August 31: My Joy...Your Joy

If one views today's reading in light of the circumstances of the people in New Orleans, it takes on a whole new meaning. Imagine if we were the ones who had lost everything we owned, and it doesn't seem likely that there will even be a place to rebuild or start over in the near future. Would we still be so rightly related to Jesus, that our joy would be full because His joy remained in us? Would we be so used to fixing our eyes upon Jesus that the horrible cares of the world that face the victims of Katrina would not choke out the Word of God in our hearts?

But now imagine the impact that a person so filled with God's radiance would have in the sea of hopeless that permeates South Louisiana. Although we, too, would have to be involved in the mundane tasks of survival, the people with whom we made casual contact couldn't help but feel the refreshing breeze of hope. Without even realizing it, conversations in the water line, at the shelter, during the rescue efforts, or at the food lines would all bring encouragement to the strangers we encountered during our day. If we were filled with the Holy Spirit before this crisis, we would live out what Chambers wrote when he said, "the life that is rightly related to God is as natural as breathing wherever it goes."

Jesus, please help us feel a responsibility, not only to ourselves, but to the world around us, to work diligently to maintain a right relationship with You. I don't want to be just an infantryman in Your army, but I want to be a Green Beret or a Navy Seal, one who is well-trained and physically and emotionally fit for difficult service. If the growing trend of natural and man-made disaster continues, it is even more imperative that we be ready before the disaster strikes! I especially pray for the children of my heart, that you will help them be spiritually mature beyond their years. Although they are all highly intelligent, please keep them from "hindering this joy by the captious irritation of thinking out circumstances." May we all be Your sheep who follow only Your voice.

August 30: Am I Convinced by Christ?

I started to post this morning, but the electricity cut off after I had just typed a few words. I didn't even try to get back on, using the excuse that it would be bad for the computer. The truth is that I was glad for a reason not to have to address this lesson because it makes me feel so bad. Countless memories come to mind of when I have become spiritually prideful after God has used me so that I would become worthless to Him until He could use some other circumstance to humble me again. Yes, I am learning not to "rejoice in successful service," but the process has been painfully slow.

The good news is that I gained a great insight today that might help me in this process. As I was reading this morning, a passage from II Corinthians 11:16-12:18 came to mind. Paul found himself in a position where he needed to prove himself to his readers, and I was always confused as to why he repeatedly apologized for making his assertions. Today, it occured to me that he realized that by reciting his long list of spiritual accomplishments which he knew far bested anyone else of the time, he was in grave danger of drowning in spiritual pride. Although he knew it was necessary to write this information, in verse 23 he says, "I am out of my mind to talk like this!"

Jesus, help us learn from Paul and make a concentrated effort to quickly file away any successes we may witness as we join You in Your work under the file TO THE GLORY OF GOD. Then, let us intentionally conduct a personal inventory of how far we need to go before we meet the goal of being like Christ. Let us focus on doing the maintenance work of cleaning out the channels that allow You to "pour rivers of living water through us," so there will be no obstructions that block out Your presence.

August 29: Sublime Intimacy

In my kitchen is a shadow box picture of a bird eating out of a person's hand. Painted on the glass is a profound saying: "FAITH is not belief without proof, but trust without reservations."

Let me tell you a story that illustrates today's lesson. When Jerald was offered a job at UTM, everyone we knew said that we were crazy. Since we were about to leave on a brief vacation, and my parents were going to keep the girls, ages 1 and 4, Jerald had come to UTM to visit old professors while we waited for my mom to get off work. He found that the communications department desparately need a slot filled since one of their teachers had just found out he had brain cancer. Not only was it just two weeks until classes began, but this would just be a one-year temporary assignment.

At the time, Jerald was working as the in-house attorney for Jimmy Swaggart, a television evangelist, making $45,00/year. Although many members of our family also worked there, Jerald was not happy and felt something wasn't right. The UTM offer was $22,000/yr, a 58% paycut, and they wouldn't even pay moving expenses. Complicating things even further, during the week we had to make the decision, Jennifer started showing symptoms of a serious medical problem that would not be diagnosed until after we had to let UTM know about the job. Changing insurance at this point could possibly leave her uninsurable. Adding to the dilemma, the Swaggarts offered Jerald a $15,000 raise and a company car if he would stay. Even his family, who are ministers, thought it would be insane to make a move under these circumstances.

Every ounce of common sense said we should stay where we were, but both of us felt a compelling urge to accept the job in faith. Jerald left the next week, leaving me behind for six weeks to pack alone. Because we had a $1,100 house payment on a house that didn't sell for a year, we got into a lot of debt, running out of money by the third week of every month. Again, common sense dictated that I put the girls in day care and get a job, but we felt strongly impressed that I should continue to be a stay-at-home mom.

