Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will— even if it means you will suffer— is something very different. No normal, healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. And no saint should ever dare to interfere with the lesson of suffering being taught in another saint’s life.The saint who satisfies the heart of Jesus will make other saints strong and mature for God. But the people used to strengthen us are never those who sympathize with us; in fact, we are hindered by those who give us their sympathy, because sympathy only serves to weaken us. No one better understands a saint than the saint who is as close and as intimate with Jesus as possible. If we accept the sympathy of another saint, our spontaneous feeling is, “God is dealing too harshly with me and making my life too difficult.” That is why Jesus said that self-pity was of the devil (see Matthew 16:21-23). We must be merciful to God’s reputation. It is easy for us to tarnish God’s character because He never argues back; He never tries to defend or vindicate Himself. Beware of thinking that Jesus needed sympathy during His life on earth. He refused the sympathy of people because in His great wisdom He knew that no one on earth understood His purpose (see Matthew 16:23). He accepted only the sympathy of His Father and the angels (see Luke 15:10).Look at God’s incredible waste of His saints, according to the world’s judgment. God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. And then we say, “God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him.” Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.

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August 10 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, this seems like a very difficult teaching; that we should be prepared and accepting of pain and suffering for our own lives and that we should not offer sympathy to Christians going through pain and suffering. This seems somewhat counter intuitive to the two commandments of Jesus: love God with all your heart mind and soul and to love your neighbor as yourself. What do I do when I see a Christian brother or sister suffering? What do we do when we are suffering? Do we accept the suffering, simply assuming You will use the suffering and pain to make us stronger? If You came to give us life and life more abundantly, how does this fit?

And God says…(Romans 12:1-2) “So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and visually, in your mind, daily,  place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

“As you are being transformed by this process, and begin living surrendered, connected, curious, and obedient, you will know when to reach out and offer comfort, and when to stay within your own connection with Jesus. You will know when and how to respond to the many difficult and challenging circumstances you are bound to face. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus and I will provide everything you require, including discernment and a peace that passes all understanding.”

Our Lord’s childhood was not immaturity waiting to grow into manhood— His childhood is an eternal fact. Am I a holy, innocent child of God as a result of my identification with my Lord and Savior? Do I look at my life as being in my Father’s house? Is the Son of God living in His Father’s house within me?The only abiding reality is God Himself, and His order comes to me moment by moment. Am I continually in touch with the reality of God, or do I pray only when things have gone wrong— when there is some disturbance in my life? I must learn to identify myself closely with my Lord in ways of holy fellowship and oneness that some of us have not yet even begun to learn. “…I must be about My Father’s business”— and I must learn to live every moment of my life in my Father’s house.

Think about your own circumstances. Are you so closely identified with the Lord’s life that you are simply a child of God, continually talking to Him and realizing that everything comes from His hands? Is the eternal Child in you living in His Father’s house? Is the grace of His ministering life being worked out through you in your home, your business, and in your circle of friends? Have you been wondering why you are going through certain circumstances? In fact, it is not that you have to go through them. It is because of your relationship with the Son of God who comes, through the providential will of His Father, into your life. You must allow Him to have His way with you, staying in perfect oneness with Him.

The life of your Lord is to become your vital, simple life, and the way He worked and lived among people while here on earth must be the way He works and lives in you.

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August 7 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, once again the Chambers’ devotional seems to load up on platitudes and disciplines that don’t seem to work for me. He writes “Are you so closely identified with the Lord’s life that you are simply a child of God, continually talking to Him and realizing that everything comes from His hands? Is the eternal Child in you living in His Father’s house? Is the grace of His ministering life being worked out through you in your home, your business, and in your circle of friends? Clearly what he writes is a goal, but I would be hard pressed to say that this is the way that I live every day, 100% of the time. When I read teachings like this I wonder if there are believers that really can live like that 100% of the time, or are platitudes like this simply ways of reminding me that I am once again ”less than”?

And God says…”There is the other part of Chambers’ devotional that might bring some clarity…. “The only abiding reality is God Himself, and His order comes to me moment by moment. Am I continually in touch with the reality of God, or do I pray only when things have gone wrong— when there is some disturbance in my life? I must learn to identify myself closely with my Lord in ways of holy fellowship and oneness that some of us have not yet even begun to learn.”

