For years I have used the devotional, "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. I had the privilege of working with Jim Reimann, who wrote the edited version. He is such a Godly man and I learned so much from working with him. Recently, I decided to use other devotionals so this year I am excited to get back to My Utmost. It always speaks to me regardless of how many times I read it.
December 31-"You shall not go out with haste...for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard" (Isaiah 52:12)
God requires an account of what is past (Ecc 3:15). At the end of the year we turn with eagerness to all that God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise when we remember our yesterdays. Our present enjoyment of God's grace tends to be lessened by the memory of yesterdays sins and blunders. But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our future. God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in the present.
January 1-"...my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death" (Philippians 1:20)
My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest-my best for His glory....But before we choose to follow God's will, a crisis must develop in our lives. This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God's gentle nudges. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate. He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide-for or against.
This is a short version of both days. Just too much to write. My desire this year is to be my utmost for Him in every area-health, family, devotion time, work-everywhere!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
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3 comments:
I too am an Utmost Reader. I'm not sure I will ever part ways. I suppose it's possible but everytime I look at other devo possibilities I come back to this one. :0)
Thanks for this post!!! Happy New Year Michele.
Great post Michele!
From Mom: You never cease to amaze me my wonderful daughter. Years ago when I visited you, you always lifted me up and I wanted to lead a better life when I came home just by being with you.
Nicole's surgery will be taking place on Wednesday and I just read your messages written since Christmas; I am lifted up once again. I have been convicted of past errors lately and your comments were right on base. I hope to have a new beginning in 2008 and certainly a new beginning for Nicole. Love you very much, Mom
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