising Him and enjoyingHim.
Lord Jesus, thank You for those
moments when You reveal Yourself. They are so precious and life-giving. We can't
wait for the day when our faith becomes sight. Hallelujah!
3. “No one can see Jesus with
their eyes.”
I’ve certainly never seen Jesus
with my physical eyes. I would imagine it would be like attempting to view a
solar eclipse with the naked eye. It's simply beyond our capability.
But somehow Jesus appears. He rises
in our heart, mind, soul and spirit. Something on the inside recognizes His
quickening. It's unmistakable, yet indescribable.
It makes me become more and more
aware that there is far more to a human being than what we see and touch. We've
been created in the image of God, to respond to God in our inward parts.
And, in time, that must become our
greater reality.
Lord Jesus, it makes complete sense
to me when I read of sightings in the Scriptures when your disciples don't
recognize You. Somehow you have to make that happen on the inside. Please make
us more and more adept with our spiritual sensitivities.
4. “You cannot bring your friend
to the point of seeing; God must do it.”
I have certainly experienced this.
It's absolutely unimaginable to me that
others can’t see what I see—the Truth of the Scriptures, God's hand in the
world around us, the nearness of God in our soul, and more.
How can something be so real to me be
so inconceivable for others?
Indeed, “If you've seen Jesus, you
will want others to see Him too.” This is the driving force in my life and the
witness. I long for others to see what I've seen. And I figure, if I can see,
surely they can as well.
“When you see Him, you must tell,
even if they don't believe.” I certainly resonate with the “you must tell”
part. It's the “even if they don't believe” part that drives me nuts.
It's beyond me how others can’t see
and believe the God Who has become so real to me. Mercy.
Holy God, please open their eyes.
Please reveal Yourself to them. Please astonish them with Your beauty, majesty
and love. Please take their breath away as You have mine. Thank You for
revealing Yourself to humankind. Please do so more and more. Thank You.
***********
4.7.24
1. “You should say nothing until
the Son of God is risen in you.”
Oswald is speaking particularly here.
He’s not suggesting we can't ask
questions and have conversation about the things of God. There are certainly
appropriate contexts to ask questions, share experiences, offer opinions, etc.
How else would we learn?
It’s problematic, however, when we
make public, declarative statements about the things of God that don’t square
with Biblical that orthodox Christian faith. When we do, we lead others astray:
“Woe to you if you cause one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble”
(Matthew 18:6).
This is how many Americana Christian
chinches, which have no Biblical basis, came into being. For instance, “Everything
happens for a reason,” “God helps those who help themselves,” “God won't give
you more than you can handle,” “I'm sorry you lost your loved one; God must’ve needed
another angel in heaven” etc.
These fabrications give false hope
and damage faith.
We are incapable of making such statements
after “the Son of God is risen in us,” because we realize they are not in
keeping with the character of the Christ we know and love. We certainly don’t have
all the answers, but our personal awareness of the risen Christ compels us to
speak of the Jesus we’ve come to know rather than conjecture based on theories
and speculation.
May it be so more and more.
Lord Jesus, please arise in us. We
want to speak of You on the basis of our personal relationship with You. Please
help us know and speak “truth from our inward parts” (Psalm 51:6).
2. “Jesus said, ‘I still have
many things to say to you, but you cannot hear them now.’”
Oswald offers a very helpful perspective
on this passage.
Jesus couldn’t speak some things to
His disciples while He was on earth because their hearts we're not yet prepared
to receive them. In time, as God battered and shaped their souls, the disciples
would be able to receive and perceive greater revelation of Jesus Christ.
The same is true of us. God has so
much to reveal to our hearts, but we cannot receive them without His ongoing, formative
work in us. And, we must be willing to receive that work.
Are we eager for Christ to reveal Himself
in greater ways? Or are we satisfied where we are?
May we “hunger and thirst for
righteousness” (Matthew 5:6), and a grander vision of Jesus.
Lord Jesus, please continue
preparing our hearts that we might hear from You more and more. May we never be
content to stay where we are.
3. “We must have a oneness with Jesus’
risen life before we are prepared to bear any particular truth from Him.”
This is the very personal nature of
our relationship with Jesus. It is a “oneness” with Him.
Not only is Jesus alive from the
dead, but He has risen from the pages of Scripture and the annals of human
history, and has entered our hearts, personally, intimately and truly.
Then, in quiet moments with Him, He’s
able to reveal Himself in greater ways. And, as we commune with Him personally,
we’re able to receive because we’re receiving from our Friend.
The more He opens our eyes, the
nearer we draw to Him. And the cycle continues perpetually.
Jesus, we want greater oneness with
You, whatever it takes, no matter the cost. We want to know You and Your truth
more and more.
4. “His Word is becoming
understandable to us.”
This is not a matter of intellect, but
a matter of personal relationship. We are experiencing the character and the Person
of Jesus Christ, and as we do, His Word is continually fresh and new.
“Jesus opened the eyes of their
understanding” (Luke 24:45). He could so for the disciples because they were in
near proximity to them. How much more can Jesus open the eyes of our heart because
He dwells in us?
Lord Jesus, thank You for living in
us by Your Spirit. Please reveal Your Word more and more. May it continually be
light and life as we search the Scriptures and listen.
5. “Our own unyielding and
headstrong opinions will effectively prevent God from revealing anything new to
us.”
We all have opinions about God.
Let's learn to hold them loosely.
God's Truth is a completely
different matter. As God reveals Himself to us in the Scriptures, His Truth
lodges in our heart. It becomes the loadstar that aligns us with God’s heart, and
positions us to listen, hear and receive directly from our God.
It's a beautiful thing to acquire from
God in this way. “What He has revealed in the secret places, shout from the
rooftops” (Matthew 10:27). When God reveals His heart to us, we take ownership
of something very personal.
“Mary pondered all these things in her
heart” (Luke 2:19). She was receiving new and fresh revelation of the God she had
only known in part.
Heavenly Father, please forgive us
for “headstrong opinions” that prevent You from revealing Yourself to us more
fully. Please help us make distinctions between our conjecture and the Truth
you reveal to us. May we hold the former loosely and cling tightly to the latter.
Bless You, Holy God.
***********
4.6.24
1. “The cross of Christ is the
revealed truth of God's judgment on sin.”
For me, this is some of Oswald's
finest writing.
As he describes the cross of Christ
and what God has accomplished, my mind reels at the audacious and bodacious
work of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.
“Jesus made it possible for the
entire human race to be brought back into right standing relationship with
God.” This is no small matter. It didn’t happen with the snap of God's fingers
or the flick of His wrist.
It cost God His Own life in Christ.
The brutality of the cross is
evidence of the eternally fatal nature of sin and the just and final judgment
of God. The judgment I readily deserve fell upon Christ in His suffering and
death.
My sin debt has been fully paid in
Jesus. And that's the Truth.
Lord Jesus, thank You for taking
upon Yourself the judgment I deserve. Father, how You love us to visit Your
judgement upon Your Son in our place. Holy Spirit, thank you for revealing all God
has done for us. We stand in awe and gratitude.
2. “Never associate the idea of
martyrdom with the cross of Christ.”
There are some who misinterpret Christ's
suffering and death. They presume Jesus fell prey to political betrayal and
execution.
Nothing could be farther from the
truth: “No one takes My life from Me; I give My life of My Own free will” (John
10:18).
Jesus didn’t get caught up in a
snafu. The cross was the reason He came in the first place.
Lord Jesus, how can it be that You
would give Yourself for a wretch like me? Thank You for leaving Your throne, taking
on flesh and giving Yourself in my place. Indeed, “Greater love has no man than
to lay down his life for his friend” (John 15:13). With great gratitude I receive
Your loving forgiveness. Thank You, Jesus.
3. “Christ's cross was the
supreme triumph, and it shook the very foundations of hell.”
This is the stuff of heroes. Jesus
accomplished what couldn’t be done in any other way or by anyone else.
In Christ, the Father, Son and
Spirit defeated sin, death, hell and the grave, once for all, forevermore!
This was the single-handed act of
God Most High. In His humble and quiet way, God turned heaven and earth upside
down by the cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Christ's victory is imputed to me
as righteousness as I trust and receive His grace. By faith in Christ, I, too,
will triumph over the mortal enemies of sin and death.
Hallelujah! What a mighty God we
serve!
Lord Jesus, thank You for assailing
death and hell on our behalf. You victoriously triumphed over the enemies of
our soul. Thank You for Your undisputed victory and Your gift for all to receive.
We give You all praise, honor and glory forevermore!
4. “The Incarnation of Christ
would have no meaning without the cross.”
We’re liable to think Jesus came
simply to show us what God is like: His love, care, compassion, concern,
healing power, provision and more.
We certainly gain perspective as we
examine Jesus’ life and hear His teaching. Thank God for His tremendous
demonstration of goodness towards us.
But ultimately, the Incarnation of
Christ was destined for the cross. Apparently, there was no other way. If God
was to atone for the world, it would require God becoming flesh and dying in
our place.
We remember the Incarnation of
Christ happening in a singular moment in history as the Christ Child was born.
Let's also remember the destiny for which He was born.
Father, thank You for sending Your
Son. Lord Jesus, thank You for giving Your life. Holy Spirit, thank You for
raising Jesus from the dead. Thank You, our God, for opening our eyes to Your
marvelous ways as You took on flesh, dwelt among us, and gave Yourself for us.
We stand flabbergasted.
5. “The cross is the central
event in time and eternity, and the answer to all the problems of both.”
There is no way to overstate the
centrality and paramount importance of the cross of Jesus Christ.
Indeed, the cross has changed the
course of human history. By the cross and through the subsequent giving of the
Holy Spirit, God dwells in those who trust and receive Christ. This has been
God's intentions since creation, the creator living within the creation. And
through Christ followers, the world has become significantly better.
And, the cross has changed eternity
for humankind. By faith in Christ, we are adopted as children of God, and have
the insurance assurance of everlasting life in the presence of our God. We will
enjoy perfect union with our God forever endeavor.
Indeed, the cross changed
everything.
Lord Jesus, we are living
testimonies of the supreme power of your cross to alter the destiny of
humankind throughout all time and eternity. We rejoice in your great gift. You
are the answer to all our concerns. Thank you for such great grace. Hallelujah!
6. “The reason salvation is so
easy to obtain is that it cost God so much.”
What a powerful statement!
The Christian faith certainly seems
too easy: We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, only in the death and
Resurrection of Christ. Period.
That’s crazy talk.
God can make it this simple because
“all the cost and pain of the collision between God and sinful humankind was absorbed
by the heart of God.”
This is the meaning, message and
work of Christ's cross on our behalf. Hallelujah!
Heavenly Father, we believe with
all our heart. Thank You for all You've done in Christ. It certainly seems too
good to be true, but we will believe and receive just as You ask. We trust Your
Word and your way as we trust in Christ’s death and resurrection. Thank You for
the glorious gift of salvation.
***********
4.5.24
1. “We can't comprehend Christ's
agony, but we don't have to misunderstand it.”
This is why we “brood in the cross”
every Lenten Season. Thank God for our remembrance.
We’ll forever glory in Christ’s agony,
suffering and atoning work on the cross. Throughout time and eternity, we’ll only
come to greater realizations of all Christ does for us.
May we also come to greater
appreciation, fondness, captivation, awe and wonder. It’s unimaginable what
Christ has accomplished on our behalf.
Praise Him forevermore!
Thank You, Lord Jesus. You only
become more and more marvelous, and our love for You only grows and grows. We bless
You, our Lord and Savior!
2. “In the agony of the cross,
Jesus came face-to-face with sin.”
We undervalue the cross when we
downplay the ravages of sin. Sin is no small thing. Nothing in heaven or on
earth can render the eternal destruction caused by sin in our life.
But, we have a Savior Who’s greater
than our sin. He defeated sin, death, hell and the grave, once for all, on our
behalf. Hallelujah!
May we only grow in our realization
and gratitude of what Christ has done for us, and demonstrate it every day as
we say yes to Jesus and no to temptation and sin.
And all by Your grace, Lord Jesus.
Our Savior, thank You for paying
the unimaginable debt of our sin with Your cross. We joyfully receive Your
atonement and forgiveness. May we never, ever take it for granted.
3. “Jesus’ concern was that He
might not get through the struggle.”
I can imagine this statement
raising eyebrows. How could Jesus have doubts, fears and concerns?
We must remember that Jesus “laid
aside His deity” to become Incarnate (Philippians 2:7). He didn’t cease being
God, but “took upon Himself the nature of a servant, and became obedient to
death on the cross” (Philippians 2:8).
It's breathtaking to consider the
risk God took upon Himself. Jesus had to become capable of sin in order to
atone for our sin. Had He fallen prey to temptation, it would have fractured
the Godhead permanently.
Such is the nature of God's
incredible love for us.
Lord Jesus, it's beyond our intellect
and emotions us to comprehend what it cost You to pay the debt of our sin. We bless
You forevermore for Your act of Self-giving love. Thank You for Your supreme sacrifice,
Your triumphant success and our eternal freedom. Just as You offered Your all
for us, by Your grace we offer our all for you. You are worthy, our God and
Savior. Hallelujah!
4. “The veil is pulled back to
reveal all it cost Jesus to make it possible for us to become the children of
God.”
By Christ’s death and Resurrection,
the “veil” separating us from our Holy God has been “torn asunder” (Luke
23:45). “Nothing separates us” from our God as we trust Jesus (Romans 8:31).
And, as we gaze through the torn
veil, we recognize the enormity of what Christ has done for us. We would have
no access whatsoever without him.
And the more we peer upon the face
of the revealed one, the more amazed we become. Look what our God has done for
us!
More Jesus, thank you for full
access to the father by your cross. Other, “we boldly approach your throne of
grace” through Christ our Lord (Hebrews 4:16). Your grace is ever more amazing
day-by-day. Hallelujah!
***********
4.4.24
1. “The way to permanent faith.”
Oswald is helping us visualize
God's process of making our faith steadfast and immovable.
Oswald describes the Twelve Disciples’
faith as “real, but disordered and unfocused.” They truly believed, but they
were still learning how to enact faith “in the important realities of life.”
This is certainly the case with us.
If we've walked with Jesus for any time at all, we know the emotions of faith
can wane.
And a faith founded on emotion will
never stand in the press of life.
“Our faith must be exercised.” We
must stub our toes, bump our head and skin our knees, as our faith is battered
into becoming an essential part of our daily life.
You and I are going through this
process in this very moment. Beloved, let's to be faithful to Jesus, not on the
basis of emotions only, but on the basis of willful determination.
Let’s trust Jesus as He forges our
faith.
Lord Jesus, thank You for real faith;
please do what You must to make it permanent faith. Please help us endure the daily
process before us.
2. “We will be scattered into
the barrenness and emptiness of our lives to know what God's blessings truly
mean.”
We can become so accustomed to
God's blessings we don't realize them.
There will be times when we come
face-to-face with the meaninglessness of life outside of a relationship with
God. In those moments we recognize how sweet His blessings are.
God permits these dark moments to
remind us just how real our God-walk is. We find life intolerable without the
meaning and purpose only God can give.
Just think, in those experiences, we're
getting a taste of what some people live day-by-day. May it cause our hearts to
well up with compassion for them to know Jesus, and may we help them do so.
Father, it seems inconceivable that
we could take Your blessings for granted. But, without a doubt, we surely do.
Thank You for the wake-up calls, when we get a glimpse of the bleakness of life
outside of Christ. It only makes us more determined to walk with You.
3. “Once our faith is made
permanent, no matter where God may place us, we can praise Him that all is
well.”
I do long for a steady-state faith,
regardless of circumstances.
I know how agitated I can become at
the smallest things. I'm embarrassed to think about it.
I’ve watched many saints in my life
endure tremendous hardships. I'm so impressed with their faithfulness during
their suffering.
I want to be like them.
Lord Jesus, I want permanent faith,
impervious to the stuff of life, incapable of doubting You, blaming You,
becoming impatient with You, etc. I want a faith that endures until I see You
face-to-face. Please.
4. “God is never in a hurry. He’ll
point out when we’ve been interested only in God's blessings instead of God Himself.”
This is a humiliating experience.
God’s interested in me, not simply what I can do for Him. I wish I could say
the same of my interest in God.
Lord, please make it clear when You’re
secondary to Your blessings. Refine my faith until You alone are my heart’s
desire.
5. “Unyielding spiritual
fortitude is what we need.”
I love this language, and I find it
very helpful to connect it to Jesus statement: “I have overcome the world.”
“Unyielding spiritual fortitude” connotes
an enduring and rigorous faith, capable of standing in the face of all that
assails. It's a recognition of God's nearness and infinite grace and mercy on
my behalf.
It's a faith that never whines or licks
it's wounds. It’s a confidence in God that knows no bounds. It’s a boldness to
believe and declare God will never fail.
This is where God is taking us in
the process of making our “real” faith into “permanent” faith.
Father, help us remain on Your
anvil as You forge unyielding spiritual fortitude in us. May we go the distance,
without shortcuts or hesitation. All by Your grace.
***********
4.3.24
1. “Jesus entered Jerusalem
triumphantly but was met by a strange God—the religious pride of the
Pharisees.”
“Religious pride” is an insidious
enemy of our God-walk. It may seem upright, “but inside it's full of dead men's
bones.”