BUT GOD IS FAITHFUL! The next February, Jimmy Swaggart was involved in a national scandal, and Jerald would have had to be the one on national TV handling the PR. Knowing what a man of integrity that he is, information that came out three days later would have caused him to resign, leaving us with no job at all. Believe me, a 58% paycut is a whole lot better than a 100% paycut!!

Yes, we had to struggle at first, but our house sold one year later, and God miraculously blessed us financially after that. And, most importantly, we know this is the place we needed to be. Jerald loves his jobs, the girls have had a stable school/church/community environment in which to grow up, and I have been blessed with a multitude of children around me to love.

I shudder to think what would have happened to all of us if we had obeyed the voice of reason rather than the voice of God.

Jesus, just remembering this event from our past makes me cherish You all the more. Thank You! Please help all the children of my heart to have the courage to follow Your voice, even when all the other loud voices are clamouring for them to do something else. Bless them as they walk with You by faith.

August 28: What's the Good of Prayer?

I LOVE this lesson, because prayer is definitely my thing. Like all good habits, it takes a fair amount of discipline at first to get used to taking everything to God in prayer, but it is SO worth it!! After a while, talking to Jesus is as second nature as breathing! His Presence becomes so real that it would seem rude not to talk to Him!

Every sentence Chambers writes in the lesson today could have it's own commentary, but you can relax. I promise to only briefly touch on two points.

"We look upon prayer as a means of getting things for ourselves; the Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself." You will find that the more you pray, the less you find that you are praying for yourself. The reason for this is tied up in the last quote I wanted to mention: "It is not so true that "prayer changes things" as that prayer changes ME and I change things." I could write for thirty minues on examples of how I have found this to be so true, but I'll spare you. Just know that no sentence written has ever been more true or more worthy of your introspection.

Jesus, first of all, thank You for helping me to restrain my thoughts and let You do the teaching on this important lesson. Please help us all become so connected to You that You are in our consciousness every waking and sleeping moment. I have a long way to go before that is the case. And thank You for giving us prayer, this marvelous means of communication with You. Life would be so long and overwhelming without it!

August 27: Theology Alive

Because America is no longer a Christian nation and some pretty deviant behaviour happens around us every day, it is easy for us to compare our thoughts and actions to the people around us and become smug. Our spiritual pride puffs up and we begin to think we have "arrived." God help us!!! This lesson points out something that we must consciously bring to our minds whenever we start to feel superior. Our standard of behavior is not modeled after another person, not even the most pious people that we know. Our standard is none other than Christ Himself, perfection personified.

When we talk to someone who would like to trust Jesus as their Saviour, we often point them to some key verses in Romans. "For all have sinned and FALL SHORT of the glory of God." (3:23) "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still SINNERS, Christ died for us." (5:8) "For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (6:23) And in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through FAITH - and this NOT from yourselves, it is the GIFT of God - not by works, so that no one can BOAST." Although we may have memorized these verses, we supposedly mature Christians often miss the important message of the words I capitalized: We have nothing to be spiritually proud about because we did absolutely nothing to earn our salvation!

Jesus, please help us to really see You for the awesome, perfectly holy deity that you are. Moses was the most humble man of his time, yet he got to see and talk to You face to face. It was this very intimacy with You that made him aware of his many imperfections. May we, too, become so intimate with You that there will be no trace of spiritual pride in our lives.

August 26: Are You Ever Disturbed?

One of the hardest things to describe to someone who doesn't know Jesus, is how I can be grieving over a loss, even to the point of weeping, and yet feel great joy. The concept that joy and sadness can walk hand in hand is incomprehensible to them. From now on, the phrase "reflected peace" is definitely going to be what I use to describe this paradox of the Christian's life. It's actually a simple concept. Even if our pain is caused by our self-conscious perspective rather than a higher Christ-conscious one, it is shrouded in His reflected radiance when we choose to look into the face of Jesus.

I couldn't help but laugh when Chambers states, "But if you try to worry it out, you obliterate Him and deserve all you get." Although I come from a line of champion worriers, long ago I learned the wisdom of that statement. Worry just takes too much out of a person!

Of all the things Christ could have chosen to leave with His disciples before He was taken from them, He chose the bequest of peace:

John 14:27 "I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you. Peace. I don't leave you the way you're used to being left--feeling abandoned, bereft. So don't be upset. Don't be distraught."

