It’s not a part of the natural man to pray. ~ My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers
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I John 15:15 I do not call you servants that I own anymore. A servant does not know what his owner is doing. I call you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from My Father. New Life Version (NLV)
Do I believe I have all the friends I need? If so, is Jesus my best friend? - Do I even consider Him as a friend at all? Proverbs 18:24 Someone with many so-called friends may end up friendless, but a true friend is closer than a brother. The Voice (VOICE) Yes! Jesus is my friend - the friend "one who sticks closer than a brother." I can't tell you the exact day it happened, but I surely know the moment that it was confirmed. It was the time I spent waiting for the EMT to arrive. That's when I knew He was my friend. He stayed with me, kept me strong, and gave me peace. He was the friend who helped me to focus on what was important -- our Heavenly Father. He is the friend that replaced fear of death with the assurance of heaven. The affinity of the saint is the Lord Jesus. ~My Utmost for his Highest, Oswald Chambers Our friendship with Jesus is grounded in our desire to be like Him. All that is important to Him becomes important to us. It is unutterably humble, unsulliedly pure, and absolutely devoted to God. ~My Utmost for his Highest, Oswald Chambers Years have passed since that moment. In the aftermath, so many have proven themselves to be good and true friends. None, however, can be as good a friend as Jesus. We may ignore the fact or avoid the decision till we're "ready." But it cannot be denied - we all need Him and we need Him to call us friends. If you form a new friendship today - let it be a friendship with Jesus. Matthew 3:11 “I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am. - So much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. (NLT)
Many may believe that being “good,” or doing “good,” is all it takes. In this world of moral relativism, conventional thought is that as long as I'm not “bad,” I'm good. Sure we all realize good people can do bad things. But as long as I shoot up a quick “Sorry for that God,” I can still count on receiving my invitation to His mansion when I take my last breath. Right? It’s not that simple. Salvation is free, professing faith is simple, but no one said that makes it easy. It feels great to hear about the magnitude of God’s love for me. It’s reassuring to know that my sins are forgiven before I even ask, but repentance? That means I have to give up something. Now wait a minute, that isn’t easy. Awareness of my sin does not make me repentant. Saying I'm sorry doesn’t make me repentant. True repentance is when I realize that, without Jesus, I have no defense. My our own effort not to sin does not make me less guilty. It is falling on my face at the foot of the cross in acknowledgment of my sin. It is the brokenness of realizing that because of my sin Jesus' blood stained the wood. And it is the desire not to make His sacrifice for me in vain. I turn away from sin, as an expression of my love and gratitude for what Jesus did for me. It is not to rid myself of sin, only Jesus can do that. Repentance does not bring a sense of sin, but a sense of unutterable unworthiness. ~ Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest Thank you Lord, for not leaving me to despair in my unworthiness. You have shown me that my worth is found in You. |
AuthorMelinda started her fifth year of her devotions reading Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest. In 2015 she has made the commitment to share what this year's journey. Taking a detour, she began living Every Day With Jesus Archives
September 2020
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