This describes “a form of godliness
that denies God’s power” (2 Timothy 3:5). That is, a sense of righteousness
that stems from within instead of coming from faith in Christ.
The religious pride of the
Pharisees convinced them they did not need a spiritual Savior. They were eager
for deliverance from the Romans, but felt fully justified in their own
righteousness.
Is there any bone in me that
believes I'm righteous before God on the basis of my merits? If so, I inhibit Jesus
from triumphally entering my heart as Ruler and King.
Because religious pride can occupy
the throne in my soul instead of Jesus.
God, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, I renounce all religious
pride in me right now. There is no righteousness in me except Yours (Philippians
3:9). Please enter my heart and soul in greater ways and have Your way. It's my
joy to welcome and receive You.
2. “Is there an unholy nature
that controls your life?”
We tend to think of “unholy” as
mortal sin and depravity. Instead, “unholy” describes the absence of God and
His Holiness.
Such is my old and natural nature.
It’s devoid of the Lordship of Jesus. It’s not interested in the things of God
or His glory. It demands doing things its own way without regard to God's will
and way.
Therefore, our God-walk necessarily
involves trusting Christ and becoming “born again” (John 3:3). When we’re born
again by faith in Christ, we received a new nature. (2 Corinthians 5:17). And
in walking with Jesus, we determine daily to permit our new nature usurp the
old.
“I still find myself under the
control of that strange god.” If our old nature is permitted to reign, “I am
blind to the things that make for my peace.” I cannot know the fullness of God’s
love, joy and peace until the old nature is vanquished by the new.
Lord Jesus, I confess there are
times when my old nature gets the best of me. Thank You for the grace to be
forgiven and to reinstitute my new nature in place of the old. Please reign in
my heart as Sovereign Lord over the new me. Thank You.
3. “We are responsible for our
own faults. God holds us accountable for what we refuse to see.”
Today's Scripture implies the
things of God can be “hidden from our eyes.” But God isn’t hiding these things.
They’re hidden because “we’ve never completely yielded our nature to God.”
It takes great humility to
surrender our heart, mind, body, soul, spirit and will to Jesus. It's a confession
of our inadequacies and a willingness to permit Christ rule and reign in us.
When we finally recognize we’ve
been holding God at arm’s length, there’s great grief and “deep, unending
sadness for what might have been.” Certainly, God is a Redeemer, but God doesn’t
rewrite history. We must live with the consequences of having chosen our will
over God's.
Thankfully, God holds tomorrow in His
capable hands. And we, by declaring Jesus Christ as Lord, can choose to step
into God's future for us beginning right now.
Lord Jesus, we yield our lives to You.
Please forgive us when we’ve refused. We take full responsibility for our
compromises. Please have Your way in us today.
4. “Your memory is a minister of
God bringing rebuke and sorrow to you.”
We speak of God “casting our sin
into the sea of forgetfulness” (Micah 7:19). We truly believe the blood of
Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness, and God never revisits the matter.
But, we’ll never forget. Yet, although
those memories may haunt and grieve us, they can also be our friends. They
remind us of what compromises lead to.
It's God's grace that permits us to
remember. It’s also God's grace that “turns what might have been into a
wonderful lesson of growth for the future.”
Our memories are not God's
punishment, but God's encouragement to choose differently today.
Father, we can remember all our foibles
as if they were yesterday. Thank You for taking the sting out of our past and granting
us a new future in Christ. May our yesterdays remind us to never go back.
***********
4.2.24
1. “Paul received spiritual
insight into the Person of Jesus Christ.”
Thankfully, this is not unique to
Paul. If we come to know Jesus Christ, it's because God has given us spiritual
insight.
Ours is a “revealed faith.” It’s not
a matter of study and cognition only. God opens our eyes to a spiritual realm
and truth beyond our natural reach and comprehension.
“The natural man cannot comprehend
the things of the God; they must spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14).
Matters of faith are not merely
intellectually perceived. Rather, we must become more and more familiar with
the spiritual dimension of our being. We’re “made in the image of God,” with a
spiritual mechanism designed to comprehend our spiritual God: “God is spirit,
and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).
It's not a dismissal of our mental
faculties. One only needs to look at the intellectual rigor and literary
craftsmanship of Paul and other writers in the New Testament.
But they learned to unleash their spirit
as well. And so can we.
Holy Spirit, please continue
revealing Jesus to us. Please help us exercise our spirit in concert with Your Spirit.
Thank You for our mind and our spirit. May we employ both as we seek You.
2. “Learn to maintain a strong
degree of the character that has been revealed to us in our vision of Jesus
Christ.”
As we come to know Jesus, His glorious
character becomes more and more prominent. And, as His followers, we desire our
character to become more and more like His.
The Scriptures certainly describes
what godly character looks like. But God went a step further and sent His Son
to demonstrate that character as well.
May Jesus’ manner and demeanor make
us thirsty for the same in us.
Lord Jesus, we want to be more like
You. May Your strong Spirit continue to shape, fashion and conform us to Your
image. We present our growing character to You as our love offering and living
sacrifice.
3. “We must nurture the ability
to understand the meaning of Jesus Christ, and the ability to explain the
purposes of God to others.”
This is a powerful exhortation.
Have we pressed into Jesus to understand
more and more fully Who He is and what He accomplished with His cross and
Resurrection? And have we given ourselves to the task of being able to describe
and explain for others the mysteries of God’s Kingdom?
It doesn’t require formal
education. It requires a givenness to the things of God, and a givenness to
God’s Kingdom purposes for our lives.
When we do so, we’re taking
seriously our “citizenship in God’s Kingdom” (Philippians 3:20), and our role
as “Christ’s ambassadors, through whom God makes His appeal” (2 Corinthians
5:20).
Jesus, please open our eyes more
and more to Your truth, way and Person. We want to know You more and more, and the
ability to more clearly articulate You to others. Please give us a greater givenness
to this lifelong pursuit.
4. “To be unspiritual means that
other things have a growing fascination for you.”
Let's contextualize this
observation.
God doesn’t intend for us to be
contemplative only, with zero interest or concern with everyday affairs and
future matters.
Instead, God calls us to “be
fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). We are
stewards of this earth, to discover, learn, develop and prosper.
Another way of considering Oswald's
observation is to visualize our pursuits in the context of God's Kingdom. Be a
business entrepreneur, with a vision of how your business can serve God's
Kingdom. Be a research scientist, with a vision of how your research can
benefit humanity for God's sake.
We are “unspiritual” when we have
no interest or the inability to perceive our lives in the greater context of
God's Kingdom. We’re growing in spirit as we recognize God's calling upon our
lives, the gifts and passions He has given us, and put them to use for His
purposes.
Father, may we see our lives and
our world from Your perspective more and more. May that vision result in a greater
eagerness to serve You and bring You glory.
***********
4.1.24
1. “Christ makes intercession
for us.”
What on earth does this mean?
Scripture teaches, “We have an Advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1). Which assures us,
even now, Jesus is appealing to the Father on our behalf.
How amazing is it to have such
representation in Heaven? In Christ, we need not fear God, because Jesus stands
before Him for on our behalf.
And when God sees us, He sees us
through the righteousness of Christ.
Not only so, but Jesus is
presenting our needs before God. He knows our needs better than we do, and
petitions God in our place.
And surely the Father never refuses
His Son. Hallelujah!
Lord Jesus, thank You for
interceding for us before the Father. Thank You for being our High Priest,
going before us into the very presence of God. Thank You we can join You there—received,
forgiven, adopted and whole. Thank You for Your continuing, personal, self-ministry
for us.
2. “Do we do the work of
intercession as a result of being the children of God?”
Intercession seems to be the way of
the Godhead. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are interceding before the Father for us
(Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:27), demonstrating for the saints a life of interceding
for one another.
Surely intercession becomes our natural
response as we grow to believe “God is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews
11:6).
Why would we hesitate?
Intercession is in our bloodline.
It's the ministry of our Savior and God's Spirit. And God anticipates His children
to carry on in that ministry.
Just imagine an existence wherein
we, along with everyone we know, are joining the Son and Spirit in interceding
for everyone else we know. What a tremendously powerful web of prayerful care
shielding us from the slings and arrows of the wicked one.
Once again, God's ways are amazing.
Praise!
Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and
Holy Spirit. Please help us to grow into Your ministry of intercession. May we
discover Your heart for others, and find ourselves in the center of the action
as we intercede.
3. “Do crises seem to be
crushing in on us?”
Undoubtedly, the 24/7 news cycle
can weigh us down. Let alone all the drama happening in our extended families
and friendships.
No wonder we live in a world of
unprecedented mental health issues.
“Put a stop to such distractions through
the work of intercession.” This is a powerful freedom. As we connect with God
in a relationship of intercession, we can sustain our relationships with our
world and others by prayerfully and engaging with God regarding these matters.
“Intercession is where God works His
miracles.” And the first miracle is, we’re able to transfer these crushing
burdens from our shoulders to God’s as we intercede.
We’re not heartless to do so. We’ll
do what we can do, but we’re determined to trust God to do what only He can do.
And it results in great liberation for
our souls.
Father, into Your capable hands we
commend the crises all around us, in our community, nation and world, and among
our family members and friends. Even the crisis occurring in us right now as we
consider all these crises. Please help us learn to cast these cares on You as
we faithfully pray and commend them to Your care.
4. “We run ahead of God in a
thousand and one activities, becoming so burdened with people and problems that
we fail to intercede.”
I recognize this dilemma in some of
the people I love. They concern themselves with a great many matters, and along
the way find themselves covered in the lint of all the associated problems and
burdens.
It results in great weariness because
they fail to cast those cares upon Jesus.
There’s surely a great eagerness in
our soul to tend to many, many needs. But we can quickly get ahead of God,
anticipating what God might have us do, and biting off far more than we can
chew.
Perhaps a good rule of thumb would
be, don't concern ourselves with more then we're willing to also pray for. That
only makes sense. Our intercession provides a constant reminder to involve God
in all we're doing for God.
We may even find there's plenty of
matters we burden ourselves with that don’t concern us. And, by God's grace, perhaps
we can dismiss ourselves.
Father, forgive us for trying to
bear burdens without You. It certainly becomes soul-crushing. Help us be wise
in the matters we involve ourselves. May we be prayerful first before acting.
5. “If a burden comes upon us
and we do not intercede, it will only produce a hardness towards God and
despair in our own souls.”
I know a great many people who
struggle in this way. The cares and concerns of the world and their loved ones
hang around their neck like a boat anchor. They become so burdened and weary
they lose faith and hope.
Soon a “hardness towards God” results.
They become critical because they don't understand why God isn't intervening.
They may even try to supplement for God's lack of intervention by taking more
and more burden upon themselves.
And it results in a downward spiral.
Oswald calls us to immediately intercede
when we sense the burdens around us. As we do, we not only gain God's
compassion, but also a confidence God’s at work. We entrust difficult
situations to Him, knowing He's fully aware and fully able.
Heavenly Father, please forgive us
for indicting You when we are burdened. Please forgive us for failing to entrust
matters to Your capable hands. Please forgive us for charging ahead without You,
and blaming You for our weariness. Thank You for the gift of intercession. May
we faithfully labor alongside You.
***********
3.31.24
1. “Take our ridicule and
criticism towards others and turn it into intercession.”
We certainly can be judgmental
towards others when we see their foolishness and disobedience. It can lead us to
brewing and stewing rather than praying.
Oswald says, “God reveals the truth
about others to us by His Spirit.” That is, God is giving us eyes to recognize their
shortcomings, not so we can condemn them, but so we can pray for them.
This is certainly what I’d like you
to do for me when you watch me speak or act in ways beneath myself as a Christ-follower.
When you see my wrongdoing, please be gracious and hold me before our Heavenly Father.
And I’ll work to do the same for
you.
Father, I can become so aware,
perturbed and offended by the speck in others’ eyes. Please help me love and be
patient with others by interceding for them. May we both receive Your mercy and
grace as I pray.
2. “God says, ‘Ask, and I will
give life for those who commit sin not leading to death.’”
A pushback to this statement may
be, “Who can forgive sin but God alone?” Or, “How can someone be forgiven who
doesn’t acknowledge or turn from their sin?
Surely this goes hand in hand with Oswald’s
theme of interceding for others as we discern their foibles.
Praying for another person benefits
both of us. First, we’re praying for God's ongoing work in their life. And second,
we’re delivered from criticism, cynicism and judgmentalism as we pray.
God grants life to each of us as we
intercede instead of critique.
Heavenly Father, we ask for life
today as we pray for others. Please continue Your transforming process in them
and in us.
3. “Don't become a hypocrite by
trying to get others right with God before you get right with God.”
Oswald is exhorting us along the
lines of Jesus’ teaching: “Don’t concern yourself with the speck in someone
else's eye while ignoring the plank in our own” (Matthew 7:3-5).
We're pretty good at using
different measurements for us and others. Instead, may we extend the same grace
to others that we extend to ourselves.
Father, we have plenty of
shortcomings without concerning ourself with others’. Please forgive us when we
fixate on theirs instead of ours. Please help us fix my eyes on You instead.
4. God gives us discernment about
others so we might accept the responsibility for their soul.”
How will I steward this gift of discernment?
God gifts me in many ways and
anticipates me to steward those gifts for His Kingdom: Family, friends, skills,
abilities, opportunities, potential, material goods, finances, etc.
Stewardship is our way of demonstrating
our faithfulness to God.
Oswald calls us to the stewardship
of other souls. God gives us insight into their souls so we might pray for them
as God works His purposes in them and us.
It's a blessed responsibility. And
just think, God has called others to steward our soul as well.
Father, thank You for the gift of
discernment regarding others, and the opportunity of interceding for them. May
we be intentional and faithful as we steward these gifts. Thank You for
involving us in the critical and eternal matters of Your Kingdom.
5. “Awaken ourselves to the
point where God is able to convey His mind to us regarding the people for whom
we intercede.”
Father, thank You for this
tremendous gift. Thank You for helping us see Your involvement and work in other
people's souls.
Father, we pray the scales would
fall from our eyes as we view others. May we see them as Your beloved children,
for whom Christ died, and for whom You have great hopes, dreams, plans and
purposes.
Father, we pray for “the agony of Christ's
soul in us” towards others. May we see and visualize them just as Jesus does.
Father, may You be “completely and
overwhelmingly satisfied with us as intercessors.” May we truly join You—heart,
soul, mind and spirit—in Your mission in other lives. Thank You for this
amazing privilege.
***********
3.30.24
1. “We stop praying because we
only have an emotional interest in prayer.”
Oswald pulls no punches. We neglect
prayer when our heart’s not in it.
That is, when we don't feel a
direct need. Because, when we do have a need, we’ll certainly pray more readily
and sincerely.
Or, when we don't feel like God is
listening or responding. Perhaps we become disappointed and give up.
Yet the Scriptures call us to “Pray
without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). It's a call to pray whether we feel
like it or not.
Is it because God’s demanding? No—it’s
because it's best for us to pray. Prayer isn't only about moving the heart of
God. It also moves our heart towards God.
We’re always better for having
prayed because it means we're placing ourselves in God’s presence. And we’re
always better for having done so.
May it become our habitual practice.
Heavenly Father, please forgive us
for losing interest in prayer. Please forgive us for only praying as we have
needs. Help us become prayer warriors in the sense that we’re able to battle
through our emotional disinterest and become people of prayer.
2. Worship and intercession must
go together”
What’s “worship?” It’s ascribing “worth”
to something or someone, which is what we’re doing as we pray. We’re addressing
and exalting God because we believe He’s able.
And what’s intercession? It’s more
than praying for someone's needs. It involves “raising ourselves up to the
point of getting the mind of Christ regarding the person for whom we are
praying.”
That is, we press through, connect
with God's heart, and pray God's heart over others. Interfacing with God in
this way is an act of worship, and a powerful means of motivating our praying.
Heavenly Father, we worship You,
the One to Whom all hearts are known. Please help us to know Your heart for
those You love, so we might join You in Your work in their lives.
3. “When
we lose sight of God, we become hard and dogmatic.”
This
is a hard truth.
It
is our ongoing connection with God that helps us maintain a supple heart. When
that connection is broken, we can become calloused towards God and others.
It's
because our God is the God of love, grace, mercy, truth, compassion, kindness,
gentleness and more. Prayer is our umbilical cord to God, and His qualities circulate
through us as we pray.
God’s
qualities become ours through our prayer-connection with God. Which means, our
character is most like God’s as we pray.
And
most unlike God when we don’t.
Heavenly
Father, we’re so easily distracted from prayer. Please help us cultivate the
discipline of prayer that our heart might remain supple, sensitive, kind and
caring towards You and others.
4. “Get involved in the real
work of intercession, remembering that it truly is work.”
This is a helpful reality check: It
takes effort to pray.
Prayer requires girding up our heart,
mind, will and emotions, and directing them towards God. It means availing ourselves
to be acted upon by God.
If it were easy, everyone would
pray. This is why prayer is so often neglected, and our privilege of praying often
goes unused.
From God’s perspective, it’s surely
unimaginable that we’re not more prayerful.
Heavenly Father, please forgive us
for slothfulness regarding prayer. We ask for a greater givenness to this incredible,
supernatural gift. Please stir our hearts for “the real work of intercession.”