John 16:33 "I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world."
The Message

Jesus, please teach us all we can learn about peace. There is nothing that will be a greater beacon to the multitudes of people who don't know You. Let us live in such a way that others will become ravenously hungry to taste the peace we know.

August 25: The Fruitfulness of Friendship

I recently spoke to a brilliant young man who thinks there is no God. He has given this matter much thought and can speak quite logically on the subject. Later I reflected on our conversation, and realized why I can be so convinced of the reality of the Living Son of God....it is because of the friendship that Chambers speaks about in today's lesson. However, I wish that I had read this before we had our conversation because it brings up a point that I didn't think about then. The palpable joy and the initimate friendship with Christ came AFTER I chose to abandon everything else and trust Jesus. I had questioned everything and knew that for me it would have to be all or nothing. It felt as if I stood on the solid rock of science and my intellect, and that following God would be like leaping off the cliff into the abyss. Yet my life was so empty, I deliberately chose to leave everything else behind and jump. Either He would catch me or or I would fall. All I could do then was hope, because I had no idea just how safe those divine arms would be. Thirty-three years later I have a joy that I would not have dreamed possible at that time.

The scripture that Chambers quotes is from Psalm 40, a messianic psalm which speaks of the LORD's Servant being obedient unto death. It begins with an underriding current of joy that seems to continue to flow even in the last verses which beg for help and protection. All those verses also apply to us.

Jesus, I don't suppose I will ever understand how You condescend to have such intimate relationships with Your children, but I thank You with all my heart. May we continue in Your strength and with our eyes on You, so that our chosen paths are acts of love, not the self-sacrifice that those who watch us might think they would be.

August 24: The Spiritual Index

Today's lesson reminds me of a quote that I read on one the links that Kevin set up for us. In the July 21st post of Tyler Zach's blog, he begins with an illustration. The line that jumped off the page was “A faith that justifies is also a faith that sanctifies.” How like spoiled children we are when we actually expected God to grant every whim that we have when we refuse to even complete a self-inventory to see if we are living according to His instructions.

In I Thessalonians 5, Paul penned a concise list of instructions for living the model life of a Christian (or in more theological terms, a sanctified life.) Verse 19 says "Quench not the Spirit" in the KJV and "Do not put out the Spirit's fire" in the NIV. Perhaps our refusal to try to live by those previous principles is the very thing that quenches the Spirit and negates our power in prayer.

Jesus, help us today to find the courage to honestly examine ourselves in light of I Thessalonians 5 so that we can be "sons of the light. ...Let us be self-controlled...encourage one another ...and live in peace with each other. May we be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, test everything, hold on the the good, and avoid every kind of evil. And may You, the God of peace, sanctify us through and through, ...keeping us blameless until You return. You who have called us are faithful, and You will do it.

August 23:Prayer Choice and Prayer Conflict

Since I have already posted twice today, I promise to be brief. It's enough to say that prayer is the most important work you will ever do, but it is definitely among the hardest work you will ever undertake. Although for many years I have started my prayers each day before I'm even fully awake, I still struggle to keep focused. There is no other task I do where my mind wants to wander as much as when I pray.

Realizing that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16), I have to resort to special tricks to keep me focused when there is an urgent need for prayer. I pace, pray out loud, sing my prayers, and pray from scripture so that my mind will stay on task. Please let me know if you have any other tried and true ways to resist distractions.

Jesus, it is certainly true that "prayer is an effort of the will." Help us be willing to fight the never-ending battle of "overcoming mental wool-gathering." Remind us more often to keep a constant dialog of prayer in our minds so that we are more in tune with the voice of the Holy Spirit.

The New Links

Kevin, thank you for the new links! I just love the one to the on-line Bible translations. I'm salivating at the thought that I can cross reference multiple versions without risking back trouble from carrying all those books! You are so thoughtful!!

August 20th Revisited

Thank you, Kevin and Stacie, for your wonderful, indepth comments on this challenging lesson on the original post for this date. I promised I would say more, but I really wanted to hear from you first. The two of you amaze me with the way you dig beneath the surface to mine the jewels from Chamber's writings. And I absolutely love how you wisely refer back to scripture as the authority for your final conclusions. Thank you for doing exactly what I hoped you would do...reveal the complexity of the message that he meant for us to learn. (I commented more specifically on what you wrote in the comment section of the original 8/20 post.)

The reason that I wanted you to do that first, is that I was too excited by a new train of thought to do justice to the important ideas that the two of you explored. As I was reading this lesson, I was thinking, "Oswald, this is easy for you to say, but not for us to do!" He was writing as though it was an attainable goal to be able to constantly dispell "that which is making the dis-peace" . Then it occured to me, he must have learned how to do this!! And if he could, being 100% human just like us, then we can, too! Can you imagine living the rest of your life where words like "anxiety," "irritation," "worry," "anger," or "devastation" are just vocabulary words, not descriptions of your state of mind?