“You have been learning to identify closely with Me in difficult times and because of the shaping and discipline of difficult times, you are learning to find the oneness in connection with Me during times of well being and prosperity. Of course you are not able to be connected all the time, however, you are learning to live every day in pursuit of surrender, connection (oneness), curiosity (about how I will meet your needs and respond to your prayers) and obedience. Your focus on surrender, connection and curiosity began and automatically restarts when you face the difficulties of life. And then they become a pattern. Let your trials have their perfect result. And when you revert to your old ways of control, fear and  occasional self-righteousness, trust that my love and grace holds you up and fills the gaps until you once again seek our oneness and find yourself in your Father’s house.”

We too often think of the Cross of Christ as something we have to get through, yet we get through for the purpose of getting into it. The Cross represents only one thing for us— complete, entire, absolute identification with the Lord Jesus Christ— and there is nothing in which this identification is more real to us than in prayer.“Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). Then why should we ask? The point of prayer is not to get answers from God, but to have perfect and complete oneness with Him. If we pray only because we want answers, we will become irritated and angry with God. We receive an answer every time we pray, but it does not always come in the way we expect, and our spiritual irritation shows our refusal to identify ourselves truly with our Lord in prayer. We are not here to prove that God answers prayer, but to be living trophies of God’s grace.

“…I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father Himself loves you…” (John 16:26-27). Have you reached such a level of intimacy with God that the only thing that can account for your prayer life is that it has become one with the prayer life of Jesus Christ? Has our Lord exchanged your life with His vital life? If so, then “in that day” you will be so closely identified with Jesus that there will be no distinction.

When prayer seems to be unanswered, beware of trying to place the blame on someone else. That is always a trap of Satan. When you seem to have no answer, there is always a reason— God uses these times to give you deep personal instruction, and it is not for anyone else but you.

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August 6 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, this devotional reminds me of the visual surrender and connection process You have given me. When I know it is time to surrender and be connected (usually just before writing this journal), I always start with the vision of me bringing my issues, opportunities and ultimately myself to the foot of the cross. In my mind’s eye I carry a box wrapped and labeled fear, and others labeled family, self, work, new business, finances, and then a box called peace, joy and happiness. In my mind’s eye I carry my concerns, hurts, fears and problems to the cross and then I carry my hopes and dreams as well, and place them all at the foot of Your cross. This visual process helps me “see” and believe that I have surrendered myself to You. Is this the right way to surrender and be connected to You in the morning?

And God says…”If this visual process helps you surrender yourself and your issues and opportunities, and be connected to Me, then it is a good thing. And as long as it serves you in your quest for surrender and connection, and you do not begin to serve it, please continue. However like a number of worship activities humans have used over time, be certain you do not begin to serve this process. It only works if it serves the purpose of bringing us into an intimate relationship based on your surrender then connection to and with Me. When you are surrendered and connected, all your fears, concerns, hopes and dreams feel like an easy yoke, your burdens light, because you have surrendered them to Me. And remember I always answer your prayers; however it may best serve you and yours if I do not always give you an update or status report. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, things not seen. It is impossible to please God without faith. Give me your issues and opportunities daily and let Me give you the peace that passes all understanding. And as long as this visual process serves you, and your surrender and connection, with Me, I will bless it.”

 

 

God called Jesus Christ to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. His life was an absolute failure from every standpoint except God’s. But what seemed to be failure from man’s standpoint was a triumph from God’s standpoint, because God’s purpose is never the same as man’s purpose.This bewildering call of God comes into our lives as well. The call of God can never be understood absolutely or explained externally; it is a call that can only be perceived and understood internally by our true inner-nature. The call of God is like the call of the sea— no one hears it except the person who has the nature of the sea in him. What God calls us to cannot be definitely stated, because His call is simply to be His friend to accomplish His own purposes. Our real test is in truly believing that God knows what He desires. The things that happen do not happen by chance— they happen entirely by the decree of God. God is sovereignly working out His own purposes.If we are in fellowship and oneness with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, then we will no longer strive to find out what His purposes are. As we grow in the Christian life, it becomes simpler to us, because we are less inclined to say, “I wonder why God allowed this or that?” And we begin to see that the compelling purpose of God lies behind everything in life, and that God is divinely shaping us into oneness with that purpose. A Christian is someone who trusts in the knowledge and the wisdom of God, not in his own abilities. If we have a purpose of our own, it destroys the simplicity and the calm, relaxed pace which should be characteristic of the children of God.

