***********

11.17.24

1. “God speaks to His Own nature in me.”

This is a very helpful way of comprehending the voice of God.

I've never heard God's voice audibly, and many I know say the same. Instead, we detect God's voice elsewhere, with another sense or mechanism.

As Oswald says, that sense or mechanism is the new nature born in us when we were born again: “Put on the new nature, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24).

I have become a spiritual being in Christ, and God speaks to my spirit by His Spirit. Hearing God not only requires developing a sensitivity to our new nature, it also requires a willingness to respond:

“When Jesus says ‘come,’ I come; when He says ‘let go,’ I let go; when He says ‘trust God,’ I trust.”

For me, it's fare more difficult to obey than to hear: “There's no possibility of questioning God when He speaks to His Own nature in me.” It's because hearing God is a given because Christ dwells in me. Obedience, on the other hand, is an act of my will—and my old nature often objects.

Lord, have mercy.

Heavenly Father, thank You for being a God Who speaks. Thank You for placing Your nature in me in Christ, and speaking to it. By Your grace, please help me respond with love, eagerness and anticipation, every time You speak. Thank You for the joy of this aspect of our relationship.

***********

11.16.24

1. “Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.”

Oswald's point today is, in the Christian faith, all that is grand and spiritual finds is ultimate expression in everyday human life and relationships.

We might think it's our disciplined, daily devotions that demonstrate our deep spirituality. We might equate breathtaking spiritual experiences as evidence of God's hand upon our life.

Instead, “The great miracle of the Incarnation slips into the ordinary life of the child.” In Christ, God moved heaven and earth on our behalf. He did so in order that His glory might be revealed even in the small, ordinary cracks and crevices of our everyday lives.

Not only so, but even “when there is no witness, no limelight, and no one paying even the remotest attention to us.” Our nearness to Jesus is to be evident 24/7/365, in public, in private, in ups, in downs, in victories and in defeats.

Because our Savior is for real people, living real lives, with a devotion to Jesus that knows no limits.

Heavenly Father, may it be said of us that our lives demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit in any and all circumstances, whether we're alone, with a friend, or in a crowd at the grocery store. May it be that everything we say and do brings You the honor and glory You’re due. So be it, amen.

2. “The ‘Lofty Height’ of the God-walk.”

What are the earmarks of a saint’s life? Is it our wisdom, knowledge, ethics, morality, etc?

Certainly our life is to evidence these attricutes. But the all-surpassing evidence is, “the power of God coming through you all the time.”

Let’s consider the life of Jesus—how kind and receptive He was to all, how gracious He was to broken people, to those who opposed Him, and to those who denied Him, and how determined He was to advance His Father’s Kingdom in any and all contexts.

Jesus’ life was a continuous and consistent demonstration of God’s power: “The Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power” (1 Corinthians 4:20). He not only demonstrated a knowledge of God and moral actions, but His mission, motivations and life-purpose was all revealed the God Who was living in and through Him.

Our lives are to demonstrate the same: “It’s no longer I who live, but Christ Who in me” (Galatians 2:20).

I wonder if others recognize us as those through whom Christ lives?

Lord Jesus, may this by the “lofty goal” of our life, that “You might increase, and we might decrease” (John 3:30). We die to ourselves that You might live through us today. Hallelujah!

3. “To be utterly unnoticeable requires God’s Spirit in us making us absolutely humanly His.”

It surely takes the power and influence of the Holy Spirit for us to become so humble that we couldn’t care less if we’re noticed, recognized or appreciated.

Perhaps we’re consumed with wanting the attention and validation of others. This pursuit can lead to ridiculous undertakings and a miserable existence.

On the other hand, concerning ourselves only with God’s approval requires more than we can muster.

Dying to our ego and aspirations demands the grace and strength of our humble God.

Consider the modesty of God, always demonstrating His holiness, glory and power, but never requiring our praise and adoration. Our response of faith and devotion are given of our own volition.

This is precisely the posture of our Lord Jesus.

Beloved, have we become so free in Christ that we’re unconcerned about anyone’s attention other than our God and Savior? Such a disposition requires the transforming power of God’s Spirit as we humbly offer Him our whole heart.

Lord Jesus, here we are. Please liberate us from our need for others’ approval. May we seek and find all our affirmation, confidence and security in You alone. Thank You we’re never “unnoticed” in Your sight.

***********

11.15.24

1. “The danger of being an ‘amateur providence.’”

Once again, Oswald admonishes us with one of his infamous phrases.

What's “an adventure providence”? It's one who “gets in the way of God by interfering in other people's lives.” Even if our intentions are good, we can get between God and what God’s doing in another soul.

The following statement always sobers me: “You say, ‘this person will not suffer, and I will make sure they don't.’” What seems charitable and reasonable can actually be working against God's “permissive will” someone else’s suffering.

This is why our words and deeds towards others need to be directed by the Holy Spirit and not simply by our sympathies. If not, we may find ourselves “proposing things we had no right to propose, or advising when we have no right to advise.”

This reminds me of the contemporary phrase, “Sometimes helping hurts.” We inflict damage when we attempt to help a baby chick out of its shell or a butterfly out of its cocoon. These arduous experiences for the chick and butterfly are by God's design and promote important growth.

In the same way, God often allows our pain to get our attention or knock off our sharp corners. And when we interfere in God’s process with others, we’re hampering rather than helping.

When then do we help? “God will advise you with the direct understanding of His Spirit.” Our job is to be prayerful for others while “maintaining right relationship with God.” That posture permits God to direct our steps so we can be blessings to others along the line of God’s work in their lives.

Lord Jesus, this is a tough one. How are we to watch someone suffer when we feel like we could be helpful? At the same time, we’re very aware of the times You used our hardships to forge our faith. As we prayerfully look to You, please show us how we might join You in Your work in another’s life. Thank You.

2. “Is there stagnation in your spiritual life?”

There are times when God is silent. There are dark nights of the soul when God is working deep within. These experiences are not due to our sin or negligence, but are the providence of God for our continuing spiritual formation.

However, stagnation is another matter. Spiritual stagnation occurs when our spiritual life grinds to a halt because we've not maintained. We've not sufficiently nurtured the Life of Christ within us, and it results in spiritual rot and the accumulation of deadwood.

God’s not to blame. He hasn’t left us nor forsaken us. Instead, we've not given ourselves to the personal pursuit of our Holy God. We’ve not worked our end of the relationship, connecting with God in worship, Word, prayer, serving, etc.

We've permitted God's Living Water to become a stagnant pool. Lord, have mercy.

It takes a great deal of time, diligence and energy to sustain any relationship, let alone our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Today and every day, may we give ourselves to this all important and life-giving quest.

Lord Jesus, please forgive us when we grow inattentive to You; when we've taken You for granted; when we consume Your blessings without seeking Your face. Please purge us of stagnation and deadwood so Your Life might flourish in us. Thank You.

3. “A saint is never consciously a saint; a saint is consciously dependent upon God.”

This is a beautiful sentiment. As we immerse ourselves in Jesus, as we give ourselves to devotion and obedience, God will work through us in the lives of others although we’re unaware.

Surely we recognize this in the people who’ve been instrumental in our life. Those people have no idea the impact they've had upon us. They likely were not making a conscientious effort. Instead, it was their unconscious influence.

It may be difficult for us to get our heads and hearts around this truth, but we are most useful to God as we simply give ourselves to God. When we run after Jesus, He’s conditioning and positioning us for His purposes.

No one is a hero consciously. Heroes happen when they least expect it. It comes from deep character acting in the moment for the sake of others.

Beloved, when we humbly realize how little we have to offer and how fully dependent we are upon our God, it’s then God is able to leak and speak through us to others.

Lord Jesus, today we set our sights on You. May we pursue You with great intensity and faithfulness, that You might transparently and unconsciously impact others through us. And all for Your honor and glory. Hallelujah.

***********

11.14.24

1. “We should be so one with God that we don't need to ask continually for guidance.”

How can this possibly be?

It's because the Holy Spirit dwells in us and is continually “conforming us to the image of Christ" (Romans 8:29). The Holy Spirit is developing God's sensitivities in us. Our heart is moved by what moves God's heart.

As Paul said, “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). That is, our natural sensibilities are becoming Christ’s sensibilities. We're beginning to think and reason along God’s lines.

We have a new north star, a new compass, and our new nature is drawn and directed to and by God's will and way. We need not ask because, by God’s Spirit in us, we already know.

No one needs to tell us when our will is competing with God's will, because “An inner conflict is the warning of the Spirit of God.” In these moments we must “stop at once and be renewed in the spirit of our mind,” and choose God’s way instead of our own.

Beloved, we know God's will, and by the Holy Spirit we’re able to do God's will—if we want to.

Heavenly Father, thank You for changing our heart and our will. We desire to follow You, to be one with You in Christ, and joyfully and willingly do Your will. May it be so more and more.

2. If we are born of God we will see His guiding hand and give Him the credit.”

It's a beautiful thing to recognize God's hand and acknowledge His grace along the way.

“It requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God's hand in every detail.” We become more and more convinced that He's intimately involved in the details of our lives. We're quicker to perceive His activity and more willing to credit Him for His actions.

“Be ready to discover God's divine designs anywhere and everywhere.” There's a beautiful transformation in us that permits us to see the glory of God in the people, nature and circumstances all around us.

Thie Holy Spirit is opening our eyes to see and believe the Almighty God is nearer and more involved than we ever imagined.

Heavenly Father, thank You for your ongoing work in us and in the world around us. Please forgive us when we fail to recognize Your hand and doings. May we see and be thrilled by Your glory in the details today. Hallelujah!

3. “If you’re a saint and say, ‘I will never do this or that,’ in all probability this will be exactly what God will require of you.”

It's a telltale sign in us when we think or say, “I will never do this or that” in regards to God’s leadership. It's evidence of the limitations we've placed upon God.

In fact, we're highlighting for ourselves an area of our lives we’ve deemed off-limits to God. As such, we can anticipate God to begin His work of softening our heart in that regard.

God doesn’t force His will upon us. Instead, He graciously deals with obstacles keeping us from knowing the joy and blessing of being completely given to our God.

Beloved, “God gives us the desires of our hearts” (Psalm 37:4). God doesn’t limit us, but is tearing down our self-imposed limitations so we may discover the greater heights and depths God has for us.

Instead, may our refrain constantly be, “Not my will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

Heavenly Father, as risky as it sounds, we offer ourselves to You for whatever You have in mind. Please demolish any barriers we've erected that prevent You from bringing about your perfect will in our lives. We trust You; please forgive us for our distrust of You.

***********

11.13.24

1. “We should battle through our moods, feelings and emotions into absolute devotion to the Lord Jesus.”

We all know the power of “moods, feelings and emotions.” They can be overwhelming, and certainly affect our attitudes, words and actions.

Oswald says the key to our freedom from these controlling sentiments is “absolute devotion to the Lord Jesus.” This means, out of love for Jesus, we “battle through” the blues, anger, fear, lust, etc., for His sake.

We often do for others what won’t do for ourselves. Love for Jesus enables us to override “moods, feelings and emotions” as we pursue and obey Him.

This is precisely what Jesus did. Out of loving obedience to His Heavenly Father, Jesus “sweat drops of blood” while pressing through His “moods, feelings and emotions” and giving Himself on the cross.

“Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42) is the heart-song of loving our God—and our victory.

Lord Jesus, thank You for demonstrating passionate love and obedience to the Father—even to the point of laying down Your life for us. Please increase our love for You so we might do the same.

2. “How dare we talk of making a sacrifice for the Son of God!”

Is our God-walk sacrificial?

It's certainly requires sacrificing our will for God's will. It can be in big and small ways, but we're relinquishing our right to ourselves as we give ourselves wholly to Jesus.

But consider the other side of our sacrifice—we receive the treasure of knowing our God and His pleasure. In time, we learn there is no greater experience.

“For the joy set before Him, Jesus endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). What was this “joy?” Was it heaven, paradise or bliss? I'm guessing it was not. Instead, it was the joy of hearing these words: “This is My Son with Whom I am pleased” (Matthew 3:17).

What a joy to be in a self-giving and sacrificial relationship with Someone who does the same. Surely it's the most gratifying experience we can ever have.

Lord Jesus, thank You for our precious relationship. Thank You for initiating with Your obedience to the Father. It's a joy to offer ourselves to You.

3. “All our fears are sinful.”

This is one bold statement. Is it true? Surely our emotion of fear isn’t sinful.

I can't imagine Oswald is speaking of our sudden reaction to danger. Instead, surely he's speaking of walking in fear and trepidation regarding people, circumstances, the devil, the future, world events, etc.

Perhaps another way to think about it is this: Fear itself is not sinful, but fear suggests we’re not trusting God. And, “Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23).

Fear is telling God we don't believe he knows, cares, is able, etc. Therefore, we're taking matters into our own hands—including those things that are out of our control and above our pay grade.

Fear is the opposite of faith, and faith is the antidote for fear: “And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your heart and mind Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

We don't fight fear with positivity. We fight fear with fire—our conscious and disciplined faith that Jesus is precisely who he says he is.

And from that posture, “our lives can be an absolute hymn of praise resulting from perfect, irrepressible, triumphant belief.”

May it be so in us today, beloved.

Lord Jesus, please forgive us for fear resulting from a lack of confidence in You and Your promises. How glorious is Your peace when we believe! May we grow more and more in trusting You more and more.

***********

11.12.24

1. “If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation.”

I love Oswald's depiction of “the new creation.”