***********
3.29.24
1. “A Christian
worker’s greatest need is a readiness to face Jesus Christ at any and every
turn.”
A “Christian worker” is one who is
determined to be of service to God.
But Oswald persistently admonishes
us not to permit our service for Jesus take precedence over Jesus Himself. We
can become so involved in our work we pay no attention to our Leader.
Unfortunately, this leads to our
spirit and attitude becoming misaligned from God’s heart. As a result, we can
become pushy and put out with people and obstructions if they hinder our work.
Instead, Oswald exhorts us to “be
ready to face Jesus Himself at every turn.” Only then will we see recognize in
“serving the least of these” we’re serving Christ Himself (Matthew 25:40).
Father, please forgive us for
viewing others as nuisances in our service to You. Help us become more and more
aware of Your loving leadership and presence. May our intentions and
motivations align with Yours.
2. “Jesus rarely
comes where we expect Him; He appears where we least expect Him, and always in
the most illogical situations.”
Isn't this the truth?
In our idealism, we imagine God's
ways very differently from our actual experiences of God. For instance, we may anticipate
God in the profound and extraordinary. Instead, He seems to intervene in the
least likely ways.
Why wouldn't God boldly skywrite His
intentions? Why wouldn't God reveal Himself in supernatural signs and wonders
on a more regular basis? Why are God's ways so hidden and diffuse?
It’s because God knows our heart
must be aligned with His before we can believe and receive. To that end, God chooses
to reveal Himself as we seek Him, and opens our eyes and heart to see and
believe as He operates in quiet nuances.
May God's ways become more and more
evident to us day by day.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your
still and mysterious ways. We're thrilled when we catch a glimpse of You here
and there. You've convinced us time and time again of Your ever-present
nearness. May we come to expect You, any way You may choose.
3. “Be ready for the Lord's
surprise visits.”
Christ-followers live in a strange
paradox: We constantly anticipate Jesus, but we're always surprised at His
ways.
“My thoughts are not your thoughts,
and My ways are not yours” (Isaiah 55:8).
Does this frustrate and aggravate
us? Why can't God be more predictable? Why must we always be left wondering?
Thank God for our “wonder” at His
interventions. If we were able to fully understand God’s ways, our God would be
far too small.
As it is, we get to live in the
joyful unknown, trusting God's Sovereignty over our lives, and looking forward
to whatever our God might do next.
Lord Jesus, visit as You will and
wish. May You find us ready and eager to welcome You in whatever manner You
choose. We're thrilled to be a part of what You're doing today.
4. “Expect Jesus Christ at every
turn. This sense of expectation will give our life the attitude of childlike
wonder.”
I've always considered
“childlikeness” to depict our recognition of absolute dependency upon God.
That's certainly where our God-walk begins.
But “childlike wonder” is a great
way to describe the delicious and joyful amazement that consistently overcomes
and overwhelms us as we walk with our God.
It's almost as if He never does the
same thing twice so we’ll never grow tired of His displays.
Lord Jesus, please continually
renew our sense of wonder at Your marvels and majesty. Thank You for being an
infinite God who constantly amazes us. You’re worthy of all our praise.
5. “Set your heart on what God wants
and thinking His thoughts.”
When we love someone, we’re forever
concerned with their needs and wants. It's the desire of our heart to care for them
as an expression of our love.
The same is true of our
conversation with others. “What's on your mind?” is our way of seeking to
interface with those we care about, to share in their thoughts, dreams and
concerns.
So it is in our God-walk. Our
primary concern is God's thoughts, will and purposes for our world. It's our
greatest joy to participate in what God’s doing.
“Jesus said, ‘I have called you
friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you’”
(John 15:15).
Father, what’s on Your heart and
mind today? It's the desire of our heart
to know and follow You.
***********
3.28.24
1. “Just because I don't
understand what Jesus says doesn't mean He must be mistaken.”
This is the human tendency to think
we know better than God. It's a great temptation for us. After all, we know
better than anyone else about our context, capabilities, the people around us,
etc., right?
This surely leads to reinterpreting
or correcting the Scriptures or the leadership of the Holy Spirit when they
don't seem to fit our contemporary reasoning and context. We assume we know how
Jesus would respond if He were living in our day.
When we begin down this path, there’s
no end. We’ve permitted our intellect rather than God to direct our paths. If
we follow this trajectory, who knows where we may find ourselves. But it will
most likely result in becoming distanced from God.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, please forgive me for
reinterpreting what You teach and tell me. Please forgive me for thinking less
of You and more of me. Please help me determine Your Word and Your ways are
always right. And when they collide with my reasoning, please help me always bend
in Your direction.
2. “I know when the instructions
have come from God because of their quiet persistence.”
I continued to maintain, I believe
we know God's voice better than we're willing to admit. It's because of His
“quiet persistence.” He doesn’t antagonize or provoke. Instead, He patiently
reminds and waits for my response.
“I begin to weigh the pros and
cons, and doubt and debate enter my mind.” This is certainly our thought
process as we reason through the liabilities and ramifications of everyday decision-making.
But if we apply this thinking to God's leadership, we may well talk ourselves
into disobedience.
Yet, if we’ll step out and obey, we’ll
discover God's ways are infinitely wise and prudent. They may not make sense in
the moment, but they certainly do in the long run. Even if we don't see the
outcome in this life.
Such is the way of following the
nudges of God’s Spirit.
Holy Spirit, thank You for Your
quiet persistence. Right now, whatever it is You’re speaking to our heart,
whatever it is that we might be ignoring or pushing aside, whatever it is we’re
weighing in a balance, please persistently press through until we obey.
3. “Many of us are faithful to
our ideas about Jesus, but how many of us are faithful to Jesus Himself?”
Boom. Right between the eyes.
Oswald knows how to shoot straight.
We all have our concept of Who
Jesus is, how to interpret what He says, drawing conclusions about His
purposes, etc. We can even become dogmatic and defensive about these matters.
But are we being faithful to Jesus Himself?
Is our faithfulness and obedience pure and simple, based on nothing less than what
Jesus teaches and speaks? Or is our obedience filtered through our own opinions
and druthers?
Because the latter can certainly
lead to great compromise.
Lord Jesus, thank You for being
infinitely more than merely an ideal, philosophy or worldview. Please forgive
us when we speak of Your ways and Word in those terms. Help us instead regard You
as the Person You are, our Lord and Savior, and live in the loving relationship
You intend. May we be far more passionate about You then about our opinions
about You.
4. “Faith is not an intellectual
understanding, but a deliberate commitment to the Person of Jesus Christ, even
when we can't see the way ahead.”
These are powerful words. The
Person of Jesus must be the Object of our faith, and our deliberate commitment
to Jesus Himself is our act of faith.
Faith involves a knowing that goes
beyond understanding. It's a trust and confidence even when we're unable to
visualize all the components of the equation.
We’re learning to trust Jesus’
wisdom, and growing in our confidence that He’s working in ways and towards
objectives we can't fully comprehend or imagine.
Our faith is our demonstration of commitment
and fidelity to our Leader, Lord and Savior. It's personal for both of us.
Lord Jesus, our heart’s desire is
to be fully given to You. You know our need to understand. Please help us step
over this hurdle when You call. Please help us trust You more and more.
5. “Don't wait until you can
clearly see how to do what He has asked. Simply obey Him with unrestrained
joy.”
I don't need to fully understand an
aircraft to board a plane. I will trust its designers, builders, mechanics and
pilots.
I'm simply thrilled to be there,
and munch my free pretzels and Pepsi.
May this be the way of my God-walk
as well. I don't know the inner workings, the details, the how’s and why’s, the
future, etc. But I know the One Who’s called me, and I trust He knows what He’s
doing.
And I know the joy that comes from
obedience.
I also know, if I wait for all the
details, the moment for obedience may pass, and I will have missed out and what
could have been. ☹
Lord Jesus, thank You for the joy
of obedience. Thank You for leading us in Your great adventure. Please forgive
us when we're hesitant because we don't fully comprehend. Please help us trust
and obey with abandon today.
***********
3.27.24
1. “A higher state with God is
only achieved through higher personal character.”
I'm thankful Oswald emphasizes the
critical nature of our character. Surely our growing character is the greatest
demonstration of our ongoing God-walk.
If we're going to go on with God,
it will necessary involve character development. My God-walk is not measured by
my increasing knowledge or experiences of God, but the God-qualities that emerge
as I walk with Jesus.
Growing in humility is part of my growing
character. Which means, as God forges my character, I cannot boast. I can only
credit the presence and ongoing work of God in my life.
Lord God, thank You for exhorting
us regarding the essential of character. Please continue Your character
development in us as You take us higher. May our lives display Your grace and
glory more and more.
2. “God will continually say to
you, ‘Friend, come up even higher.’”
By definition, there’s always a “higher”
in our relationship with our eternal God. To that end, God will never be finished
with us. He’ll be making us more like Jesus for time and eternity.
Paradoxically, “When you go higher,
you only encounter other temptations.” We might imagine there is a height at
which we no longer contend with temptation. Yet that was certainly not the case
with Jesus: “Father, please take this cup from Me; but not My will, but Yours
be done” (Luke 22:42).
Oswald suggests higher character
only leads to higher temptation, which leads to a greater pursuit of God, which
leads to higher character, etc. And the cycle continues endlessly.
By recognizing this ongoing
process, may we not become discouraged and weary. May we only become more engaged
and determined.
Lord God, thank You for continuing
to call us higher. Thank You for the high honor of doing so. And thank You for
Your all-sufficient grace to reckon with the higher temptations and challenges
all along the way. May You be victorious as You escort us upward.
3. “When God elevates you by His
grace into heavenly places, you find a vast plateau where you can move about
with ease.”
What a beautiful portrait of going
higher with our God. We don’t experience constraints, but liberation from our
tenacious and fallen lower nature.
Thank God for drawing us upwards—even
when we hesitate, complain or resist. Thank God for His long-suffering with our
soul. He knows what's best, and He's determined to get us there.
Elevate us, O Lord! Thank You for
your patient persistence in doing so. Thank You for what You're working in us.
Thank You for the great freedom of soul we discover as we rise higher and
higher into Your glorious presence. Hallelujah!
4. “Never allow God to show you
a truth which you do not instantly begin to live up to, applying it to your
life.”
I'm presently seeing a physical
therapist to recover from repetitive trauma to my right arm and rotator cuff
due to aggressive guitar playing. It's not easy getting older. 😊
He tells me I'm one of the few that
actually work all the stretching exercises he assigns. He tells many clients simply
hope they'll get better without doing the work.
Oswald suggests the same is true in
God's process of taking us higher. When God reveals something to us about Himself,
ourself or others, He intends for us to begin living into that truth. If we
don't, we will not receive His intended benefit.
Heavenly Father, by Your grace, please
help us to receive, embrace and live into the greater Light You reveal to us. Please
help us never plateau, but do the work of letting You further transform our
hearts and minds. Take us higher, O Lord.
5. “God has to hide from us what
He does, until, due to the growth of our personal character, we get to the
level where He’s able to reveal it.”
A mentor of mine says, “God can
only anoint a person to the extent of that person's character.” He's also the
guy that turned me on to Oswald Chambers. I wonder if Oswald inspired his statement?
I get it. Perhaps we long for
greater revelations and knowledge of God, more occasions to serve God, new opportunities
for leadership and teaching roles, etc. Perhaps we wonder why we've not been
chosen for such things.
Could it be our character can’t provide
sufficient foundation for what we're hoping for?
Surely the solution is not to give
up hoping and asking, but to also hope, ask and participate in God's process of
developing our character. Instead of being put out with God and others because
doors aren't opening, we will do well to give ourselves to God’s present and
ongoing work in our lives.
Then trust, as God grows our
character, He will also open the doors we aspire to walk through.
Father, we long to know and be used
by You to greater and greater degrees. Please do what You must in us to prepare
us for that day.
***********
3.26.24
1. “Purity is the result of
continued spiritual harmony with God.”
Perhaps we think of purity as the
absence of sin, sully, impropriety, etc. Those are certainly characteristics of
purity. But purity is not brought about by removing things alone, but by the sustained
presence of our Holy God.
In union with our Holy God I become
aware of my impurity. Only as God convicts and offers grace am I able to
address those things, depart from them and receive God’s forgiveness.
In the Light of God’s presence I recognize
my impurity, turn from it, and receive His purity.
And it’s beautiful.
Father, I desire “purity in my
inward parts” (Psalm 51.6). Thank You for giving me that desire, and thank You
for the capability of living into that desire as I seek union with You. Purify
me, O Lord, that I might be pure in Your sight.
2. “As our outer life becomes
spotted and stained, we recognize the necessity of maintaining.”
I know when I've become spotted and
stained by things I've said and done. It's a feeling of regret. I'm dirty and need
cleansed. I have stooped beneath myself in Christ.
Thank God for His gift of
conviction, repentance, forgiveness and restoration. I need not stay in my contaminated
state. I can be made clean and whole once again by the blood of Jesus.
I’m very aware of my inability to remain
pure outside of God's grace. It’s my continuing pursuit of union with God that
enables me to maintain the purity I long for. It’s that desire that drives me
to our God.
Lord Jesus, the vision of Your
holiness what whets my appetite for the same. Thank You for Your cleansing. Please
help me sustain purity by maintaining an airtight relationship with you. May
it become more and more the desire of my heart.
3. “If our spiritual life with
God is impaired to the slightest degree, we must put everything else aside
until we make it right.”
The word “must” in Oswald’s
statement is conditional. It’s not God requiring it of us and threatening
consequences if we don't. It's a matter of us recognizing we’re compromising and
need to make things right with God.
It comes from a heart that’s
unwilling to permit anything to come between us and our God. Nothing is worth stilting
His nearness.
“If you love Me, you'll obey Me” (John
14:15). To the degree I love God, I’ll seek to maintain a low impedance
connection with Him.
Father, I want to respond more and
more quickly for Your reconciliation when I sense the slightest distance
between us. May nothing be more important to me.
4. “It's
coming in contact with other people and other points of view that tend to
tarnish us.”
Isn't
this a remarkable truth? Even the people we love the most can set us off. God,
have mercy.
Certainly
it’s their quirks and idiosyncrasies, but it’s also their opinions. It's
amazing how offended we can become by those we disagree with. And it only seems
to be more and more prevalent in our day.
Father,
may we become more and more aware of this tendency. Please help us become better
postured for those moments when others get under our skin. May our nearness to
Jesus, and may your Holy Spirit within us, enable us to lovingly interact,
listen and sustain a pure heart.
5. “If we want to maintain
personal intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ, it will mean refusing to do or
even think certain things.”
This has certainly been my
experience. My thought life can truly hinder my God walk, let alone the things
I say and do. Mercy.
“Some things that are acceptable
for others will become unacceptable for us.” Here we become aware of the
dynamic relationship each is of us have with Jesus.
Paul speaks of this as well: “Some
can eat meat in good conscience, while others cannot” (Romans 14:2). An example
of this for me is, many Christ-followers in my family and beyond have no
conscientious objections to alcohol in moderation. However, because God
delivered me from substance abuse, I have determined to keep my distance.
In time, our “refusing” is not
burdensome, but becomes our love gift to God. It tells God we’re more
interested and maintaining personal intimacy with Jesus than we are those
things we avoid.
Lord God, it's our joy to stand
clear of the things that injure our relationship with You. We're learning there's
nothing we want more than You.
6. “Begin to see others as God
does.”
This is a tremendously practical
and helpful way of “keeping our personal purity unblemished in our relations
with other people.”
If all we see are faults and
offenses, we will forever be critical and distanced from others. Especially
those who’ve injured us in the past.
Oswald encourages us to see others
as “perfect in Christ.” We’re not oblivious of their faults, but neither are we
oblivious of God's ongoing work in their lives. We're praying for the refining
work of God in ourselves and others.
Beloved, we’re all works in
progress. May we give others the same grace we hope they’ll give us.
Lord Jesus, this is a beautiful
sentiment. Please give us eyes to see and hearts to love and respect others,
knowing the same grace at work in us is also at work in them. Please help us
measure ourselves and others by Your cross alone.
***********
3.25.24
1. “If
my holiness is not drawing others to Jesus, it's not the right kind of
holiness.”
Isn't
this a curious statement? Surely my example always points to Jesus, doesn't it?
That
depends upon the state of my heart. Perhaps I’m hoping others will see and
think well of me. We call this “spiritual pride” and we must permit God to extinguish
it.
Instead,
“Goodness and purity should never be traits that draw attention to themselves,
but should be magnets that draw people to Jesus Christ.”
Perhaps
the secret to this posture is to be very open about our personal failings and
God's dealings with us. In this way we’re helping others understand we’re not so
great after all.
Let’s
help others perceive the amazing grace of God working in us. Christ dwells in
us by faith, and His Spirit is transforming us. And He wants to do the same for
them.
Holy
God, we recognize that “nothing good dwells in us” apart from Christ (Romans
7:18-19). We openly confess, if anyone sees any good in us, it's because of You.
May this attitude be abundantly apparent in our lives today.
2. “A saint can be a hindrance
in leading people to Christ by presenting only what Christ has done for them,
instead of presenting Christ Himself.”
I must be careful in the way I
posture myself as I speak of what Christ has done for me. It must be the
farthest thing from my mind to believe God blesses me because of my inherent
goodness.