You will find as we read "My Utmost" that there is an overall theme of giving up your rights to God. I have tried to live like that and have learned that when I am in that place, I cannot be hurt there. And I have gone from being able to live there for minutes at a time to days at a time, which causes a dramatic increase in the peace factor. But this is the first time it has actually seemed possible to me that it could be possible to live so free of self-pity and self-consciousness that I could live there ALL the time!!

It occured to me that it's really all a matter of trust. When horrible things happen, we narrow our eyes, cross our arms, and stare at God, wondering if He really is trustworthy if He could allow this kind of pain. For the first time, I have asked myself....what IS the true source of that pain. For all of my 50 years, the answer has been - from the painful situation. But that is not true! It is really from MY RESPONSE to that situation! Think about it, do you feel the same kind of pain from reading the obituaries as you do from hearing that a family member or friend has died? Why not? After all, in both cases someone has died. The difference is that you lose nothing when a stranger dies, but you lose emotional support when someone you care about dies. The bottom line is that it is self-pity (or sometimes empathy with someone else's grief as it relates to the self-pity you would feel if it were your grief) that causes our pain. Every scenario that I can think of comes back to this starting point - my response.

As I was contemplating this amazing line of thinking, a powerful example came to my mind. It was as though God chose this moment to reveal to me for the first time why something devastating in my past had to occur. In January 2001, our church made a new policy that made it impossible for me to continue going as a counsellor on trips with the youth. I was totally heart-broken!! Never before had I wept with such trembling sobs or felt so betrayed. Yet, because I had learned to try to give all my rights to God, I continued to go to church with a smile and tried to only let God see my devastation. (However, I wasn't able to hide my pain from family or close friends, unfortunately.)

As I contemplated the August 20th lesson it occured to me that Jerald became Governor's School Director in the summer of 2001, and if I had continued to be as involved with the youth group as I had been before, I would never have been able to be a part of GSH, and I would never have gotten to develop a relationship with you or the other Governor's School people. I audibly gasped when I had that thought, because it has been so worth all of that pain to be able to have the joy that all of you have brought! I cannot imagine you not being a part of my life!!

Now back to my original response. If I had truly trusted God even with something I held as emotionally close as the youth from my church, there would have been no devastation. The moment I felt the "dis-peace," I would have "Come to Jesus" looking with anticipation to what God was going to do next instead of assailing Him with wails of complaint of why He had allowed this thing. In reality, all my angst was not caused by other people's decisions, but only by me! By wallowing in self-pity over what I had lost, I failed to trust God to show me what I might gain.

Yes, I realize it is not going to be easy to learn to live in a totally Christ-conscience mode. My self-pity response is too deeply established. But after glimpsing this idea of perpetual peace, you can be sure I'm am going to strive to attain this goal.

Dear Jesus, thank you for providing this path to "Peace that passes all understanding." All my life I have heard Philippians 4:4-9, but never has it meant as much to me as now. Let us learn to rejoice in You always,...to not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to God. Please guard our hearts and our minds as we train ourselves to think on whatever is true... noble... right... pure... lovely... admirable... excellent or praiseworthy. Help us to truly believe that You, the God of Peace, will be with us!!

August 22: "I Indeed...But He"

There is a bad thunderstorm moving in right now, so I am going to go straight to the prayer so I can get off the computer.

Jesus, please help us to see ourselves as You see us, as the totally helpless creatures that we really are. The more quickly we come to an end of our self-sufficiency, the more quickly we can find the place we are meant to be. Help us to not compare ourselves with others, for bad, and especially not for good. Help us to learn how to truly repent, until we are stripped of the blinders that keep us from realizing our unworthiness. I open myself to the work You want to perform in me, the total immersion of myself into You. I pray that you will also do this for these children of my heart.

August 21: The Ministry of the Unnoticed

This point of view really takes the pressure off, doesn't it? Successful people are used to making an agenda for their lives and deciding, with great decision of the will, to stick to it. Here Chambers is saying that we actually become less effective for God if we use that same self-determination to be of use to Him. The "I want to be used by God" mentality is overwhelming; there are so many needs out there that we don't know where to start or to stop! However, if we just come to Jesus, the overflow of His being can't help but be a refreshing to those around us as proved in the scripture Chambers quotes from John 7:37-38 - "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

Picture a yellow rubber glove with holes in the tip of each finger. If you fill it with water, five constant streams of water will flow out those holes as long as the water keeps pouring into the glove. But several things could stop that flow. Picture little twist ties that represent some of these obstructions being tied around different places on that glove. "Spiritual pride" cuts off the supply to the thumb; "frustration and bitterness" closes off the middle finger; "compromise" stops up the pointer finger; "wrong motives" disables the pinkie finger; "hypocrasy" restricts the other finger. Then of course, not spending time with Jesus every day, turns off the water at the source.

