Be determined to know more than others. If you yourself do not cut the lines that tie you to the dock, God will have to use a storm to sever them and to send you out to sea. Put everything in your life afloat upon God, going out to sea on the great swelling tide of His purpose, and your eyes will be opened. If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself— begin to have spiritual discernment.

When you know that you should do something and you do it, immediately you know more. Examine where you have become sluggish, where you began losing interest spiritually, and you will find that it goes back to a point where you did not do something you knew you should do. You did not do it because there seemed to be no immediate call to do it. But now you have no insight or discernment, and at a time of crisis you are spiritually distracted instead of spiritually self-controlled. It is a dangerous thing to refuse to continue learning and knowing more.

The counterfeit of obedience is a state of mind in which you create your own opportunities to sacrifice yourself, and your zeal and enthusiasm are mistaken for discernment. It is easier to sacrifice yourself than to fulfill your spiritual destiny, which is stated in Romans 12:1-2. It is much better to fulfill the purpose of God in your life by discerning His will than it is to perform great acts of self-sacrifice. “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…” (1 Samuel 15:22). Beware of paying attention or going back to what you once were, when God wants you to be something that you have never been. “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know…” (John 7:17).

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June 8 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good morning Lord. This sentence from Chambers’ devotional; “If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself…” really caught my attention. The notion that we are to strike out in faith operating in the great unknown is very difficult for me Lord. I want the uncertainties to be more certain, the risks to be mitigated, and the outcomes to be more calculated and predictable. How do we obtain and live in that kind of faith? The kind of faith where we step out of the boat, not knowing if we will sink or not? How do we obtain the kind of faith that allows us to trust You and step out? How do we live day to day, hour by hour with a willingness and actions to actually leave the safe harbor and operate outside our comfort zones and desires to control the outcomes of our hopes and prayers?

And God says…”Inside of your own heart, mind and capabilities you can accomplish none of this. When you rely on your self-discipline, faith, training and spiritual preparedness, you are unable to trust completely. Your fear and uncertainty will always win out. You cannot get “prayed up or studied up” enough. However, you can always be surrendered enough. You can always acknowledge your weakness and give your hopes, dreams, fears and uncertainty to Me. Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own capabilities and or understanding, and I will make your paths straight. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I will give you everything else you require for your daily living. Your own faith, knowledge, understanding, strength, and power can sustain you when you surrender them to Me and operate out of the Spirit of God.”