“The work of salvation means that in your real life things are dramatically changed.” This is at the heart of the Christian testimony: I’m not who I used to be. I know my old ways, attitudes, prejudices thought patterns, desires, etc. I’m simply not that person anymore.

I think it's a very difficult to convince people who knew us before we came to Christ. Because, anytime they look at us, they see what they’ve known for years—the same person, body, voice—and vividly remember the countless experiences they've had of us.

Even when we claim to be different, even when we seem to speak and act differently, even if we seem more patient and kind, they're waiting for the other foot to drop. We may never convince them we’re not who we were.

And all it takes is one stumble from us to assure them we haven't changed one iota.

But we know. Something inside is different. It's as if the skies have parted and we’ve been filled with the hopefulness of a blue sky. A fog is dissipating and we see the world around us more clearly than ever.

We now experiencing a buoyancy we've never known before. Something within is carrying us and providing an energy we've not known before. We have a new lease on life, and we view God, ourselves and others from a perspective we’ve never known before.

The only conclusion we can draw is, we’ve been “born again.” We are “new creations in Christ.” Hallelujah!

Lord Jesus, thank You for this undeniable thing in us, which we believe to be our new nature, born in us as we placed our trust in You and welcomed the Holy Spirit into our heart and life. We cannot doubt that which has become our new normal. “The old has gone and the new has come.” Thank You, our Savior, for our new reality—“Christ in us, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). All glory to God!

2. “Has God changed the things that really matter to you?”

This is the amazing experience of salvation through faith in Christ.

“We no longer look at things the same way.” We’re able to see God’s hand in Creation, and in the minute details of our life. We're beginning to recognize the preciousness of every soul we encounter. We’re visualizing our life as part of the bigger picture of God's Kingdom.

“Your desires are new and the old things have lost their power to attract you.” Indeed, once we've had a vision of the risen Christ and His glorious Kingdom, “The things of earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.” Nothing holds a candle to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“You are the most amazed person on earth at the wonderful difference there is in you.” We have a front row seat to view and experience God's ongoing work in us. It's beyond amazing, and we see new evidence day-by-day as we watch God continue to change us in real time.

“There is no possibility of imagining you did it.” This is the real tell for me. I can take no credit for the transformation I continue to experience. I'm not gritting my teeth and changing my own heart. It's evident to me there's Someone in me doing it for me.

Thank God for “the evidence you are saved.” It's undeniable. And it's beyond obvious we've had nothing to do with it.

Lord Jesus, thank You for our beautiful world and the incredible experiences and opportunities you afford us. But they simply don’t have the holding power in our life they used to. That place is reserved for You alone. You have a grip on our heart, and we happily give ourselves to You. Thank You, thank You, thank You.

3. “What difference has my salvation and sanctification made?”

Great question. Can I point to objective differences in my heart, mind and life? Oswald offers two tremendous tells:

a. “True salvation frees me completely.” By God’s grace, I sense tremendous freedom to walk and live in the presence of our Holy God through faith in Jesus Christ. I am as free before God as a child is before their parents. I know I’m completely loved, valued, cared for and protected. And I have every confidence I’m saved to the uttermost for eternal life with our God.

b. “Can I stand in the light of 1 Corinthians 13, or do I squirm and evade the issue.” This is the “love chapter” in the Bible. It speaks of God's love for us, and of God's desire for us to love one another as He loves us. It's a glorious picture of putting our hurts and grievances behind us, thinking the best of others, and giving ourselves to others in love and compassion. Rather than causing us to squirm, it causes us to long for 1 Corinthians 13 to become our greater reality.

“God is working His light into us on both the conscious and unconscious level.” God is transforming our heart and mind on the inside, and it's resulting in transforming our words and deeds on the outside. And “What God has begun, He will complete” (Philippians 1:6). Hallelujah!

Lord Jesus, please continue to make Your salvation in us evident on the inside and outside. Thank You for saving us to the uttermost. Please sanctify us to the uttermost as well. We want to become Christ-like in all our ways. And all for Your glory.

 ***********

11.8.24

1. “The Holy Spirit energizes us for prayer.”

Perhaps this is a fresh insight for us.

God gifts us with the pipeline of prayer. Who are we to imagine we can simply think or speak and the God of the Universe hears us? Yet God enables us for this great privilege as His children in Christ.

Furthermore, because the Holy Spirit dwells in believers, we’re able to “pray in the Spirit.” That is, as we give ourselves to prayer, the Holy Spirit will inspire us by bringing to mind people and situations to pray about.

As we “pray in the Spirit,” we’re not merely improvising. By offering our hearts and minds to God in prayer, we learn to pray along the lines of all the Holy Spirit brings to mind. This is how we’re able to “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)—the Holy Spirit will inspire us for as long as we choose to pray.

This is also how we learn to pray aloud with confidence. We’re not reciting a speech to God and others. We’re humbly voicing humble prayers as God brings matters to mind. And as we practice, we find we can pray for anyone or anything at the drop of a hat.

Thank God for His Holy Spirit, and thank the Holy Spirit for “energizing our praying.”

Heavenly Father, thank You for the amazing gift of prayer. It’s incredible to know we have Your ear as we pray. And thank You for the Gift of the Holy Spirit Who directs us as we pray. May we become more and more adept at Holy Spirit-energized prayer.

2. “Unutterable praying.”

Are we aware, even now the Holy Spirit is praying in us and interceding through us with “unutterable groans” to the Father? The Holy Spirit in us is expressing to the Father on our behalf, and we’re clueless about their conversations.

This is a great and uncanny mystery. “The Holy Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” The Gift of the Holy Spirit not only enables us to pray conscious prayers, but the Holy Spirit is praying for us, night and day, as God brings His will to pass in our life.

It’s because prayer is the language of Heaven. As the Holy Spirit nurtures our spirit, He does so by communicating with the Father through prayer on our behalf. God is working in and through us along the lines of the Holy Spirit praying on our benefit.

What tremendous care we receive from our God. Just as countless metabolic systems are presently at work and continuously benefiting our physical body, so the indwelling Holy Spirit is actively seeking and receiving God’s very best for our lives.

Thank God for the Holy Spirit’s “unutterable praying” in us—right now!

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your intimate and ongoing care. We are so grateful for the ministry of the Holy Spirit as He intercedes within us. Once again, Your loving provision for us is utterly amazing. Hallelujah!

3. “Our body is a temple for the Holy Spirit.”

As Christ’s followers, we’re to believe, receive and welcome the indwelling Holy Spirit. He’s God’s Gift to us, and empowers us to live for Jesus.

What a blessing and honor to host such an amazing Guest!

“Have we recognized our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit?” From this perspective, we honor our Guest by providing the best accommodations—our body.

Just as we welcome others into our home, we clean and prepare our house. So, too, we take steps to bless the Holy Spirit with a welcome abode. By God’s grace and with our diligent participation, we prepare a place for the Holy Spirit by taking out the garbage, sweeping and cleaning, land “keeping undefiled for Him”.

I find Oswald’s statement reassuring: “We look after the conscious part of our life, for which we are responsible; the Holy Spirit looks after the unconscious part, which we know nothing about.”

What a tremendous Roommate.

Welcome, Holy Spirit. May You find Your accommodations pleasant and to Your liking. We’re eager for You to enjoy Your stay. It’s our honor to be Your temple.

***********

11.7.24

1. “There’s no such thing as chance.”

This is a big statement. What am I to make of it?

For instance, if I choose to become intoxicated, then drive my car into a telephone pole, can I then declare, “Everything happens for a reason.” Or if an intoxicated driver sideswipes my car, am I to conclude, “This must be God’s will.”

For me, in these cases, the statement, “There’s no such thing as chance” means these two scenarios are not random or “chance” occurrences. It’s true, “Everything happens for a reason,” and the “reason” for these two car crashes was poor human choices.

Surely Oswald’s assertion, “All your circumstances are in the hand of God,” doesn’t mean God plans and determines all circumstances. Instead, it means we can entrust ourselves to God in every circumstance, whatever the cause.

God’s Sovereignty isn’t meant to suggest God designs and brings to pass each and every happening in our world. Instead, in God’s Sovereignty, He permits some circumstances while choosing to intervene in others.

This is why Oswald can say, “God, by His providence, brings you into circumstances you can’t understand.” We may never know the “why” behind our circumstances. However, “The one thing we know is the Spirit of God understands.”

Beloved, fate doesn’t rule over our lives; our Sovereign God does. He knows and He cares, and His grace is all-sufficient as we look to Him in our circumstances today.

Heavenly Father, we trust You today. You are Sovereign. You are all-powerful. You hold our life in Your hand. Help us walk in this unflinching faith and confidence today. Thank You.

2. “God is bringing you into certain places and among certain people for a reason.”

As the day unfolds, we’ll find ourselves among a variety of people in various circumstances. Oswald suggests God has Divine purpose in every context we find ourselves.

In particular, Holy Spirit intercession: “Take the circumstances you’re in and the people you’re among and bring them before God’s throne.” In doing so, we’re participating with the Holy Spirit as He intercedes through us for those matters.

Oswald envisions the Holy Spirit making intercession with the Father as Christ’s followers mingle with the people and situations we find ourselves in. It’s God’s way of caring for His World:

“This is how God is going to sweep the whole world with His saints.”

Pretty awesome!

Heavenly Father, thank You for using us as You care for Your world. Holy Spirit, please help us lift our eyes to Jesus in every circumstance today so you might intercede for the people around us. Thank You for bringing Your Kingdom through us. Amen!

3. “Am I making the Holy Spirit’s work difficult?”

Oswald asserts the Holy Spirit is interceding for others through us as we make our way in this world. However, we can be a determent to the Holy Spirit’s work.

There are things I’m responsible for and things the Holy Spirit is responsible for. The Holy Spirit empowers me for my part, but He won’t do it for me. This includes my obedience and personal purity.

On the other hand, there are things only the Holy Spirit can do and I cannot. I mustn’t presume or insist the Holy Spirit bless what I chose. I must get onboard what the Holy Spirit is blessing.

This perspective is helpful. I certainly don’t want to deter or diminish what the Holy Spirit intends to do through me today. Instead, I will do well to continually partner with the Holy Spirit, do my part, and permit God to do His.

What an honor to be a part of what God is doing in my circles today. All glory to God!

Holy Spirit, please nudge me when I need to do what only I can do, and when I’m preventing You from doing what only You can do. I want to be a part of Your work, not a hindrance. Thank You.

***********

11.6.24

1. “Jesus continued to draw Martha until her belief became an intimate possession.”

I like the way Oswald breaks down the stairsteps of “belief” in Jesus Christ.

a. “Martha believed in the power available to Jesus Christ.” She saw the evidence of the power of God on tap in Jesus.

b. “She also believed that Jesus had a special intimacy with God.” She watched Jesus interact with God and witnessed a relationship with God she'd never experienced before.

c. “Then her belief emerged as a personal inheritance.” This is the point at which Mary confessed she believed Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God.

More than just a conduit of God's grace or a prophet or mystic, Mary was able to believe the power and grace of God was inherent in Jesus Christ, because she began to believe Jesus was Divine, God in the Flesh, our Messiah.

Is this our relationship with Jesus? Do we see Jesus as more than an avenue to God, but God Himself? As we relate to Jesus, do we have the sense that we’re personally relating with the true God?

“Do you believe this?” Because, when we do, we’re convinced “nothing’s impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

Lord Jesus, “I believe; please help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). I believe certain things about You. Please help me believe IN You completely and totally. Please help me “know that You are God” (Psalm 46:10).

2. “The crossroads of overwhelming circumstances.”

It's often when we're overwhelmed that Jesus becomes more real.

Without the crushing weight of circumstances, our faith in Jesus is liable to be merely a theology or philosophy. But God uses the press of everyday life to transform our theology into “a very personal belief.”

Thank God for the troubles that “bring the awareness of our personal need.” Without them we fail to “lift our eyes to the hill where our help comes from” (Psalm 121:1).

No one likes difficulties, but our track record is, it's the difficulties in our life that forge our faith.

Oswald asks the question, “Are you facing an area of doubt in your life? Have you come to a crossroads of overwhelming circumstances?” It may well be the lovingkindness of God that has orchestrated our present challenges.

Beloved, may this be our refrain as God increases our faith: “I’m certain that God, Who began the good work within me, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6).

May it be so, Heavenly Father. Please bring us again and again to the crossroads that You might further develop our absolute confidence in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Hallelujah.

3. “To believe is to commit.”

People commit themselves to all sorts of things—marriage, children, career, political ideology, ball teams, hobbies, etc. In committing ourselves to these things, we're limiting ourselves regarding competing interests.

The same is true when we commit ourselves to moral convictions. We attempt to live our lives in such a way that we don't violate our standards.

Faith in Jesus Christ is along these lines, but supersedes all other commitments: “I commit myself spiritually to Jesus Christ and make a determination to be dominated by Him alone.”

As we endeavor to make Jesus Christ our Lord, our “intimate personal belief” in Jesus not only dominates all other allegiances, but becomes the filter through which we view every other aspect of our life.

It’s certainly a high ideal, but, in time, “we find faith as natural as breathing.” That is, our relationship with Jesus Christ becomes second nature, because it becomes “Christ living in me” (Galatians 2:20).

Lord Jesus, we commit ourselves to You afresh today. We are Yours. You are the “dominating” interest, value and pursuit in our life. May You be the measure for everything we do today and always. Hallelujah!

***********

11.5.24

1. “God will take us through experiences designed to make us useful in His hands.”

Oswald suggests that walking with Jesus is a lifetime of conditioning us for God's purposes. God’s shaping and forming us, battering us into usefulness. To avoid this process is to hamper God's work.