Now picture a well-trained dog doing tricks for his master, like on Animal Planet's "Pet Star." That dog never takes his eyes off his master, his whole body twitching in anticipation of obeying the slightest command. When we sit at the feet of Jesus, blocking out all the distractions of the world around us, we easily hear each of His instructions. As we obey, all obstructions are removed, and the streams of living water pour out from us where ever we go without our even realizing it. Amazing, isn't it?

Jesus, help us to really believe that we don't have to earn our salvation, that what You really want from us is to sit with You, listening to Your voice and obeying Your teachings. How exciting to know that we can travel the journey of this lifetime with You, not realizing how our presence along the path affected others until we get to heaven. The difficult part of this assignment is blocking out the calls and distractions of the world, so please help us to keep our focus on You.

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and He who believes in Me will never be thirsty." John 6:35

August 20: Completeness

I promise this is not a cop-out. Before I comment on today's reading, I really want to hear what all of you thought of it. I've read this many times before, but today it hit me in a totally new, exciting way.

So Kevin, Stacie, and Tucker, (and alnyone else who might we out there), please let me hear from you. This one is worth some discussion. Kevin, I know it might still be a few days before you have access to a computer, but later is better than never.

Jesus, help us all to learn how to be complete in You. The possibilities are amazing! We need you to be our "all in all," not just for our sakes, but for the world around us. Help us to fight self-pity and let You "poise us until the completeness is absolute." May the Holy Spirit reveal this lesson as it is meant to be understood to all of us.

August 19: Self-Consciousness

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

My mouth dropped open when I read today's scripture from Matthew 11:28...just last night I bought the cutest little black purse with a pink, polka-dot ribbon that was embroidered with that exact same verse! Hmmmm. I think God may me trying to tell me something here.

Then when I read "anything that disturbs rest must be cured at once," I knew He was trying to tell me something! Since I had bad dreams last night because my day at school was so terrible, this devotion couldn't be more appropriately timed for me.

So, here I am, soaking in the words of today's reading - "The great solution is the simple one - 'Come unto Me,'" and later, "In every degree in which we are not real, we will dispute rather than come." Here I am, absorbing the words of Jesus from Matthew 11:29-30 - "Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Jesus, thank You so much for this timely lesson. I already feel more peaceful and at rest. May all of us learn to quit thinking about ourselves and ask You "to produce Christ-consciousness...
until we learn to abide in You." My loved ones will be facing many difficulties that would certainly produce anxiety unless they master this Christ-centered state of mind. My fervent prayer is that You will give them the mind-set of Philippians 4:6-7: May we "not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to You. May the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard our hearts and our minds in You, Christ Jesus."

August 18: Have You Ever Been Expressionless with Sorrow

Yes, I know. If this is the first time you have ever read this particular devotion, you are confused and feeling ill at ease. What in the world is Chambers implying?

You know the slogan "The few, the proud...the Marines." The idea is that only a few are exceptional enough to be willing to aim for the high standards of the Marine corp. This is the same message that Chambers is sending to all Christians who read today's comments.

Are you willing to not only listen, but really hear, what Jesus is asking of you? Are you wanting more than "fire insurance" out of your relationship with God? Are you willing to submit to the rigorous training and discipline that it takes to become a powerful soldier of the cross? The benefits - the power, the wisdom, the peace - are incredible, but they are attained at a high cost, the emptying of yourself. Paul spoke of this in Philippians 2:17 and II Timothy 4:6 when he said "I am being poured out like a drink offering."

About twenty years ago I became hungry to have all that Jesus could give me and promised Him that I would give every kingdom of my life to Him. I didn't know just how unsettling that process would be. At one point, I cried out to Him, "Lord, I feel like you are peeling off layers of my personality like layers of an onion. Now I'm down to that little skinny core of the onion in the middle, and if You don't hurry and redress me, there will soon be nothing left!!"

But He did redress me! And I'm so much happier with the new me than I was with the old. You are all such special people. I know that you have what it takes to be one of the elite. I pray that you will be brave enough to "be poured out" to become the spiritual giant I know you can be!!

August 17: Are You Discouraged in Devotion?