Instead, let’s strive to live a
self-effacing life that continuously points to Jesus as our Source of forgiveness,
joy, strength, purpose and meaning.
Because our goal is not someone's
adulation, but that they might come know our Savior.
Father, please forgive us for
taking any credit that belongs to You alone. “We are a new creation in Christ;
it’s is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us” (Galatians 2:20).
May this be our humble way today and always.
3. “‘What a fine person they
are!’ is not being ‘a true friend of the Bridegroom.’”
Is this an offensive statement?
Perhaps we think we're fine folk,
only in need of a bit of adjustment here and there. But that’s not a Biblical
perspective. We are sinful people in need of a Savior, and anything good in us
is God's doing, not ours.
If we take credit for our goodness,
we are unwittingly suggesting other people can do the same. If that were the
case, we diminish the necessity and work of the cross.
A “true friend of the Bridegroom”
gives credit where credit is due. Any goodness in us comes from Christ in us.
We are “wretched, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17) outside of Christ.
The goal of our God-walk is for
Christ’s goodness to be evident in our lives, and for Jesus to receive all the
honor and glory.
Lord Jesus, we confess we are
nothing without You. We offer You all praise, honor and glory for what You’re doing
in us. May our lives reflect only You and Your goodness, because we are
incapable in and of ourselves. We truly want to be Your friend by pointing
others to You.
4. “Our only task is to maintain
a vital connection with Jesus Christ.”
This may be counterintuitive.
Perhaps we see our God-walk as a pursuit of virtue. But virtue is merely
outcropping of our relationship with Jesus.
If we give our attention to
developing and displaying our inherent goodness and morality, we’re
concentrating on ourselves instead of Jesus. But, if we concentrate on Jesus,
the Fruit of the Spirit begins to emanate from us.
Likewise, “our life is not spent in
trying to be consciously obedient, but in maintaining our relationship with
Jesus.” Because, as we seek to walk in unhindered fellowship with Jesus, His
Spirit is causing us “to will and do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).
There is something beautifully
symbiotic in a vital connection with Jesus, because in doing so, we begin to experience
“Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:17).
Walking with Jesus isn’t effortless,
because we must choose to pursue Jesus. But the fruit of our lives is
effortless, because it’s merely the fruit of Christ living in a us.
Lord Jesus, it's the desire of our
heart to maintain a vital connection with You. It's ironic that we can become
distracted by attempting to live a virtuous life rather than simply seek to
live in unbroken relationship with You. Please help us concentrate on the
latter that our lives might exhibit the former.
5. “Christian work can actually
be a means of diverting a person's focus away from Jesus Christ.”
Perhaps I work to serve Jesus as a
means of checking a box to meet God's requirements. If that's the case, I'm
missing out on the joy of walking with Jesus.
God created us to “walk with God in
the cool of the evening” (Genesis 3:8). Or, as the Westminster Shorter Catechism
says, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” This way
of thinking and living is far different from striving to accomplish objectives.
This is the genius and joy of the
God-walk. We get to spend time and eternity in union with our God and Savior. Nothing
is more gratifying than living into God’s brilliant design.
Heavenly Father, may the simplicity
and beauty of Your way become ours. May nothing divert our attention from
walking more closely with You.
***********
3.24.24
1. “We try to be amateur
providences in someone's life.”
It's at this point, if not before,
some will put this book down and be done with it.
It's statements like this that make
Oswald so difficult: “When you begin to see that person struggle, don't try to
prevent it, but pray it will grow 10 times stronger.” That seems cruel and
uncaring.
Until you understand what Oswald is
after.
Of course there are times when we
minister to people's needs. The Scripture are very clear about our loving
generosity in the face of human poverty.
But, Oswald also recognizes our
paramount need for God, and God's way of breaking down our defense mechanisms
to get at our heart. God’s process is necessary, “until no power on earth or in
hell can hold a person away from Jesus Christ.”
The pain we try to prevent could
well be God's way of gaining a person's attention. God help us not be “a thief
who steals someone’s desire to follow Jesus.”
May we be wise, discerning and
obedient in our care for others.
Lord God, it certainly is hard to
“watch Jesus Christ wreck a life before He saves it.” In our idealism and self-certainty,
we’re sure there must be a better way. Please forgive us for jumping in to ease
pain, only to defuse Your reckoning with another soul. Please help us be
helpful to You as You do what You must to win others’ heart.
2. “If
you become a necessity in someone else's life, you are out of God's will.”
This
is a powerful notion.
In
today's language, we might call this “enabling.” It's when we, in what we
believe is compassion, care for a person's needs to the point at which a person
becomes dependent upon us.
There
is certainly a time and place for caring for those who can’t care for
themselves. But we must never usurp God's place in a person's life. Their need
could well be God's way of gaining their heart.
Lord
God, this is certainly a thin line. When am I helping and when am I hurting? My
natural compassion wants to eliminate suffering. But, in doing so, am I conditioning
someone to look to me instead of You? Whom am I enabling today? Please help me
discern so I don't get in Your way.
3. “The friend of the Bridegroom
rejoices greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice.”
It will certainly be amazing to hear
Jesus’ voice one day. What a great celebration that will be!
But Oswald is speaking of the
rejoicing in our heart when a friend finally hears the Bridegroom's voice for themself.
Our prayer all along is for God to gain their heart just as He has gained ours.
In the joy of this moment, we “step
aside, removing ourselves, never to be thought of again.” That is, people take
their eyes off of us as they behold Jesus. “He must increase; I must decrease.”
And we gladly stand in the shadows.
Lord Jesus, we long for the moment
when those we love hear Your voice. Please connect with their heart as You have
ours. May they see what we see and love the One we love. We will happily
rejoice with them as they do, and humbly fade into the background.
4. “Listen intently until you
hear the Bridegroom’s voice in the life of another person.”
There does seem to be a moment when
we recognize that a loved one is beginning to hear Jesus for themselves. We've
shared and shared about God's work in our lives, and finally they begin to recognize
His work in their own.
What a day of rejoicing that will
be as they perceive Jesus revealing Himself to them! And immediately we’ll be
able to fellowship with that person in the Light of Christ. Hallelujah!
Lord Jesus, we long for that moment
in our loved one’s life. Please help us not be an impediment to it happening
for them. Please help us be a consistent example of listening, hearing and
responding to You. May our example whet their appetite for what we have in You.
***********
3.23.24
1. “Carnality
is the desire of the flesh warring against the Spirit.”
We
rarely use the term “carnal.” Perhaps it's because it seems so debased. We want
to think of ourselves as enlightened and above our “carnal nature.”
But
the Bible helps us understand the fallen state of our human nature. Its
tendencies, appetites and inclinations are constantly “warring against God’s
Spirit” (Galatians 5:17) when we don’t get our way.
Which
means our old, fallen, sinful nature becomes a daily impediment as we seek to
offer ourselves completely to Jesus.
Thank
God, we are “new creations” (2 Corinthians 5:17) through faith in Jesus Christ!
Lord
Jesus, we call upon the strength of Your Spirit in our present battle with our
lower nature. Thank You we can be “more than conquerors through Him Who loves
us” (Romans 8:37). May we know Your victory, freedom and joy today.
2. “Walk in the Spirit and you
will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
This is one of the most important
learnings in our God-walk.
Different situations “awaken” our fallen
nature and elicit a sinful response. We’re not alone in this experience: “Paul
connects these attitudes with carnality.”
Hence, “the process of
sanctification.” It's God's work to defeat our lower nature. God’s supernatural grace is transforming us. He conceives
a new nature in us as we trust Christ, and nurtures the new while rooting out
the old.
I’m no match for my fallen nature.
But it’s no match for our God. Hallelujah!
Lord God, thank You for Your
ongoing work in our life. We’re all too familiar with our sinful nature. It
continually reacts and rebels against Your ways. May the new creation in us supersede
and overwhelm the old,in the strength of Your Spirit. Amen.
3. “God doesn't ask you to make
it right; He asks you to accept His Light and Truth, then He will make it
right.”
In Christ, I’m not a self-made man,
because I'm no match for my old nature. But my old nature is no match for Jesus.
God's way is to shine the Light of
His Truth on certain matters in my life. As He reveals them, perhaps my
immediate response is to justify them: “Oh, I can explain that.” If so, His Light
will persist until I acknowledge my sin.
When I finally acknowledging my
sin, I'm liable to attempt to make things right. I make big promises, then I grit
my teeth and do my best. But I find myself continually falling short.
Instead, God calls me to be “a
child of the Light, confessing my wrongdoing, and letting God deal with them.”
This is the way of God's transformation. I can’t change my heart any more than
I can lift myself up by my bootstraps.
It will be the work of God’s
Spirit, or it won’t happen.
Father, please help me truly
embrace Your process. Please shine Your Light. Please give me grace to
acknowledge and turn from my sin, and grace to enable You to change my heart.
Thank You for Your present, persistent and ongoing work in my life, here and now.
Hallelujah!
4. “You will never cease to be
the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.”
Oswald says, “God will see to it
you have a number of opportunities to prove to yourself the miracle of His
grace.” That is, I will find myself in situations where my responses and
reactions are different than they used to be.
It’s because God is transforming me
from the inside out.
What a joy to realize I'm not who I
used to be! And as it happens, I recognize I have very little to do with it.
God gets all the glory, because I’m convinced He’s doing the transforming work
in me.
Father, may we be amazed more and
more as You continue to do Your transforming work in us. May our new nature
exhibit itself more and more in everyday situations, and may we and others be
aware of and amazed by of Your ongoing work in our life.
***********
3.22.24
1. “Did not our hearts burn
within us?”
Oswald calls this, “the secret of
the burning heart.” It's those moments Jesus appears and fans our flames. It's
the mountaintop experiences we can't reproduce.
Oswald encourages us to “maintain
the secret of the burning heart.” That is, to act on what we believe and
imagine in those moments. Sustaining the burning heart permits us to go through
anything—including “the simple, dreary day, with its commonplace duties and
people.”
When's the last time my heart
burned within me? What did I do in response? Did I act on the burning? Did I
seek to live out what God revealed to me?
It's not too late to obey the
burning heart.
Lord Jesus, please bring to mind
anything You've revealed to us on which we’ve not acted. We don't want it to be
an impediment in our God-walk. Please rekindle the burning heart within us, and
give us grace to respond.
2. “We are ignorant of the laws
of our own nature.”
We’re certainly learning more and
more about ourselves these days. We have greater understanding of what makes us
tick, and more tools to explore our hearts, minds, personalities, temperament,
etc.
Let's not forget the insight we
gain from the Scriptures for understanding human nature. And let’s not dismiss the
personal learnings we gain as the Holy Spirit reveals ourselves to ourselves.
We’re complicated beings. Thank God
for helping us discover who we are.
Father, thank You for creating us
in Your Own image. Thank You we’re “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm
139:14). Please, by Your Spirit, help us to “know thyself” (Socrates, c.400
BC). Please help us fully utilize the tremendous capacities You've given us—and
avoid their pitfalls.
3. “Determine whether or not to
allow a particular emotion run its course in our lives.”
Over the years we've become very
aware of what happens when we permit our emotions to drive the bus. We know
where they can lead.
Oswald encourages us to “examine
the final outcome of that emotion.” And, “if the outcome is something God would
condemn, put a stop to it immediately.”
That means we mustn’t permit our
emotions determine our course. Instead, “we’re learning the secret of abiding
in Jesus.”
We’re discovering our emotions don’t
have to have the final word. We can determine to let Jesus have the last word instead.
Lord Jesus, thank You for helping
us understand our inner workings. And thank You for the gift of Your Holy
Spirit, Who’s able to supersede our emotions, temperament and more. Please help
us become more acquainted with our ways, and more given to Yours.
4. “If the Spirit of God has
stirred you, make as many of your decisions as possible irrevocable, and let
the consequences be what they will.”
What's an “irrevocable decision?” For
instance, it would be determining, by God’s grace, to leave behind a bad habit,
and sharing your decision with a friend. In doing so, we’re seeking
accountability and leaning into God’s strength to follow through.
Another example would be taking
measured steps in following God’s leadership to go and do a particular thing.
Instead of telling ourselves, “one day we’ll do this or that,” we put the date
on our calendar and follow through, by God’s grace. We might even tell a good
friend for extra measure.
We've grown accustomed to making
backup plans in case our initial plans fail. However, when we make backup plans
prior to stepping out in obedience, we've already hindered our faith.
Faith means we don't have a backup
plan.
Lord Jesus, please help us act more
immediately to Your nudges in ways that don’t include escape clauses. Please
help us develop a faith that eagerly responds to You rather than letting our
reasoning, sensibilities and procrastination persuade us otherwise.
***********
3.21.24
1. “Sign the death certificate
of our sinful nature.”
Oswald is emphatic: We do not tame
our sinful nature; we crucify it with Christ.
“A moral verdict against the nature
of sin” means I truly agree with God and recognize my sin as destructive and an
impediment in my relationship with God, myself and others. It must not be
permitted.
“I have no claim to my right to
myself.” This is what it means to be “crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2: 20).
Sin manifests itself as I claim ownership of myself. But if I belong to Jesus, “I
despise my sin and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6).
Does this seem radical, harsh and
overstated? Not if we truly recognize the destructive nature of the sin in our life.
It's a cancer in our system, and dying and rising with Jesus is the antidote.
Lord Jesus, here and now we sign
the death certificate of our sinful nature. We die to ourself in Your Name,
that You might live Your Resurrected life through us. Thank You for setting us free
from the boat anchor of sin. We rejoice in Resurrected life with you.
Hallelujah!
2. “I have been crucified with
Christ.”
This is an emphatic statement, not
merely good intentions. We aren’t simply trying harder to follow Jesus, but
“identifying with Him in His death.”
The Christian faith is bloody. It's
the death of Christ for my sin, because that's what atonement required.
But it's also my own crucifixion, and
it's not pretty. “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). That means every day I
must place my old nature on Christ's cross, die with Him, and permit the Resurrected
Christ to live through me.
Does this seem extreme? It is only
if I believe I'm naturally a good person who simply needs tweaking. Instead, I’m
a sinner with a soiled soul who needs a new nature. To be “born again” (John 3:
37) means receiving a new nature by faith in Christ, and striving daily to put
my old nature to death.
It's this process that yields newer
and newer life every day. And it's glorious. Hallelujah!
Lord Jesus, please help us take our
old and new lives seriously. Please help us be done with the old and fully live
into the new. We die to ourself right now that Your life might flourish in us.
Thank You.
3. “May Christ accomplish IN us all
that Christ accomplished FOR us on the cross.”
If we're not careful, we’re apt to
consider Christ's cross far more lightly than we ought. Indeed, Christ paid the
debt of our sins with His death, but He accomplished infinitely more:
“Christ died for all, so that those
who live should no longer live for themselves, but only for Him Who died and
was raised to life for their sake” (2 Corinthians 5:15).
There is so much more to following Jesus
than heaven when we die. There is today, apprehending, appreciating and
appropriating all Christ has accomplished for us.
We can be different people because
of His cross.
Lord Jesus, please help us grow in
our understanding of what You've wrought for us through Your death and Resurrection.
Please help us to receive and walk in all Your cross provides. Thank You for
such amazing grace.
4. “My unrestrained commitment
of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to grant to me the
holiness of Jesus Christ.”
We're liable to think holiness is
simply the absence of sin. Instead, holiness is the presence of God in us.
The results of sinless living is righteousness
and purity. But only the Holy Spirit can grant the holiness of Jesus Christ.
Jesus’s death and Resurrection permits the Holy Spirit to make me holy.
But this isn’t an automatic or
default process. It requires “my unrestrained commitment to God.” I must
participate by yielding myself to God’s continuing work in me.
Giving God permission is ongoing
and never ending. I must do it again today, tomorrow and forever.
Heavenly Father, thank You for all
you've done through Your Son and Your Spirit that I might be made holy. Please
forgive me for undervaluing what it cost You to do so. Please help me be a
willing participant in receiving. And all for Your glory.
5. “Faith in Jesus Christ is not
my own; It’s the faith the Son of God gives me.”
I give myself too much credit if I think
I can believe on my own. It is the grace of God that draws me, opens my eyes,
touches my heart and grants me faith to believe.
Just as I can’t save myself, I
can’t believe on my own. I don’t have the aptitude, so Jesus grants it to me.
“I live by the faith of the Son of God” (Galatians 2:20).
Beloved, let’s become more and more
dependent upon our Savior, and more and more willing to receive what only He
can give. This is the process of faith-development in Christ.
Lord Jesus, we need what only You
can give—time and time again. We call upon You for faith to believe and receive
Your daily mercy and grace. We recognize our incapability and Your infinite capability.
Thank You.
***********
3.20.24
1. “The delight of true
friendship with God.”
Oswald takes a turn here. He’s been
pressing us about submission to God and following God's leadership rather than
our natural sensibilities.
Now Oswald speaks along another
line. He suggests we can be “so intimately in touch with God that we never even
need to ask Him to show us His will.” That is, we have progressed into a union
with God whereby we sense God's will without even asking.
In this place, “all of our common
sense decisions are actually God’s will for us.” It’s because Christ has so
transformed us that our sensibilities have merged with His. “Not my will but Yours
be done” has become a union of our will with His.
In this union, if my decisions are
wrong, “I sense a feeling of restraint brought on by a check in my spirit.”