When we adopt this perspective of the happenings that occurrences in our lives, “we will never be surprised by what comes our way.” We chalk it up to the Providence of God as He continues His work to make us useful.

In particular, God's work involves people, and He’s fashioning us for that purpose. Dealing with people isn’t child's-play. It requires God breaking us, softening us, making us flexible, increasing our compassion and more.

God can't simply drop usefulness into us. It's the lifelong process of life’s experiences that form in us God’s heart for others.

Today we’ll encounter people of all sorts. We may be tempted to say, “I can't deal with that person.” And God will ask, “Why can't you? I gave you sufficient opportunities to learn.”

May God shape us as He must today—even when it’s uncomfortable. He has use and purpose for us beyond this moment.

Heavenly Father, do what You must to make us useful. Please give us the grace to endure and learn through the challenges and difficulties we face today. Thank You.

2. “God's way is always the way of suffering.”

What a dismal way to think about the Christian faith. How can this possibly be?

If we follow Jesus, we’re following the “Suffering Servant” described in Isaiah 52-53. “He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering…”

First, consider our Savior’s unique ability to walk alongside us in our sufferings: “We have a High Priest Who’s able to empathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15). May we find His comfort and strength in our sorrows.

Second, the great paradox of the Christian faith is, God saved the world through His Son’s suffering. “The sufferings of Christ was according to the will of God.” Jesus clearly suffered for God's purposes.

Perhaps God has purpose in our suffering as well. Naturally, “we want to know God's purpose beforehand.” It's almost as if we feel we could endure suffering better if we knew what God was up to.

But suffering is painful, regardless. We endure, not by knowing God's purposes, but by keeping our eyes on our Savior, and receiving mercy and grace from our Suffering Servant, Jesus Christ.

May God “work His perfect work” in us, both in our peace and in our hardships. And by His grace, may we be found resolute and faithful throughout.

Heavenly Father, thank You for a Savior Who knows our pain Personally. Lord Jesus, thank You for Your fellowship in our difficulties. May You bring about our Father’s purposes in and through us.

3. “We never realize at the time what God is putting us through.”

Surely God’s not responsible for every hardship and challenge in our life, and surely God graciously protects us from absolute chaos. But only God knows when and where He draws the line.

What we do know is, we’re the product of all of our life experiences. Some have been good and pleasant, while others have been brutal. But God is working through all of them to shape and form our heart.

Our personal spiritual growth becomes evident over time as God forges us in the fires of daily life. Thank God for the glorious moments of “enlightenment, when we realize, God has strengthened us and we didn't even know it!”

We wouldn't have the knowledge and experience of our God without also having both the glorious and tumultuous life experiences that have convinced us God is truly God.

Heavenly Father, thank You for what You’re working in us in this very moment. Thank You for who You're causing us to become. Please help us be patient with the process and beautifully transformed as a result.

***********

11.4.24

1. “The evangelical message should always lead us to action.”

Oswald is admonishing us: “Faith without action is dead” (James 2:17).

This isn’t works-based salvation; it's obedience. Our faith is more than an adherence to doctrine. It's living the Word of God, obeying God’s commandments, repenting at His convictions, and following the promptings of His Spirit.

If all we do is agree with Biblical truths and principles, but never act accordingly, we’re missing out on the power of God available to us through action. If we don't act, we remain where we’ve always been, and the life-giving work of God is limited in our life.

“But once we act, we’re never the same.” Surely we’ve all experienced times when we've acted in response to the Holy Spirit. It’s in those moments, “we immediately begin to live.”

This is the difference between religion and relationship. Religion is our agreement with doctrines, creeds and rituals. A relationship requires interacting with another person. And when we, as an act of our will, interact with God, we begin to experience the Person God who made us and loves us.

Hallelujah!

Heavenly Father, today we choose to “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Not simply devotionally, but offering ourselves to You “to will and to act according to Your good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). It's our honor to follow and obey You, Lord Jesus. Thank You.

2. “The weakest saint who transacts business with Jesus Christ is liberated the second they act.”

This is the amazing reality of walking with Jesus. Our obedience yields the wellspring of God's nearness, fellowship and power. It's as we “transact” with Jesus Christ, the heavens open above us.

Sometimes our “transactions” with God are not about faith, but about our own will. We know what God’s calling us to do. We even recognize the blessing of doing so. But the stubbornness of our heart and our determination for our own will and way lead to disobedience and compromise.

We'll never know what could have been had we acted in accordance with God's will.

On the other hand, amazing “liberation” and freedom accompanies our obedience. When we sense God's leadership, and choose to push our will aside and step into loving obedience, the joy of the Lord bursts through and our faith takes wings.

And we wonder why we’d ever delay.

Is God waiting for us to act today? Why would we hesitate? The liberation of Jesus Christ awaits us.

Lord Jesus, thank You for the real and amazing experience of Your joy and peace as we “transact business” with You. Please show us where we might be compromising today. We’re hungry for Your freedom.

3. “Invaded by the supernatural power of the Life of God.”

Is this my experience? Do I know the supernatural power of God in this way?

In walking with Jesus, we learn the power of God is not merely theoretical. It's real and tangible, and God intends for His power to be active and fruitful in our lives.

God's power is spiritual. It works in dimensions we can’t access with our own heart and mind. God's power does something nothing else can: It “paralyzes the dominating power of the world, the flesh and the devil.”

This is our experience as we are “invaded by the supernatural power of the Life of God.” We recognize God's power and authority over every other power and authority in heaven and on earth.

In those moments, we’re very aware it’s not our strength or doing. Instead, “our act joined us to God and tapped into His redemptive power.” We’re experiencing the supernatural power of God.

May this “invasion” of God be our ongoing experience.

Heavenly Father, we’re in such need of Your strength and power. We're no match for this life, the world, our flesh or the devil. Yet we’re confident You are. We ask for the invasion of Your supernatural presence here and now. Thank You.

***********

11.3.24

1. “No one can do it for me.”

The Holy Spirit can certainly empower me, but I must throw the switch: “Surrendering my life to the supremacy of Christ must be brought about by my own hands.”

God won’t do it for me. I must determine to do so. But will I?

“Absolute loyalty to Jesus” is the goal of the God-walk. I will never know the fullness of “oneness with Jesus” until I’m willing to “liberate myself” by “breaking the hard outer layer of independence from God.”

This is quite the high and noble ideal, but is it truly possible as a genuine human experience?

I suggest considering a person in our life, or a person in human history, who seems/seemed overwhelmed in heart and mind with loving affection for the Person of Jesus Christ. Not simply a kindhearted and faithful churchgoer, but one who demonstrates/demonstrated a consistent and passionate givenness to Jesus.

Perhaps that person is an example of one who has come to the point absolute surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Do I desire to be such a person—not for the sake of notoriety, but “for the sake of Jesus?” Let’s not fool ourselves. We can be, if we only will.

Lord Jesus, we’re confident we can level-up our God-walk. We’re know good and well which areas of our life we’ve not yet yielded to You. We’re aware we chose to reserve degrees of our independence. Please continue to woo us until we become entirely Yours.

2. “Religious fraud.”

These are hard words. Is it possible this is my way?

“Will I surrender to Jesus Christ?” This is more than stating the words. This is a life-posture in which I’m completely given to God’s will and way. It means dispensing with my agenda and giving myself to Christ alone.

How do I get to this place? “It means placing no conditions whatsoever as to how the brokenness will come.” I will need to endure necessary circumstances in my life to bring me to the end of myself. Only in that place will I be able to count the cost and choose Jesus.

I’m bothered and defensive at the sound of the words, “religious fraud.” But what other words are sufficient to describe declaring Jesus to be Lord, yet not fully surrendering to His Lordship?

Feel the pinch?

Lord Jesus, please have mercy. Please reveal to us at which points in our life we’re merely going through the religious moments without full allegiance to You. We loathe hypocrisy. Please make us painfully aware of ways it may exist in us. We want to be yours alone.

3. “Supernatural identification with Jesus.”

This experience fuels “the passion of Christianity.” It happens when we move from believing in Jesus to Jesus revealing His heart and soul to us. We become smitten with Jesus as a Person, and fully given to pleasing His heart and joining His mission.

It doesn’t happen in an emotionally-loaded worship service. It happens in the deep recesses of our heart when we at last “deliberately sign away our rights and become a bondservant of Jesus Christ.”

This is no small matter because it brings about an indescribable transformation in us. It’s through “supernatural identification with Jesus” that we discover the “witness” and horsepower of the Holy Spirit gripping our heart and compelling us to live without hesitation into the “high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).

In their place we’re able to “allow God to help Himself to our lives.” Surely this is precisely what Jesus intends for His followers. “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”

Am I feeling the tug to lead such a life?

Lord Jesus, how we long for “supernatural identification” with You. May our concern with Your concerns eclipse and overwhelm our own. And all for Your glory.

***********

11.2.24

1. “Jesus never insists on our obedience.”

That is, “Jesus stresses what we ought to do, but he never forces us to do it.” God never uses strongarm tactics. That is not the way of love.

This is the way of love: “If you love me, you’ll obey Me” (John 14:15.)

Consider the ease of our relationship with Jesus—we obey and serve Jesus out of love for Jesus. Yet think of the tenacity of our relationship with Jesus—love compels us to “deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.”

No one can compel our heart. They can only manipulate us with threats and coercion. But love compels our heart, then the heart enables us to do what we simply cannot do with willpower alone.

Jesus doesn’t make demands of us. Instead, He invites us to become His disciples. This is the great “if” of the God-walk. “If you desire to come after Me...” It's our choice to love.

And when we love Jesus, it’s a gamechanger for our life and God-walk.

Lord Jesus, it's so freeing to walk with You out of love for You. Even when You ask us to do hard things, we find the strength and courage because we love You. Thank You for showing us what Your love for us looks like. May our love for You be evident today.

2. “Never try to make sense of God's words by separating them from the One Who spoke them.”

What a powerful statement.

God's words make no sense outside of God's loving character. They don't fit in any other context. They're either nonsensical, because they involve the spiritual dimension, or they're too difficult, because they require the Holy Spirit to obey.

But when we hear the words of God and envision the One Who spoke them, they all makes sense. Words that may seem unreasonable seem like the most reasonable words ever spoken.

When we hear an opponent question the words of God, or speak God's words out of context, it's very evident how God's words appear apart from knowing the God Who spoke them.

But when we meet Jesus, “the Word of God made Flesh” (John 1:14), God's words become a precious gift, spoken from a Loving Heart, to be received by loving hearts.

God's words can’t be separated from God, because God’s words are God Himself. They're given to us as a gift from God to reveal the God Who loves us.

Nor are God's words are for general consumption. They’re given for the joyful and nurturing consumption of His children.

Praise God for His word to us.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Word, and the genius of gifting us with Your Living Word that we might know Your heart and receive Your grace. May we hear, treasure and obey every word. Hallelujah!

3. “When I obey Jesus Christ, I see the face of God.”

This is the joy of the God-walk—we get to experience God firsthand as we obey Jesus.

If I have no interest or intention of following Jesus, I miss out on experiencing God in my daily life. But when His Spirit nudges and I obey, immediately my heart is flooded with God's life-giving affirmation.

“When I obey in the seemingly random circumstances of life, they become pin holes through which I see the face of God.” It's difficult to see through one pinhole, but a thousand pinholes make an object perfectly clear.

So it is today as we consciously and unconsciously obey the heart of God; we get to see God throughout. We recognize His nearness and tremendous grace and mercy. It's because we’re participating with God in the regular comings, goings and doings of our living.

And what's more, “When I one day stand face-to-face with God, I will discover that through my obedience thousands were blessed.” God's leadership in our life isn’t random after all, but is along the pathway of His plans and purposes for other people in our life.

The God of the universe is touching others through us. What could be a greater joy and privilege?

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for Your gentle nudges, that we get to walk in step with You, serving You and Your kingdom with our minute contributions. Thank You we get to participate in time and eternity. May You be glorified through our obedience today.

***********

11.1.24

1. “You are not your own.”

God must work and work this reality into us. “If we refuse, we will be of no value to God and His redemptive work in the world.”

Some Christ-followers don't like the idea of living in a fishbowl. But that's precisely God's intention. It's how He demonstrates to others what He can do in a person's life.

“God divides the private life of His saints and makes it a highway for the world on one hand, and Himself on the other.” God fully intends to put us on display.

Is this grievous? It certainly adds a tremendous level of accountability.

It's also beyond our capability, and requires giving ourselves completely to Jesus: “No human being can stand it unless they are identified with Jesus Christ.”

Beloved, this is what we get-to-do rather than what we must-do. That is, as we live in Gods fishbowl, we have the honor of reflecting King Jesus for others.

“We are Christ’s ambassadors” (2 Corinthians 5:20). It's an honor worthy of our very best.

Heavenly Father, we confess, we’re not our own, but Yours. Have Your way in and through us today. Please use our lives to show others what it looks like to serve our glorious God. Hallelujah!

2. “We’re not sanctified for ourselves.”

This is a powerful truth. The sooner we receive it, the better.

Jesus saves us for eternity in heaven. Hallelujah. But Jesus spends the rest of our natural life sanctifying His Holy Spirit. That is, He's making us more like Himself.

We're liable to imagine Jesus changing us so we might experience a more joyful and fulfilling life. But that's merely a byproduct. He's changing us to make us useful for His purposes.

The same is true of spiritual gifts. They’re not for our use under the shade tree in the backyard. They’re for the purpose of loving, serving, edifying and winning others for Christ (1 Corinthians 14:12.)