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August 5 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, it seems as if this devotional is focused on letting go of the outcomes, and letting You be God. That we neither need to know how the short or long term stories end, because You are God and You are good all the time. But how do we do that Lord, when the bank account is really low, or the job so demanding and unfulfilling, or our families in turmoil? How can we take our eyes off our issues? I know you say to worry about nothing and pray about everything, but Lord, when we see impending disaster coming our way, how can we just let go of our desired outcomes and or circumstances and simply trust?

And God says…” There will always be trials and tribulations in the world; they are byproducts of a fallen world. And you will be tried and tested regularly, because it is the way your faith is made stronger. You will question how and why I allow certain circumstances to come into your life.”

“But what occurs, when you see Me instead of your circumstances? What occurs when you surrender and allow Me to be the one that controls the storms, circumstances and outcomes of your life? When you surrender your circumstances and or ideas of what the outcomes need to be, you in effect are saying, Lord, I have the faith to trust You. When you let go of your ideas of control and outcomes, I can and will act on your behalf.”

“However I cannot act as long as you have or seek control. I cannot act when you seek understanding, which is very often simply another word for control. Trust in Me with all your heart, do not rely on your own understanding and I can make your paths straight. Seek first the kingdom of God, and I will provide everything else you require….everything including the right outcomes. Do not try to figure Me out, or put Me into your box of thought out solutions. Immerse yourself in Me by surrendering your right to be in control or to even know what I have in store for you. I promise I will provide outcomes that delight you. Delight yourself in Me and I will give you the desires of your heart.”

Oh, the bravery of God in trusting us! Do you say, “But He has been unwise to choose me, because there is nothing good in me and I have no value”? That is exactly why He chose you. As long as you think that you are of value to Him He cannot choose you, because you have purposes of your own to serve. But if you will allow Him to take you to the end of your own self-sufficiency, then He can choose you to go with Him “to Jerusalem” (Luke 18:31). And that will mean the fulfillment of purposes which He does not discuss with you.

We tend to say that because a person has natural ability, he will make a good Christian. It is not a matter of our equipment, but a matter of our poverty; not of what we bring with us, but of what God puts into us; not a matter of natural virtues, of strength of character, of knowledge, or of experience— all of that is of no avail in this concern. The only thing of value is being taken into the compelling purpose of God and being made His friends (see 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). God’s friendship is with people who know their poverty. He can accomplish nothing with the person who thinks that he is of use to God. As Christians we are not here for our own purpose at all— we are here for the purpose of God, and the two are not the same.

We do not know what God’s compelling purpose is, but whatever happens, we must maintain our relationship with Him. We must never allow anything to damage our relationship with God, but if something does damage it, we must take the time to make it right again. The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack.

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August 4 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Good morning Lord, and thank you once again for the reminder that it is You that works in me, not me doing service or work for You. You have reminded us often that the only way we can accomplish anything worthwhile is through our surrender and Your Spirit living and working through us. However, it is not easy to maintain this state of connection Lord. How can we do this? How can I be in a constant state of surrender, connection, curiosity and obedience when my heart and mind cries out for me to deal with the pressing issues of life?

And God says…”Acknowledge Me in all your ways and do not rely on your own ways and means or understanding and I will make your paths straight. And do not try to get out of the pressures of everyday life, let these pressures have their perfect result, by turning you to surrender and connection. Trust that when you seek first the kingdom of God that I will provide everything you require to lead an abundant life including the pressures of everyday life…and the remedies you and yours require”

“When your heart and mind cry out for you to pay attention to the pressures of life, let the Spirit of God guide you to surrender and connection before you take any action. When you are surrendered, connected, curious and obedient, I can accomplish a great many things through you. As Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi; don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces the worry over the everyday pressures at the center of your life.”