What a timely lesson for me! (Kevin, since you are CHAMBERless, I will recap. The scripture is from Luke 18:22 about the rich young ruler who heard a command from Jesus that he thought was too difficult, so he did not follow Him. When Jesus tells us something it will almost always seem harsh and hard, but He will not compelled us to obey. He gives us the choice to either do what He asks or walk away. However, if we walk away, we will be discouraged and away from His presence, which is ultimately the hardest thing of all!)

Right now I am substitute teaching for three weeks in a Special Ed classroom and have two young men who the school is trying to get sent to Carroll Academy (reform school.) They are explosive and angry and disrupt the whole class. Every morning I get up and start my prayers in the most negative way..."Lord, I don't know how I'm going to have the strength to go this whole time....(whine, whine, whine)."

Yet I have heard the harsh word of the Lord -- "Love those boys as I would love them." It is hard and tiring, but He does empower one to do what He commands. About five minutes before the bell rang yesterday, the one girl in the class looked at me like I was a creature from another planet and said, "I've never seen a grown-up take all the crap that you have taken without loosing it." I felt so humbled at that moment, because I knew that somehow I'd been given a supernatural love and patience for those boys that could not have come from my sickly, grumbling, natural self.

John 18:27 says it all, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

Jesus, help us to bravely step out to obey the tasks that You ask us to do. I pray for my dearly loved children of my heart to put their whole trust in You whether they must face deadlines, unreasonable professors, taunting peers, personal temptations, back-breaking fatigue, or any other difficult task. Let us be sensitive to your voice, even if Your word is hard, for by obeying we will be privileged to be up close and personal to see You work miracles!!!

August 16: Does He Know Me?

YESSSSSSSSS!!! This lesson just fills me with joy! When I asked myself the question does He know me when I have misunderstood Him, doubted Him, and denied Him, the answer that brought an ear-to-ear smile to my face was....YES HE DOES!!!!

So many memories of my failures end with the feeling of assurance that He was there....loving me, teaching me, even disciplining me...but He is always there!!!

Jesus, thank You!! I'll never understand Your Love so great that You condescend to make Your presence known to us sinful mortals, but thank You!!! Please teach all the children of my heart to accept Your Love as unconditional, even though none of us deserve it. Please show them that You are so worthy of their trust.

August 15: Signs of the New Birth

This lesson is vitally important!! One of the saddest things on this earth is to watch someone who has performed some ritual of the church and think that act puts them in right standing with God. They try to mimic Christian behavior (legalism) but they have none of the comfort, power or joy.

The New Scofield Study Bible (NIV) is the one that I use the most, and I love his comments on John 3:3 -- "The necessity of the new birth grows out of the incapacity of the natural man to "see" or "enter" the kingdom of God. However gifted, moral, or refined he may be, the natural man is absolutely blind to spiritual truth and impotent to enter the kingdom; for he can neither obey, understand, nor please God...The new birth is not a reformation of the old nature, but a creative act of the Holy Spirit...The condition of the new birth is faith in Christ crucified."

If you ever know anyone who questions the validity of their salvation, refer them to the book of I John. It is a small book, but designed as a self-evaluation. The purpose of the book is plainly stated in I John 5:13 -- "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life."

Jesus, please show us all where we are deluded and out of step with You. May our Spirits be at peace as we ask ourselves "is our knowledge of You born of internal spiritual perception? Do we perceive Your rule? Have we stopped sinning?" If we squirm when we ask You these things, please show us what to do to make it right!!!

Aug.13: Quench not the Spirit/ Aug. 14: Chastening

We ended up having to spend the night in Nashville to finish helping Jennifer move, so I couldn't get to a computer yesterday. Since both of these lessons are connected, I decided to comment on them together.

I Thessalonians 5 teaches us how to become a model Christian. Hebrews 12 instructs us to expect discipline whenever we don't live up to that model. Both chapters explain that the Holy Spirit is both our teacher and disciplinarian. The important thing to remember is that the Holy Spirit is a gentleman. He nevers yells; He whispers our instructions in a still, small voice. As totally free creations in Christ, we always have a choice of obedience, but if we disobey, the crisis that we need to become stronger Christians will come again. What we must get through our willful minds is that He knows that we must go through hard times to prepare us for the next crisis that He knows lies ahead, so that the next hard spot will not be more than we can bear. (What does this say to you about the multitudes of people that are on anti-depressant and anti-anxiety drugs today?)

