By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing…I will bless you… —Genesis 22:16-17

Abraham, at this point, has reached where he is in touch with the very nature of God. He now understands the reality of God……My goal is God Himself… At any cost, dear Lord, by any road.

“At any cost…by any road” means submitting to God’s way of bringing us to the goal.

There is no possibility of questioning God when He speaks, if He speaks to His own nature in me. Prompt obedience is the only result. When Jesus says, “Come,” I simply come; when He says, “Let go,” I let go; when He says, “Trust God in this matter,” I trust. This work of obedience is the evidence that the nature of God is in me. God’s revelation of Himself to me is influenced by my character, not by God’s character. ’Tis because I am ordinary,  Thy ways so often look ordinary to me.

It is through the discipline of obedience that I get to the place where Abraham was and I see who God is. God will never be real to me until I come face to face with Him in Jesus Christ. Then I will know and can boldly proclaim, “In all the world, my God, there is none but Thee, there is none but Thee.”

The promises of God are of no value to us until, through obedience, we come to understand the nature of God. We may read some things in the Bible every day for a year and they may mean nothing to us. Then, because we have been obedient to God in some small detail, we suddenly see what God means and His nature is instantly opened up to us. “All the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen…” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Our “Yes” must be born of obedience; when by obedience we ratify a promise of God by saying, “Amen,” or, “So be it.” That promise becomes ours.

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November 17, 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, this devotional brought to my attention my propensity for shaping my own behavior, discussions, actions and living so that I can, in my own judgment and opinion,  move my agenda or my idea of Your agenda forward. I will guard my words or offer up watered down or watered up status of a circumstance or opinion so that I do not offend anyone, or such that it casts a good light on my idea or initiative. I help shape the discussion so that it benefits me and my agenda. It is especially true when I can also feel as if I have moved Your agenda forward by shaping it in the “right way”.  But You tell me this is not obedience, even when my motivation and the outcome seems to support my efforts to grow Your Kingdom.

And God says…”My ways are not your ways. I often move in ways that you will never understand and your attempts to make it right, or make it better or more spiritual can become acts of disobedience even when it looks more religious or spiritual.  Just because your words are soothing, or your actions support the ABCs of churches (Attendance, Buildings and Cash) does not mean you are being obedient, in fact it may mean the opposite. And when you add your own ways and means of growing the vision I have given you, you dilute the vision and by your actions tell me that you can take “take it from here”.  Surrender, and let Me take it from here, there and everywhere. Be connected to Me and allow Me to act because you have not interceded and given it your own brand of shaping. Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own ways and means and I will make your paths straight.  And your character will be shaped by the knowledge that it was and is God that manifests the vision.”

As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me… —Genesis 24:27

We should be so one with God that we don’t need to ask continually for guidance. Sanctification means that we are made the children of God. A child’s life is normally obedient, until he chooses disobedience. But as soon as he chooses to disobey, an inherent inner conflict is produced. On the spiritual level, inner conflict is the warning of the Spirit of God. When He warns us in this way, we must stop at once and be renewed in the spirit of our mind to discern God’s will (see Romans 12:2). If we are born again by the Spirit of God, our devotion to Him is hindered, or even stopped, by continually asking Him to guide us here and there. “…the Lord led me…” and on looking back we see the presence of an amazing design. If we are born of God we will see His guiding hand and give Him the credit.

We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere.

Beware of being obsessed with consistency to your own convictions instead of being devoted to God. If you are a saint and say, “I will never do this or that,” in all probability this will be exactly what God will require of you. There was never a more inconsistent being on this earth than our Lord, but He was never inconsistent with His Father. The important consistency in a saint is not to a principle but to the divine life. It is the divine life that continually makes more and more discoveries about the divine mind. It is easier to be an excessive fanatic than it is to be consistently faithful, because God causes an amazing humbling of our religious conceit when we are faithful to Him.

…the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. —Galatians 2:20

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. —2 Corinthians 5:17

He said, “Take now your son…” —Genesis 22:2

God’s command is, “Take now,” not later. It is incredible how we debate! We know something is right, but we try to find excuses for not doing it immediately. If we are to climb to the height God reveals, it can never be done later— it must be done now. And the sacrifice must be worked through our will before we actually perform it.

“So Abraham rose early in the morning…and went to the place of which God had told him” (Genesis 22:3). Oh, the wonderful simplicity of Abraham! When God spoke, he did not “confer with flesh and blood” (Galatians 1:16). Beware when you want to “confer with flesh and blood” or even your own thoughts, insights, or understandings— anything that is not based on your personal relationship with God. These are all things that compete with and hinder obedience to God.

Abraham did not choose what the sacrifice would be. Always guard against self-chosen service for God. Self-sacrifice may be a disease that impairs your service. If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; or even if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him. If the providential will of God means a hard and difficult time for you, go through it. But never decide the place of your own martyrdom, as if to say, “I will only go to there, but no farther.” God chose the test for Abraham, and Abraham neither delayed nor protested, but steadily obeyed. If you are not living in touch with God, it is easy to blame Him or pass judgment on Him. You must go through the trial before you have any right to pronounce a verdict, because by going through the trial you learn to know God better. God is working in us to reach His highest goals until His purpose and our purpose become one.

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November 11, 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, Chambers once again reminds me that when you make your will known to me, and often I wonder and wander around on this important step; that I am to respond immediately. But I am often confused regarding Your will, especially when I am at a crossroads facing difficult times, uncertainty and pressure all around. Although I have never faced the same kind of pressure as Abraham, I have often found myself in difficult situations, calling out to You for rescue, direction and answers, only to hear the cacophony of silence. Is this the way of the lesson? That I wait on You? Wait until I am certain of Your will even though it seems as if You will never answer?

