| Topic: |
Religions > Bible |
| User: |
"Carl" |
| Date: |
27 Jan 2008 03:21:06 PM |
| Object: |
Look Again And Consecrate/Look Again And Think |
I was reading the following devotionals by Oswald Chambers and found them to
be quite poignant today. I hope you might find some inspiration in them as
well.
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
---
Look Again And Consecrate
by Oswald Chambers
A simple statement of Jesus is always a puzzle to us because we will not be
simple. How can we maintain the simplicity of Jesus so that we may
understand Him? By receiving His Spirit, recognizing and relying on Him, and
obeying Him as He brings us the truth of His Word, life will become
amazingly simple. Jesus asks us to consider that "if God so clothes the
grass of the field . . ." how "much more" will He clothe you, if you keep
your relationship right with Him? Every time we lose ground in our
fellowship with God, it is because we have disrespectfully thought that we
knew better than Jesus Christ. We have allowed "the cares of this world" to
enter in (Matthew 13:22), while forgetting the "much more" of our heavenly
Father.
"Look at the birds of the air . . ." (Matthew 6:26). Their function is to
obey the instincts God placed within them, and God watches over them. Jesus
said that if you have the right relationship with Him and will obey His
Spirit within you, then God will care for your "feathers" too.
"Consider the lilies of the field . . ." (Matthew 6:28). They grow where
they are planted. Many of us refuse to grow where God plants us. Therefore,
we don't take root anywhere. Jesus said if we would obey the life of God
within us, He would look after all other things. Did Jesus Christ lie to us?
Are we experiencing the "much more" He promised? If we are not, it is
because we are not obeying the life God has given us and have cluttered our
minds with confusing thoughts and worries. How much time have we wasted
asking God senseless questions while we should be absolutely free to
concentrate on our service to Him? Consecration is the act of continually
separating myself from everything except that which God has appointed me to
do. It is not a one-time experience but an ongoing process. Am I continually
separating myself and looking to God every day of my life?
---
Look Again And Think
by Oswald Chambers
A warning which needs to be repeated is that "the cares of this world and
the deceitfulness of riches," and the lust for other things, will choke out
the life of God in us (Matthew 13:22). We are never free from the recurring
waves of this invasion. If the frontline of attack is not about clothes and
food, it may be about money or the lack of money; or friends or lack of
friends; or the line may be drawn over difficult circumstances. It is one
steady invasion, and these things will come in like a flood, unless we allow
the Spirit of God to raise up the banner against it.
"I say to you, do not worry about your life . . . ." Our Lord says to be
careful only about one thing-our relationship to Him. But our common sense
shouts loudly and says, "That is absurd, I must consider how I am going to
live, and I must consider what I am going to eat and drink." Jesus says you
must not. Beware of allowing yourself to think that He says this while not
understanding your circumstances. Jesus Christ knows our circumstances
better than we do, and He says we must not think about these things to the
point where they become the primary concern of our life. Whenever there are
competing concerns in your life, be sure you always put your relationship to
God first.
"Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34). How much trouble
has begun to threaten you today? What kind of mean little demons have been
looking into your life and saying, "What are your plans for next month- or
next summer?" Jesus tells us not to worry about any of these things. Look
again and think. Keep your mind on the "much more" of your heavenly Father
(Matthew 6:30).
.
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