This is simply God's gentle way of course-correcting.
In this intimacy, “we have freedom,
liberty and delight,” because, “when He restrains us, we stop immediately.”
This arrangement produces great soundness and security as we walk with Jesus
every day.
Lord Jesus, thank You for our growing
friendship with You. Thank You we're becoming more familiar with You and Your
ways. Thank You for Your ongoing work in our heart, “helping us will and do Your
good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). And thank You for the resulting peace and
joy. Hallelujah!
2. “Abraham stopped praying
because he lacked intimacy in his relationship with God.”
Oswald suggests we don't pray because our relationship with God is not
what it could be. If it were, we would “boldly continue with the Lord in prayer
until God grants our desires.”
Not that God gives us everything we want, but we are assured enough to
ask, and assured enough if God doesn't bring it about. That's because, in our intimacy with God, we’re
more interested in getting to God then in getting the thing we’re asking for.
“The reason for asking is so you may get to know God better.” Surely
that’s the intention behind this Scripture: “Your Father knows the things you
have need of before you ask Him.” Why then would God have us ask? It’s because asking
builds our relationship with God and solidifies in our hearts Who God is.
Beloved, let’s grow in our love for God as we pray.
Lord Jesus, may we constantly pursue an intimacy with You that leads to
“the freedom of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). When we're hesitant to
pray, please draw us closer. We want to know and love You more and more.
3. “You are nearing the final
stage of your discipline in the life of faith.”
It seems bodacious that Oswald would speak this way. Is he doing so out
of personal experience? How does he know what the final stage is?
“We still have another level to go.” This is Oswald's emphasis on ongoing
sanctification. We will never arrive, but must never cease in our pursuit to
offer “our utmost for His highest.”
This is the never-ending nature of our God walk.
Father, thank You for taking us “step-by-step, here-a-little, there-a-little,
line upon line, precept upon precept” (Isaiah 28:10). We’re confident we've
only begun discovering the riches of Who You are. We relish our continuing
journey. Thank You.
***********
3.19.24
1. “We are to be separated
mentally and morally from the viewpoint of family members who don’t believe.”
This is Oswald's interpretation of
Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate father and mother, wife
and children, brothers and sisters, they cannot be My disciple.”
This is certainly a troubling
passage. Perhaps equally troubling is being on a different page from people we
love who don’t follow Jesus.
It's quite a temptation to attempt
to find agreement with others by compromising Biblical values. Doing so
certainly brings down the tensions between us.
But it also compromises our God-walk.
And it compromises our effectiveness as salt and light for others.
Our manner of life, conversation, deeds
and affect are to be reflections of Jesus to draw others to our Savior. We’re different
people because Jesus lives in and through us. And the goal of our life is for others
to know and follow Him, too.
Lord Jesus, please give us great
grace to walk this delicate balance with unbelieving family members. Help us
love and embrace, even when we disagree vehemently. Just like You do for us.
Thank You.
2. “Living a life of faith means
never knowing where you’re being led, yet knowing and loving the One Who’s
leading.”
What a tremendous definition of
faith. We may not understand the how, where or why, but we absolutely know and
trust the Who.
“It's literally a life of faith,
not of understanding and reason.” This dimension of walking with Jesus can
strip our gears. In nearly every other aspect of life our reason and
sensibility is helping us decide.
But when we walk with Jesus, we're
letting Him decide. And, although we have no idea where it may lead, we have a
growing love for and confidence in the Person we’re following.
Beloved, may we become ever more assured
we can implicitly and completely trust Jesus.
Lord Jesus, faith can seem so
foreign to us, because we’re so well acquainted with our sensibilities and
reasoning faculties. Please help walk in the assurance that comes from knowing You,
even when we don’t comprehend or understand.
3. “One of the biggest traps we
fall into is the belief that, if we have faith, God will surely lead us to
success in this world.”
Goodness. It's certainly a
temptation to equate faith in Christ with successful living. After all, isn't
that the measure of God’s abundance?
Instead, walking in faith leads to
a deep abiding in the Person of Jesus Christ.
In time, His nearness and fellowship becomes sweeter than anything the
world has to offer.
We’re also likely to view worldly
success as a reflection of our choices and gumption. Surely the lack of success
is an indicator of our foolishness and failure.
But what if God's purpose for our
lives is to live less than optimally in order to be used by Him in the circles
we find ourselves? Wherever God places us, wherever His path for us takes us,
may the people around us be influenced for God’s Kingdom because of Christ's
presence in us.
Lord Jesus, we can certainly
imagine what a successful life might look like. Instead, may the measure of our
success become our faithfulness and submission to You. May we bloom wherever it
is You choose to plant us. And all by Your grace. Thank You.
4. “The final stage of the life
of faith is the attainment of character.”
Do we realize the highest
aspiration in life is Christ-like character? Because if we don't, we won’t value
the process God is leading us through.
God's intention is to make us more
like Jesus every day. Not just morally, but inwardly, demonstrating character
fashioned after Christ Himself.
This is surely indicated by the Fruit
of the Holy Spirit emanating from us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 2: 22-23).
It's Christ-like character, not our
accomplishments and possessions, that holds greatest value in the Kingdom of
God. Because our character permits God to put us on display for all the world
to see.
Heavenly Father, please continue to
forge in us the character of Your Son. May we go to our graves having attained
the highest possible character, and may it bring You glory now and forevermore.
5. “Faith is a life of day-in
and day-out consistency; a life of walking without fainting.”
I'm inspired by this description of
the faith-life.
Although my emotions and reactions
can be all over the map, I want my daily living to be integral. That is, the same
on the inside and outside—consistent, determined and enduring—all for the sake
of God's Kingdom and glory.
Oswald reminds us this can only
happen if our life of faith is tested and true, built on God alone. We may be
able to muster this stuff in the moment, but not for a lifetime.
Abraham and others “believed God.”
That is, they bet the farm and built their lives on the premise that God is
God, God is good, and God will never fail us. As such, they could step out in
great faith and audacity following God’s leadership and reflecting His
character.
Father, I want this kind of faith—a
great confidence in You that fashions and motivates my daily living and
endurance. Thank You for the example of amazing saints. I want to be among
them, and all by Your grace and for Your glory.
***********
3.18.24
1. “God intends for me to
recognize His claim of ownership over me.”
This is certainly contrary to my
natural will. My assumption is, I belong to no one but myself, and I choose how
I will divvy myself out to others.
Because no one else owns me. I’m
surely mine alone.
We begin to see things differently as
we walk with Jesus. God opens our eyes to His sovereign claim over all things—including
us.
This perspective is at the heart of
Christian faith. We follow a Savior Who demonstrated giving Himself completely
over to His Father’s will.
And He calls His followers to do
the same.
My Lord and my God, I hereby
recognize and confess, I am Yours. Have me as You will. I place myself before
You; I’m at Your disposal. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in and
through me today. Amen.
2. “God instructs us even in the
smallest details of life. I begin to transform my natural life into spiritual
life by obeying Him.”
I don't become spiritual; God forms
me spiritually. He does so as I respond to His Spirit. When the Holy Spirit brings
conviction of sin, I turn from that sin to God, and seek and receive His forgiveness
through Christ.
Along the way, as God directs me to
go left and right, I do so, by His grace. Not only is God accomplishing His
purposes through me, He’s also conforming me to the image of His Son (Romans
8:29).
In these ways and more, God is “sanctifying
me.” “He’s setting me apart and making me holy in His sight.”
How given am I to obeying God? My unwillingness
is evidence of the unspiritual nature in me. It may, therefore, require my own brute
force, by God's grace, as I determine to obey. But as I do, and as I’m transformed,
I find I’m growing more eager to do so.
May it be so, O God.
Heavenly Father, please bring about
this metamorphosis in my life. Please help me participate by being obedient to You
today. I'm looking forward to seeing Your finished work in me.
3. “Am I allowing the mind of
Christ to be formed in me?”
Something happens in our mind as we
yield ourselves to Jesus. There are new learnings, knowings, sensitivities,
realizations and more. Jesus is forming “the mind of Christ” in me (1
Corinthians 2:16).
But Jesus will not force Himself
upon me; I must participate. It requires God’s grace working in me to do away
with the old and begin walking in the new. And God can only do so as I release
my grip.
As I consider giving myself to
Jesus to this end, I find myself tremendously possessive of my mind, thoughts
and imaginations. Nothing is closer to who I am, and nothing influences me
more.
Which is why it’s critical for Jesus
to transform my mind by forming His mind in me.
Therefore, Lord Jesus, have at it.
Rewire my mind as need be. I want my thoughts might be Yours. By Your grace,
may I become of one mind and heart with You.
4. “Jesus never spoke of His
right to Himself, but maintained submission to His Father.”
Jesus didn't simply live a moral
life. He demonstrated a life given over to His Father's will.
He calls me to do the same, to “vigilantly
keep my spirit in agreement with God's Spirit.”
As I do so, “Jesus is gradually
lifting me to the level where He lives—in perfect submission to His Father's
will.” It's a place where “we pay attention to nothing else.”
“Are people beginning to see God in
my life more and more?” This only happens “as God is having His way with me.”
Heavenly Father, Jesus whets my
appetite for what He has. Like my Savior, please help me “be serious about my
commitment to You and gladly leave everything else alone.” Please take me
farther into this way of being.
***********
3.17.24
1. “Seeking ‘to be well pleasing
to God’ requires a conscious decision and effort to keep this primary goal
before us.”
If we are to accomplish an objective,
we must have a goal. That's true for spring cleaning, a day at work, or a
lifetime aspiration.
What if our overarching goal was
“to be well pleasing to God?” That is, a determination that our thoughts,
motivations, words and deeds be pleasing to God no matter what we put our hand
to.
Is any personal objective worth
compromising our right-standing with God? Or, is “to be well pleasing with God”
of greater value to us than anything else?
If we’re determined to live into
the latter, the rest will follow, including the example of our life today.
Because we’re aspiring to our grand and overarching goal.
May it be so, our God.
Lord Jesus, we pray our hearts
would become satisfied with nothing less than to be well-pleasing in Your
sight. Thank You for every opportunity we'll have today to demonstrate You’re
most important in our lives.
2. “Examine yourself before God
to see if your life is measuring up to the standard He has for you.”
This is one reason we might avoid
God. It's because, in His Light, we see our short-comings.
But we're only cheating ourselves
when we don't concern ourselves with measuring up to God's standards, because
our natural affinities and decisions will lead us elsewhere. And that means
we're missing out on God's best.
Lord, have mercy.
Father, please examine our heart—even
if it means exposing things we don't want to see. Help us want what You want
more than what we want.
3. “A musician gives no thought
to audience approval, only approval from their conductor.”
I'm not sure this is always my
motivation. Instead, I think I may be looking for your affirmation rather than
God's.
Surely this is evidence of the
human condition. If we examine our daily decisions and actions, they’re often
made to fit in, gain others’ attention, and please those around us.
Yet what’s more satisfying than our
Heavenly Father's approval? There are no more gratifying words then these: “Well
done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:53).
Father, may we be myopic in our
desire to please You alone. May we experience Your wink and nod as we go about today’s
business.
4. “My worth to God publicly is
measured by what I really am in my private life.”
This is such a revealing statement.
But instead of it becoming a heavy load, may it become our primary motivation toward
giving “My utmost for His highest.”
I make public appearances
everywhere I go. What do others see in me? Is it important to me to reflect
Christ everywhere I go and in everything I say and do?
If so, I will need to give myself
to the pursuit of God, and out of that pursuit will effervesce the Fruit of God’s
Spirit in my everyday life. Because it’s my intentional and unbroken connection
with God that necessarily alters how I speak and behave.
Thankfully, reflecting Christ is
not the result of gritting my teeth, hunkering down and doing my level best.
It's the product of a low impedance circuit between God’s heart and mine, and a
determination to permit the Resurrected Christ live through me.
Heavenly Father, I'm up to the
challenge today of seeking first Your Kingdom and Your righteousness. May You
leak through me as I do.
***********
3.16.24
1. “Learn here and now to live
under the scrutiny of Christ's pure Light. Then your final judgment will only
bring delight in seeing the work God has done in you.”
Do I live in fear of God’s judgment?
Perhaps it's because I know good and well I'm walking in darkness in various
areas of my life, and I realize there will be an accounting for these things
one day.
No wonder I might keep my distance
from God.
But if we “walk in the Light as He
is in the Light,” and immediately bring our convictions of sin before His
throne in confession and repentance, we immediately receive His grace and
forgiveness, and can walk in great confidence as the children of God.
To remain up-to-date with Jesus is
to walk in great freedom, and to walk in great anticipation of the great and
glorious day we see Him face-to-face. May this mode of being mark our daily
God-walk.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your
constant scrutiny. Thank You for the opportunity to turn and repent in an
instant as You convict us. Wherever we may be harboring sin, please shine Your
light and grant us a willing heart to respond. May we walk with great joy in
the light of Your Spirit, rather than fearfully anticipating Your impending judgment.
2. If you don't turn and confess
your guilt, your heart will become hardened through and through.”
I'm so grateful for Christ's
immediate conviction and forgiveness. We don't have to prove our worthiness to
receive God's grace. It is unmerited, and it’s instantaneously ours for the
asking.
On the other hand, when I excuse my
sin, thinking it won't harm me, and thinking no one is looking, I will find
myself distanced from God. And if I ignore His conviction long enough, my heart
will become calloused to the point where I no longer sense His correction.
Beloved, has God put His kind finger
upon something in our life? It's because that thing is toxic and will only lead
to a hard heart. And a hard heart can be hard to revive.
Lord Jesus, in this very moment, we
turn from known sin and receive Your amazing and all-sufficient grace. Please
strengthen our resolve to love You more than our sin, and to respond
immediately when You convict us. And, where there may be hardness in our
hearts, please soften us once again with the oil of Your gentle Spirit. We want
to remain in vital, up-to-date relationship with You.
3. “Sin itself takes its toll.
The penalty of sin is that we gradually get used to it.”
This is the reality of personal
sin. God doesn’t need to judge or punish, because the consequences of our sin are
punishment enough.
The penalty of sin is it's
pernicious effect on my relationship with God and others. Sin is always a
crummy counterfeit of a greater good, and only robs me of the blessings that
can be mine as I walk in obedience.
Without exception, my sin separates
me from God, and that isolation is painful. I come to full recognition of that
pain when I turn from my sin, receive God’s forgiveness, and am re-reconciled with
God. Until I do, I have no idea what I'm missing.
Holy God, surely I’ve tortured
myself with my sin. I’ve compromised what could have been if I were living in full
submission to You instead. To that end, please sweep through my system and convict
me of my sin. Please give me grace to turn from sin, receive Your forgiveness,
and enjoy Your fellowship without impediment. Thank You for Your good and
perfect ways, and for loving me back to Yourself time and again.
4. “No power except the power of
God's Holy Spirit can change or prevent the inherent consequences of sin.”
Sin fools us. We're pretty sure
we're in control, but we're not. It takes us by the throat, encourages our compromises
and diminishes our lives.
If we’re able to conquer sin on our
own, our Savior, His cross and His Spirit would be unnecessary.
But that's far from the case. Sin
is insidious. It lies, creeps in under the door and poisons our souls. Our best
intentions are no match, and we find ourselves at its mercy once we partake.
Thank God for the gracious Gift of
His Spirit. “We’re more than conquerors through Him Who loves us” (Romans
8:37). What we cannot do in our own strength, God is fully capable of doing in His
glorious strength.
Holy Spirit, we call upon You for Your
deliverance today. We yield our souls to Your process of rooting out our sin. We
confess our inability to do it on our own, and trust Your loving and gracious
capability of setting us free.
***********
3.15.24
1. “In the beginning of our life
with Jesus, we were sure we knew all there was to know about following Him.”
Remember being younger? When we had
a new experience, we become experts on the subject. We happily informed others
because we imagined we knew everything there is to know about the matter.
Then the maturing process continues.
We have other experiences that contradict our previous experience, and hear
opinions that cause us to question the conclusions we’ve drawn.
It certainly happens as we mature in
our God-walk: “Jesus is far ahead of us and is beginning to seem different and
unfamiliar.” Growing in Christ means continually coming to a greater understanding
of the “mystery of godliness” (1 Timothy 3:16).
Beloved, Jesus doesn’t change, but He’s
changing us. And even as we and our world change over the years, we can take
great confidence knowing “our God is the same today, yesterday and forevermore”
(Hebrews 13:8). Hallelujah.
Lord Jesus, even as water passes
under our bridge, we’re so thankful for the stability You offer our lives. Please
continue to reveal Yourself to us more and more. We want to know You even as
You know us (1 Corinthians 13:12).
2. “As Jesus walks before me
with great determination, He strikes terror right through me.”
There was a time in our God walk
when Jesus carried us in a most unmistakable way. Almost like training wheels
on a bicycle.
But as we mature in Christ, He
treats us more and more like the maturing human beings we’re becoming. He may
“no longer seem to be our Counselor and Friend,” because He is anticipating us
to stand on our own two feet in the strength of His Spirit.
Indeed, “Jesus has a point of view
about which I know nothing.” He will continually call us out into deeper
waters, anticipating us to rely on Him more and more, even when we don't see it
or feel it.
Remember, “God is conforming us to
the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). To that end, God continues to grow our
faith in every season of our lives.
