“It Is A Bad Thing To Be Satisfied Spiritually”
I read this sentence from Oswald Chambers devotional today. The
idea behind his devotional is about God teaching us patience. Patience is the
fruit of the Spirit and the other name often used to describe patience is long-suffering.
Whether you say patience or long-suffering this fruit of the Spirit is not only
essential in our Christian walk, but when you learn patience it brings
endurance and it also says that you are not devoted to yourself or your idea of
who God is, but you are devoted to the true God. It says that you now have true
faith instead of having faith in your own belief. Believe it or not it makes a
big difference because faith in our own belief never brings God close. The gift
of patience conveys a steadfast walk with God.
“It is a bad thing to
be satisfied spiritually” In this small sentence there are two things to
consider. One is being satisfied inwardly and the second one is the key word “spiritually”
we cannot leave out this key word. Many Christians equate being satisfied with
their Christian walk as in “working for God.” While some get involved in
serving more in the Church and some actually go on their own without having the
vision from Him, or if they have had the vision they did not wait for God, but
instead, went ahead of God to realize the vision by creating opportunities for
themselves. None of these things bring spiritual satisfaction. Spiritual
satisfaction comes from pursuing God in a steadfast walk.
It is sad to be satisfied with less, when the God that we possess
inwardly is so small. If your God is small, then you need to understand that
you are not in God’s will because His will for you is to have Him in abundance.
One of the most common things that cause us to live the Christian life with a
miniature God in mind is that we are lazy. This laziness that I mentioned
several times in different posts, is not something that one should be insulted when
reading it. This laziness, even the most devoted Christians have to struggle to
get out of this frame of mind to get hold of God. It forces us to get into the
habit of doing Christianity while inwardly we are idle.
Many times, we have to bring ourselves up and struggle to keep
cultivating the mind and heart and be willing to grasp more of God. Over the
years I have come to understand not only we have to wait for God’s vision to
take shape in our lives, to let Him prepare us for service whether here or in
heaven; we also have to keep the vision of God every day of our lives to help us reach
over and above what we know and understand. To keep grasping for more means we
have to commit it all to God. We learn to commit to let Him be the Master in
this relationship as we yield to Him. These things I mentioned in this paragraph
alone, when you set out to do them, you will find it is easier to work for Him
365 days a year with no rest and no sleep, than to live out this kind of
commitment to Him. Unfortunately unless we learn to grasp with our mind and
heart through an unwavering commitment to Him through patience, then, intimacy
with God will always be one more unattainable thing in the Christian life.
I learned through the years, this command in James 4:8 “Draw near to
God and he will draw near to you.” It is of the utmost
importance because it keeps us close, it keeps our mind sharp even when life is
totally foggy and God is nowhere to be found. It keeps us alert so the enemy
cannot get the opportunity to invade our camp. It keeps us where we need to be
as soldiers of His. Through the pursuit of intimacy, we are sustained in Him
and it keeps us consistent in our constancy. It also helps us to remain
connected inwardly to Him when laziness set in. So, we can't afford to be
satisfied spiritually because as we do, we forfeit all while Satan is having a
feast at our expenses.
Some of us are wasting time every day finding comfort in one
verse or two and we high five other people we say Amen and we feel good. While
it is good to keep the verses in our hearts but ask yourself, how has God’s
Word changed me inwardly lately? You
want to make sure you go a step further than Satan and his legion of demons, by
letting the Word of God changes you.
If you are not aware that the Word of God is having His way in
you, then who is? Let go of your mini God and get hold of a God that is so big,
so powerful, so majestic, and so sovereign that the universe is not big enough
to contain Him. Can you see Him? Can you get hold with your mind and your heart
of this God that is so humongous that He holds the whole universe in His hands?
Let this God be yours and embrace Him with your heart. Go forth with one goal
in mind “to make Him yours” and do not stop on your way, do not be content with
what you have of Him. When you truly fall in love with God, you really do not
care what’s in it for you. Calvary is already
plenty. Please consider surrendering your whole life once again, dedicate all
that you are for His glory. Ask Him to teach you how to keep your heart and
mind open to Him and let Him have His ways in each itsy bitty part of you. He
is your father, He loves you and there is no reason to fear the unknown with
Him. He will be delighted and He will delight you in return.
It is okay to have fear of surrendering your all to Him, but it
is not okay to let your fear cripple you to the point where you rather learn to
be spiritually satisfied with less of Him. Stop repeating verses after verses
of how much He loves you but prove it to Him that you truly believe His Word by
surrendering your all. By passing your fear to surrender to Him because you
believe He truly loves you, would be an example of the work of your faith in
Him, a work pleasing to Him.
We are soldiers of the Cross, let’s not be lazy or the enemy
will invade the camp!
Here Is Oswald's Devotional
The Patience To Wait for the Vision
Patience is not the same as indifference; patience conveys the idea of someone who is tremendously strong and able to withstand all assaults. Having the vision of God is the source of patience because it gives us God’s true and proper inspiration. Moses endured, not because of his devotion to his principles of what was right, nor because of his sense of duty to God, but because he had a vision of God. “. . . he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). A person who has the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue— he is devoted to God Himself. You always know when the vision is of God because of the inspiration that comes with it. Things come to you with greatness and add vitality to your life because everything is energized by God. He may give you a time spiritually, with no word from Himself at all, just as His Son experienced during His time of temptation in the wilderness. When God does that, simply endure, and the power to endure will be there because you see God.
“Though it tarries, wait for it . . . .” The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have already grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. The psalmist said, “What shall I render to the Lord . . . ? I will take up the cup of salvation . . .” (Psalm 116:12-13). We are apt to look for satisfaction within ourselves and say, “Now I’ve got it! Now I am completely sanctified. Now I can endure.” Instantly we are on the road to ruin. Our reach must exceed our grasp. Paul said, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on . . .” (Philippians 3:12). If we have only what we have experienced, we have nothing. But if we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience. Beware of the danger of spiritual relaxation
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