The more and more we walk with Jesus, the more and more we recognize His grander design. We were made for and give ourselves to God for the purposes of His Kingdom.

And in the end, we will find this the most gratifying life experience ever. Hallelujah.

Lord Jesus, thank You for saving and sanctifying us. We give ourselves to You for Your grand design. Please use us in whatever way You may choose, whether we’re aware of it or not. Please be glorified in and through us. Hallelujah.

3. “The first thing God does is ground us in reality and truth.”

When we first come to Jesus and place our trust in Him for salvation, God begins to transform our heart and mind. We discover God's perspectives are very different from the world we live in.

Outside of Christ, “reality and truth” are very different from God's Reality and Truth. “Jesus said, “You are not of this world, just as I am not of this world” (John17:14). Jesus doesn't merely adjust our thinking, but obliterates our old way of thinking and resurrects us to His Reality and Truth.

“The natural person cannot understand the things of God, because they must be spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). We're fooling ourselves if we believe we have a grasp of reality and truth outside of the One Who defines and declares Reality and Truth: “Jesus said, ‘I am the way, truth and life’” (John 10:10).

“The first thing God does is ground us in reality and truth.” This is where the God-walk begins. God is restructuring our worldview and self-perception, and we begin to see everything in the light of Who God is.

As that happens, we’ll find ourself in tension with the world around us. It's the same tension that resulted in the death of Jesus Christ and so many of His followers. It's because “God's ways are not our ways” (Isaiah 55:8).

May our hearts be willing to have God's heart formed in us, that we might be about our Father's business.

Heavenly Father, please be born in us through Jesus Christ. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and transform our hearts and minds. Please do what it takes to pry our fingers off of lesser reality and truth, that we might embrace and live in what you deem to be Reality and Truth. We want to be of use to You. Thank You.

***********

10.31.24

1. “God doesn’t reward faith. Faith brings us into right relationship with God.”

The reward of faith is right relationship with God. We stand forgiven before God our Father because of the blood of Jesus Christ. There's no greater Gift.

The additional reward of right relationship with God is, “It gives Him opportunity to work.” As we trust Christ, God begins His glorious work of transforming us and making us more like Jesus.

God's gifts us by making us new creation in Christ. He's cutting the chains and cords that hold us back. He's delivering us from destructive behaviors, attitudes and habits. He's giving us a taste of Who we're becoming in Christ.

There's great reward in following Jesus. As long as we walk this earth, we have the privilege of His constant companionship. Indeed, Heaven awaits us, but it's merely the cherry on top.

The reward will always remain this: We have become God's precious and beloved children In Christ. Hallelujah!

Heavenly Gather, thank You for the gift of faith, the gift of relationship with You, and the gift of Your immediate and ongoing work in our life. Today we turn to You, open wide our arms, and receive the gift of Your embrace. Thank you.

2. “God frequently has to knock the bottom out to get us in direct contact with Himself.”

So many of us came to Christ when we were at the bottom of our barrel. It was there God met us and we so readily received His mercy and grace.

Unfortunately, we can become deterred and distracted by the many activities and involvements in our life. God beckons and beckons, only to be ignored.

It's the kindness of God that lets us come to the end of ourselves again and again as necessary. Thankfully, we’re learning to look to Jesus in those moments and receive His loving embrace.

I would imagine God’s disappointed when other things take priority. But God isn’t punishing us with difficulties. He's simply using the resulting difficulties to remind us we weren't made to go it alone.

I wonder what hardship in our life is helping us become more dependent upon God today?

Heavenly Father, thank You for finding us in our low points, knocking on the door of our heart, and lifting us from the muck and mire. Thank You for the freedom and joy we experience in sweet communion with You. May it become our norm. Amen.

3. “God withdraws His conscious blessings to teach us to walk by faith.”

God isn't being cruel. God’s preparing us for the long haul.

Our God-walk is “a life of faith, not a life of emotional enjoyment of His blessings.” Blessings are certainly enjoyable, but they come and go along the way. The real blessing of God is a tried and true faith that enables us to withstand the grueling pace of life on planet earth.

Our days are full of “the ordinary disciplines of life, the inevitable result of being alive.” In Christ, what God is forging in us is an all-compelling faith that enables us to receive His daily and all-sufficient grace to navigate whatever life throws at us.

Today's hardships will challenge our confidence in God's good and perfect character. But God uses each hardship to prove Himself and condition us to “remain true to His character” through thick and thin.

Maturing faith is resilient confidence in our good, kind and capable God, and trusting He knows and is near.

Heavenly Father, thank You for training us to endure. Thank You for blessings along the way, but thank You even more for the amazing gift of bulletproof faith. Please work in us a level of faith that can eventually confess, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Thank for equipping us with such a great and precious faith (2 Peter 1:1).

***********

10.30.24

1. “Faith and common sense must be brought into the proper relationship.”

Today's devotion is quite the exposé on the life of faith.

“Common sense and faith are as different from each other as the natural life is from the spiritual.” This is the rub of walking in faith—faith always seems to be in conflict with our common sense.

Our natural impulse is to flavor our common sense with the teachings of Jesus. However, “Nothing Jesus Christ ever said is common sense, but is revelation sense.”

Jesus isn’t simply offering good ideas; He’s escorting us into a life of faith in the Living God.

Jesus is calling us higher, to a life of “walking by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). By God's providence, He’s using every circumstance in our life to “transform perfect faith into reality.”

That is, today, God will provide opportunities where we’ll find common sense to be insufficient. In that moment, the Holy Spirit will spur us in turning to and calling upon our God.

The “proper relationship of faith and common sense” is this: Our “common sense” is being shaped by our absolute confidence and trust in our Heavenly Father in every aspect of our life.

May God be gracious as He “tests and tries our faith until it becomes real in our life” today.

Heavenly Father, we so quickly gravitate to the hand rails of common sense in our daily decision making. Help us release our grip and step out into the incredible world of walking by absolute faith in our active, intimate and Living God. Thank You for leading us into this great adventure.

2. “Faith is a tremendously active principle that always puts Jesus Christ first.”

We must be careful not to conflate Biblical faith with blind faith. We're not gathering up the energy of the universe and calling it faith. Rather, we’re directing our hearts and minds to the Person of Jesus Christ, and implicitly and explicitly trusting Him in all things.

The Resurrected Jesus Christ is the Object of our faith. We believe Him to be alive and well, reigning and ruling over Heaven, Earth and our circumstances. We’re becoming more and more confident in His love and judgments, and more and more able to see His hand all around.

The greatest marker of faith is Christ at the center of our heart and mind, 24/7, and our givenness to His purposes and leadership. This is the “tremendously active principle of putting Jesus first.”

Furthermore, faith isn’t something we conjure in the moment. Faith is cultivating an immediate and intimate tether to our Lord Jesus Christ, and living daily out of that life-sustaining connection.

Our faith is to be constantly “active”—a growing sensibility assuring us Jesus cares, is near and is involved in our moment-by-moment affairs.

May faith in Jesus be our fundamental life principle.

Lord Jesus, thank You for being as real as the nose on our face. Thank You for Your active participation in every iota of our life. Thank You for the Living Hope we experience as we trust and follow You. You’re our greatest joy and treasure.

3. “Until we know Jesus, God is merely a concept.”

Biblical faith is more than mental assent. It's personal. It's our personal trust in the Person of Jesus Christ.

Once we meet Jesus, “we immediately have something real, and our faith is limitless.” It's because we recognize it's not about our faith, but about the One in Whom we trust.

This is why “faith as a mustard seed” (Matthew 17:20a) is sufficient to “move mountains” (Matthew 17:20b).

It's not us; it's Him.

Is God a concept for us, like the law of gravity or the Declaration of Independence? Or is He truly our all-powerful, all-knowing, always-present Heavenly Father and Savior?

Our faith is the gage regarding our relationship with God, because faltering faith indicates an insufficient God.

Lord, have mercy.

Heavenly Father, please become more and more real to us. Please forgive us when we reduce You to merely a concept, principle, philosophy or theology. May we receive greater and greater revelation of Who You are in Jesus Christ, that our faith may truly be limitless. Thank You.

***********

10.29.24

1. “Jesus didn’t die out of sympathy for us, but out of obedience to His Heavenly Father.”

Is this a matter of semantics? Perhaps. But even so, semantics are important.

We often hear, “Jesus loves you and died for your sins.” This is a perfectly reasonable and truthful statement, because, “Jesus and the Father are one” (John 10:30), and “For God so loved the world that He sent His Son” (John 3:16).

Indeed, Jesus loves us, and indeed, Jesus died for us. But the motivation for Jesus’ death was His obedience to God rather than His sympathy for us:

“Father, take this cup from Me, but not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

This distinction is important because Jesus is demonstrating how we are to live as His servants. We are Christ-like in that we operate out of obedience to the Father, not out of our natural sympathies.

We may well be sympathetic, but sympathy will only take us so far. And where sympathy runs out, obedience permits us to stay the course.

For instance, wedding vows recite, “Till death do us part.” But our natural affections ebb and flow. It's our obedience to our Heavenly Father, to Whom we make our wedding vows, that permits us to go the distance.

May we be empowered in obedience today, not because we feel like it, but because we’re determined to be faithful to our God. And all by His Spirit and for His glory.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the example of Jesus Christ laying down His life in obedience to Your calling. When the going gets tough today, may we do the same. Thank You in advance for Your grace to do so.

2. “Jesus reveals the Fatherhood of God to those whom Jesus has been introduced as Savior.”

This is another important distinction.

As Oswald suggests, we're liable to say, “Jesus came to show us what God is like.” This is certainly true, because Jesus said, “The words I speak and the things I do are from the Father” (John 12:49).

However, Jesus’ principle mission was to “give His life as a ransom” (Matthew 20:28). And then, as we receive Christ by faith, Jesus begins revealing the Father to us: “I have shown you the Father” (John 14:19).

God cannot fully reveal Himself to us until His Holy Spirit lives in us, and the Holy Spirit can only live in us as we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Then God is able to open our hearts and minds to Who He is.

As it stands, our first inkling of Jesus revealing the Father to us is recognizing the holiness of God, and, in contrast, our sinful state and our dire need for our Savior. That's as much of a Father as we know at first, and it's enough to lead us to receive Christ by faith.

Then, by consequence of the Holy Spirit in as, the Holy Spirit begins revealing God and His love more and more. This is the thrill of the God-walk—there’s always more of God to discover.

Beloved, let's fully embrace Jesus as our Savior, receive the fullness of His Spirit, and begin to receive a greater and greater revelation of our God.

“For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Lord Jesus, thank You for making it possible for us to know our God. Thank You for Your example, Your death and Resurrection, and the subsequent outpouring of Your Holy Spirit. We believe, we receive, and we want to know our Heavenly Father more and more. By Your grace.

3. “We do not identify with Jesus’ death. Instead, Jesus became sin for us.”

Oswald continues to make important distinctions.

“Christ became sin for us” is the whole of the Gospel. It's not our sympathy with our Savior's death that saves us. It's embracing His death and Resurrection as the sole propitiation for our sin.

To “identify with Jesus” suggests the onus is on us. Nothing could be further from the truth. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

We do not identify with Jesus for our salvation, nor does Jesus identify with our sinful state. Instead, Jesus truly became the sin of humanity and put the power of sin, death, hell and the grave to death on His cross.

We do no more than stand at the foot of the cross, looking up at our dying Savior, and permitting Him to “clothe us in His righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). We don't identify—we simply receive.

And we praise our Lord, King and Savior forevermore. Hallelujah!

Lord Jesus, please help us perceive more and more the function and efficacy of Your death and Resurrection. Please continually astound us with what you've done on our behalf. We thank You with all our heart.

***********

10.28.24

1. “I stand justified before God, not because I'm sorry for my sin, or because I've repented, but because of what Jesus has done.”

We’ll never know the fullness of God's freedom and joy until we freely and wholly accept by faith that what Christ has done on the cross is absolutely sufficient and complete for our forgiveness, salvation and redemption.

We experience God’s freedom, because we am free of our sin and free of trying to work our own righteousness. We experience God’s Joy, because we now stand in right relationship with God, face-to-face, heart-to-heart, for evermore.

There's no Jesus-and when it comes to our forgiveness and salvation. It's Jesus-only. We’re acted upon by the Holy Spirit when we turn to God and believe, because in that moment, “the miraculous atonement by the cross of Christ instantly places me into a right relationship with God.”

Can if be that simple? We always say, “ it's that easy because it costs God so much.”

We didn't invent God's means of atonement through Christ. It would have never entered our minds. But it was in the heart and mind of our God ever since He created us.

Because He created us for Himself (Colossians 1:16), and Jesus makes at all possible (Ephesians 1:7). Hallelujah!

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit, we bless Your Name forevermore! Thank You for making it possible for us to become the sons and daughters of God. We freely receive Your Gift, and freely receive the freedom and joy that comes through faith in our Lord Jesus. Thank You, thank You, thank You! Bless You, bless You, bless You! Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!

2. “The Spirit of God brings justification with a shattering, radiant light, and I know that I am saved, even though I don't know how it was accomplished.”

Oswald is describing the undeniable experience of born again believers: We know, that we know, that we know.

Something has happened to us. The Light has dawned, we’re forgiven and saved, even though we don't fully understand all the intricacies.

The joy of walking with Jesus is coming to greater and greater realizations of how God made our forgiveness, salvation and redemption possible. We see with greater clarity what Christ has done with His cross, and we well up more and more with praise, adoration and gratitude.

