The first thing God does is forcibly remove any insincerity, pride, and vanity from my life. And the Holy Spirit reveals to me that God loved me not because I was lovable, but because it was His nature to do so. Now He commands me to show the same love to others by saying, “…love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). He is saying, “I will bring a number of people around you whom you cannot respect, but you must exhibit My love to them, just as I have exhibited it to you.” This kind of love is not a patronizing love for the unlovable— it is His love, and it will not be evidenced in us overnight. Some of us may have tried to force it, but we were soon tired and frustrated.

“The Lord…is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish…” (2 Peter 3:9). I should look within and remember how wonderfully He has dealt with me. The knowledge that God has loved me beyond all limits will compel me to go into the world to love others in the same way. I may get irritated because I have to live with an unusually difficult person. But just think how disagreeable I have been with God! Am I prepared to be identified so closely with the Lord Jesus that His life and His sweetness will be continually poured out through Me? Neither natural love nor God’s divine love will remain and grow in me unless it is nurtured. Love is spontaneous, but it has to be maintained through discipline.

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May 11 2016

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good morning Lord and thank You for the music and devotional…and a special thank you for the chorus of the song that is a reminder that today is the first day of the rest of our lives.

Like so many other times before, David and I took issue with Chambers, especially when he says that our love for others can only come from discipline. That sounds a lot like “gritting my teeth and forcing myself” to love difficult people. That is never the way that has worked for me in real life. I cannot turn the other cheek, give up my coat and cloak, nor have I been able to walk an extra mile for someone I do not even like. However, when I am surrendered and connected to You, allowing the Holy Spirit to live through me, everything changes. For me it is not my personal self-discipline that makes the difference in my love for others, it is my surrender to You. Am I on the right track?

And God says…”You already know the answer to your rhetorical question. Of course that is the way it works in “real life”. When you give up the right to yourself; give up the “big four”; to look good, feel good, to be right and to be in control, the Holy Spirit can live through you. When you pick up your cross, that is you sacrifice yourself, give up your right to yourself, then I can live through you. And I have the capacity to love the unlovable. You do not need the “grit your teeth” kind of personal discipline to love the unlovable; you simply give up your right to yourself, and let Me love them through you.”

“When you seek first the kingdom of God, all things become possible. When you make our relationship first, by your surrender and connection, I will make your paths straight. If you want to have your life, you must give it up. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it. When you are surrendered, connected and curious you can live your life knowing that all things work together for good, and even you can love the unlovable.”

Beware of the tendency to ask the way when you know it perfectly well. Take the initiative— stop hesitating— take the first step. Be determined to act immediately in faith on what God says to you when He speaks, and never reconsider or change your initial decisions. If you hesitate when God tells you to do something, you are being careless, spurning the grace in which you stand. Take the initiative yourself, make a decision of your will right now, and make it impossible to go back. Burn your bridges behind you, saying, “I will write that letter,” or “I will pay that debt”; and then do it! Make it irrevocable.

We have to get into the habit of carefully listening to God about everything, forming the habit of finding out what He says and heeding it. If, when a crisis comes, we instinctively turn to God, we will know that the habit has been formed in us. We have to take the initiative where we are, not where we have not yet been.

Our own idealistic principles may actually lull us into ruin. Examine yourself spiritually to see if you have vision, or only principles.

Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp,
Or what’s a heaven for?

“Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision]….” Once we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless. We cast off certain restraints from activities we know are wrong. We set prayer aside as well and cease having God’s vision in the little things of life. We simply begin to act on our own initiative. If we are eating only out of our own hand, and doing things solely on our own initiative without expecting God to come in, we are on a downward path. We have lost the vision. Is our attitude today an attitude that flows from our vision of God? Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done before? Is there a freshness and a vitality in our spiritual outlook?

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May 9, 2016

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good morning God and thank you for this day and this devotional that took David and me on a brief journey right back to surrender and connection. In my research I found writers that believe many churches and pastors erroneously use this scripture to point to the need for a vision for their church and service. Another writer took me on a journey to understand that this scripture; where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision]; the people cast off restraint… —Proverbs 29:18 is really about living out of Gods guidance. Eugene Peterson’s The Message version says it clearly….¹⁸ if people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.

And God says…” When you live moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day in a surrendered, connected and curious way, your mantra then becomes…”all things work together for good”. It becomes easier for you to live in this space, because you are no longer (as Chambers says in this devotional) “eating out of your own hand”. Another way to read this scripture is; when you subordinate yourself to God’s guidance, you thrive! And how do you know God is guiding? Because I promised you that when you acknowledge Me in all your ways, I will make your paths straight. When you seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, which is Jesus, I will provide everything else you require. Knock and the door will be opened, seek and you shall find. Delight yourself in the Lord, and I will give you the desires of your heart.”

“Though it tarries, wait for it….” The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have already grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. The psalmist said, “What shall I render to the Lord…? I will take up the cup of salvation…” (Psalm 116:12-13). We are apt to look for satisfaction within ourselves and say, “Now I’ve got it! Now I am completely sanctified. Now I can endure.” Instantly we are on the road to ruin. Our reach must exceed our grasp. Paul said, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on…” (Philippians 3:12). If we have only what we have experienced, we have nothing. But if we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience. Beware of the danger of spiritual relaxation.