. . . and I will give you rest —Matthew 11:28

Come to Me . . . —Matthew 11:28

God intends for us to live a well-rounded life in Christ Jesus, but there are times when that life is attacked from the outside. Then we tend to fall back into self-examination, a habit that we thought was gone. Self-awareness is the first thing that will upset the completeness of our life in God, and self-awareness continually produces a sense of struggling and turmoil in our lives. Self-awareness is not sin, and it can be produced by nervous emotions or by suddenly being dropped into a totally new set of circumstances. Yet it is never God’s will that we should be anything less than absolutely complete in Him. Anything that disturbs our rest in Him must be rectified at once, and it is not rectified by being ignored but only by coming to Jesus Christ. If we will come to Him, asking Him to produce Christ-awareness in us, He will always do it, until we fully learn to abide in Him.

Never allow anything that divides or destroys the oneness of your life with Christ to remain in your life without facing it. Beware of allowing the influence of your friends or your circumstances to divide your life. This only serves to sap your strength and slow your spiritual growth. Beware of anything that can split your oneness with Him, causing you to see yourself as separate from Him. Nothing is as important as staying right spiritually. And the only solution is a very simple one— “Come to Me . . . .” The intellectual, moral, and spiritual depth of our reality as a person is tested and measured by these words. Yet in every detail of our lives where we are found not to be real, we would rather dispute the findings than come to Jesus.

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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord,
This business of Coming to You. It seems like it should be so simple … and maybe someday it will be. But stumbling away from you, pursuing some project or thought or stress or emotion … it’s so easy. And I find myself away and with you nowhere in my thoughts. Then I jerk my mind back to you but it only stays fixed on you for a period of time… then wanders off again. I must be doing something wrong.

You are describing exactly the self awareness and self analysis that Chambers is referring to in the devotion today. It will rob your joy and send you in a tailspin of analysis … in which you will never measure up or be “good enough” Look at your dog. And live like him. at least in this aspect. He lives in the moment. He does not analyze himself to see whether he has been thinking about you enough. Or whether he is being an adequately “good dog” When he sees you, he’s instantly ready to go. Throw a stick. There’s no analysis about the trajectory of the arc or whether getting the stick is an A, B, or C priority. He just lives in the moment and goes all out, going after the stick.

Of course there are some add-ons to the metaphor when we move it from dogs to humans. But analysis and continual self criticism is not one of the human capabilities that leads to a happy, peaceful life. Simply dedicate each day to following me and watching for clues and just live in the moment, giving 100% to the tasks at hand. Stay curious and I will lead you. If you dedicate your life and your day to me and you dont sense me for a time…. perhaps I’m taking off the training wheels and watching to see how you do. Dont worry, I have not left you. I will never leave you or forsake you …. even if you dont feel me always.

When he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich —Luke 18:23

My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him —Hebrews 12:5

Do not quench the Spirit —1 Thessalonians 5:19

Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? —Matthew 8:26

When we are afraid, the least we can do is pray to God. But our Lord has a right to expect that those who name His name have an underlying confidence in Him. God expects His children to be so confident in Him that in any crisis they are the ones who are reliable. Yet our trust is only in God up to a certain point, then we turn back to the elementary panic-stricken prayers of those people who do not even know God. We come to our wits’ end, showing that we don’t have even the slightest amount of confidence in Him or in His sovereign control of the world. To us He seems to be asleep, and we can see nothing but giant, breaking waves on the sea ahead of us.

“. . . O you of little faith!” What a stinging pain must have shot through the disciples as they surely thought to themselves, “We missed the mark again!” And what a sharp pain will go through us when we suddenly realize that we could have produced complete and utter joy in the heart of Jesus by remaining absolutely confident in Him, in spite of what we were facing.

There are times when there is no storm or crisis in our lives, and we do all that is humanly possible. But it is when a crisis arises that we instantly reveal upon whom we rely. If we have been learning to worship God and to place our trust in Him, the crisis will reveal that we can go to the point of breaking, yet without breaking our confidence in Him.