As we grow in Christ, we realize we've done nothing for our salvation. God’s responsible for it all—from creating us, to drawing us to Himself, to revealing our sin in relation to His Holiness, to opening our eyes to what Christ has accomplished for us, to us receiving forgiveness and salvation by faith, and walking day-by-day with our Savior and King.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

What begins as a “shattering, radiant light,” continues throughout our God-walk, “like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day” (Proverbs 4:18.)

We're forever growing in our amazement of the cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And just to think, one day, “We will know even as we are known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). And there we’ll stand, with eyes and mouth gaping wide, as we behold the glory of our Lord and King.

Hallelujah forevermore!

Heavenly Father, thank You for making it so evident to our souls that You’ve forgiven us and saved us through faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank You “it is finished,” and we’ve become Your Own. We stand in full assurance today, and thank You for Your glorious and ongoing work in our life.

3. “The unconquerable safety of justification and sanctification is God Himself.”

This speaks the completeness and eternal nature of our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

We're not going to fall out of justification and sanctification. We're not going to slip up and find ourselves unsaved. We can fully trust “the unconquerable safety” of God, fully saving us and fully keeping us forevermore.

I'm so thankful we don't have to tiptoe before our God in apprehension. We’re saved to the uttermost in Christ, and will be forever. We’re not clinging to God, but God is firmly gripping us.

Through faith in Christ we’ve become “God's special possession” (1 Peter 2:9). God has become “our hope and stay” (Psalm 71:5). He’s “our keeper and the shade on our right hand” (Psalm 121:5-8). “He has placed his seal of ownership upon us by the Holy Spirit” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

And, thankfully, our God never loses what He has found. Aren't you glad?

Heavenly Father, we’re thankful You’re completing what You’ve begun in us through Christ our Lord (Philippians 1:6). Thank You for saving us to the uttermost. Thank You “it is finished.” Today we stand in complete confidence in what You've done to save us, and what You’re doing to keep us. You are good, good, good. Hallelujah!

***********

10.27.24

1. “You cannot make disciples unless you are a disciple yourself.”

I can only take others where I've gone myself. Otherwise I'm “the blind leading the blind” (Matthew 15:14).

This may be my hesitation in sharing Christ with others. Perhaps I'm not where I could be or should be with Jesus. If so, I know it deep in my soul and feel hypocritical asking others to follow when I do not.

I need not feel ashamed. Instead, may I feel motivated to seek Jesus in the way I know I ought. Something in my soul knows others need Jesus, but it also knows I need Him even more.

“The salvation of souls is the supernatural work of God.” It begins with me experiencing it first, so I might help others experience it, too.

Lord Jesus, may my experience of knowing You overwhelm me to the degree that I must help others know You. Where it does not, please take me nearer to Your heart. Thank You.

2. “Our one and only purpose is to disciple people to Jesus, not make converts of our point of view.”

Goodness, this gets straight to the point.

First, “My one and only purpose is to disciple people.” That's very direct. I'm still on planet earth today because God still intends for me to help people know and grow in Jesus.

Does that sound like God cramming down on me? Not at all. God knows that, as I help people come to know Jesus, the life of God in me will well up in fullness and abundance.

Jesus wants me to know that joy.

Second, I'm not called to “make converts of my point of view.” Everyone has their take on what’s most essential in a Christian lifestyle and worldview. But the goal of disciple-making is not a mindset, but a living and growing relationship with Jesus.

I'm introducing people to Jesus, and letting Jesus Himself form their hearts and minds.

There is a whole lot of converting people to our opinion these days. But in the Kingdom of God, there's only one opinion that matters—and it’s not mine; it's His.

Lord Jesus, please help me get this right. I want to live into Your purposes for my life. I want to be faithful in helping others know You, not simply my opinions of You. May this be the desire of my heart and my reason for getting out of bed in the morning. Hallelujah.

3. “Am I wise enough in God's sight, but foolish enough according to the wisdom of the world, to trust in what Jesus Christ has said?”

This is the ongoing challenge of walking with Jesus—it requires a level of foolishness in the eyes of those around us.

There's a growing disrespect in our culture for people who believe in and follow Jesus. It appears to be foolishness to trust something so far-fetched, and foolish to disregard my own desires in lieu of Jesus’.

But this is the way of our Lord—denying Himself and drinking God's cup. And it was the way of Jesus’ early followers—many of whom went to their death in obedience to Jesus. And it's been the way of Christ-followers throughout history—fools from the world's perspective, but determined to satisfy God’s heart rather than our own.

“I will be a fool for Christ” (1 Corinthians 4:10). It takes great audacity to determine God's approval is more important to than the approval of men and women.

Lord Jesus, I want to be foolish enough to trust You implicitly and explicitly. I want to fully believe Your promises and faithfully follow the gentle nudges of Your Spirit. Help me care less about the opinion of others than I do about Yours.

***********

10.26.24

1. “The source of our inspiration in the service of our God is behind us, not ahead of us.”

This is a powerful statement.

There are unimaginable needs all around us. But, in the big picture, our labors for Jesus may amount to no more than a drop in the ocean. The needs just keep on coming.

Oswald reminds us, the motivation for our serving is not the needs of others, but the God Who calls us, empowers us and impels us. He stands behind us, directing our path and empowering our service.

“The great controlling factor is not the needs of people, but the command of Jesus.” The needs of people are incredibly burdensome, and no amount of serving will meet all those needs. It can lead us to fatigue and exhaustion, and becoming put-out with those we serve.

But when we serve out of a sense of God’s calling, we keep our eyes on the One Who called us, not the needs before us. Then, when fatigue and exhaustion set in, the One Whom we’re serving is able to encourage and strengthen us.

The goal in our daily lives as we serve Jesus is to “be true to Him, to carry out His plans.” We can know peace in a world of great need when we have the sense we’re doing or have done what God has called us to do.

It may be contrary to popular belief, but Jesus went to the cross out of obedience to His Father, not merely out of sympathy for us. The goal of our life is to follow Jesus in His example.

Heavenly Father, what have we taken upon ourselves out of our sense of others’ needs, rather than out of a sense of Your calling? Conversely, what might You be calling us to that we’re ignoring? Please help us discern between these motivations. May we, like our Lord Jesus, be solely about Your business.

2. “Personal attachment to the Lord Jesus and His perspective is the one thing we must not overlook.”

Oswald makes this statement in the context of serving the needs of others. But it seems to be of critical importance for balance and stability in every aspect of our life.

For instance, we're presently slogging through an incredibly tenuous and tumultuous Presidential election cycle. The issues, arguments, tensions and opinions can be all-consuming. It's been brutal on hearts, minds, families and communities.

Our sanity in all of this is “personal attachment to the Lord Jesus and His perspective.” We must repeatedly divert our eyes from the drama and heated debate, and align our hearts and minds with Jesus. We must seek to gain His vantage point on these matters, and stand immovable in our confidence of God’s Sovereignty.

This is hardly escapism, nor is it self-medicating. We're posturing ourselves so we can truly be of use to God. As the nation rages, we can stand cool, calm and collect, viewing our world through the prayerful and compassionate eyes of Jesus.

May our peace speak volumes about the God we serve.

Lord Jesus, we commit ourselves to You today. We seek You and Your perspective on every matter of our life. We seek to stand with You and in You as the world twists and turns. Thank You for the Solid Rock beneath our feet. Hallelujah.

3. “When we look back on the lives of God's men and women, we must credit the Divine guidance of God.”

When we consider the lives of the greatest saints we've known or read about, we're liable to chalk up their successes to their own intelligence, wisdom and prudence.

Instead, we must recognize their “childlikeness—foolish enough to trust God's wisdom.” We can certainly commend them for their diligence, but their success for the Kingdom of God was not their own doing:

“The keen and intelligent mind behind them was the mind of God, not human wisdom.”

It encourages me to understand that fruitfulness comes from our connection with Jesus, not our own calculations. Great saints didn’t set out to be great. They simply determined to be faithful to Jesus.

Which means, there are surely countless saints whose faithfulness to Jesus did not result in human accolades. Instead, their accolades came from their Heavenly Father alone: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master.” (Matthew 25:23).

May our success today and every day be obedience to Jesus rather than outcomes. May our life bear evidence that we follow Jesus.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the saints who’ve have gone before us. Thank You for their diligence to look to You and follow You. Thank You for blessing their lives with fruitfulness. May we be faithful as well as You do with us as You choose.

***********

10.25.24

1. “All of God's people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them.”

I find this statement to be both encouraging and challenging.

Encouraging, because my soul sores with the idea of the extraordinary. I get swept up in the stories of the saints—ordinary people through whom God has done amazing things. I love their biographies and the God behind their greatness.

I also find it challenging, because Oswald speaks of “the purpose God has given us.” I wonder how many of those extraordinary saints were able to name that purpose? I wonder, rather, they were simply doing the thing at hand in faithfulness to Jesus.

Because, I can't name God's purpose for my life. I’m certainly am a son, husband, father neighbor, minister, etc., and I'm doing my best to serve God in all of those ways. But are those my purpose? Or will my purpose not being known to me until “I know as I am known” (1 Corinthian 13:12)?

In fact, I feel like it's rather presumptuous for me to declare what God’s purpose is, as if God has made that abundantly clear to me. All I know is I'm called to follow Jesus in all I am and all I do.

Surely, like everyone else, I would love for my life to one day have been “extraordinary.” But I certainly don't feel that way on a daily basis. I'm just me, very small in the eyes of human history and the Kingdom of God.

But that's OK with me. As long as Jesus is having His way in me.

Heavenly Father, I'm perfectly content being unordinary. I have no ambition to become extraordinary. However, I do want to be and do according to Your good purposes (Romans 8:28). Please help me be faithful today and tomorrow in whatever those might be.

2. “We must continually confront ourselves with one central fact—Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

The crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ stand as the pinion around which heaven and earth, and time and eternity, exist and revolve. There’s no greater event in human history, nor in the history of God's Kingdom.

Right now, all of Heaven is oriented around the Atonement and Redemption of Jesus Christ our Lord. The Heavenly Host worships at God's throne for His goodness and mercy poured out in Christ towards humanity, and every angel in Heaven serves God’s purpose of saving the souls of men and women.

Wow and Hallelujah.

For us to “continually confront ourselves with this one central fact,” is to orient our heart, mind, obedience and labors around our Lord Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished for our Heavenly Father. Christ made it possible for God to redeem all of His creation: “Creation waits in eager expectation” (Romans 8:19).

There's nothing more central or critical on God's agenda. May the same be said of us.

Heavenly Father, in this moment, we set our eyes on the Crucified One, Whom You raised from the dead. We humbly receive Your daily grace and eagerly place our lives in Your hands. We unite with You today in all You’re doing to redeem us and our world. May You receive all glory, honor and praise, now and forevermore. Amen and amen!

3. “I chose you.”

Nothing is more staggering then this statement, and nothing brings more clarity to our daily existence.

“It’s not you that has gotten God, but that God has gotten you.” This must be central to our understanding of the meaning and purpose of our life. God chose us and bought us with the blood of His Son.

If no one else in this world chooses us, our Heavenly Father has, and that reality grounds and propels us day by day. We’re children of God, called by His Name, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, joining God in His purposes today and forever.

“God will do with you what He never did before.” We’re a unique work of God, fashioned for His enterprises, perfectly fit in Christ to serve at His side.

“He will do with you what He isn’t doing with other people.” If we don’t fully give ourselves to all God is calling us to, we will be impoverished. Because, for this we were made and have our being (Acts 17:28).

Lord Jesus, thank You for calling each one of us as Your servants. Thank You for choosing us. Thank You for putting us to useful purposes for Your Kingdom. It's our highest honor to follow You as Your chosen people. Hallelujah!

***********

10.24.24

1. “The proper perspective.”

Today Oswald is calling us to adopt the very highest perspective of who we are as Christ’s followers. When we do, we approach every detail of our life infinitely differently.

Here’s that perspective: “Thanks be to God Who always leads us in triumph in Christ.” This statement speaks of a conquering Ruler returning to His Kingdom leading a band of captives to be His servants.

This is Jesus, conquering sin, death, hell and the grave, and leading His followers in triumphal procession into the Kingdom of our God and Father.

Our perspective and identity is to see ourselves as one who has become Christ's Personal possession.

Perhaps we view this metaphor as imperialism, with very negative connotations of Jesus as a victorious warrior. And perhaps the idea of being Christ’s bondservants is not to our liking.

But that may be because we don’t recognize what Jesus has saved us from—eternal death and separation from God, and what Jesus has saved us for—an eternity of liberty and joy in God’s Kingdom.

It's a glorious and triumphant notion to be delivered from the fallen, sick and broken kingdom of this world, and become a citizen of God's utterly transcendent and glorious Kingdom.

If we’ll “vigorously maintain this perspective every day,” over time we’ll discover “no outside power can touch this perspective.” That is, if we view our lives as Christ's captives in His triumphant procession, nothing in heaven or on earth can hold sway over us.

Indeed, “We are more than conquerors through Him Who loves us.” Hallelujah!

Lord Jesus, thank You for defeating the enemy of our soul and taking us captive in Your train. It's the greatest honor of our existence to be Your servants, bought at the price of Your Own blood. Thank You for this perspective. May it rule over our heart and mind today and every day.

2. “We’re here to exhibit one thing: the captivity of our lives to the obedience of Christ.”

What a powerful perspective.

We might think God cleans us up and sends us out into our world to demonstrate the transformational power of Jesus Christ. We’re certainly to reflect Christ with our daily words, deeds and living.