My favorite part of today's lesson was when Chambers says "...do not despise the Spirit when He says to you -- 'Don't be blind on this point any more: you are not where you thought you were. Up to the present I have not been able to reveal it to you, but I reveal it now.'" What a merciful thing that our sweet Lord does not reveal all our shortcomings to us when we first get saved!! Yes, it is frustrating to be so proud of how far we have come as a Christian, only to run smack dab into a another wall of obstacles we must overcome. But imagine how totally overwhelming it would be to face a mountain of obstacles when we first come to know Christ!

Jesus, please help us to become more sensitive to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit, so that "whenever the Spirit checks, we will call a halt and get the thing right." Let us not "despise the chastening of the Lord," but let us "be prepared to let God grip us by Your power and do a work in us that is worthy of Yourself." I fervently pray that You will do whatever it takes "to get us into the attitude of mind and spirit where at any cost we will let You sanctify us wholly!!"

August 12: The Theology of Rest

What perfect timing!! This lesson comes on the morning that we move Jennifer to Nashville and watch our little bird leave our nest and make a new one of her own. Naturally, I have moments when it hits me that she won't be close by, but all my misgivings are cradled in a firm confidence that she is going to be in the capable hands of our Lord. From her birth, I knew that God was actually her parent, and that we were just the caretakers that He chose to raise her for Him so she could be a effective tool for Him in her adulthood. I pray that we have been worthy of His trust!!

Over the years, I have tested some promises from scripture that I'm leaning on today:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and donot be afraid. John 14:27

Rejoice in the Lord always...Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:4-7

I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give [her] to the LORD. For [her] whole life [she] will be given over to the LORD. I Samuel 1:27-28

Jesus, thank You for the trust that You earn everyday by being the One who directs our lives in such a way that we have "an understanding confidence in You." Thank You that our sanctification "works out into rest in God which means a blessed oneness with God, which makes us not only blameless in Your sight, but also a deep joy to You." I've found that this also gives us a deep joy in You!!

August 11: This Experience Must Come

Today's lesson brings to mind so many things I have learned over the years, but one story summarizes them all.

In the early fall of 1993, I found myself in the middle of a situation where I was "alone at my Jordan." We had been attending a church where the preacher's wife had done something wrong but wouldn't do the right thing about it. We couldn't talk to anyone about it, because that would be harmful to the church, but we couldn't keep on like nothing happened, either.

About that time, a 73-year-old lady in the church had a heart attack, and was predicted to die in a few months. I started going over there most mornings to "help her out," but she was the one that really helped me. This was when I was first introduced to "My Utmost for His Highest," for when she sensed my despair, she would hand me her book and say, "Read to me what Mr. Chambers has to say for today."

Although she never openly rebuked me, her wise, godly instruction, coupled with Chambers insights, helped me to grow in Jesus by leaps and bounds. It's a wonder that my visits didn't kill her with all my angst, but, miraculously, she is still alive and active, conducting a Bible study in her home every Thursday and still helping broken people like me.

We ultimately ended up changing churches, and it was terrible for me not to be able to tell people why we left. But it was really one of the best things that could have ever happened to me because I learned that when I seem to be alone, Jesus is enough.

A Real Life Example of August 10th's Lesson

After I thought about Kevin's account of his experience at the gas station (refer to his August 10 post), I realized that is a perfect example of feeling "unutterably wasted" in a "most useless place." A large part of every day is spent in druggery for all of us, tasks that must be completed but are not only not fun, but seem to be keeping us from something significant. This story reminds me that every part of life IS significant, if we keep our eyes open and look for where God is working.

Thank you, Kevin, for reminding us to "keep it real" when dealing with all people. If we don't look deep into people's eyes or really listen to what they say, we will miss their pain. If we know Jesus, we have what they need. It would be so cruel to withhold it from them.

Jesus, please help that young man at the gas station to recover from his personal grief. We pray that someone who has a relationship with him can introduce him to You so he can get through this tough time. Help us all to be sensitive to Your voice so we can be "Your hand extended."

August 10: The Sacrament of the Saint

Today's scripture comes from one of my favorite passages in the Bible - I Peter 4:12-19. (Actually I'm pretty fond of all of I Peter!) I think it came to be so because of reading this devotion several years ago and having such a terrible struggle with Oswald's unconventional comments.

Did you also bristle when you read "The people who do us good are never those who sympathize with us, they always hinder, because sympathy enervates?" After all, isn't a good Christian suppose to sympathize and do whatever is possible to alleviate someone else's pain?