And God says…”Remember My promises, recall My commitments to You and yours… those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired…..Know that I shall meet all your needs according to My riches in glory. And I know the plans I have for you; they are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Trust in Me with all your heart and do not rely on your own ways and means and I will make your paths straight. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I shall provide everything else you require.”

“Do not measure my response by your ideas of time and need. My ways are not your ways. Do not evaluate my response by what you can and cannot see, touch, taste, feel or hear. Your senses are too limiting. Know that I am God, and all things work for good for those that love the Lord. If I did not spare my Son, I will not spare you any good thing.”

…fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ… —1 Thessalonians 3:2

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God… —Romans 8:28

Do you believe this? —John 11:26

Martha believed in the power available to Jesus Christ; she believed that if He had been there He could have healed her brother; she also believed that Jesus had a special intimacy with God, and that whatever He asked of God, God would do. But— she needed a closer personal intimacy with Jesus. Martha’s theology had its fulfillment in the future. But Jesus continued to attract and draw her in until her belief became an intimate possession. It then slowly emerged into a personal inheritance— “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ…” (John 11:27).

Is the Lord dealing with you in the same way? Is Jesus teaching you to have a personal intimacy with Himself? Allow Him to drive His question home to you— “Do you believe this?” Are you facing an area of doubt in your life? Have you come, like Martha, to a crossroads of overwhelming circumstances where your theology is about to become a very personal belief? This happens only when a personal problem brings the awareness of our personal need.

To believe is to commit. In the area of intellectual learning I commit myself mentally, and reject anything not related to that belief. In the realm of personal belief I commit myself morally to my convictions and refuse to compromise. But in intimate personal belief I commit myself spiritually to Jesus Christ and make a determination to be dominated by Him alone.

Then, when I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and He says to me, “Do you believe this?” I find that faith is as natural as breathing. And I am staggered when I think how foolish I have been in not trusting Him earlier.

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November 6, 2014

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, it seems that when a crisis appears like the one that Martha faced, her brother sick and dying, I turn to you because I have nowhere else to go. When I am at the end of my own power, knowledge and resources, it is much easier to turn to You. When I cannot find any solution, it is natural that I turn to You. I pray that You will help me surrender myself, my life, activities, resources, and all that is occurring around me to You, regardless of the pressure or lack of pressure. Help me to surrender to You, be connected and remain curious, regardless of the pressure or circumstances.

And God says…”The human condition is that you will try and “do it yourself” until you cannot. The apostle Paul said that he learned how to be content with much or with little….Philippians 4 says from the Message, “Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” Paul learned, over time to trust Me regardless….but he too often let his own power and strength govern his responses when other disciples did not agree with him. This added pressure was instrumental in helping shape and mold him. Just as pressure helps shape you. Don’t try to get out of your trials too soon. Let them shape and mold you to a perfect result. (James 1). Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own devices and I will make your paths straight. Delight yourself in the Lord and I will give you the desires of your heart. And when you cannot find the faith or strength to trust Me; let my love, grace and mercy fill those needs as well. Remember that Jesus provided all you need, you simply need to surrender and accept His love, grace and mercy and remain curious.”

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. —James 4:8

It is essential that you give people the opportunity to act on the truth of God. The responsibility must be left with the individual— you cannot act for him. It must be his own deliberate act, but the evangelical message should always lead him to action. Refusing to act leaves a person paralyzed, exactly where he was previously. But once he acts, he is never the same. It is the apparent folly of the truth that stands in the way of hundreds who have been convicted by the Spirit of God. Once I press myself into action, I immediately begin to live. Anything less is merely existing. The moments I truly live are the moments when I act with my entire will.

When a truth of God is brought home to your soul, never allow it to pass without acting on it internally in your will, not necessarily externally in your physical life. Record it with ink and with blood— work it into your life. The weakest saint who transacts business with Jesus Christ is liberated the second he acts and God’s almighty power is available on his behalf. We come up to the truth of God, confess we are wrong, but go back again. Then we approach it again and turn back, until we finally learn we have no business going back. When we are confronted with such a word of truth from our redeeming Lord, we must move directly to transact business with Him. “Come to Me…” (Matthew 11:28). His word come means “to act.” Yet the last thing we want to do is come. But everyone who does come knows that, at that very moment, the supernatural power of the life of God invades him. The dominating power of the world, the flesh, and the devil is now paralyzed; not by your act, but because your act has joined you to God and tapped you in to His redemptive power.

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Journal DJR
Good morning Lord,
You’ve made it clear over the last many months that connection with you is the key to the Christian Life. Now I’m seeing the difference between connection as a player in the game compared to merely being connected as a spectator at the game. It’s not actually new. You’ve shown us the value of staying connected, curious, expectant, surrendered and obedient. It’s those last two that are getting the focus today. Continuing the spectator vs player metaphor… It’s hard to say I’m really connected if I just stay in the stands, watching the game. At least not at the same level as if I get out there and play, take some hits, swing at the pitch…..

John said that “I only did what I saw the Father doing, only said what I heard Father saying… John 5:19 I was connected. And I fought to maintain that connection. When the stressors built up, I would slip away to renew that connection. You should too.

Are we to strive to be consciously connected all the time? Or is the goal to be “unconsciously connected?”

Checking your connection every few minutes will lead to navel gazing and self absorption. You can be more unconsciously connected than that. Start your day with a strong connection. Check yourself from time to time. But live in the moment, unconsciously bringing those things you’ve stored in your mind and heart to bear on the situations.

Romans 12:2 (NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me… —Galatians 2:20