"You cannot serve the Lord." Joshua 24:19
...That is if I rely on anything other than Him. Whether it be my own wisdom or ability, or the ability of anyone else. Anything that I do is worth nothing if I am not doing it for Him. Living a life of service for the Lord cannot be out of pride in my own capabilities. My obedience to do all that He asks, (whether I feel capable or not) is what glorifies the Father. Joshua tells me I cannot serve God if I am not putting Him first, above all else. I cannot serve Him if I believe my skills, or the value of my service, is of more value than my obedience.
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Profess to Him - "I will be loyal."
I have chosen to follow Jesus Christ. I will be His loyal follower. I have chosen to marry my husband. I will be a loyal wife. I have chosen to be a mother. I will be loyal to my child. I am a daughter and sister, aunt and niece. I will be loyal to my family I am selective when choosing who I share my life with. I will be a loyal friend. I have joined the church I attended. I will be a loyal member. I have chose for whom I will work. I will be a loyal employee I was born in the United States. I will be a loyal American citizen. I Will to be loyal "If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all noble things are difficult."
"God gives us the vision, then he takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of the vision, and it is in the valley that so many of us faint and give way. Every vision will be made real if we will have patience."
Lord, you continue to prove this to be true. You've given me the vision. Please Lord help us to get there, soon so we can be rescued from this valley. The moment I accepted the love of Jesus and His forgiveness for my sin He set me free. I am now invited to share in His joy and His suffering. The joy of the Lord fills my soul. It's there all the time. It remains in spite of the sufferings of this life.
The tragedies, the sorrows, the pain - through all things, He is here with me. A constant in a life filled with daily trials. He loves me even though, at times, I am unlovable. His example of long-suffering patience with me, when I disappoint Him, is the example I am to follow. Jesus never reminds me of what I did to put Him on the cross. He suffered excruciating pain for me and I still used to take it for granted. I can't now. He set me free from my sin and does not hold it against me. Though I am free and need not live a guilt-ridden life, I am keenly aware of the magnitude of what Jesus did for me. My deep gratitude for His unconditional, limitless love, compels me to want to emulate His loving kindness, and merciful heart. I want my heart to be His heart. Many approach the thought of 'Christianity' with particular ideas about what it means. Those both inside and outside the church may think that it is synonymous with sacrifice. Thinking, 'I can't do that because I'm a Christian.' Or, 'I can't be a Christian. I don't want to quit...(fill in the blank.)'
It's not what we give up, but what we give. It is our love that God desires - not the sacrifice. The old habits and behaviors that we forsake may indeed feel like sacrifice if we have not surrendered to the Holy Spirit. When we allow the Holy Spirit sanctify our hearts, He fills us with the desire to please Him. We no longer think about our lives as a list of things we have, can, or will give up. We keep adding to the list of the things we want to do for Him - not keep a record of the things we have given up because of Him. It is fair to say that I am a loner. My circle of close friends is small but even when I'm in a crowd, I am still the loner. I don't enjoy loneliness yet I am not entirely uncomfortable being alone at times.
The truth is I don't feel completely alone because I can feel Jesus' presence with me. He hears me, he comforts me when I feel especially lonely or sad. The time, I have spent in prayer and in His word, has given me that sense of intimacy one has with a close friend. He has calmed my anxious heart, silenced my anger, and He has dried my tears. Mr. Chambers explains today that one who is intimate with Jesus never leaves impressions of himself. 'The only impression left by such a life is that of the strong calm sanity that Our Lord gives to those who are intimate with Him.' When we are intimate with Jesus and allow Him to reign in our life, He is what people should see when they look at us. John 14:9 (Voice) "I have lived with you all this time, and you still don’t know who I am? " I thank God for the strong calm sanity from my Lord and I pray people see it when they look at me. If you have not experienced it yet, I pray the Lord will give you the desire to spend time developing an intimate relationship with Him so that you have the opportunity to truly know His character and His love. As I read today's devotion, I had to smile at the continuity with my pastor's sermon this past Sunday. He spoke of offering our blessings back to God in worship. It always makes me smile when I realized God is trying to drive home a message to me. - And my smile is even brighter when I am walking in obedience.