But we're to display far more than moral and ethical goodness. We’re to demonstrate we’re captives and Personal possessions of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

“I am no longer mine, but Yours” (John Wesley's Covenant Prayer.)

By all means, let's exhibit the Fruit of the Spirit: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

But even more so, let’s demonstrate our complete allegiance to Jesus, our utter dependence upon Him, and our submissive obedience to the leadership of His Holy Spirit.

The world has plenty of kind and generous people. What the world needs to see is people who are fully given to the Lordship and leadership of Jesus Christ our King.

May our mission today be our submission to Jesus. May it be evident to all that we belong entirely to Him.

Lord Jesus, may You be our sole identity today. May it be evident to all that You own us and we are Yours. May ours be a joyful expression of being Your blessed bondservants. Hallelujah!

3. “I am in the possession of a conquer.”

With this perspective, “it doesn't matter with the difficulties are, I'm always led in triumph.”

This is not bondage, but liberation. “The Apostle Paul's secret joy was that God took him as a blatant rebel against Jesus Christ, and made him a captive.” Who are we that God would purchase us with the blood of Jesus Christ and make us His Personal possessions?

Yet this is what God has done for us in Christ our Lord!

“It was Paul's joy to be a captive of the Lord, and he had no other interest in heaven or on earth.” Oswald suggests not other interest in our lives can compete with the notion that we’re blood-bought sons and daughters of God.

“And that is who we are in Christ Jesus!” (1 John 3:1).

Given all the above, Oswald claims, “It's a shameful thing for a Christian to talk about ‘getting the victory.’” Why? Because we belong to the ultimate Victor, Jesus Christ our Lord. His victory is our victory, making us “more than conquerors through Him Who loves us.”

Hallelujah!

Do we feel victorious today? If not, a new perspective is the solution. “We are in the possession of a Conqueror.”

Lord Jesus, thank You for being our Champion. Thank You for winning the ultimate victory for us by Your cross and Resurrection. We hide ourselves in You; we give ourselves to You; we recognize we’re held in the palm of Your victorious hand (Isaiah 49:16). Thank You, thank You, thank You!

***********

10.23.24

1. “God will never deal with me as He has to deal with others.”

Isn't this the perfect representation of our old nature?

From my perspective, all my judgments are just, right and true. My worldview, motivations, ethics and morality—all my ways are justifiable, rational and realistic.

Surely God agrees with me, thinks like I do, and would do as I do. It's all the other people out there who are messing up our world and require God’s change of heart, mind and life.

Beloved, this attitude must be the first thing to go if God is going to have His way in us.

“Our Lord never tolerates our prejudices; He is opposed to them and puts them to death.” God's way is not simply adjusting our thinking, tweaking our sensibilities, and teaching us a better way.

God's way is crucifixion and resurrection. “If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. Old things have passed away, and all things become new.”

God doesn't simply renovate us. He demolishes us and makes us new. We’re far beyond alterations. The old must be go in order for the new to come.

Such is the ongoing nature of the God-walk—dying to ourselves that Christ might live through us. “God is deliberately removing” the old and replacing it with the new.

The sooner I perceive God's way, the I can get out of the way and permit God to complete His perfect work in me (James 1:4).

Heavenly Father, please continue Your work of bulldozing and rebuilding our life. Thank You for making us more and more like Jesus. We offer ourselves to You for Your ongoing work. Thank You for loving us enough to do so.

2. “The only thing God wants of us is our unconditional surrender.”

There's a notion in us that we can have our cake and eat it too. That is, in Christ, our lives can continue as they are with the added benefit of God's blessings.

But that's not the way of God. Throughout the Scriptures, and throughout the history of God's people, God calls for complete and total surrender of our heart, mind, body and will.

God’s not being a cruel taskmaster. We simply cannot know all God has in store for us when we insist on having our way. We alone stand as an impediment to God's greater work in our life.

The analogy that always comes to mind is my experience of rappelling down a sheer rock face. I had to clip into the harness and line, lean back, and let the carabiner and rope do their work as I backed down the cliff.

It only works as I surrender myself to the mechanism. Otherwise it's fear, chaos and failure.

So it is with walking in Christ. I surrender myself to my Lord and King, and let Him have the wheel as He leads, guides and transforms my life. I participate merely by letting Him do His supernatural work in me.

The thing I've discovered is, there's not a single point of surrender. It's daily, continual and ongoing. It's what I'm doing right now in the presence of Jesus.

Lord Jesus, here I am, surrendering to You again today. Have me. Do what You will in me. By Your grace, I give You permission. I'm yours. Amen.

3. “How are we going to get a life that is loving, has no lust, has no self-interest, is not sensitive to the ridicule of others, etc.?”

Oswald asks a tremendous question.

Jesus says, “Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Our first response is, “That's impossible!” Unfortunately, Jesus’ command can lead to a God-walk of despair and ruthless self-criticism.

That is, unless we understand God's way. God’s not calling us to grit our teeth and love the unlovely, chasten ourselves when we lust, loathe our selfishness, or ridicule ourselves when we ridicule others.

Instead, Jesus is calling us to let Him do in us what we’re incapable of. “The only way is by allowing nothing of the old life to remain, and having perfect trust in God.” We’re relinquishing our old life to the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in us.

Perhaps you, like me, want to be what we cannot be—a soul fashioned after the image of Jesus. Thankfully, although we’re can’t, God can. And we enabling Him turn loose of the old and permit Him to bring about the new.

Heavenly Father, have at it. I cannot become whom You wish me to be. So I’m giving You permission and trusting You to do what only You can do. Have your way, O God. Thank You.

***********

10.22.24

1. “The Witness of the Spirit.”

Today’s devotion speaks to a prominent Wesleyan distinctive: “The Witness of the Spirit.” It comes from the Scripture passage, “The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Roman 8:16).

As Oswald states, the idea is, “The Holy Spirit witnesses to His Own nature in us.” That is, the Spirit of God is resonating and communicating with Christ-followers via our newly reborn spiritual nature, which is the Life of Christ in us.

I often describe this as, “We know that we know that we know.” Something inexplicable, yet undeniable, is going on inside. It's God's Spirit assuring our spirit that, through faith in Jesus Christ, we’ve been adopted as God's children.

It's an incredible privilege to become sons and daughters of God in Christ, and along with our adoption comes another privilege of “The Witness of the Spirit”—the dynamic knowing God has saved us and will keep us forever.

Surely it results in Romans 8:38: “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ.” By the “Witness of the Spirit,” we’re re able to recognize and receive God's never-ending and unconditional love—no matter what.

Let’s celebrate the goodness of this incredible Gift from God. We can't make enough noise about “The Witness of the Spirit.” And the longer we walk with Jesus, the more confident we become.

Heavenly Father, thank You so very much for giving us the grace to know that we know that we know. Thank You for the great assurance we have right here and now, today. We’re confident we belong to you. Hallelujah!

2. “We want the Witness of the Spirit before we’ve done what God tells us to do.”

Indeed, God gives us the gift of “The Witness of the Spirit.” However, Oswald suggests we can impede and get in the way of the Spirit’s Witness when we don't “abandon ourselves to Jesus in total surrender.”

Apparently we can't have our cake and eat it, too. That is, we can't ignore God's convictions and continue to expect the affirmations of the Holy Spirit.

This seems to correlate with Jesus teaching: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)

Ouch.

Surely God doesn’t give us the silent treatment or cold shoulder. That's cruel and manipulative, and isn’t God's way.

Instead, in our disobedience, we've chosen to distance ourselves from “The Witness of the Spirit.” We've shut our ears, pinched off the capillary and demonstrated our disinterest in God’s opinion.

Oswald says the remedy is instantly effective: “Once we obey, immediately God gives us His Witness.”

Is there any known disobedience in my life? Am I insisting on my own way? Am I harboring a pet sin? Is God calling me to repent and return?

Beloved, let's quickly respond to God's convictions. Nothing on earth is worth hampering “The Witness of the Spirit.”

Heavenly Father, we desire nothing more than being in right relationship with You. Please make abundantly clear the things that hinder. We long to walk in loving submission to our good and gracious God and Savior.

3. “Bargaining with God.”

Oswald admonishes us: “Stop the disrespectfulness of debating with God.”

But isn't God reasonable? “Come, let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18a). Indeed, God is. But, we must take into account the rest of that passage: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18b).

Oswald says, “God witnesses to what He has done.” That means, our reasoning with God must be along the line of “the redemption of our Lord and nothing else.”

We reason with God as we come to grips with what He has done for us in Jesus Christ.

Oswald warns us, bargaining with God “comes from our own common sense,” and can result in “arguing, debating and reasoning” with God—a sure recipe for distancing ourselves from God and “The Witness of the Spirit.”

Yikes.

Oswald closes with a strong word: “It's no wonder we're in darkness and uncertainty. Throw it all overboard, trust in Him, and He will give you The Witness of the Spirit.”

Heavenly Father, please forgive us when we feel the need to debate, rationalize and reason with You and the claims of Scripture. Please help us relinquish ourselves and embrace Your way. Thank You.

***********

10.21.24

1. “Jesus demonstrated a calm strength that never got into a panic.”

I love a Savior Who has it all together. Jesus doesn’t sway, is never perplexed, but only steadfast, resolved and immovable.

Thank God for the Rock beneath our feet and the pillar of God's strength to which we bind our lives.

When I consider the “panic” I often experience, it's not the panic of urgency or immediate danger. Oswald says, “We don’t need the grace of God to withstand crises—human nature and pride are sufficient.”

Instead, the “panic” I often feel is the often in the indecisiveness when numerous troubles or concerns present themselves simultaneously. That's when I’m thankful I can call upon the “calm strength” of Jesus.

The fuss and conundrums never seem to bother our Lord. He calmly calms our soul and helps us navigate.

I'm thankful we don't have an impulsive, emotionally-charged, random God. Instead, we have a God Who’s unhindered by the complexities of the creation and daily life, because He holds it all in His capable hands.

Aren't you glad?

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your unflinching, resolute and unwavering way. We're so thankful we get to build our lives upon our unchanging God. Hallelujah!

2. “Impulsiveness needs to be trained into intuition through discipline.”

This is quite the statement.

I'm quite familiar with impulsiveness. I certainly know when I see it in others. I'm confident others see it in me as well.

I would never have postured “impulsiveness” and “intuition” as polar opposites. Oswald’s satatement helps me visualize the two in contrast to one another.

“Impulsiveness” is my knee jerk response, my immediate reaction, my carnal nature jumping the gun and doing the thing.

“Intuition,” on the other hand, is pausing to sense the leadership of the Holy Spirit, to check with my spirit, engage with the mind of Christ, and sense the heart of God regarding the matter.

The former is easiest. It’s why children are impulsive. The latter is far more mature, denying my lower nature and deferring to my new nature of Christ in me. The childlikeness Jesus refers to is not impulsive. Instead, it refers to complete devotion to the Person of Jesus Christ.

As we grow in Christ, we're disciplining our childishness and becoming more childlike. And that’s a very good thing.

Heavenly Father, thank You for helping us curb our immaturity as we learn to suspend the responses of our old nature and intuit through Your Spirit. Please help us sense Your heartbeat more and more.

3. “Discipleship requires the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint.”

“Supernatural” is a very helpful and descriptive term. It needs to become more and more a part of our vernacular.

Perhaps we tend avoid the word “supernatural” because it's not well-respected in our modern day. Perhaps it's equated with “superstitious,” which is a very different matter.

“Supernatural” seems like it should be a very ordinary word for those who walk with Jesus. “Father, My followers are not of the world, even as I am not of it” (John 17:16).

“Natural” is the way of the creation around us, and of human beings who live every day in their natural wisdom and strength. There’s nothing wrong with this, it’s simply incomplete.

“Supernatural” refers to the presence, power and capability of the Living God. “Supernatural” means un-natural, because it’s of the realm of God rather than of our physical world.

As Christ-followers, “We live, move and have our being” in the supernatural (Acts 17:28). Why wouldn’t it be so? Afterall, “Christ is in us, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).

“Why do you think it's a strange thing that God should raise the dead?” (Acts 26:8). Why would we hesitate speaking of the “supernatural” when every moment of every day, and every happenstance in our world, involves our Sovereign and Almighty God?

Including the things we’ll face in the day before us.

Beloved, may our way and our conversation reflect today “supernatural” grace of God.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us when, for whatever reason, we avoid the supernatural dimension of our God-walk. Why on earth would we claim faith in our all-powerful God, yet deny Your supernatural capabilities? Instead, may we anticipate and live like You’re the God You say You are.

***********

10.20.24

1. “Am I willing to let God do in me everything that has been made possible through the atonement of Christ's cross?”

Oswald speaks of my need to permit God do just that. However, one challenge may be, I'm ignorant of the “everything” of God that Christ has made possible through His cross.

I'm not ignorant of Heaven when I die. I fully understand and embrace Christ's sacrificial offering for me on the cross, and I willingly receive Him and His salvation by faith. Thank You, Jesus!

But am I aware of what Christ can do in me day by day as a human being living on planet earth? Am I aware that Christ can revolutionize my heart and mind? Am I aware that by His grace I can overcome sin and the wicked one? Am I aware that God has a plan and purpose for my life that can be mine if I only will?

Perhaps I live far more impoverished of spirit then need be. Perhaps there are vast realms of God's love, grace, power and mercy I have yet to experience and explore

If I'm not aware of the “everything” of God in Christ, how will I know what I'm missing out on? Am I compromising the degree of sanctification that can be mine in Jesus Christ, if I only will?

