Is He Worthy?
Below is the devotional reading from a couple days ago (November 13th) from Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest. Like on many other days, I was convicted because it spoke to me on many fronts. I so much want my life to be "an absolute hymn of praise" and that only happens when I have a strong determined trust in Him. I was also led to confession after Chambers' reminder that all worry and fear is sinful because it is reflection simply of a lack of faith. I don't know how many times I have tried to rationalize my fears and worries as not sinful (ie. "It's a natural part of being human" or "He understands how weak I am"). Although true in part, when I am drawn to Scripture and the promises of our Father's character, I cannot help but be convicted of my sinful unbelief. Do I believe He is worthy of my trust? That is simply the question.
Dear Abba Father, do I believe that I am secure in Your caring arms? Forgive me for the times I have not trusted in You. For You only are worthy of my worship and my trust. Increase my faith, increase my hope, increase my strength, Father God. Amen.
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Faith or Experience?
. . . the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me —Galatians 2:20
We should battle through our moods, feelings, and emotions into absolute devotion to the Lord Jesus. We must break out of our own little world of experience into abandoned devotion to Him. Think who the New Testament says Jesus Christ is, and then think of the despicable meagerness of the miserable faith we exhibit by saying, "I haven’t had this experience or that experience"! Think what faith in Jesus Christ claims and provides— He can present us faultless before the throne of God, inexpressibly pure, absolutely righteous, and profoundly justified. Stand in absolute adoring faith "in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . ." ( 1 Corinthians 1:30 ). How dare we talk of making a sacrifice for the Son of God! We are saved from hell and total destruction, and then we talk about making sacrifices!
We must continually focus and firmly place our faith in Jesus Christ— not a "prayer meeting" Jesus Christ, or a "book" Jesus Christ, but the New Testament Jesus Christ, who is God Incarnate, and who ought to strike us dead at His feet. Our faith must be in the One from whom our salvation springs. Jesus Christ wants our absolute, unrestrained devotion to Himself. We can never experience Jesus Christ, or selfishly bind Him in the confines of our own hearts. Our faith must be built on strong determined confidence in Him.
It is because of our trusting in experience that we see the steadfast impatience of the Holy Spirit against unbelief. All of our fears are sinful, and we create our own fears by refusing to nourish ourselves in our faith. How can anyone who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear! Our lives should be an absolute hymn of praise resulting from perfect, irrepressible, triumphant belief.
Dear Abba Father, do I believe that I am secure in Your caring arms? Forgive me for the times I have not trusted in You. For You only are worthy of my worship and my trust. Increase my faith, increase my hope, increase my strength, Father God. Amen.
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Faith or Experience?
. . . the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me —Galatians 2:20
We should battle through our moods, feelings, and emotions into absolute devotion to the Lord Jesus. We must break out of our own little world of experience into abandoned devotion to Him. Think who the New Testament says Jesus Christ is, and then think of the despicable meagerness of the miserable faith we exhibit by saying, "I haven’t had this experience or that experience"! Think what faith in Jesus Christ claims and provides— He can present us faultless before the throne of God, inexpressibly pure, absolutely righteous, and profoundly justified. Stand in absolute adoring faith "in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . ." ( 1 Corinthians 1:30 ). How dare we talk of making a sacrifice for the Son of God! We are saved from hell and total destruction, and then we talk about making sacrifices!
We must continually focus and firmly place our faith in Jesus Christ— not a "prayer meeting" Jesus Christ, or a "book" Jesus Christ, but the New Testament Jesus Christ, who is God Incarnate, and who ought to strike us dead at His feet. Our faith must be in the One from whom our salvation springs. Jesus Christ wants our absolute, unrestrained devotion to Himself. We can never experience Jesus Christ, or selfishly bind Him in the confines of our own hearts. Our faith must be built on strong determined confidence in Him.
It is because of our trusting in experience that we see the steadfast impatience of the Holy Spirit against unbelief. All of our fears are sinful, and we create our own fears by refusing to nourish ourselves in our faith. How can anyone who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear! Our lives should be an absolute hymn of praise resulting from perfect, irrepressible, triumphant belief.
posted by ERuss at
8:29 AM
1 Comments:
How can we have complete trust and faith in Jesus if we don't know how He is or how He dealt with us? I'm taken back to how He talked and treated each individual in the Bible...How He was when someone was in a completely embarrassing moment, hurting, or revengeful, and scheming or hopeless...even so posessed by the demons that they couldn't even utter a word,to say Help me...Jesus went out of His paths just to be at a right time and a right place to raise up that individual ...how Beautiful He is...if we have a faith size of a mustard seed, we can move a mountain...we can defeat our monster of a fear that we've built up and flatten it down because of our Jesus' compassion towards us...His unending pity towards our weakness, His gentle voice to nudge us to take that step, a leap of faith, How awesome He is!!! When I focus on Jesus, and digest all the little details and ask questions...then I feel that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but if I think of what others might think of me or how I could fail etc, then I get depressed because I know me, but I also know He is with me and He will never let me go...no matter what. Jesus is the Lord of my life...I used to say that and reserve just a little bit of myself...just incase ...but then, all that did was a constant struggle of being unhappy about saying yes to the unknown...but that's gone now...how light I feel in my heart after i say yes to Jesus...to completely say yes, You are my LORD...now I can freely say yes, and not worry about the future...to move freely by what the Holy spirit leads me...is so awesome and such enlightening experience...because He gives me this undescrible deep joy and sense of peace...it's ok...even if I make mistakes, it's ok because I'll learn from it...and I feel loved...I don't have to feel insecure because He loves me!!! then another surprising thing happen, all the bright glittery earthly things...deems and it's attractions seem to disappear...I don't care about the big fancy comfy house, nice car,clothes, etc etc etc...all I care about is that we are all ready for Jesus' return and that I have to share Jesus with others who don't know Him...to accept Him as their savior...that's all that matters....I want to be actively participating in that plan of God's salvation... I think we can ask like Moses to see Jesus...then He also will pass before us all His goodness...longsuffering...if we even catch a glympse of His lovingkindness, it will make us bold to hang onto Him and Never let go of Him...perhaps we should all wrestle with Jesus like Jacob did and not let go of Jesus until we know we have assurance that we would have His blessings...knowing that everything will be ok, even if everything around us is breaking down, we wont, and we can stand firm because we would be in His presence. We can hide in Him...We can rest in Him...He promises to give us His word to speak...we can ask Him to give us those words, we can ask Him to help us do what we need to do, He will, He'll bring things to our mind to know what to pray for...to pray God's will...to know what's really needed...people kept asking Him for earthly things...which He supplied, but His wishes for them were heavenly things...to know how connected we are to God the Father...how He loves us regardless of our sin...that we can feel secure in Him, not to be rejected no matter what, no matter how we fail. so much evil going on it's overwhelming for me...but I love your quote of Mother Theresa...We are each to do small things with great love and we do it for Jesus... I absolutely try to live by that quote...sometimes I repeat it many times during the day so that when I hear the tempting voice in my head to just let go and forget trying so hard...who cares...? I quote that in my head and say Jesus cares...He cares for me and He cares for this person...that's what matters...that I do it for Jesus. take courage, we're praying for you!
sister in OCC
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