May we not think it strange, but
trust His ever-wise leadership
Father, thank You for Your
steadfastness in helping us mature as Christ’s followers. Please help us stand on
what You’ve already worked into us, and take steps today as You continue to
form us. We trust and follow You today.
3. “There is a distance between
Jesus and me and I can no longer be intimate with Him.”
I liken this to my maturing
relationship with my parents. There was a time when they never left my side,
but took me by the hand through the developmental seasons of my life. They
offered me a sense of assurance as I navigated a strange new world.
There was a time when Jesus
physically walked among His disciples, teaching them, answering their
questions, defending them and debriefing. But after His Resurrection, and after
the outpouring of His Spirit, He was no longer among them as a Man.
It's not what they had in mind, but
it's precisely what God intended. They were to be filled, empowered and
directed by His Spirit in Christ’s continuing mission.
So it is with us today. As newly
born-again babes, we experience the nearness of Jesus as He nurtures our faith.
But in time, He sends us out into our woolly world to be His representatives
and conduits of His love and grace to others.
In God’s strength, may we be
faithful to Christ’s mission today.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the
nearness and power of Your Spirit dwelling in us. May we walk in greater faith
and determination today as Your ambassadors in our world. We want to reflect
You well.
4. “We tend to look back on our past
relationship with God in an effort to keep our enthusiasm for Jesus strong.”
It's one thing to look back and
remember God's faithfulness as we walk in Christ today. It's another matter to
live in the past, remembering when we were younger and our relationship with
Jesus was new and fresh.
Thankfully, our God is infinite,
and the newness and thrill of discovering and following Jesus never dissipates.
Because, beloved, we’ve only
scratched the surface of Who He is.
Lord Jesus, please forgive us when
our enthusiasm wanes because we’ve left off pursuing You. Please stir our
hearts to more eagerly know and follow You today.
***********
3.14.24
1. “There’s no power other than
yielding to God that’s capable of breaking the bondage of our human nature.”
This is intense stuff. Oswald is
talking about the overwhelming power of human nature.
For instance, we can’t yield for a second
to temptation. Even a nibble and our human nature is rendered powerless and
we’re taken captive by that thing. This is true of our imaginations, bad
attitudes, fears, complacency, slothfulness, resentment, unforgiveness, lusts,
addictions and more.
However, when we yield ourselves to
Jesus, He’s able to break the power of our old nature by giving us a new nature
empowered by His Spirit. Then, by God’s grace, we can say no to temptation and discover
God’s freedom.
Hallelujah!
Heavenly Father, may we yield more
and more to You and Your Spirit, and find ourselves more and more capable of NOT
yielding to lesser things. Lord Jesus, thank You for giving us a new nature
that overwhelms our old nature.
2. “I am responsible for having
yielded myself to whatever it may be.”
Nothing and no one can force me to yield.
They can threaten me, humiliate me, twist my arm and tempt me, but I alone and
responsible for yielding.
I’d rather not be responsible. I’d
like to blame someone or something else. But in the end, it’s I alone who says,
“yes” when I yield to temptation. And when I do, I’m in its grip.
But the tremendous power of
yielding also wields the power of God as we yield to His Spirit. To some, yielding
to God may seem weak and limiting. Yet, in doing so, we learn to tap into God's
power and become free from the cruel taskmasters in our life.
And we’re the only one who can say “yes”
to Jesus.
Lord Jesus, we give You our “yes”
today. “Yes” to Your work in our lives, “yes” to Your leadership, and “yes” to Your
will and Your way. We yield ourselves to You for Your purposes today, and for Your
strength to say “no” to compromise.
3. “Selfishness is the most
enslaving tyranny on earth.”
Oswald named the most vicious attribute
of our human nature: Selfishness. It’s this liability that divides us from God
and others.
Self-centeredness convinces us it
knows best how to satisfy our soul. It makes great demands of others, only to
leave us less satisfied and alone.
And outside of Jesus, we’re
prisoners of this tyrant.
Thank God for a selfless Savior Who
names, saves and delivers us from our selfishness, and introduces us to His
selflessness. In Christ, we discover God's glorious economy: “It's more blessed
to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your
unselfish ways, and for helping us realize our selfishness and the sorrow it
brings. Please continue to deliver us from this evil attribute. Please set us
free for selfless, joyful, Kingdom living.
4. “No release or escape from
this slavery will come from any human power, but only through the power of
redemption.”
This is the glorious deliverance of
God for the children of God.
It may seem counter intuitive, but only
in “yielding ourselves in utter humiliation to the only One Who can break this
dominating power in our life,” do we find freedom from slavery to our lower
nature.
Christ not only cancels sin, but
can cancel the power of things to which we’ve yielded. Jesus resets our loves
and yieldings as we yield ourselves to Him. Thank You, Jesus!
Lord Jesus, we want more and more
of Your freedom. Help us pry our fingers off lesser things as we yield
ourselves to You. Please set us free from the things that hold us captive
today.
5. “A bad habit absolutely
dominates because we willingly yield to it.”
Surely we recognize our
helplessness in habits that exert control over us. “‘I can give up that habit
whenever I like,’ but we know we cannot.”
Oswald claims we are dominated by habits
because we've willingly yielded ourselves to them. Much hardship in our lives
is due to our “obvious slavery to ourselves.”
Thank God for our Savior: “Yielding
to Jesus will break every kind of slavery in any person's life.” I long for
this freedom. And it can be mine if I will only yield.
Lord Jesus, we declare and proclaim
“You will break every fetter.” Please help us live into this truth. Thank You
for Your power that can cancel strongholds in our lives. Please “speak liberty”
to this captive.
***********
3.13.24
1. “Salvation means being
completely delivered from myself, and being placed in perfect union with God.”
What a tremendous way to understand
our salvation. Indeed, salvation means we’re delivered from sin and enter the
process of sanctification. But God's
goal in salvation is so much more. Jesus intends to bring us into complete union
with our Heavenly Father.
We undersell salvation if it's
simply a means to freedom from the sin that holds us in bondage, and going to heaven
one day when we die. Instead, “the Spirit of God has brought me into intimate
contact with the true Person of God Himself.”
The gift of salvation is the gift
of personal communion with our Heavenly Father. How could there possibly be a greater
gift?
Heavenly Father, we receive Your gift
of salvation. Not only deliverance from our sin and heaven when we die, but day-by-day,
moment-by-moment union with our God and Creator. What a gift! Thank You for
giving Yourself to us to that end.
2. “As I’m caught up into total
surrender to God, I've become thrilled with something infinitely greater than
myself.”
This has certainly been my
experience.
I came to Christ out of self-preservation—I
wanted to go to heaven when I die. But what I received in return is infinitely
greater. I’ve been caught up into the life of God. It was totally unexpected.
But it's been the joy and pleasure of my life ever since.
I think that's why I love this God-thing.
It's bigger than me. It has the smell and ring of destiny and eternity. And
nothing else holds a candle to it.
Heavenly Father, I had no idea.
Thank You for ushering me into such amazing grace. My life is so full because I
have been united with my Maker. I look forward to each day, and eternity
together with You. Hallelujah!
3. “If we’re truly surrendered,
our entire life will be consumed with the One to Whom we surrender.”
How I want this to be so.
I do feel like I’ve tasted this to
a degree. My God and Savior continues to subsume my life. The things of earth
continue to grow more and more strangely dim.
I love that our salvation is not
about a place or our pleasures. Instead, it’s about a Person—the Person of God Himself.
It's a love affair and dance with our Creator. It's discovering that for which
we were made in the first place.
It makes it so personal. This is
less and less about me, and more and more about Him. Which is what makes a
great relationship, after all. Hallelujah.
Heavenly Father, it's such a joy to
know You, to serve You, and to be Your child. You’re continually becoming the
biggest part of my life. And the more I get to know you, the more I love You,
and the more satisfied and content I become. Thank You so infinitely more than
I bargained for. Hallelujah.
4. “Salvation is God's wonderful
and total surrender to us.”
What an amazing God!
At the heart of our God-walk is a
God Who gave Himself for us. The goal of our God-walk, is to give ourselves
completely to Him.
It's this reciprocal relationship
that makes our God-walk so beautiful. We’re following the lead of our self-giving
God as we yield ourselves to Him.
I love the way God never asks anything
He doesn't do Himself. He asks for our heart because He has given us His. And
He asks for our faithfulness and fidelity, because He has given us His.
How amazing, mysterious and
wonderful is our salvation. Hallelujah!
We receive your advance, Holy God,
and we’re learning to release our hearts to You more and more. Thank You for
your demonstration as we enter this union with You. Thank You for more and more
of Your love and joy as we surrender to You more and more.
5. “The consequences and
circumstances resulting from our surrender will never even enter our minds,
because our life will be totally consumed with Him.”
It never occurs to me what I could
have had if I wasn't married with four children. The gift of my wife and kids
are the greatest blessing in my life.
The same is true of my God-walk. I
never think about what I might be missing out on because I follow Jesus. I certainly
have to count the cost as I surrender various aspects of my life, but those
things never occur to me afterward.
It's because the sheer delight and
satisfaction of pleasing God infinitely outweighs anything I’ve given Him.
That's precisely how Jesus feels: “For
the joy set before Him, Christ endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews
12:2). As we surrender to God, His pleasure becomes our greatest joy.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the
incredible satisfaction of being rightly related to You through faith in Jesus
Christ our Lord. You fill our heart with such pleasure and contentment as we give
ourselves to You. By Your grace, may we do so today.
***********
3.12.24
1. “Beware of surrender that is
motivated by personal benefits.’
It’s so easy to bargain with God.
We have this or that need, so we attempt to make a deal with God that may
include surrendering this or that.
Instead, Jesus says, “Surrender is
for My sake and the Gospel’s.”
It's amazing how persistent our
flesh can be. It’s constantly looking for self-gratification, and will seize
every opportunity for personal gain. And it can easily drive our God-walk.
That is, often we’re turning to Jesus
for our sake, not His. ☹
Lord Jesus, please have mercy. I
recognize I’m naturally driven by my appetites, wants and needs. Please forgive
me when this becomes my motivation for approaching You. I want my relationship
with you to be different. I want to move towards the place where I surrender to
You and follow You out of a growing love for You.
2. “We can be so self-centered
that we go to God only for something from Him, and not for God Himself.”
We know the burden of constantly
being on the giving end of a relationship. It seems like the other party is
only after what they can gain from us.
It certainly make the relationship
seem superficial.
Is it possible this is how God experiences
our relationship with Him? Could it be we only look to God for what we receive
from Him, without personal care or concern for God Himself?
How heartbreaking that must be for
our God.
Heavenly Father, I certainly am self-centered
and manipulative. Please forgive me when I approach You in this way. I want to
give myself to You for Your pleasure, not my own. Please help me do so.
3. “Genuine, total surrender is
a personal and sovereign preference for Jesus Christ Himself.”
Oswald names the many benefits of
following Jesus: gaining heaven, being delivered from sin, being made useful to
God, etc. But, “these things should never even be a consideration in real
surrender.”
I regret that some of the
preaching, teaching and devotional reading we've received over the years emphasizes
what we gain from God, rather gaining God Himself.
That sets us up for expectations of personal
gratification.
Instead, God's intention is for us
to reciprocate His love and self-giving, and walk with God in a relationship of
offering our all-in-all to one another. Just like Jesus did when He laid down
His life for us.
This is the means whereby we share
in the joy and peace of God Himself.
Father, thank You for the mutual,
self-giving economy of Your Kingdom. Thank You for all You've poured out for us
because of Your personal interest in us. Please help us grow in our intentions
to do the same for You.
4. “True surrender will always
go beyond natural devotion.”
Natural devotion has to do with
curiosity, infatuation, personal satisfaction and gain, etc. It's what many
friendships and marriages begin with.
But natural devotion quickly
subsides as we lose interest and grow discontent. Our fading natural devotion doesn’t
have the horsepower to sustain a long-term, self-giving relationship.
Including our God-walk.
Not so with total surrender: “Beware
of stopping anywhere short of total surrender to God.” Surrender is an act of
my will for God’s sake, not mine. Which is precisely what Jesus did as He gave Himself
up for us.
Thank God for the horsepower of
total surrender. May it be the driving force of our God-walk today.
Heavenly Father, please forgive me
for often relating to You based on my natural affections. I realize the casual nature
of that kind of devotion. Please help me take next steps in walking in total
surrender to You, just as You do for me.
***********
3.11.24
1. “If we lose the ‘heavenly
vision’ God has given us, we alone are responsible.”
I wonder what the “heavenly vision”
is?
Have you ever had a moment of
inspiration from a mountaintop experience with God, a moving message or blog, a
powerful time of fellowship with other Christ-followers, etc.? In that moment we
sensed God speaking to our soul, and experienced a glimpse of what it would be
like to walk in the fullness of God.
Then, as time passed, that
inspiration faded, and we found ourselves precisely where we began. We did
nothing with that inspiration, so it withered on the vine.
What if we had stepped into the
ideal we imagined? Perhaps it would have been a step forward in our God-walk,
to be followed by the next moment of inspiration, and the next and the next.
But we missed out because we didn't.
Surely, as we intentionally turn
our face to Jesus, there will be other moments of inspiration. As we do, let’s determine
to be “obedient to the heavenly vision,” whatever it may require of us.
Surely this is what it means to
follow Jesus.
Lord Jesus, thank You for those
moments of great inspiration, where You are so near and visible. Please help us
live into what we imagined in those moment. Please forgive us for neglecting to
do so in the past. Please grace us to respond differently going forward.
2. “Be obedient to the heavenly
vision in the details of our everyday life.”
Oswald is good at reminding us that
our lives are not subdivided into the spiritual and non-spiritual. Instead,
every moment of every day is lived out in the context of the Kingdom of God.
There may be times when God calls
us to do great things: Perhaps it's a costly sacrifice, a hard conversation,
giving our leadership, lending our support and energies, etc.
But the most common way of living
for Jesus is in the everyday. It's the way we relate with people, how we speak
and do, our affect and attitudes, our willingness to start and complete hard
things, etc.
These are the proving grounds of
our obedience to the heavenly vision.
Heavenly Father, please forgive us
for undervaluing the everyday. Please help us offer ourselves to you “60
seconds out of every minute, and 60 minutes out of every hour.” Please
use us for Your glory today, even in the little things.
3. “The only way to be obedient
to the heavenly vision is to give our utmost for His highest—our best for God’s
glory.”
The God-walk is not a lazy person's
way. It's why we're called “disciples.” We discipline our hearts, minds, bodies
and emotions for the Kingdom of God.
Like the very best friendships,
marriages and family relationships, we value those people by giving them our
very best time, attention and efforts.
So it is with our God-walk. “My
utmost for His highest” is our motto and our goal. No slacking, no self-pity,
no shortcuts. We are all-in for the glory of God.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the
language of “our utmost for Your highest.” Thank You for the way it constantly
reminds us that You’re worthy of our very best, 24/7/365. May the flames of our
passion for our God never flicker or dim, but only grow to consume us more and
more.
3. “We get caught up in the
practical busy work, only to miss the fulfillment of the heavenly vision.”
I have great respect for Brother
Lawrence and others in the monastic tradition. Their way is to discover and
worship God in the most menial of tasks, including scrubbing toilets and
washing dishes.
The discipline of their practice is
to experience God even in the menial, practical, busywork that consumes most of
our existence. They learn to see even the smallest works of their hands as
critical components in God's Kingdom purposes.
Let's not get distracted by practical
busywork today. Let’s recognize our labors as significant in the eyes of God.
Father, please help us to see You in
everything we do. Please help us appreciate each moment as a means of serving
and fellowshipping with You. Thank You for the opportunities to do so today.
Thank You.
4. “God
plants His Saints through the whirlwind of His storms.”
It's
not the sunny days that cause a tree to grow roots, but the windy, stormy days
that seem to threaten their existence.
Surely
the same is true of us. It's the battering and bruising of life that causes us
to send our roots deeply into the Word of God, prayer and fellowship with our Savior.
If it weren't for those challenges, we would not learn endurance.
Thank
God for the occasional sunny day. It's wonderful to stretch our arms wide and
receive in those gracious moments. But thank God also for the storms that
prepares to go the distance.
Father,
please help us endure today's challenges, that we might be fit and of use to You.
Thank You for the endurance You’re working in us. Thank You for the strength
we're developing as we walk out our hardships. Thank You for Your faithfulness
throughout.
5. “If you allow God to plant
you, you’ll bear much fruit.”
“Bloom where you're planted” is a
common idiom. But it's not uncommon to wish we were planted elsewhere.
“If you select your own spot to be
planted, you’ll be an unproductive, empty pod.” We may think we know best, but
that's not always the case.
It's highly likely our
circumstances are of our own design. We're reaping as we've sown.
But it's also possible God has
planted us in our difficult context. It’s not for our immediate pleasure, but
for His Kingdom purposes. We can endure knowing our faithfulness and fruitfulness
will ultimately bring about His pleasure—and, in turn, ours.
Lord God, plant us where You will.
Please help us receive our assignment with determination to produce much fruit
for Your Kingdom and glory. And all by Your grace.
***********
3.10.24
1. “We’re saved to be God's sons
and daughters, not just instruments for His use.”
What a beautiful sentiment. Indeed,
we’re God's workers. But we’re also His workmanship, created in Christ and adopted
by faith in Christ, to become God's sons and daughters. Hallelujah!