Perhaps I need to pray more intentionally in this direction:

Heavenly Father, is there more? Am I prohibiting Your continuing work of sanctification in me? If so, please freshly convict me of that which I am reluctant or refusing to relinquish to You. I don't want to miss out, nor do I want to disappoint You. Please have me afresh today.

2. “Humble holiness is the result of agonizing repentance, and yields a sense of inexpressible shame and degradation as I realized the amazing love of God demonstrated in Christ.”

Oswald says “humble holiness” is the work of God in me when I realize just how reprobate and sinful I am.

I'm liable to reject guilt and shame because they’re uncomfortable. I would much rather be affirmed for who I am and what I choose to do.

Thankfully, God never guilts or shames me. He doesn't need to. When I feel guilt and shame, guilt and shame is doing their job. I'm being convicted of my sin by a loving God Who wishes to forgive me and adopt me as His child.

If we could truly see the holiness of God, we’d recognize just how far we've fallen. We are loved by God, but we’re encrusted in sin and depravity. Only when we see ourselves in this light will we reach out to our Savior in loving faith, repentance and obedience.

A sense of guilt and shame may seem demoralizing. Instead, it's a vision of our reality. We’re sinful human beings, whether we like it or not. And if we want to be rightly related to the God Who made us, He alone is able to surgically remove sin from our heart and life.

This is the work of Jesus’ cross, and only as we’re cleansed from all unrighteousness do we recognize just how amazing God’s love and grace are.

Heavenly Father, thank You for making us aware of Your holiness and our sin. We recognize the depth of our depravity and cry out for our Savior to cleanse us. Thank You for Your gifts of guilt and shame so we might turn to You and receive Your greater gift of forgiveness and grace. Hallelujah!

3. “Never confuse the effect with the cause.”

“Obedience, service and prayer” are the effect of Christ's work in me, not the cause of my salvation. I can do nothing to save myself or make myself acceptable To God.

Paul said, “I know that nothing good lives in my flesh” (Romans 7:18). Paul was very aware of the difference between the cause and the effect. Paul's flesh could not work the righteousness of God. Any good thing in him was caused by Christ Himself.

Understanding this truth is core to our allegiance to Jesus. I am utterly incapable, and Christ is infinitely capable. Through His cross and Resurrection, He’s able to work God's will in me. And, if God's will is my heart’s desire, I will give myself to Christ unreservedly.

I'm so thankful for what Christ has done and is doing. May the work of Jesus continue to effect this life and the next.

Lord Jesus, please forgive me for ever thinking that anything I might do causes me to be rightly related to You. I believe. by Your cross, “I am in You, and in You I am one with God.” I am forever grateful for what You've accomplished and will continue to accomplish in my life. I will thank You forever. Hallelujah!

***********

10.19.24

1. “Endless energy and activities, but no private life with God.”

This is certainly our modern, Western lifestyle. We pride ourselves in our busyness, accomplishments and exhaustion. It’s almost a badge of honor if we’re always coming and going.

“Too often we live our lives to be seen by others.” Yikes. This is convicting. I’m certainly very concerned about your opinion of me. I suppose that can be accountability. But it can also be an attempt to prove my worth.

“The power (of God) is revealed in the innermost, personal area of a person’s life.” This is where the sweetness comes from. Endless activity tends to make us tired and more irritable.

The challenge is, can we let go others’ appraisal of our usefulness and productivity, in order to give ourselves to seeking Jesus and His appraisal? I don’t believe we’re impressing Him with our usefulness, but only our pursuit of God’s heart, and our corresponding obedience.

However, one benefit of busyness is, our minds are consumed with other things rather than concerning ourselves with our internals. Spending time with Jesus involves God's critique of our heart and soul.

Perhaps that's why we prefer constantly doing. It provides a distraction from getting personal with God. Mercy.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us when we feel the need to prove ourselves to You or others with our constant motion. Please increase our longing to be with You, walk with You and do for You. Thank you for the blessedness of an unhurried life with Jesus.

2. “In our Lord's life there was none of the pressure and the rushing of tremendous activity that we regard so highly today.”

Consider the leisure nature of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was never in a hurry, and seemed to always have the time and emotional capacity for everyone who approached Him.

Compare that to our lifestyle today. We have to schedule our lives days or weeks in advance, and even then we’re only partially available to others because our minds are on the next thing we must do.

Think of the damage this stress and strain must cause our physical, emotional and spiritual anatomy. Surely we weren't designed for constant movement and output. But we seem to be addicted.

God must constantly scratch His head as He watches the way we choose to live.

I don't find this lifestyle anywhere in the Scriptures, nor do I find a compelling from God to be this involved and busy. It must be my cultural wiring that drives me to drink my life to the dregs.

Hmmm.

“A disciple must be like His master.” Jesus wasn’t lazy. He didn’t procrastinate. He didn’t waste time. Instead, He was dialed into the Father’s leadership moment-by-moment. And He lived it out in restful, non-anxious awareness of God and the people around Him.

I wonder what that lifestyle would be like?

Lord Jesus, our lives are so bustling compared to Yours, yet You carried the weight of the entire world on Your heart. Thank You for this challenge today. There’s surely plenty on my calendar that need not be.

3. “Immerse yourself in the Truths of God to soak in them before Him.”

Oswald’s right, “This time of soaking before God appears impractical.” How can we remain motionless when there are so many things demanding our time and attention?

Or, how can we appear to be so calm, cool and collected when the world around us is in such chaos? Doesn’t that appear to be uncaring and irresponsible? Shouldn’t we show our compassion and concern with frantic anxiety and busyness?

The truth is, “Unless you immerse yourself in the great fundamental truths of God's redemption, you will snap when the stress and strain comes.” As Christ’s followers, it’s critical for us to demonstrate our groundedness in Christ when others are overwhelmed in the world’s unpredictability.

Beloved, this is our sanity and saving grace: “Spend time getting rooted and grounded in Him, and you will remain true to Him whatever happens.”

Heavenly Father, please help us drive our tent stakes deeply into Your Truth. Please forgive us when we’re negligent in doing so. Thank You for the great stability of being anchored in Christ.

***********

10.18.24

1. “Identify yourself with Jesus’ interests in other people.”

This is surely the way to love others as Jesus loves them.

People can be amazingly difficult to love. In fact, the more we get to know others, along with their idiosyncrasies and flaws, the more difficult they can be to love.

And that includes others trying to love me.

That must be why Jesus asked Peter three times:

“Do you love Me?” “Of course I do!” (spoken enthusiastically)

“I mean, do to really love Me?” “Ummm, yes I do.” (spoken thoughtfully)

“Let me ask one more time: Do you truly love Me?” “Lord Jesus, indeed, I truly love You” (spoken wholeheartedly)

Perhaps Jesus is saying, in effect, “The only way you’re going to be able to love the people I’m sending you to is to love Me with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Only by loving Me will you be able to tap into My love for others.

And so it is. People are typically not lovable in and of themselves. But, Jesus is forever loveable. And out of our growing love for Jesus, and for Jesus’ sake, and by His supernatural love in us, Jesus will enable us to love the people we live with and encounter today.

All by His grace and for His glory.

Lord Jesus, yes, we love You. May our love for You compel and impel us as we interact with others today. May we sense Your love for them well up in us, and successfully love them for You.

2. “Faithfulness to Jesus Christ is the supernatural work of redemption that has been performed in me by the Holy Spirit.”

Peter claimed he was willing to die for Jesus’ sake (Matthew 26:35). He was confident, in that pinnacle moment, he would maintain faithfulness to Jesus through thick and thin.

We’ve all felt that way. In a moment of glory we’re sure we could slay dragons for the sake of Jesus and God’s Kingdom. Then real life happens, and we whimper, melt and deny Jesus with our thoughts, words or deeds.

Lord, have mercy.

I must acknowledge, in and of myself, I’m incapable of faithfully loving and serving Jesus. My mortal coil doesn’t may imagine myself capable, but, although “my spirit is willing, my flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).

Ugh.

But what I can’t do in my own strength, God can do in me supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. “Redemption” not only involves my soul for heaven one day, but my flawed human nature, my emotionally driven whims, and my self-centered, egotistical self.

By the cross of Christ, God “redeems” me, and by His Holy Spirit he causes me to be “born again,” and continues to work His “sanctifying” efforts by in my heart, mind and soul.

Only by God’s work in me can we be “faithful” to Jesus—the very thing our heart longs to do.

Lord Jesus, may it be so. We want to be faithful men and women of God. Please continue Your supernatural work in us to increase our faithfulness to You and others. And by our faithfulness, may we demonstrate our love and devotion to You.

3. “Declaring faithfulness to Jesus may appear to have no more power than the morning mist.”

It doesn’t make any sense in the natural that devotion to Jesus has any meaningful effect on our lives. For many, at it’s a worldview at best, and at worst, merely a superstition.

But we know differently. We’re devoted to the Person of Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, crucified and Resurrected on our behalf. And by virtue of Christ’s atonement for us, we believe the Holy Spirit—the total and complete power of God—has given us new birth and we are new creations.

This Jesus thing is more than a religion. The God of all gods dwells in us now, and as we learn to engage and interface with Him, our lives brim over with the power that made the worlds and raised Jesus from the dead.

Faithfulness to Jesus isn’t merely mental assent to Christian doctrine. It’s union with the God of the Universe, Who lives and moves in and through us as we yield our hearts to Him.

Our God-walk is anything but powerless. It’s the source of God’s infinite power for Godly living:

“God’s Divine Power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him Who called us by His Own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3).

Beloved, let’s live today like this is the most real truth on earth. Because it is.

Lord Jesus, please rule and reign in and through us today. We give ourselves over to the life of Christ in us. May our faithful connection with You yield the necessary power to think, speak, act and love like You. Hallelujah!

***********

10.17.24

1. “Prayer does not equip us for greater works—prayer IS the greater work.”

Once again, Oswald is hammering home the essential of prayer. So convicting.

“We think prayer simply prepares us for God's work.” This is precisely what we do, isn't it? We pray on our way out the door as we go about our day. We're asking God to bless our efforts, grease the gears, strengthen us, give us wisdom, etc.

Oswald calls us to consider His Greater Work for us as we do our work today: “Prayer works the miracle of redemption in us, which produces the miracle of redemption in others.”

That is, our vocation is simply God's way of putting us in proximity with others, because our proximity with others id where the true, heart-work of God is happening.

Consider the people all around us today—neighbors, other drivers, people at the grocery store, people at work, etc. These souls are our Greater Work. God intends for us to be infectious for His Kingdom as we rub shoulders with others.

Prayer is the way we prepare ourselves for these encounters. Prayer it's like our morning shower and shave, making ourselves presentable, clothing ourselves in Christ so we might be at His disposal and represent Him well in every circumstance.

Beloved, let's give ourselves to the Greater Work today. Let's give ourselves effective and infectious prayer.

Lord Jesus, here we are. Please prepare our hearts for the day. Stir our souls for the souls of others. Clothe us in Your righteousness. May the aroma of Christ be apparent to everyone we meet today.

2. “Prayer is based on the agony of Christ, not on my own agony.”

What on earth does this mean?

“My own agony” certainly describes some of our praying. When we’re in pain, distressed, anxious, burdened, etc., we go to Jesus for His grace. There's certainly nothing wrong with this: “Come to Me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

But, do I also go to Jesus when I'm not “in agony?” What does it say about me if I only seek God for His helping hand?

“The agony of Christ.” This describes the basis of our relationship with Jesus. He made our relationship with God possible through His death and Resurrection. We have no connection with God except through Jesus.

We do well to keep “the agony of Christ” at the forefront of our God-walk. It informs pour humility and gratitude. It reminds us of Who God is and who we are. It reminds us of our continuing and great need for Jesus.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your suffering and agony on our behalf. We will never know the full extent of what you gave that we might have a relationship with your heavenly father. Thank you for the basis on which we pray—we are the redeemed of the Lord. Hallelujah!

3. “You certainly can’t be used by God where you haven’t yet been placed.”

This is an astute statement.

Perhaps we're awaiting our big moment for God. Surely God has big plans for our lives, somewhere, somehow, someday. But what about here and now?

“However God engineers your circumstances, your duty is to pray.” This means our present and immediate context is precisely where God would have us be for His purposes. We live into His purposes as we prayerfully submit ourselves to God.

Are we looking for a more glamorous way of serving Jesus? Oswald's analogy is stunningly brilliant: “A laboring person makes the ideas of the genius possible, and the laboring saint makes the ideas of their Master possible.”

It's often in our unnoticed, meek and mundane labors God is using us most profoundly. And since menial things make up most of our day, we can be encouraged—God is using us where we are.

“Once the veil is lifted, we’ll see the souls we've reaped because we’ve been in the habit of taking our orders from Jesus.”

I wonder what God has in store for us today?

Lord Jesus, here we are for Your use. Put us to doing as You will. Lay us aside as You will. May we be found faithful in the minutia as well as on the mountaintop. Be glorified in us today. Hallelujah.

***********

10.16.24

1. “The key to the Christian life is prayer, not work.”

Oswald’s words are convicting for me today.

I have a To-Do List that is never, ever completed. People, situations, tasks, duties—they’re the first thing on my mind in the morning and the last thing on my mind before bedtime.

There will always be more then I can accomplish. :(

Oswald reminds me today, my To-Do List must never take precedence over prayer. Prayer engages the dynamic power of God to do the To-Do List. Without God’s energy, the To-Do List is only an exhausting nuisance.

