Jun. 7, 2008 - The Good or the Best?
I meant to blog on this 2 weeks ago, and then time got away from me. Let me back up and talk a minute about the blessing of reading My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. I'd always known about the book. Read it a few times years ago, and it always seemed kinda deep or something.
WEll, last year, one of my best friends, Eunice, kept commenting about what Oswald showed her this day or that day, and it was always good. In January, I determined that I would read it every day this year too. WOW....I know it's God not Oswald but it ALWAYS seems like the daily devotional is exactly what I'm dealing with in my own life. You can start even now reading it...there is one for every day of the year. You don't even have to run to the store right now...it is all online for free....check it out HERE.
Anyway, I will intentionally leave this testimony non-specific because I don't want you to be distracted by what my "issue" was/is. I venture to say that ALL of you have an issue that you are dealing with where you have to make a choice between what you want and what God wants for you. Sometimes (almost always) this is a hard turning point, but once you make the decision, you will never be the same and never regret it. I had a situation recently, where I had to allow God to work through me, even though I didn't want Him to. I yielded on the outside, but inside was full of a bit of fear, and thinking, "I don't really want to go through this right now." Well, the same day that I was spirtually feeling like I was on the high dive knowing I had to jump cause my "Daddy God" told me to, but being afraid of the cold, deep water, I read this devotional. It again reminded me of times past where I've been "here" and yielded to God and through it all, grew so much closer to Him because I exercised my faith despite my fear.
I was also encouraged recently to read that courage is when you press on despite fear. It isn't the state of not being afraid, because then it wouldn't require courage.
Anyway, I will let Oswald finish this blog for me. I pray that whatever situation you are facing, that this devotional ministers to you as it did me 2 weeks ago.
As soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, fascinating and physically gratifying possibilities will open up before you. These things are yours by right, but if you are living the life of faith you will exercise your right to waive your rights, and let God make your choice for you. God sometimes allows you to get into a place of testing where your own welfare would be the appropriate thing to consider, if you were not living the life of faith. But if you are, you will joyfully waive your right and allow God to make your choice for you. This is the discipline God uses to transform the natural into the spiritual through obedience to His voice.
Whenever our right becomes the guiding factor of our lives, it dulls our spiritual insight. The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best. In this passage, it would seem that the wisest thing in the world for Abram to do would be to choose. It was his right, and the people around him would consider him to be a fool for not choosing.
Many of us do not continue to grow spiritually because we prefer to choose on the basis of our rights, instead of relying on God to make the choice for us. We have to learn to walk according to the standard which has its eyes focused on God. And God says to us, as He did to Abram, ". . . walk before Me. . ." ( Genesis 17:1 ).
Comments
Jun. 7, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by OldSchoolMarm
Hi, I just had to comment after reading down through your entries. We to live on a farm and yes the most funniest things happen when you have livestock and other critters. My husband was out of town several nights ago and I was awoken by the dogs barking loudly in the front yard at believe-it-or-not 1:30 AM. They had cornered an armadillo by our woodpile and it was actively trying to burrow under. Well I tried to pry him out with the end of a broom to no avail. For all I know he's still under there. :-)
Oswald Chambers is good and yes very deep. I've also found it to be very convicting. Thanks for reminding me of a very good book just sitting on my shelf.
Blessings, Julie
Jun. 10, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Eunice
I'm so glad you blogged that. I needed to be reminded of that one....and since it's not todays reading, must be the perfect timing for God to have you write that :O)
Love ya!