And what a joy it is. It's an
incredible privilege to be a child of God, and we use our daily life as a means
of living, speaking, proclaiming and appreciating this amazing gift.
Heavenly Father, thank You that we
can call You Father, and thank You for calling us Your children. It is the joy
of our life to belong to You.
2. “The message must be part of
us. Jesus was His Own message.”
This is great. It means my message
is unique to me. It’s the expression of my heart, personality, sense of humor
and more. I get to use all of that as I share my story of Jesus.
“Our lives must be a holy example
of the reality of our message.” What a great motivator this is. People take
their cues from me. If I speak truth without living truth, I hinder the
message. Conversely, if I live the message of the Gospel well, it makes it more
and more accessible to others.
Lord Jesus, please help me own the
message of Your work in my life. Please help me share and proclaim it with all
that's in me, and live in such a way as to show others how real You are.
3. “It takes a heart broken by
conviction of sin, baptized by the Holy Spirit, and crushed into submission to
God's purpose, to make a person's life a holy example of God's message.”
Goodness, that's a mouthful. And,
quite the process. It's not automatic or random. It's God's work within me as I
permit God to do so.
This means I must recognize and
grieve my sin as a personal trespass against my Holy God. I must permit the Spirit
of God to infiltrate more deeply as He recreates me from the inside out. And I
must permit God to use everyday hardships as a means of helping me become more submitted
to the will of God.
To the extent I give myself to this
process, God's message will be evident in my life.
Father, this is certainly easier
said than done. I’m eager for my life to be “a holy example of Your message,” but
I’m not as eager about the long and arduous process of transformation. But I’m willing
for You to shape, fashion and mold me, so You might receive greater glory, and others
might come to know You. By Your grace, O God.
4. The purpose of Pentecost was
not to teach the disciples something, but to make them the incarnation of what
they preached.”
This is powerful. Sometimes we
think the way forward with God is simply to learn more about God and His ways.
But that’s not the case.
For instance, I can know all about
anatomy, the importance of diet and exercise, etc., but it's not until I practice
that stuff that it has positive effect on my body, mind and spirit.
In the same way, God is not simply
educating me, but is transforming me. It’s the process of spiritual formation,
and God is doing it day-by-day as I seek His face, follow the nudges of His
Spirit, and endure with faithfulness.
Afterall, God did the same with Jesus.
Holy Father, please continue to “conform
me to the image of Your Son” (Romans 8:29). Do what You must to shape my mind,
soul and spirit. Forge me and batter me into shape. Please give me the grace to
receive it with joy. And all for Your glory. Thank You.
5. “Before God's message can
liberate other people, His liberation must first be real in you.”
This makes perfect sense. I can't
sell others on something I don't buy myself. I can’t convince others of God's
freedom, deliverance and new life if those things aren’t evident in me.
And, when these things become my
own, I can share them with great enthusiasm and vibrancy. I eagerly help other
beggars find bread. I’m liberated to help others find liberation.
Lord Jesus, I want to practice what
I preach. I want You to do in me what I proclaim You can do in others. Please
help me “freely give as I have freely received” (Matthew 10:8). I want to be
authentic. Please do what You must to make it so.
***********
3.9.24
1. “Our Lord’s words often hit
home for us when He speaks in the simplest way.”
We may think the ways of God are
complicated and complex. However, “Unless you become like little children, you
cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 18:3).
God's ways are far simpler than we
make them out to be. Not simple in doing, but simple in comprehending.
Jesus simply asks us to walk with Him
in full and complete surrender and devotion, living out our daily lives in
loving obedience, eagerly given to His Kingdom purposes for our lives and our
world.
Is it possible we complicate the
way of Jesus as a way of creating a diversion?
Lord Jesus, our simple Savior,
thank You for Your simple words and Your simple way. May we become simple
enough to believe, receive and follow.
2. “We must continually maintain
an adventurous attitudes towards Jesus.”
Without a doubt, following Jesus is
forever a Great Adventure, with surprises around every bend.
And why wouldn’t we be surprised by
Jesus’ leadership in our lives? “His ways are past finding out” (Romans 11:33).
How can we possibly comprehend, understand or predict where He might take us
next?
How much of the Great Adventure do
I miss because of my unwillingness to risk? In what ways have I compromised my
God-walk with my own sensibilities?
One day, as we stand before His
throne, I wonder if we’ll realize what could have been?
Lord Jesus, thank You for the Great
Adventure of walking with You. How would You have us serve You today? Please
give us grace to take the risk and dive headlong.
3. “Many turned back from
walking with Jesus; Not into sin, but away from Him.”
Refraining from sin is admirable.
But it's not the same as walking with Jesus.
Walking with Jesus is more than being
kind and good-hearted. It means setting aside our druthers and following His
leadership, no matter where it may take us.
I certainly want to be a righteous
man; I want my life to reflect my Savior. But am I also willing to let Him
drive the bus? That means letting go of my control, direction and aspirations.
But who knows better than our
Heavenly Father what will truly satisfy the depths of our soul? Surely anything
less than walking with Jesus is a compromise, no matter how good it may be.
Lord Jesus, what a dreadful thought
of compromising what could have been had we walked with You. Instead, what a
thrilling notion to experience daily Kingdom living in the very center of Your
will for our lives. Holy Savior, please help us walk with You every moment of
every day, not turning aside to distractions or our druthers, but satisfied
only by being in step with You.
4. “All that’s required for
oneness with Jesus is living our natural life in absolute dependence upon Him.”
Once again, do we complicate our
God-walk? Is it truly as easy as simply walking in absolute dependence on
Jesus?
I think of those in my life who
demonstrate the greatest surrender and serenity in their God-walk. It’s those
who recognize the greatness of Jesus and their great need for Jesus.
Because, if there's any hint of
self-sufficiency, it’s preventing us from knowing God’s all-sufficiency.
Lord Jesus, awaken us to how
needful we are and how completely dependent we are upon You. Thank You for
every heartbeat, every breath and every moment of our existence. Our heart’s
desire is be one with the One Who made us for Himself.
5. “The secret of walking with
Jesus is to show no concern for the uncertainties that lie ahead.”
In speaking of the simplicity of
walking with Jesus, Oswald now names the great difficulty of doing so.
Those in the Scriptures who
demonstrated the greatest faith are those who seemed least concerned about uncertainties,
and simply stepped out to follow God's leadership.
It seems so simple until God asks
us to do the same. Then it tends to get incredibly complicated. What about
this? What about that? Our minds run a million equations as we weigh our cares
and concerns against the uncertainty of following Jesus.
Yet, it’s when we risk and step out
in faith to follow Jesus that we often find His greatest assurance. We sense His
nearness and rest confidently in His all-sufficient grace.
As we seek to follow Jesus, we have
a heightened sense that He has us, holds us and will never let us go. Surely wherever
He's taking us His best, because we’ll be with Him there.
Lord Jesus, we can become so
concerned with uncertainties, and they often prevent us from laying aside our
cares and stepping into the unknown with You. Thank You for the honor and simplicity
of walking with You. May this be our way today.
***********
3.8.24
1. “To become one with Jesus
will not only mean giving up our sin, but surrendering our way of looking at
things.”
I'm so sure my way of looking at
things is correct. How can I be wrong? Am I not the reference point for right
and wrong, true and false, fact and fiction, good and evil?
Our pushback to the things of God
is often along the lines of pride and arrogance. When we can’t understand, we’re
offended rather than being humbled. Something inside rises up to defend our
inability to understand, rather than humbly asking God to open our eyes to His
Truth.
Perhaps this is what I love most
about Oswald Chambers: He challenges my thinking. It's not his theology or philosophy,
but his perspective on the Scriptures and God's ways. He often sees something I
don't see.
And it typically points back to me
and my unwillingness.
Lord Jesus, Your ways are not my
ways. They are foreign and strange. They frighten and offend me because they
are not always sensible. Please help me loosen my grip on my way of seeing
things. Please open my eyes to things unseen.
2. “The Lord wants us to present
to Him, not our goodness, honesty and efforts to do better, but real, solid
sin.”
Good intentions are certainly a
good thing. But our intentions to be a better person must also be met with our
willingness to bring our sin to the cross.
It’s the only way we receive a
clean slate: “What God gives us in exchange for our sin is real, solid
righteousness.” We don't tidy ourselves up. Our acknowledgement and repentance
of sin is permission for Jesus to cleanse us and clothe us in His
righteousness.
It's offensive to us when Jesus
tells us we can’t do this on our own. We're convinced we surely can. Yet
nothing we do today can make up for yesterday. Yesterday's refuse must be cleansed
by the blood of Jesus.
“We must give up our claims of
being worthy of God's consideration.” We think we’re worthy because of our good
intentions. If we could see the soiled condition of our soul we’d surely throw
ourselves upon the mercy of God and readily receive His forgiveness and grace.
Lord Jesus, thank You for bearing
with us through our good intentions. By Your grace, may we continually humble
ourselves before You, recognize our sin, and permit You to wash us clean. May
our intention be honesty with You about our sin and Your forgiveness.
3. “God
will show us what we need to surrender next.”
This
is certainly God's way. He's never finished recreating us.
Even
the most seasoned saint is still being sanctified. We’re a continual work in
progress as God conforms us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:39).
I
wonder what God might ask me to surrender to Him today? I wonder how His
request will be met? Do I trust Him enough to believe He's working to bring
about His very best in my life?
Father,
please help me trust Your motivations and give myself to Your process. May I
please be met with the grace to surrender as You call for more and more of me.
4. “We will suffer the sharp
pain of disillusionment before we fully surrender.”
Moving nearer and nearer to Jesus
brings a greater vision of His Holiness, and a clearer perspective of my unrighteousness.
In His presence, I find I'm not all
that.
Surely this is the “sharp pain of
disillusionment” that accompanies full surrender to Jesus. “Are we willing to
surrender our grasp?” That is, our sense of worthiness, goodness, morality,
sensibility, wisdom, understanding and more?
But disillusionment also brings a
vision of who we can be in Christ. When we see ourselves for who we are
compared to Who He is, something switches in our soul. We're no longer
satisfied with us. We only want more of Him.
Heavenly Father, please bring on
the disillusionment. “May the things of earth grow strangely dim in the Light
of Your glory and grace.” May our disillusionment be overwhelmed with our
astonishment at Who You.
***********
3.7.24
1. “Some things seem likely to
separate us from the love of God, but nothing can.”
This is where we must discern
between how we might feel and what is our reality.
Indeed, challenges of life can “disrupt
our close fellowship with God,” but, “none of them is able to come between the
love of God and the saint.” Because the love of God withstands and overcomes every
obstacle.
Beloved, God’s doesn’t count on us.
God loves us out of Who He is, not out of who we are. We don’t earn or deserve
God’s love; we simply receive it.
As such, God’s love is never
deterred or diminished. It’s endless, coming from His endless capacity to love.
And God directs it toward every human being ever conceived.
Wow.
Heavenly Father, we receive Your
love, unmerited and undeserved. We’ll count on it, every moment of every day,
no matter what. Thank You for loving us, regardless. Thank You for being You.
2. “The underlying foundation of
the Christian faith is the undeserved, limitless miracle of God’s love
exhibited on the cross of Calvary.”
Do I know this love? Do I trust this
love? Have I permitted this love to embrace me? As I do, I find “the freedom of
the children of God” (Romans 8:21).
Without this sense, we will always
live under the burden of trying to please and appease God, which inhibits us from
simply being a child with our Father.
But when we’re able to receive
God's unconditional love, we can laugh and play with our God. We can enjoy His
mirth. We can even receive His correction, knowing He loves us and is
cultivating the very best in us.
Thank God for His marvelous ways,
and thank God for the demonstration of His love by Christ’s cross. How can we
ever doubt?
Father, thank You for Your
boundless love toward us. We open our hearts today and receive Your unmerited affection
and care. Please forgive us for ignoring, diminishing or thinking less of Your
love. May it be our foundation, every moment of every day.
3. “We are super-victors with a
joy that comes from experiencing the very things which look as if they’re going
to overwhelm us.”
Every day we face our dreadful
imaginations. We conjure images of the worst scenarios. We pull the covers over
our heads in fear and trepidation.
Instead, knowing our infinite God
goes before us, let’s step out in faith and audacity, trusting God to be Who
God truly is.
And, as we do, we’ll find great joy
in experiencing His all sufficient grace in the midst of that which used to
hold us captive in fear and trepidation. Those daily challenges are precisely
the things that help us know our God in greater ways. Hallelujah!
Heavenly Father, thank You that “we
are more than conquerors through Him Who loves us” (Romans 8:37). Thank You
that You go before us today. Thank You that, as the wind and the waves appear
to be prevailing, You will show us Your victory. You've done it countless times
before. Help us trust You again today.
4. “A saint doesn't know the joy
of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it.”
This seems like the craziest
statement ever uttered. But our experiences demonstrate its truth.
We relish our personal stories of
God's incredible faithfulness when odds were stacked against us. We've been
there, felt the heat and fear, yet experienced God’s faithful care and deliverance
in those dreadful moments.
And we can't wait to tell others.
Although we don't seek tribulation and
hardships, or wish them on others, it’s in those moments we often find
ourselves closer to God than ever.
That's because “our joy is not
built on anything passing, but on the love of God that nothing can change.”
This is the reality in which we live today. Praise Jesus!
Lord, thank You for Your
unrelenting love. Thank You for proving Yourself over and over. Thank You for
the stories we can tell of Your great grace and mercy when we’ve been in over
our heads. As we find ourselves in those situations today, may we draw on our
own experiences of Your prevailing grace.
***********
3.6.24
1. “It
requires the grace of Almighty God to take the next step in our devotion to Him.”
Oswald is speaking of those seasons
in our God-walk when we lack natural enthusiasm and the encouragement of
others. In those moments “we have no vision from God,” and can’t seem to lift
our eyes to Heaven.
There are times when it’s impossible
in our own strength to take next steps. We’re drained and unmotivated. That’s
when we must press in and draw upon the supernatural grace of God to do what we’re
not naturally inspired to do.
Maybe we're in that place today.
Many live in a toxic environment that’s not conducive to faith. Perhaps we’re
incredibly discouraged and God’s the last thing on our minds.
As Christ-followers, we've all been
there. Beloved, let’s pray from personal experience for those who might be
there now:
Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and
Holy Spirit, we call upon You for Your grace and mercy in the lives of those
who are presently struggling and despondent; for those who are discouraged to
the bone and cannot see You clearly; for those who are pressed down and
oppressed. We ask for a breakthrough of Your Amazing Grace. Draw their eyes
upward, revive their hearts, increase the oxygen of Your Spirit in their bloodstream.
Please help them take the next step out of their darkness and into Your marvelous
Light. Thank You, our Mighty God.
2. “We must experience the
essence of the Incarnation by working it out with God's hands.”
The essence of the Incarnation is
Christ in us by His Holy Spirit. As Christ’s followers, we're permitting Christ
Himself to live through us.
This must become our go to,
especially in times of great heaviness and heartache. We can’t, but our God
can. That which we are incapable of doing in our natural strength, God can do
in His supernatural strength.
We’re learning to let Christ live through
us—seeing through His eyes, walking in the faith Christ provides, standing in
His strength, and more.
These aren’t signs of weakness.
This is the essence of crucifying ourself and giving Christ His rightful place
on the throne of our hearts. It’s permitting Jesus to rule and reign in us, and
bring about His glorious victories through His mighty strength.
Lord Jesus, Incarnation of God in
us, please work within and through us today. Please do for us what we can’t do
for ourselves. We call upon Your supernatural grace and power—the very life of
Christ dwelling in us—to do what we find impossible. Thank You for being Lord
of our lives.
3. “When we have no vison from
God, we lose interest, and our everyday life becomes trivial tasks.”
This is the liability of taking our
eyes off of Jesus and going it alone.
As human beings, we were made for
greater things. There’s no pursuit on planet Earth, no pleasure or accomplishment,
that will ultimately satisfy our hearts. Only God Himself can do this.
Without a constant pursuit of
Jesus, we simply lose interest in the things of God, and we’re liable to become
buried in the everyday and trivial tasks of life. Despondency can overtake us,
and we find ourselves joining the ranks of the discontent, unsatisfied and
unfulfilled.
Thank God for His higher calling, His
abundant living, the gift of His life-giving Spirit within us, and our
citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven. We exist because of, for the purposes of,
and by the good pleasure of our God in Heaven. Hallelujah!
Father, we lift our eyes to You
today. Please help us visualize our place in Your Kingdom. Please help us to
draw upon Your life-giving Spirit as we step into a new day. Thank You for meaning,
purpose, and Your grace-filled fellowship.
4. “The thing that really
testifies for God is steady perseverance, even when the work cannot be seen by
others.”
This describes the quality I admire
in so many saints. They press on, day after day, without fanfare or flourish,
unbeknownst to others, but in full view of the God they trust.
Thank God for their demonstration. They
are an inspiration of dedication and discipline. And surely, if they can do it,
by the grace of God, so can we.
Lord Jesus, we don’t need to be
seen by others to be affirmed and encouraged. We know You see us, strengthen us
and walk with us. May our daily inspiration come from a sense of Your good
pleasure. May that alone be sufficient as we persevere.