Jerusalem, in the life of our Lord, represents the place where He reached the culmination of His Father’s will. Jesus said, “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30). Seeking to do “the will of the Father” was the one dominating concern throughout our Lord’s life. And whatever He encountered along the way, whether joy or sorrow, success or failure, He was never deterred from that purpose. “…He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem…” (Luke 9:51).The greatest thing for us to remember is that we go up to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s purpose, not our own. In the natural life our ambitions are our own, but in the Christian life we have no goals of our own. We talk so much today about our decisions for Christ, our determination to be Christians, and our decisions for this and that, but in the New Testament the only aspect that is brought out is the compelling purpose of God. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16).We are not taken into a conscious agreement with God’s purpose— we are taken into God’s purpose with no awareness of it at all. We have no idea what God’s goal may be; as we continue, His purpose becomes even more and more vague. God’s aim appears to have missed the mark, because we are too nearsighted to see the target at which He is aiming. At the beginning of the Christian life, we have our own ideas as to what God’s purpose is. We say, “God means for me to go over there,” and, “God has called me to do this special work.” We do what we think is right, and yet the compelling purpose of God remains upon us. The work we do is of no account when compared with the compelling purpose of God. It is simply the scaffolding surrounding His work and His plan. “He took the twelve aside…” (Luke 18:31). God takes us aside all the time. We have not yet understood all there is to know of the compelling purpose of God.

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August 3 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, this devotional reminds us that You are God, and Your ways may not be our ways. Often I forget that it is not Your role to bless what we think  our “good Christian service” or our ideas of the best outcomes through our circumstances. But how can we be certain that we are pursuing the right duties, obligations, and or opportunities ordained by You? How can we be certain that we are not pursuing our own ideas of what those duties, obligations and opportunities might be?

And God says…”Remember, I do not want your duties, obligations or rule keeping, I want an intimate relationship that will result in your transformation. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I will provide everything else you need to live an abundant life, including the discernment about your ways, My ways and the path to obedience. Delight yourself in the Lord and I will give you the desires of your heart. Acknowledge Me in all your ways and I will make your paths straight.”

“The key to certainty about My will is to simply be surrendered, connected, curious and obedient to Me. Seek Me and you will find Me. Knock and the door will be answered. And when you do not feel as if I am responding quickly enough to address your circumstances or problems, remember that those that wait upon the Lord run and do not get weary, their strength is renewed and they soar like having the wings of eagles. When you are discouraged, remember My promises, for I know the plans I have for you, they are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

 

 

 

In the Bible clouds are always associated with God. Clouds are the sorrows, sufferings, or providential circumstances, within or without our personal lives, which actually seem to contradict the sovereignty of God. Yet it is through these very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were never any clouds in our lives, we would have no faith. “The clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3). They are a sign that God is there. What a revelation it is to know that sorrow, bereavement, and suffering are actually the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near us without clouds— He does not come in clear-shining brightness.It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials. Through every cloud He brings our way, He wants us to unlearn something. His purpose in using the cloud is to simplify our beliefs until our relationship with Him is exactly like that of a child— a relationship simply between God and our own souls, and where other people are but shadows. Until other people become shadows to us, clouds and darkness will be ours every once in a while. Is our relationship with God becoming more simple than it has ever been?

There is a connection between the strange providential circumstances allowed by God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Until we can come face to face with the deepest, darkest fact of life without damaging our view of God’s character, we do not yet know Him.

“…they were fearful as they entered the cloud” (Luke 9:34). Is there anyone except Jesus in your cloud? If so, it will only get darker until you get to the place where there is “no one anymore, but only Jesus …” (Mark 9:8; also see Mark 2:7).

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July 29 2015

Journal Entry for Today-JDV

Lord, this devotional reminds me of what C.S. Lewis wrote in The Problem of Pain “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” It is true, whenever we are up against it, and/or have nowhere else to turn, we turn to You Lord. When all our options are gone, we seek Your answers. And it seems as if You use these kinds of circumstances to show us your love, grace and mercy; AND to show us that even though the outcomes may not have changed, our fears are/were unfounded. Thank You God for using my circumstances to help me love You as a child.

And God says…”Like most humans, you first want to be right, appear to be right, seek pleasure and avoid pain. You want to choose the easy route and avoid pain, however, when you avoid pain and difficulties you are also avoiding the growth and opportunity that can come from your trials. Do not try to get out of your trials too early, let them have their perfect result. And part of that perfect result is allowing Me to demonstrate that your fears are not justified. Trust in Me with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding and I will make your paths straight.”

“Over and over again you are learning the way to deal with life and the storms of life; surrender your worries, circumstances, trials, hopes and dreams to Me. Seek connection and allow the Holy Spirit to live through you as you remain curious about My response(s) to your trials. And when I do provide answers and opportunities, allow the Holy Spirit inside of you guide you to and through obedience. Seek first the kingdom of God, which is Jesus, and I will provide everything else you need, including the understanding, strength, power and humility to be obedient inside your trials and the outcomes.”