THIS QUARTER IS ALMOST OVER. I rejoice.
What amazes me is thinking about my first day at school, I had a really bad attitude about the whole day. God worked on my heart, and a couple of days later I got over my attitude.
A month or so ago I looked at the entry for January 2 in My Utmost for His Highest. I was astounded at what I read.
January 2, 2007
Will You Go Out Without Knowing?
He went out, not knowing where he was going —Hebrews 11:8
Have you ever "gone out" in this way? If so, there is no logical answer possible when anyone asks you what you are doing. One of the most difficult questions to answer in Christian work is, "What do you expect to do?" You don’t know what you are going to do. The only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing. Continually examine your attitude toward God to see if you are willing to "go out" in every area of your life, trusting in God entirely. It is this attitude that keeps you in constant wonder, because you don’t know what God is going to do next. Each morning as you wake, there is a new opportunity to "go out," building your confidence in God. ". . . do not worry about your life . . . nor about the body . . ." (Luke 12:22). In other words, don’t worry about the things that concerned you before you did "go out."
Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do— He reveals to you who He is. Do you believe in a miracle-working God, and will you "go out" in complete surrender to Him until you are not surprised one iota by anything He does?
Believe God is always the God you know Him to be when you are nearest to Him. Then think how unnecessary and disrespectful worry is! Let the attitude of your life be a continual willingness to "go out" in dependence upon God, and your life will have a sacred and inexpressible charm about it that is very satisfying to Jesus. You must learn to "go out" through your convictions, creeds, or experiences until you come to the point in your faith where there is nothing between yourself and God.
My heart was hard toward God I didn't want to hear what He had to say on that day. When I looked back on that day I almost cried... God gave me what I needed to hear, but I wasn't about to listen to Him. It took Him speaking through my sister, my youth group leader, and Philippians 2:14-15 (Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe) before my heart was softened. I'm so glad God never gives up on me!
4 comments:
Yo.
Interesting. I think if we do this, life probably gets a lot more challenging, yet if we truly trust Him and forfeit ourselves, it makes it that much easier. It's something I've been trying to do for a long time now. =P
Not sure where the writer gets this "fact" though.
Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do— He reveals to you who He is.
That's a fairly absolute statement with nothing I can see to back it up.
I like how I posted the title as "Entertaining".... That was before it became deep. lol.
Well Brian (Biranananananana!!!!), I think Chambers was going from personal experience and what God had shown him in the Word. That statement is a little vague, but I get what he means. In my life I've faced trials, God didn't tell me "OK Elyse, I'm putting you through this so you can learn this and this about me." He just showed me.
For instance, when I left my youth group. It wasn't my choice, and I was having a really hard time leaving. Leaving that youth group was a major trial for me, but through that God showed me SO many things. Like what it means to actually have a guy friend that is a "godly man," a guy who is willing to pray (as in my friend actually pulled me aside and asked to pray for me, with me. I was kind of amazed, but he was pretty much the only mature guy in that youth group, so I hadn't really been around a lot of nice guys...), listen, and encourage without feeling embarrassed. God showed me that He is closer than anything, His comfort is better than anything. And truly it was as if God was singing songs of joy over me (The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17). He gave me everything I needed to get through that trial. He didn't tell me what I was going to go through, or what I would learn. He just did it, and He helped me to learn from it.
I think that is what Chambers meant, but I do see what you're saying.
Hmmm, I see. I just don't really like it when people say "This is how God always works" unless God Himself states it first, because there's really no way for us to know otherwise. =P
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