***********
3.5.24
1. “Joy comes from seeing the
complete fulfillment of the specific purpose for which I was created and born
again.”
Wow. How profound. “For the joy set
before Him, Jesus endured the cross...” (Hebrews 12:2).
I sense the joy of the Lord when I
know I’ve been obedient. It's worth more than anything else. It certainly helps
me imagine one day the joy of hearing God's say, “Well done, good and faithful
servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”
What could be better than responding
to God daily? I can't imagine.
Lord Jesus, help me be about Your Father's
business. I can become so easily distracted. I can foolishly look for
fulfillment in the wrong places, when all along it comes from simply following You.
Thank You for such joyous pleasure.
2. “Consider your life valuable
only for the purpose of fulfilling that to which you were called.”
The Christian ethic is, every human
life is of sacred worth, because every soul is created in the image of God. We dearly
hold to this consistent life ethic.
But beyond being alive, what gives
my life value is that I was created for God’s purposes, and I get to live into those
purposes on a daily basis. Every day I’m on a mission for God.
What a tremendous reason to get out
of bed in the morning.
But to what is God calling me? In
general, I’m called to die to myself daily and make myself fully available to
Jesus. I won’t know the specifics until I sense His nudges, but I can determine
now to act when He does.
Father, thank You for making us for
Yourself. And thank You that we get to live out our life in union and obedience
to our Creator. Thank You for our moment by moment interactions. They bring
such joy, purpose and meaning to our lives.
3. “I will show him how many
things he must suffer for My Name’s sake.”
This Scripture passage names the
object of our faith and obedience: It's our
God Himself.
As Psalm 31:15 implies, we exist
for God's purposes: “Our times are in His hands.” We were created for God’s
purposes, and by living into God’s purposes we find our purpose and meaning.
We were joyfully created by our
joyful God to spend time an eternity in His joyful dance. Everything else in
heaven and on earth pales in comparison.
Welcome to the God-walk, beloved.
This is how we get to spend our days. Hallelujah!
Heavenly Father, we offer our lives
to You for Your Name’s sake today. Have us.
Do with us as You will. Nothing brings us more joy or satisfaction.
4. “The
need is not the same as the call.”
This
Oswald-ism has stuck with me for decades.
If
I merely respond to human needs, I will give myself endlessly. There are more
demands in this world than anyone can possibly fulfill in 1000 lifetimes.
Instead,
I give myself to God’s leadership. The needs around me are simply opportunities
to exercise God’s call. I'm demonstrating my faithfulness and obedience, which
is the greatest gift I can give Him.
Simultaneously,
the time and energy I expend with my obedience, combined with the God's outpouring
of mercy and grace, produces effectual service as I interact with others. Not
only am I experiencing the joy of obedience in fellowship with God, but also
the satisfaction of knowing my life is significant, and my efforts are making a
difference in our world.
What
a great way to live.
Heavenly
Father, thank You for the sense of Your ownership You place upon my life. I
love belonging to You. Please help me swiftly respond to Your leadership today.
***********
3.4.24
1. “It is easier to serve or
work for God without a vision and a call, because then you are not bothered by
what He requires.”
This is a critical dimension of
Christian faith. If my idea of serving God is to simply do stuff for God, I
will do according to my liking and common sense or best judgment. That's very
different from listening to God’s still, small voice and being obedient even in
the smallest matters.
If our goal is to follow God’s still,
small voice, we will find it does not leave us, but is perpetual in its persistence.
God won't twist our arm, but once we become aware of God's nudges, we find them
there all the time.
We’re learning to know them, and learning
to know when we’re ignoring them.
Holy Spirit, thank You for Your gentle
way. Thank You for making us aware of Your leadership. May we meet Your
leadership with instant obedience, even if it's not what we would choose. We’re
determined to choose You more and more.
2. “What do I count in my life
as ‘dear to myself?’”
Perhaps “I consider the time I
decide to give to God’s service as dear.” If this is the case, I will track and
keep account of the time I spend. I will tally the cost and equate it as my
devotion to God.
Oswald uses Paul as an example of
one who considered his time as dear, not because he was keeping track of the
time he gave God, but because his time for serving God was so limited. “He
refused to use his energy on anything else.” Paul recognized how little time he
had to give everything he had to Jesus.
Surely the same is true of our time,
energies, resources, relationships, future plans, etc. If we hold these things dear,
then we count any of God’s impingements upon them as a sacrifice to God.
Instead, Oswald challenges us to see all our holdings as riches to spend for
God's glory and purposes.
That's quite a change in mindset.
Lord Jesus, I certainly count my
fleeting life as dear, along with my limited resources and more. I'm liable to
attempt to preserve these things rather than spend them for You. Do change my
mind. May I readily pour out my most precious treasures as love gifts to You.
3. “Paul displays an almost
noble annoyance at being asked to consider himself.”
We certainly don't worship Paul.
But it's interesting that God gives us Paul as an example of a life lived solely
for Jesus.
My human nature considers myself in
every equation. What are my preferences, gains, costs or sacrifices? How much
time and energy will it take? Will I have anything left over for myself?
I love the descriptor, “noble
annoyance.” We can't fake that. Nor is it a prideful display. Instead, it's a determined
demonstration of where our heart and priorities lie.
In short, it speaks of profound
devotion to Jesus.
Lord Jesus, I'm challenged by this
notion. I would love such a thing to be said about me. Please continue helping
me detach from myself from lesser things that I might be more completely
devoted to You.
4. “Our ordinary and reasonable
service to God may actually compete against our total surrender to Him.”
I can see how this is so. I can
feel very justified in my “ordinary and reasonable service to God.” That is, the
decisions I make day in and day out as I seek to live a moral and upright life.
In turn, I may feel my obligations
to God are quite and sufficiently satisfied. If this is the case, I may be
oblivious to God's specific leadership. After all, I've already done what is
required.
But God’s looking for more than an
ethical life and obedience to His commands. He’s seeking a surrendered life,
wholly given to Him and His purposes. Because God is ultimately after our
fellowship with God in mutual givenness to one another.
A relationship out of obligation
rings hollow. A relationship built upon loving surrender and deference is
optimum. And this is what we’re offered in Christ.
Lord Jesus, to the best of our
ability, and by the grace of Your Holy Spirit, we surrender our hearts to You
today. We want to be pliable in Your hands. We want to relate with You in the
realm of reciprocal self-giving.
5. “Never
consider whether or not you are of use to God, but always consider that ‘you
are not your own.’”
Usefulness
is not the goal of my God-walk. Detaching from my life and attaching to the
life of God is the goal of my God-walk.
To
recognize “I am not my own” is not to devalue and throw away my life. Instead,
it’s to offer my life as a love-gift to Jesus. As I do so, I recognize the
preciousness of this exchange, and grow in my appreciation of Jesus giving His precious
life for me.
How
beautiful.
Lord
Jesus, thank You for the amazing arrangement You provide for relating with You.
Thank You for the pleasure of giving ourselves to You as You give Yourself to
us, that we might joyfully flourish together in Your abundant life. May this
vision for what-could-be motivate us to do so.
***********
3.3.24
1. “When
we receive the Life of Christ through the Holy Spirit, He unites us with God.”
I
love the notion of “the Life of Christ through the Holy Spirit” within us. God
isn’t simply improving our existing life. God has birthed His Life in us, and we
have the moment-by-moment and lifelong privilege of partaking of that Life.
It’s
not as if an alien has taken up residence in us. Instead, we were created to
house the Holy Spirit in the first place. We were designed for union with God
and to be empowered by God’s Life within.
Beloved,
let’s not simply sip of that Life during our times of need. Let’s nurture it and
permit it to subsume our natural life. This is the “abundant life” Jesus spoke
of (John 10:10), and He makes it all possible by His cross and Spirit.
Welcome
to the God-Life, children of God. It’s what we’re made for.
Father,
thank You for the gift of Your Life in us. Please help us provide a hospitable environment
so Jesus can flourish within us. Thank You for the joy of sharing in Your glorious
Life.
2. “We are united with God by His
Spirit in exactly the same way Jesus was.”
This is difficult to imagine.
Surely the Father and Son have a union that we can never experience. But that's
not the teaching of Jesus: “Father, may they be one even as You and I are one,
I in them and You in Me” (John 17:22-23).
Apparently God's intention is for
us to be united with Him just as His Son is united with Him. That doesn’t make
us Divine. Instead, it brings us into the relationship God created for us in
the beginning.
The Father is eager and willing. Am
I?
Heavenly Father, may we be fully
united with You and Your Son by Your Holy Spirit. May we wholeheartedly give
ourselves to this union and become one with You and one another.
3. “Pour yourself out. Feed My
sheep.”
Oswald is direct. “Don't testify
about how much you love Me.” Instead, we’re to demonstrate our love for Jesus by
pouring ourselves out for His sheep.
Unfortunately, we’re liable to see
Jesus’ sheep as needy nuisances: “Jesus has some extraordinarily peculiar
sheep.” They can be unkempt, dirty, awkward, pushy and wayward. But Jesus calls
us to love and feed them anyway, just like He does.
Beloved, it’s one thing to love
Jesus. It’s another thing altogether to love His sheep. But the former comes
with the latter: We love Jesus by loving His sheep.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your way.
Please enlarge my heart for Your sheep. And please enlarge the hearts of others
as they contend with loving me.
4. “It's impossible to exhaust
God's love.”
My love runs out very quickly. I'm
so thankful God’s love never does.
God calls us to love others with
the inexhaustible love of God wherewith we are loved. And God makes that love
available to me by His Holy Spirit.
That means I have no excuse for not
loving others. They may try my patience, but the Holy Spirit is able to supply me
with God's unlimited patience. The same is true with God’s compassion,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness and love.
God calls me to relate with others
by drawing from the endless well of His Spirit within me.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the high
calling to love, not by girding up my strength and resolve, but by receiving from
the abundance of Your love. Please help me Your conduit of love to others.
5. “If I love my Lord, I have no
business being guided by my natural emotions.”
I certainly have my preferences.
Just like everyone else, I’m drawn to some people more than I am others. And I certainly
find some people easier to love than others.
But Oswad says I don't get to pick
and choose. God isn’t asking me to love others using my natural inclinations. God
calls me to be a conduit of His love to everyone He places in my path.
Jesus demonstrated an incredible
ability to love everyone He met, and He extends that capability to us by His
Holy Spirit. May Christ’s compelling to love compel us today.
Father, thank You for loving me beyond
natural human emotion. Thank You for loving me unconditionally and
supernaturally. Please fill me with that kind of love for others.
***********
3.2.24
1. “Nothing can cut through to
the center of our being except the Word of God.”
What an amazing depiction.
We all know hurt. Perhaps it's pain
from regret, betrayal, foolishness, disobedience, acting in anger, etc. Our
heart ache because of what we've done.
But the Spirit of God touches us
even more deeply. God's Word gets to the very center of our being, deeper than
any other experience or emotion. It's the place God has made for Himself, and in
that place we resonate with His Holy Spirit.
This is why the Word of God is
essential. When God speaks His Word to us, He speaks in that inner place. And as
we grow in Christ, we’re developing a greater sensitivity to respond.
Father, thank You for Your Word to
us. Thank You for the way our anatomy can differentiate Your Word, conviction
and love from every other thought and feeling. Thank You for that precious
place where we commune with You. Please help us become more and more
comfortable interfacing with You there.
2. “When Jesus asked Peter, ‘Do
you love Me,’ Peter was awakened to the fact that, at the center of his
personal life. he was devoted to Jesus.”
This is so amazingly redemptive.
Jesus wasn’t chastening Peter, but was helping Peter see Peter’s love for
Jesus.
Indeed, Peter denied Christ three times,
but that didn’t mean Peter didn't love Jesus. It meant Peter fell to temptation
in that moment. We have the capacity for both—even simultaneously.
Peter was surely in great grief and
despondency because he had betrayed his Lord. But Jesus came, not to correct
him, but to help him over that impasse. Jesus helped Peter recognize that,
indeed, he did love Jesus. And when Jesus pointed it out, Peter's love for
Jesus prevailed and overcame his despair and humiliation.
Praise Jesus for revealing our
hearts to ourselves.
Lord Jesus, I’m often tempted to
throw in the towel when I foolishly disobey or betray You. Thank You for
calling me out of my darkness and into Your marvelous Light again and again. I
feel I do love You, Lord Jesus. May that love only grow and grow as You nurture
it. Thank You.
3. “‘Lord you know all things.’ Our
Lord's questions always reveal the true me to myself.”
Indeed, Jesus knows all things. We
can be thankful He does. And, we can be thankful He helps us know ourselves.
We assume we know ourselves well.
But there is plenty of bias and deception going on in our soul. Thank God for His
loving Truth as He reveals things to us about ourselves.
Thankfully He never does so to
humiliate or punish. Instead, He’s bringing things to the surface to skim them
off and refine us. We’re always better because Jesus has revealed our hearts.
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your
X-ray vision. Thank You for knowing me better than I know myself. I welcome Your
examinations. And I welcome Your continuing work to sanctify me and make me
more like You.
4. “On rare occasions, God will
back us into a corner where He will hurt us with His piercing questions.”
I can trust God if He must use pain
to get my attention.
I've asked God time and again to
break my legs if it would keep me from wrecking my marriage, reputation,
eternity, etc. I welcome His pain as He must to save me from myself.
It takes a great deal of love to
ask piercing and personal questions, because we know the pain it inflicts on
the other. It's why we often sidestep and bite our tongue.
But God doesn’t take the easy road.
He steps in to hurt and heal with surgical precision and loving care. He’s bringing
about the very best in our lives. Thank You, Lord.
Father, do as You must to get my
attention. I know You mean no harm, but only my well-being. Please do what only
You can do to help me recognize my need for You. Thank You for making me more
and more dependent upon You.
***********
3.1.24
1. “True love never simply
declares itself. It’s confessed in everything we do, not merely by our words.”
This is a powerful statement.
It's a simple matter to speak the
words, “I love you.” In fact, we can even do so as a means of getting our way
with another person.
It's another thing altogether to declare
and confess our love with everything we think, say and do. Those things are powerful
evidence of our love for another. And certainly of our love for Jesus.
It's important that we frame our
God-walk in terms of our love for God. Our goal is not to simply believe and
receive, but to reciprocate God's love in every aspect of our lives.
Lord Jesus, we want to move from
believing in Your to loving You. Not simply speaking the words, but confessing and
declaring our love for Your with our lives. Thank You for doing the same for us
every day, and certainly in the cross of Jesus our Lord.
2. “Experiencing the ‘hurt’ of
Jesus’ question: ‘Do you love Me?’”
Surely we can imagine the pain
Peter felt when Jesus asked Peter if Peter loved Him. Just a few days earlier Peter
had humiliated himself by denying Christ three times—even after Jesus had
predicted Peter would do so!
I hate feeling like a schmuck.
After Jesus “hurt” Peter with His
question, “Do you love Me,” surely Peter lived, walked and ministered differently
for the rest of his life. He couldn’t undo the past, but he could walk in the
assurance that Jesus’ love for him would never run dry. And with the
determination that Jesus would never have to ask that question again.
I feel that pain every time I deny,
disobey and doubt Jesus, and when I’ve ignored Him, questioned His motives or
failed to share Him with others. The pain I experience isn’t God’s punishment. Instead,
it’s my own heart recognizing I don't love Jesus to the degree I might.
Thank God, Jesus loves me even when
I don't fully love Him.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the hurt of
Your question. It's a gentle excruciation, and an unforgettable reminder of what’s
truly important. May my desire to love You as You love me be my greatest motivation.
3. “The Word of God inflicts
hurt on us more than sin ever could, because sin dulls our senses.”
This is so insightful.
Indeed, sin dulls my God-sensitivities.
In fact, I’m choosing to ignore conviction of the Holy Spirit if I choose to
live in my sin. Lord, have mercy.
All the while, the Word of God,
which is “sharper than any two edged sword,” continues to quietly stir and
unsettle my soul. It's God's kind and ongoing reminder that I’m compromising
what I could have. God will forever evade my attempt to avoid His conviction,
and continue to persistently, consistently and lovingly woo me towards
repentance.
Father, thank You for the “hurt” of
Your Word when I’m disobedient. Thank You for the holy discomfort in my soul
that draws me back to You. Once again I return to Your gracious embrace.
4. “When God speaks to us, the
pain is so intense that no deception can remain.”
I find it unsettling that I can be
so deceived. “The heart is deceptive above all things” (Jeremiah 17:9). Not
only am I a scoundrel and can deceive others, but I am quite deceivable.
The Bible calls the wicked one,
“the deceiver” (Revelation 12:9). I may feel incapable of being deceived, but
that notion in and of itself is a deception.
Thankfully, the Word of God brings God's
Light, conviction and grace. It exposes deceptions, both the ways in which I
may be deceived, and my efforts to deceive others.
In the presence of Jesus, “You will
know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). The conviction of
the Holy Spirit comes upon me in an undeniable way, and convinces me of the truth
about God, myself and others, It graciously permits me to detect where I've
been deceived, and offers me grace to be forgiven and redeemed.
Thank God for the “pain” of having
my deceptions revealed.
Lord Jesus, I fancy myself as wise
and not easily deceived. Yet I realize my heart is quite deceivable and fully
capable of deceiving others. Lord, please have mercy. May Your Word continually
root out deceit and set me free.