Gracious Uncertainty - Oswald Chambers

Today’s devotion of April 29, is one that I have been struggling with so much. Oswald said: “Our natural inclination is to be so precise—trying always to forecast accurately what will happen next—that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing.” I have to admit that I left that stage of my life a long time ago. God forced me to get there by engineering circumstances in my life where I did not have a choice. For me it was “swim or sink”

Oswald said:  “Our common sense says, “Well, what if I were in that circumstance?” We cannot presume to see ourselves in any circumstance in which we have never been.” I found the more He keeps me in the waiting process, the more I learn to stop imagining my circumstances. (it’s a choice) I also found out that Satan knows us better than we know ourselves and he can tell when we are trying to live life ahead of God. Before we know it, this made up life in our mind becomes real. Sadly, as the imagined life becomes reality “in our mind”, there is a big conflict with the tangible life that we are living now, one that is involved interacting with others and it puts pressure on us to react a certain way as if our expectations are not being met. There is a movie coming out soon which is called “the secret life of Walter Mitty” I read this book a few decades ago and I remember how much I enjoyed it because I could identify with the protagonist. But, way back then, I was not a Christian, and felt there was nothing wrong in living this way to make my real life bearable.  My point here is that it is not Godly to live a life in conflict with the real life. It is the way of the unbeliever.

How do I know that? Because God has been hard at work in me trying so hard to drill it into my thick skull the past few years. There is nothing that Oswald Chambers has written in today’s devotion that is new to me or that I have not experienced with God. But, there are so many steps in between to get you to the point where one can live a life of gracious uncertainty with God. I am at the stage where I am still finding it hard to reconcile and live out the gracious uncertainty of my spiritual life as if it was a “normal life” and share it with no fear of being ridiculed or misunderstood by so called Christians. Gracious uncertainty while it is very much a SPIRITUAL LIFE, but it merges and embedded itself with the real and normal day to day life we live on earth. It is also part of living out a surrendered life, part of the transformation process, dependence and faith in God. It is strange that I do not mind the unbelievers, but my big challenge is those so called believers who are willing to think that I am an idiot and I am the one who does not understand God, because I am not making plans to present to God.

Here is my fight with God. He wants me to share and live out, my gracious uncertainty with pride. This pride I am referring to is the same pride that Paul felt when he said “I am not ashamed of the Gospel of God” and for some reason living out my spiritual life of gracious uncertainty is also related to that verse. Every single time He put me in a situation where I have to share proudly I both shy away or I do not answer all together. Then, I grumble in my heart that I do not have people to truly fellowship with. (Keep in mind that He taught me His idea of true fellowship)  Growing in gracious uncertainty is maturing in your spiritual life. When you fellowship with a bunch of believers who believe in their own belief, trying to tell them with joy, how you are uncertain of tomorrow, it feels like you are living out Matthew 7:6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” I am not uncertain of God, in fact, I AM CERTAIN OF GOD, but I hate the fact that He keeps putting me in situations where I have to share my uncertainty of what He is going to do next.

NEWS FLASH! I had all the intention of closing this post with something like “pray for me so that I can allow God to work this part of the gospel in my heart.” But would you believe as I am writing this post that God dealt with my heart? This is one of the things I love about this Christian life being a journey. You are never too mature to learn simple things with God and you can never outgrow this spiritual life. He just taught me that the reason I close-in, scared of sharing, scared of being ridiculed, misunderstood etc., is because I am not learning to leave the consequences of people’s misunderstanding, the shame of being ridiculed for my spiritual life and all that it entails, in His hands.

Can you see the domino effect of this spiritual journey? I got to go now because I have teary eyes and so many feelings that I have to deal with right now. What a journey we are called to live out with Him! This spiritual life is one that can only be lived out “IN THE SPIRIT!”

READ OSWALD CHAMBERS DEVOTION FOR TODAY APRIL 29 RIGHT HERE

“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

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02

2013

Though it tarries, wait for it . . . —Habakkuk 2:3

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