. . . in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses —2 Corinthians 6:4
When you have no vision from God, no enthusiasm left in your life, and no one watching and encouraging you, it requires the grace of Almighty God to take the next step in your devotion to Him, in the reading and studying of His Word, in your family life, or in your duty to Him. It takes much more of the grace of God, and a much greater awareness of drawing upon Him, to take that next step, than it does to preach the gospel.Every Christian must experience the essence of the incarnation by bringing the next step down into flesh-and-blood reality and by working it out with his hands. We lose interest and give up when we have no vision, no encouragement, and no improvement, but only experience our everyday life with its trivial tasks. The thing that really testifies for God and for the people of God in the long run is steady perseverance, even when the work cannot be seen by others. And the only way to live an undefeated life is to live looking to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to discourage you. Never allow yourself to think that some tasks are beneath your dignity or too insignificant for you to do, and remind yourself of the example of Christ inJohn 13:1-17.
Journal Entry for Today-JDV
Lord, these words from Chambers’ devotional today speak to the very heart of the lesson you have been teaching us for a very long time…………the only way to live an undefeated life is to live looking to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the risen Christ, and it will be impossible for drudgery to discourage you. It is now, over time, beginning to sink in; that daily intimate contact and communication with You, (as Chambers says, “….. live looking to God”) is essential to living a life encouraged. And it is becoming clear that my intimate connection with you determines my wellbeing, not my circumstances.
And God says…”Seek first the kingdom of God…God knows your needs, and is prepared to meet all your needs, as you trust Him. And your trust levels increase substantially as you draw near. When you draw near to Me, and reflect my Son, Jesus, you become transformed by faith, and the power of your faith is strengthened and transformed as well. Over time, our intimacy becomes natural to the point that you cannot and will not tolerate anything that will sever it.”
Click Image for John White's Original Vision For CO2's