We have been talking quite a lot about sanctification, but what will be the result in our lives? It will be expressed in our lives as a peaceful resting in God, which means a total oneness with Him. And this oneness will make us not only blameless in His sight, but also a profound joy to Him.

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Journal DJR
Good Morning, Lord.
Thank you for the rain today. It’s a good picture of two ways to look at things. I could be stressed out that the camp is getting cancelled, so the schedule won’t be met … and the jobs won’t get done…. or I can rejoice in the “freed up time” in which I can re-calibrate and look to you, to see how to spend it.

These come from two different world views. On the one hand you can try to organize everything, think the best positive thoughts, and try real hard, attract good things, and wind up with a good life and “success.” In other words, you can try to be me. Not a good plan. Tiredness, Disillusion and Depression lie down that road.

The other world view is that since you are not God and are very imperfect, and you have an invitation from the God who is perfect to join Him in an adventure … that you set aside your preconceptions and look to me, learn to see as I see, feel as I feel. Then when you are confused by circumstances of life, you can just step back and be curious for a moment …knowing that I have all things under control and in due time all will be revealed. Perhaps in a way that currently seems good to you. But perhaps not. But it will be my way and I have good plans for you. A person who lives like that will live at rest and at peace. I can be trusted. Really.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun” (Psalm 37:4-6).

. . . they found Him in the temple . . . . And He said to them, ’. . . Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’ —Luke 2:46, 49

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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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord
I really mean it. It is a good morning and I am grateful for all you’ve done and continue to do. Thank You.
The central line of the song today … Fix my eyes on you… and the message from Oswald, Get identified and stay identified with Christ as a child in the Father’s House … They go together and lay down a challenge: It is a simple recipe for the good life of a Christian, But I find it fairly easy to fall away and backslide into running things my own way and getting stressed out about it. Is there anything I’m missing?

You approach this with too much black and white thinking. You tend to categorize a thought as “from you” or “from me.” It would be better to invite me into all your thinking. Then I can take you into my thinking. You’ll be surprised. Many of your thoughts, I can make even better. And I can direct you on how to handle the ones that are from the dark side.

In that day you will ask in My name . . . —John 16:26

’. . . and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.’ . . . But they understood none of these things . . . —Luke 18:31, 34


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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Journal DJR
Good Morning Lord. Wow, that last sentence really sums it up. This and yesterday’s devotional go together in summarizing the points you have been teaching us … that our higher purpose has little to do with money, things or worldly accomplishments and that your purpose can’t be discerned from psychological or business inventories but only thru connection with you and discerning with our inner spirits what it is that you would have us be about. And you’ve given us a “peace meter” which can be an indication of how we are walking in your plans for us.

“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.”

So, if we notice, or if our friends notice, or if our physician notices that we are stressed out….. it’s a pretty good indicator that we are somehow missing your best plan for us.

So, we’ve got a pretty good dashboard indicator or “idiot light” to let us know when we aren’t trusting in you alone or when we’ve overloaded ourselves with more than you’re calling us to. But once we realize it, getting out of that stress and overload trap, and staying out of it, has proven to be quite a challenge. I find it easy to backslide into the stressed out mode and find my mind wandering into my own interests and ideas…..

As you are learning, The solution is in the problem. Connection is the answer. Through connection, I will show you the way out of your stress right now … Come unto me and I will give you rest… and show you the way to live continually. As long as things are working in your own human power, you won’t “Come unto me” So when things fall apart and you get stressed out, see it as an invitation. An invitation to a better way of life. A life marked by “simplicity and the calm, relaxed pace which should be characteristic of the children of God.”

By the way, you mentioned falling back into thinking about “your ideas.” Where do you think those ideas come from? Especially in this, Connection, Curiosity and Expectation is the way to live. Invite me into all your thinking, yes, all of it, even those things you think I would be repulsed by. I will sort it out. Things that need to be left behind … I will guide you and help you and empower you when you “Come to me.” How well has gritting your teeth and making resolutions worked for you?

He took the twelve aside . . . —Luke 18:31