You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. —Isaiah 26:3

Is your mind stayed on God or is it starved? Starvation of the mind, caused by neglect, is one of the chief sources of exhaustion and weakness in a servant’s life. If you have never used your mind to place yourself before God, begin to do it now. There is no reason to wait for God to come to you. You must turn your thoughts and your eyes away from the face of idols and look to Him and be saved (see Isaiah 45:22).

Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him. You should seek to be “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” (2 Corinthians 10:5). This will be one of the greatest assets of your faith when a time of trial comes, because then your faith and the Spirit of God will work together. When you have thoughts and ideas that are worthy of credit to God, learn to compare and associate them with all that happens in nature— the rising and the setting of the sun, the shining of the moon and the stars, and the changing of the seasons. You will begin to see that your thoughts are from God as well, and your mind will no longer be at the mercy of your impulsive thinking, but will always be used in service to God.

“We have sinned with our fathers…[and]…did not remember…” (Psalm 106:6-7). Then prod your memory and wake up immediately. Don’t say to yourself, “But God is not talking to me right now.” He ought to be. Remember whose you are and whom you serve. Encourage yourself to remember, and your affection for God will increase tenfold. Your mind will no longer be starved, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.

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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
Today we are reinforced with yesterday’s message: Think correctly, (like you think) and we will do well… have the peace that passes understanding, etc) But how to do that, is our question today. We’ve found that rigorously trying to force our minds to think your ways rather than our ways… seems to always prove futile… and discouraging. So the advice in Corinthians, to be bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” (2 Corinthians 10:5) is correct, it just doesn’t seem to work by just willpower. At least that’s what we’ve found. Surrender, Connection, and Curiosity in a context of believing that all things work together for good because we love you:(Romans 8:28) and that you have good plans for us, for a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11) seems to have better results at actually bringing those thoughts into captivity rather than just knowing and repeating the scripture.

Walking in the peace that passes understanding requires more than knowing the scriptures and attending church… you’ll remember that the Pharisees did that better than anyone in their day… and I called them “whitewashed tombs full of dead men’s bones.” Thinking my way calls for a complete “paradigm shift” where you look at all of life, including the bumpy parts, through the lens of those scriptures you mentioned. Then, when “all things work together for good” is your life paradigm, your fallback position can be curiosity. Curious about how things will work for good… but confident that they will. It’s a better way to live. I highly recommend it.

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things… —Isaiah 40:26

The everlasting God…neither faints nor is weary. —Isaiah 40:28

Exhaustion means that our vital energies are completely worn out and spent. Spiritual exhaustion is never the result of sin, but of service. Whether or not you experience exhaustion will depend on where you get your supplies. Jesus said to Peter, “Feed My sheep,” but He gave him nothing with which to feed them (John 21:17). The process of being made broken bread and poured-out wine means that you have to be the nourishment for other people’s souls until they learn to feed on God. They must drain you completely— to the very last drop. But be careful to replenish your supply, or you will quickly be utterly exhausted. Until others learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus directly, they will have to draw on His life through you. You must literally be their source of supply, until they learn to take their nourishment from God. We owe it to God to be our best for His lambs and sheep, as well as for Him.

Have you delivered yourself over to exhaustion because of the way you have been serving God? If so, then renew and rekindle your desires and affections. Examine your reasons for service. Is your source based on your own understanding or is it grounded on the redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually look back to the foundation of your love and affection and remember where your Source of power lies. You have no right to complain, “O Lord, I am so exhausted.” He saved and sanctified you to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that He is your supply. “All my springs are in you” (Psalm 87:7).

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Journal DJR
Good morning Lord. Exhaustion does indeed happen. Chambers points out good exhaustion and not so good exhaustion. But the prescription is to stay connected and continually stay being re filled. We will still get tired because we are human but will avoid the not so good exhaustion that leaves us useless. JD and I discussed that exhaustion can be another of the “dash board indicators” along with the “peace meter” that can indicate that things are going well… or not… and that something’s not working and something needs to change. We’ve found that what’s not working is almost always our connection with you and when that is restored… everything changes. Not necessarily the circumstances, but the “peace that passes understanding” … and if we have that…. what more could we need? With that peace we can carry on, whether the nasty circumstances change or not. Like Paul did in prison or Bonhoeffer or any of the heroes of our faith.

You understand this correctly. Now let’s talk about walking it out. Why do you find yourself exhausted and stressed out from time to time? You know the answer. Because you have lost your close connection with me. You allow distractions to enter and break our connection while others allow worry to break the connection. It doesn’t matter what it is. If you allow anything to break our connection, the dash board peace meter and exhaustion alarm will sound. Look at them as helpful indicators rather than oppressive evils. They indicate the break in our connection. So pull over and fix it. That may mean coming away for a few minutes or hours or days… or learning to connect, even while in a clamoring crowd. Today beware of distractions and worries.

May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely… —1 Thessalonians 5:23

When we pray, asking God to sanctify us, are we prepared to measure up to what that really means? We take the word sanctification much too lightly. Are we prepared to pay the cost of sanctification? The cost will be a deep restriction of all our earthly concerns, and an extensive cultivation of all our godly concerns. Sanctification means to be intensely focused on God’s point of view. It means to secure and to keep all the strength of our body, soul, and spirit for God’s purpose alone. Are we really prepared for God to perform in us everything for which He separated us? And after He has done His work, are we then prepared to separate ourselves to God just as Jesus did? “For their sakes I sanctify Myself…” (John 17:19). The reason some of us have not entered into the experience of sanctification is that we have not realized the meaning of sanctification from God’s perspective. Sanctification means being made one with Jesus so that the nature that controlled Him will control us. Are we really prepared for what that will cost? It will cost absolutely everything in us which is not of God.

