If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. —John 13:17
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).
Journal DJR
Good Morning, Lord.
I’ve been away, but not really. It’s been good to be “out of my camp of familiarity, but still meeting you in the tent of Meeting… as in Exodus 33:1-11” while in Europe and missing my daily time with JD but staying connected thru checking this devo each day. It’s a wonderful time to be alive! Internet etc.
Today, Chambers’ first line was bothersome…Be determined to know more than others… after learning that “knowing” at least with our analytical left brains doesn’t achieve happiness or fulfillment or living in your kingdom. But as he goes on and defines what kind of knowing that he’s referring to and it makes more sense. Actually I am hearing it as a word for me. That I must act on small bits of understanding before I will be given more. As I think back, I agree that some knowledge that I’ve received over the years, left un-acted upon, has kind of “rotted” and become useless, kind of like Manna, or maybe worse than useless. Unless You redeem it.
Indeed, redemption is the name of my game. I will redeem and rescue that which was lost… but in my time and way. You cannot schedule your redemption or the redemption of any bit of “lost truth” Just know that I love you and that it is my will to lead you into all Truth by my Spirit. So you can be expectant. And curious. And you can even do things like go out to a “tent of meeting” like Moses and Joshua did. But remember your efforts at Shaver Lake. I will be there, but most probably not how you expect. But the more you learn to expect the unexpected… the less surprised you will be. Just know that I love to show up in the unexpected. But I’ve given you a book full of clues that should make it less of a surprise. Like the Sermon on the Mount. Mainly not in Church Buildings or Organized Religion. That surprised the Pharisees, but it shouldn’t surprise you so much as you can read about my experiences and also Paul’s and Peter’s and even all the saints and martyrs and mystics over the years. You’ll notice most of my teaching when I walked your streets was not in those buildings or thru those structures. But rather I am ready to walk with you and show up many times each day. Be Prepared. It’s that Boy Scout Motto revisited.
I’ve given you many parables and stories. They are Patterns. Look for patterns. The patterns are universal. Don’t get tangled up in the specifics, which may be culturally defined, or specifically for a particular time and place. Don’t get tangled in whether Jonah’s fish was a real fish. Note rather the patterns. Like what can happen when your understandings of how the world works or should work, are stronger than my voice. About what I want you to do right now….
Thanks, Lord, for giving me this tent of meeting. This place where I can go daily and meet with you. BTW I’m wondering if Moses and Joshua had a joint relationship like JD and I do with you? I had thought previously that it was just you and Moses, with Joshua looking on as an apprentice so to speak. But now I’m suspecting that it was more like what JD and You and I do each day. And then sometimes Moses went back by himself, and acted out of what he had seen and heard. And Joshua stayed behind to soak up some more of you and learn some more. Kind of like JD meet with you and then go our separate ways, each benefiting differently but informed daily of how you are and expectant about how we may find you in our day. But still ready to be surprised.
Yes, kind of like that. That’s how patterns work.
I’m just now seeing it that way. Thanks.
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