The bottom line is that I've learned he is exactly right on point! Many years ago I was being treated unfairly by someone, and most people around me said, "You shouldn't put up with that!" or "Give him a piece of your mind!" or "He's a hopeless jerk!" Of course, that just glorified my pity party, made me more angry at him, and our relationship worsened. Then, one of my friends told me how much she admired me for letting his barbed comments just roll off like water off a duck's back, and she said that was what Jesus would do. Her encouragement prompted me to forget about my own suffering and concentrate on loving like Jesus. Guess what? Our relationship was healed!!

Just this summer I realized something that nearly knocked my socks off. In January of 2001, something happened that broke my heart, and I couldn't understand why God would allow that kind of pain. But having learned to accept "suffering according to the will of God" I didn't fight the circumstance, but pasted a smile on my face until God could heal my heart. This summer it occured to me that I could not have possibly been able to be involved with GSH if the other thing I loved doing had not been taken away! God knew what He was doing all along, even if I am so slow that I just now figured it out.

Jesus, help us to be willing to suffer wrongs if we can show Your love to those around us who are hurting. Help us to be like You and refuse the pity of men, but follow whereever you lead, even if it seems like an "unutterable waste" to those around us. Let us be willing to be put where "we will glorify You even though we are no judges at all of where that is."

August 9: Prayer in the Father's Hearing

I can't add much more insight than what Kevin posted, but here is a some scripture that popped into my mind as I read this morning.

People often quote Psalm 37:4, "He will give you the desires of your heart," believing that is a magic incantation that will allow one to be granted any craving they might have. First of all, this interpretation of the verse is illogical. Suppose two teams are in a championship game, and the Christians on each team pray to win. Obviously, someone is going to lose, but that doesn't mean God didn't keep His promise.

We must look at the first part of that verse, "Delight yourself in the Lord" and then "He will give you the desires of your heart." Perhaps a more enlightened view is that He will replace our common sense desires with the supernatural desires for which He wants our hearts to yearn.

Jesus, please help us to willfully choose to obey Your supernatural sense and not become slaves to the foolishness of our common sense. May we always keep in mind the admonition of Romans 6: 16-18, remembering that when we offer ourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, then we are slaves to the one who we obey - whether we are slaves to sin, which leds to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness. But thank You that... we have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

August 8: Prayer in the Father's Honour

We all have it so wrong, don't we. Almost every person you meet, including Christians, struggle with some form of doubt over the issue of why God allows innocents to suffer. The past three days I've come to believe it's because we are all on the entirely wrong plane of thinking. We are all assuming that belonging to God is the thing to do because it is there that we find safety and protection, thus people getting hurt means He didn't do His job. We've got to don a parachute and prepare to jump out of that "plane" (pun intended) and skydive for a major paradigm shift.

The only reason to choose to belong to God is because He is! He is our Creator; He is wisdom; He is joy; He is the reason for our existance and our purpose in life!! Before I read today's lesson I read Luke 1 and verse 38 jumped out at me. After reading Chamber's questions, I realized that verse captures it all: "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

It is only after we have let our dreams, our rights, and our very personalities die that Jesus can be born in us. It is only after we, like Mary, surrender everything to God that we can be used like she was. It is only after we submit to being left alone, totally vulnerable, that we find another great paradox...we cannot be hurt in this new place! Yes, bad things, even horrible things will happen to us and around us, but our safety comes from the unshakeable realization that we belong to God and He will not allow anything to happen that doesn't ultimately work for good.

Jesus, I can't thank you enough for this breakthrough in my understanding!! It is almost incomprehensible, but I believe it with all my heart. I pray that my loved ones will also grasp this truth, this gateway to a life of pure joy, and that they will do the hard work of obedience in order to reach this place.

Travel Time: Rocky Mountain High

Jerald and I leave this morning for Denver and won't be back until late August 7th. Not knowing if there will be an opportunity to post here or check my email while we are gone, I'll at least catch up with everyone when we return. And I'll be praying for all of you to have safe travels, too.

August 1: Something More About His Ways

Anyone have an icepack? This lesson beat me up pretty bad!!

Yes, I know that I have grown the most spiritually during times when I was most distraught physically or emotionally. Yet I never seem to want to allow other people to go through difficult times if I can possibly think of anything to alleviate their pain. I'm cowering in shame as I recall all the times I have interferred in people's lives and "robbed them of the teaching and preaching of Jesus Christ Himself," "played the spiritual amateur providence," or "waited in spiritual sulks" because I couldn't see how God was working in my loved one's life.

Jesus, forgive me for the times when I disobey You even if the motive is compassion. Make us so sensitive to Your still, small voice that we obey every thought that you place in our minds, even if that means we must leave the hurting, be silent about Your truths, or wait before we work. Most of all, teach us to truly believe that You love the ones that we love so much more than we do.