The love of Christ compels us… —2 Corinthians 5:14

Paul said that he was overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by “the love of Christ.” Very few of us really know what it means to be held in the grip of the love of God. We tend so often to be controlled simply by our own experience. The one thing that gripped and held Paul, to the exclusion of everything else, was the love of God. “The love of Christ compels us….” When you hear that coming from the life of a man or woman it is unmistakable. You will know that the Spirit of God is completely unhindered in that person’s life.

When we are born again by the Spirit of God, our testimony is based solely on what God has done for us, and rightly so. But that will change and be removed forever once you “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” (Acts 1:8). Only then will you begin to realize what Jesus meant when He went on to say, “…you shall be witnesses to Me….” Not witnesses to what Jesus can do— that is basic and understood— but “witnesses to Me….” We will accept everything that happens as if it were happening to Him, whether we receive praise or blame, persecution or reward. No one is able to take this stand for Jesus Christ who is not totally compelled by the majesty of His power. It is the only thing that matters, and yet it is strange that it’s the last thing we as Christian workers realize. Paul said that he was gripped by the love of God and that is why he acted as he did. People could perceive him as mad or sane— he did not care. There was only one thing he lived for— to persuade people of the coming judgment of God and to tell them of “the love of Christ.” This total surrender to “the love of Christ” is the only thing that will bear fruit in your life. And it will always leave the mark of God’s holiness and His power, never drawing attention to your personal holiness.

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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
This devotional today causes me to feel more inadequate than most. The feeling of “overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by “the love of Christ.” is unfamiliar or very rare to me. Chambers goes on to at least let me feel like I’m not alone…
“Very few of us really know what it means to be held in the grip of the love of God.” (and gives a possible reason)… “We tend so often to be controlled simply by our own experience.” This seems like a fair evaluation…after all, it’s the Apostle Paul that he’s quoting. So, what’s to be done? I’m convinced that just trying harder isn’t the answer. Based on many years of trying that approach.

You are correct, you cannot grunt and try harder to get “compelled by the love of Christ.” That will only make you a better Pharisee. Rather, focus on the quality and quantity of time you spend with me. Communing with me. All day, Every day. Savor it. And you will arrive at that place Paul describes …. not because you were striving to get there… but as a side effect of our growing relationship. Let go of it as a goal and only strive to be with me, and I will bring you here, which will be beyond whatever you currently imagine.

 We have been made as the filth of the world… —1 Corinthians 4:13

Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! —1 Corinthians 9:16


Beware of refusing to hear the call of God. Everyone who is saved is called to testify to the fact of his salvation. That, however, is not the same as the call to preach, but is merely an illustration which can be used in preaching. In this verse, Paul was referring to the stinging pains produced in him by the compelling force of the call to preach the gospel. Never try to apply what Paul said regarding the call to preach to those souls who are being called to God for salvation. There is nothing easier than getting saved, because it is solely God’s sovereign work— “Look to Me, and be saved…” (Isaiah 45:22). Our Lord never requires the same conditions for discipleship that he requires for salvation. We are condemned to salvation through the Cross of Christ. But discipleship has an option with it— “If anyone…” (Luke 14:26).

Paul’s words have to do with our being made servants of Jesus Christ, and our permission is never asked as to what we will do or where we will go. God makes us as broken bread and poured-out wine to please Himself. To be “separated to the gospel” means being able to hear the call of God (Romans 1:1). Once someone begins to hear that call, a suffering worthy of the name of Christ is produced. Suddenly, every ambition, every desire of life, and every outlook is completely blotted out and extinguished. Only one thing remains— “…separated to the gospel…” Woe be to the soul who tries to head in any other direction once that call has come to him. The Bible Training College exists so that each of you may know whether or not God has a man or woman here who truly cares about proclaiming His gospel and to see if God grips you for this purpose. Beware of competing calls once the call of God grips you.

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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
Oswald Chambers here differentiates between the call to preach and the call to all Christians to just live for you. If that call to all is to live a surrendered life, emptied of the big 4, the drive to look good, feel good, be right and be in control….. and stay connected and curious and excited to hear and see what you have for us next…. It seems like that could include preaching or peeling potatoes and it doesn’t matter. (Like Brother Lawrence, who peeled potatoes for 55 years and became a hero of the faith as recorded in the best seller, Practicing the Presence of God) Is there a special call to preach or is the main call just to be a disciple and follow you and if that includes preaching sometimes then fine, but sometimes just living it out with whatever you put in our path. Like St Francis of Assisi said, Preach the gospel at all times and if absolutely necessary, use words….

I reduced the old hard, impossible to keep, old covenant to two commandments and if you take the first one to it’s logical end…. you don’t even need the second one. Because through obeying the first command to love Me, you will hear my voice and feel my heart which loves people and you will find yourself loving your neighbor and pouring your life out for your neighbor, because you are allowing my heart to flow thru you and that’s what I did and what I continue to do. Love people.

So what about preaching? And the special call?

Preaching is a good thing. Somebody’s gotta do it. But consider that the average preaching is 30 minutes a week. There are many other 30 minute periods during the same week and I can, and do, speak to my children in all those times, just like I was with Brother Lawrence peeling potatoes. I spoke to him and I’ll speak to you. Customized. Whereas the Sunday sermon goes out to all, I speak to you alone in your woodshop or your car or the shower. So develop the ability to be with me, commune with me, hear me and see what I’m seeing. Then whatever you do will be the preaching for the moment. Maybe to a crowd. Maybe to someone watching you teach a student in your shop.

Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel… —1 Corinthians 1:17