In today's reading Oswald states, 'The measure of the worth of our public activity for God is the private profound communion we have with Him.' He tells us not to rush - that there is always plenty of time for worship. Sometimes, it doesn't feel like it. When we're overwhelmed with work to do, or when we're exhausted and running late. It is a lie. He continues, 'We have to pitch our tents where we shall always have quiet times with God, however noisy our times with the world may be.' When I began reading 'My Utmost...', it became a staple of my daily devotions. Years later I begin again because every day it adds to my spiritual maturity. I read the notes I've penned in the margins and see how his message touched me on that particular day in years past. Each year there are new highlights and notes. Today I am thankful that God has helped me to remain faithful in my worship. I am thankful that I am compelled to make the time for my devotions. I am deeply grateful that he gave me this desire to write and that he blessed me with the opportunity to write for The Bottom Line in addition to sharing my journey with you here on my site. I pray that He will bless this act of worship by allowing these words to reach the one who needs them - just like Oswald's book found it's way into my hands Perhaps many of us begin our journey of faith as Peter did - easily. After a fruitless night of fishing left him tired and frustrated, Jesus told him to drop his net one more time. This time the catch was more than his net could hold. When Peter, now fascinated by Jesus, heard Him say 'Follow Me,' it was easy to follow.
Maybe Peter thought life would be would be easy now. Jesus would take care of everything. It would be full nets from here on out. Perhaps many of us first come to faith tired and exhausted, ready to follow because our 'nets' are empty and we're about ready to give up. We are filled with hope when we meet Jesus. We remain happy in our faith, contented with where we are. Life is good. Jesus, however, knows we need a deeper walk with him if we are to withstand the harder trials. Our desire to follow Him may be genuine, but He knows that to this point it has been an 'easy' faith. Our faith will need to be strengthened, tested, and proven. We may not outwardly deny him to others as Peter did. But in our everyday life we can find ourselves denying Him time and devotion. - If we're not careful. We may not even think about Him until Sunday. We're busy, or tired, or sick, or... whatever. We are not following because we are not filled with His Spirit. John 13:36 Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?” And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.” He will get our attention again. When we allow Him to fill us with His Spirit, following is no longer for our purpose but for His. That is the difference. We no longer follow because He makes our life 'better.' We follow because He is all. Today is a warning. I am to wait for God's divine guidance and not rush out ahead of Him. If I have any doubt about the path I am considering, I should wait.
Over the past 4 1/2 years, I have experienced both. I have felt the Holy Spirit clearly telling me to (or not do) what others were advising me to do. The voice was clear and I have never regretted following His leading. I have also been in the position of doubting my next step. Though I knew what I wanted to do, the Holy Spirit did not speak, so I waited. At times, I find myself waiting... and waiting... and waiting. In John 13:37, Peter questions why he cannot follow Jesus right now. He wanted what he wanted and didn't understand why it couldn't happen. Jesus knew better. He knew Peter better than Peter himself. Jesus knew that Peter needed a bit more time of spiritual growth in order to fulfill his purpose. Jesus knew that Peter's devotion was not deep enough to withstand what he would face. Jesus knew Peter would deny him three times before the third crow of the rooster. He knew that time of waiting was necessary. Jesus knows me too. He knows the right amount of time I need to grow into the devoted servant I want to be. He also knows why sometimes we find ourselves waiting for the sake of someone else's growth. As we experience spiritual growth, it becomes easier to listen and trust in the Lord Jesus... and when necessary - just wait. In 1936 Richard C. Halverson, Former Chaplain of the US Senate, received a copy of My Utmost for His Highest. He was given this treasure as a Christmas gift and began reading it Jan 1, 1937. The copyright was renewed in 1963 and is the ‘most popular book of daily devotions ever published.’ In his introduction to the devotional Mr. Halverson states, “No book except the Bible has influenced my walk with Christ at such deep and maturing levels.”
I couldn’t agree more. I received my copy in June 2010 - a very traumatic year in my life. This book, along with the Bible, helped to strengthen my faith during a time of vulnerability. In doing so, it renewed my hope when life seemed very dark. Though I am occasionally edified by other very good devotionals, My Utmost... is the one that remains a constant. As I begin another year’s journey through this devotional, this time I will share my journey. |
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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