When God, by His Spirit through His Word, gives you a clear vision of His will, you must “walk in the light” of that vision (1 John 1:7). Even though your mind and soul may be thrilled by it, if you don’t “walk in the light” of it you will sink to a level of bondage never envisioned by our Lord. Mentally disobeying the “heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19) will make you a slave to ideas and views that are completely foreign to Jesus Christ. Don’t look at someone else and say, “Well, if he can have those views and prosper, why can’t I?” You have to “walk in the light” of the vision that has been given to you. Don’t compare yourself with others or judge them— that is between God and them.When you find that one of your favorite and strongly held views clashes with the “heavenly vision,” do not begin to debate it. If you do, a sense of property and personal right will emerge in you— things on which Jesus placed no value. He was against these things as being the root of everything foreign to Himself— “…for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15). If we don’t see and understand this, it is because we are ignoring the underlying principles of our Lord’s teaching.

Our tendency is to lie back and bask in the memory of the wonderful experience we had when God revealed His will to us. But if a New Testament standard is revealed to us by the light of God, and we don’t try to measure up, or even feel inclined to do so, then we begin to backslide. It means your conscience does not respond to the truth. You can never be the same after the unveiling of a truth. That moment marks you as one who either continues on with even more devotion as a disciple of Jesus Christ, or as one who turns to go back as a deserter.

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December 29 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good morning God and thank you for this devotional and the words of Oswald Chambers that often provide a sharpening place for the views You have given us over the last few years. Here Chambers reminds us that when You give us a vision or truth, that we are to “walk in the light” after You give us the vision and light. But Lord, that has never worked for me in the “real world”. I find that whenever You give me a vision or truth, that I am to wait on You, surrender the truth and vision and wait for You to live out the truth and vision through me. In the past, whenever I would see the vision or revealed truth, I would think: “well this is up to me now…I must walk in the vision, share the vision, and live it out. I must tell the next person about the revealed truth of a book, study or Spirit led discovery.” But over the last few months and years You have taught us to wait on You. You have shown us that our action is not required, only our surrender. Is this right Lord? Are we to receive a vision or truth; surrender it to You and then wait, or are we to take action and live it out?

And God says…”The bondage that can come from a heavenly vision is not your lack of action or conformity and obedience but rather a lack of surrender and connection. I give you those visions and insights so that you know I am your God and I am living through you. However, apart from Me you can do nothing. On your own and in your own disciplined nature you cannot be obedient and faithful. However, you have discovered that when you are surrendered and connected, I can live through you so that your life is one of obedience and faith. Like the song says, “Lift your eyes to the Maker of the mountains you can’t climb”. The very reason for Jesus and His sacrifice is because no one could or can live up to the vision. However, you can do all things through Christ Jesus. It is not a partnership whereby I show you what needs to be done and you do it. It is a surrender whereby you give your daily and minute to minute life to Me, and I live through you.”