“Our work often results in the shifting of our focus away from God.” Even if my work seems to have everything to do with God's Kingdom and world, if my work is my focus instead of the Lord of Heaven and Earth, my priorities are mixed up.

“The key is not common sense, medicine, civilization, education or evangelism. The key is prayer.” Our work may be important, but it’s not as important as prayer. I remember, time and time again, with busy church staffers and leaders, asking, “What if we were to spend this much time and effort in prayer?”

My question is always met with a convicting silence. It makes us very aware that we can so easily neglect the essential of prayer. Lord have mercy.

Lord Jesus, please forgive us for neglecting the most essential work of prayer. Please forgive us for letting the business of life and ministry crowd out prayer. We confess our need and negligence of prayer. Please have mercy. And please help us prioritize properly. Thank You.

2. “Prayer is not about the people, but the Person of Jesus Christ.”

This is a powerful perspective. Sometimes I can be more concerned about the things I pray for rather than the One I’m praying to. Mercy.

I recognize this as my Achilles heel. I have a prayer list I dutifully run through as I pray. My intention is often simply to get the list covered rather than focus my attention on the One I'm praying to. Yikes.

Perhaps it's because my perspective is upside down. I'm often asking Jesus to help the people and situations on my prayer list, rather than asking Jesus how I might help Him in these regards. After all the stuff on my prayer list belongs to Him.

“Prayer is about the Person rather than the people.” That could be a powerful mantra for me.

Lord Jesus, my praying can become so rote, covering the bases, checking the boxes, staking down the tent flaps, etc., rather than simply attending to You. I'd like my times of prayer to be different. Please. Thank You.

3. “We stay busy with our work while people all around us are ripe and ready to be harvested.”

Ouch. Oswald is hitting me between the eyes today.

I'm in a hurry everywhere I go. I've got to get somewhere else. There are other things I need to be doing. Time is of the essence. I must go, go, go.

In my urgency to go, am I missing the opportunities at hand? Perhaps the delay, the nuisances, the interruptions, etc., are because God has more important matters for me attend to in that moment.

I’m afraid I can be more concerned with the mechanisms of the harvest than I am with the harvest itself. I'm tending to the machinery rather than the ripe fruit all around. Goodness. Lord have mercy.

Lord Jesus, I confess, I can become so involved in ministry matters that I neglect ministry itself. I'm embarrassed and ashamed. Please forgive me. Please help me remember what my life in Christ is all about: “A Christian is called to be Jesus Christ’s Own.” Today I give You myself—my head, heart and hands—for Your purposes. Amen.

***********

10.15.24

1. “The key message of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ's sacrifice completely satisfied the wrath of God.”

It's so difficult for us to speak of God’s wrath because it seems completely contradictory to the merciful and gracious nature of God. Yet, when we misunderstand God’s wrath, we misunderstand God.

Q: If God is perfect in all His ways, how can He also be wrathful?

Perhaps our connotation of wrath conjures notions of being cruel, tyrannical, vindictive and rash. Not so of God's wrath. God's wrath is the other side of the coin regarding God’s perfect justice: God’s wrath is God’s perfect judgment regarding sin.

God would not be just if He did not judge.

Here’s how we might understand God’s wrath: Out of God's incredible love for us, Christ became sin for us (2 Corinthains 5:21) and bore God’s judgment on our behalf. In Christ, God's wrath regarding our sin is satisfied, yielding God's mercy and grace for all who will believe and receive.

The cross of Christ is nothing less than the precise confluence of God’s perfect love, wrath, mercy and grace, and stands as central and foundational to the Gospel we proclaim.

We diminish the proclamation of God’s Good News if we avoid the reality of God’s wrath.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Amazing Grace. It becomes infinitely more amazing when we consider the cross in the light of Your perfect judgment and corresponding wrath. Lord Jesus, thank You for Your lovingkindness in bearing God's wrath on our behalf. We’re indebted to You forever and ever. You’re worthy of all praise, glory and honor. Hallelujah!

2. What's “missionary?”

We're liable to think of a missionary as someone called to an overseas mission field. Although there are certainly those who are called as such, Oswald suggests a missionary is “someone who is immersed in the truth of the revelation of Christ taking away the sin of the world.”

All who call upon the Name of the Lord are called to bear witness to God’s saving grace. However, we’re only effective in doing so the degree we recognize the relevance of human sin and the grace of God poured out on humankind through the cross of Jesus Christ.

“A missionary is someone bound to the mission and purpose of Jesus Christ.” This describes what happens in us when we’re struck by the truth of “the propitiation” of Jesus Christ: “His sacrifice for us completely satisfied the wrath of God.”

With that realization comes an entirely new viewing of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Faith in Christ is no small matter, nor is it a small matter for our loved ones and the entire human population.

A missionary is one who recognizes the paramount importance of salvation through faith in the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Beloved, may this conviction own us, and may we offer our lives in the pursuit with Christ and His continuing mission for the souls of the men and women on planet earth.

Lord Jesus, thank You for what You've done on our behalf, and thank You for opening our heart more and more to comprehend. May we be convicted to our bones, and so filled with Your love and compassion, that we can’t bear to keep it to ourselves. By Your grace, O Lord.

3. “Bound to the mission and purpose of Jesus Christ.”

Oswald simplifies our high calling in Jesus Christ: “We’re not to proclaim our own point of view, but only to proclaim the ‘Lamb of God.’”

We all have opinions about many things. But we must be careful not to mix up our opinions with the heart of the mission and purpose of Jesus Christ. Namely…

“The Lamb of God” came to eternally save humanity from eternal separation from our God.

Oswald further cautions from becoming those who simply “tell what Jesus Christ has done for us.” While our testimony is important, it is only a pathway to declaring “the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world.”

Moreover, “It's easier to become a devotee of divine healing, or of a special type of sanctification, or the baptism Holy Spirit.” Our God certainly is our Healer and Sanctifier, and the indwelling Holy Spirit is a real and critical deal.

But we must be careful to center our faith on the saving work of Christ, not merely the outcroppings of His salvation. We rejoice in the manifestations the God’s grace, but nothing must be permitted to take precedence over what Christ has done to bring us into union with our God and Father.

May Christ’s mission and purpose burn in our hearts perpetually.

Lord Jesus, please forgive us for trumpeting our opinions and passions more loudly than the reconciliation with God You’ve wrought for us. Thank You for calling us to be Your witnesses. May we be found faithful.

***********

10.14.24

1. “We go on the authority of Jesus, not the needs of the lost.”

This is a critical posture for our lives.

Jesus has called us to be His witnesses in our world. We go and do and be in response to His calling, not merely in response to the needs in our world.

Of course, we can misuse this notion and claim Jesus has not called us to help this person or that person. But Jesus teaches otherwise: “Give to those who ask” (Matthew 5:42).

And as we do so, we’re doing so in response to Christ's calling.

If we see needs all around and are overwhelmed, we're liable to attempt to meet those needs as if God is not able or has forgotten these people. What are we saying about God as we serve in that way?

On the other hand, if we view every encounter as if we are an agent of Jesus Christ, representing Christ and His Kingdom, our approach is humble, joyful and generous, and our goal becomes making Jesus known.

There are far too many needs out there for me to meet. Therefore, we do well to take our marching orders from Jesus, then step out in the authority of that calling.

This approach brings tremendous peace and balance to our life.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your high calling. It's our honor and privilege to serve under Your authority as Your worker and agent. Please help us represent You well today as we love and care for others.

2. “Jesus doesn't say the lost will never be saved if we don't go—He simply says, “go.”

This statement opens up a can of worms. What does it say about evangelism?

“How will they hear unless someone preaches to them?” (Romans 10:14). Indeed, most of us heard about Jesus from the lips of others.

At the same time, we're hearing testimonies these days from Muslim, Hindu, Shamanist and Communist nations, of people coming to faith because Jesus appeared to them personally.

Is Jesus able to save without us? If so, why would He call us to go and preach?

Here's a way to think about it. God caused Jesus to be conceived in Mary's womb. Joseph had nothing to do with it. God is Sovereign and can do anything He likes.

However, the natural means by which children enter the world is conception between a mother and father. God can do the former, but He designed and most of the time uses the latter.

And, those of us who are parents know the joy of being a part of conceiving and parenting young souls. It's one of the greatest human experiences. So is helping others know and grow in Jesus.

So, does God need us? “God is not served by human hands, as though He needs anything” (Acts 17:24). Rather, God shares with us the blessing of procreation—both physically and spiritually.

It’s a game-changer for our life and God-walk.

Heavenly Father, thank You for using us to help others know Jesus. It's the joy of our life to participate with You in matters of time and eternity. Please use us today. Thank You.

3. “If I want to know the universal Sovereignty Christ, I must know Him myself.”

Theology is one thing. Knowing is another.

I can learn and recite lots and lots of theology. Theology is important—it’s how we comprehend, understand and explain our faith. But theology can also remain purely theoretical.

“Knowing,” from a Biblical standpoint, is something completely different. “Adam knew his wife” (Genesis 4:1). This was certainly more than head-knowledge.

In the same way, “I want to know Christ, and the power of His Resurrection, and fellowship with Him in His sufferings” (Philippians 3:10). This is a depiction of becoming intimately acquainted with Jesus, listening to His heartbeat and sharing in His thoughts.

“I must take time to worship the One Whose Name I bear.” I can learn lots of things about Jesus, but I only “know” Jesus as I come into intimate contact with Him. This is the perpetual worship life of a Christ-follower.

As we get to know Jesus in this way, we become convinced of His Sovereignty. We begin to believe He truly is Who He says He is. We gain confidence in His promises and a growing willingness to follow His leadership.

Beloved, as we worship Jesus, may we come to know His Sovereignty more and more.

Lord Jesus, as we meet with You today in the quiet place of worship, we declare You are worthy, and we gladly offer You our heart. Thank You for making Yourself known to us. We believe You to be our Sovereign Savior, and declare You to be our Lord and Leader. Hallelujah.

***********

10.13.24

1. Discouragement is a necessary part of spiritual growth.

Oswald uses the example of Moses to illustrate. “Moses felt certain he was the one to deliver his people.” Moses recognized the plight of his people, his place of leadership among the Egyptians, and took it upon himself to make matters right.

In his failure, and barely escaping with his life, he faced a sense of abject discouragement. It hung around his neck like a boat anchor for years and years.

When God finally appeared and called him to deliver Israel from Pharoah’s hand, Moses could only point to his failure. Little did he know, God had been “training and disciplining him” for God's purposes all along.

It's discouraging when we discover just how little use we are to God in the big picture. We dream of the heroic, we see the great needs and opportunities, and we dive in headlong to save the day.

Most of us have failed numerous times in this regard. We simply don’t have what it takes to live into the vision God has given us. But all along God is humbling us and helping us realize we cannot, but He can.

Let's willingly receive the humiliation and discouragement that comes with our failures. God I making us less dependent upon ourselves and more dependent upon Him.

Heavenly Father, thank You for helping us to learn this truth. We have bigger ideals than we can possibly live into. Thank You for giving us a vision of what You’re able to do through us. Please continue humble so You can make it happen.

2. “Moses was not the right person for the work until he learned true fellowship and oneness with God.”

This is a very helpful perspective on our God-walk.

At the heart of following Jesus is fellowship and oneness with our Savior and Lord. Not simply duty and obedience, but a marriage of our hearts and souls with His.

Jesus is to become the very center of who we are. Anything less is infinitely less.

What’s fellowship and oneness with God? It's a givenness and heartfelt desire to be with our God and become God's very own possession. To walk in fellowship with God will require dismissing lesser fellowships. To seek oneness with God is to determine nothing matters more than being in right and tight relationship with God.

I certainly want to be of use to God. Not so God will accept me, but so my life might serve a greater purpose. Living into this goal is not merely a matter of working hard and diligently. It's a matter of permitting God's interests to swallow up mine.

The surprise is, what may appear as sacrificial is actually the means of attaining greatest satisfaction. Because we were made for nothing less than increasing, joyful and glorious fellowship and oneness with the God Who made us and loves us.

Heavenly Father, please win our hearts more and more. May we know in this life the truest fellowship and oneness the human experience can afford. Thank You for making this possible by Your Son and Spirit. Hallelujah!

3. 40 years in the wilderness.

Oswald surmises, “Perhaps (some among us are) experiencing something equivalent to Moses’ 40 years in the wilderness.” It's a dark and lonely time. We're tempted to question everything we thought we believed about God, ourselves and others. And we may be hopeless about our future.

Thank God for His Word to us: “I Am Who I Am.” Our God is our everything. He’ll never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8), He'll never fail us (Joshua 21:45), His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23), and He has plans and purposes for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11).

As we walk with Jesus, we learn it's not what we do for God that brings Him pleasure, but our personal, faithful and loving relationship with God that stirs His heart: “This is My child, with whom I am well pleased.”

Our greatest zeal and most sacrificial service for God world can’t take the place of living, breathing, moment-by-moment, heart-to-heart fellowship with God. For this we were created, and toward this end God is working in us presently.

“If you are going through a time of discouragement, there's a time of great personal growth ahead.” May it be so, our Lord and Savior.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your faithfulness, even in the wilderness. And thank You for what You do in our souls in the wilderness. Please use every means necessary to make us fully Yours.

***********

10.12.24

1. We’re our truest self when no one’s looking.

Oswald suggests, “The truest demonstration of our spiritual life and character is revealed during the ordinary things of life when we're not under the spotlight.”

That's when we get a glimpse of what's inside.

I can fool you, and I may try to fool myself. But, when I'm alone with my thoughts and temptations, I come to grips with both my higher and lower nature.

Most of us are concerned with appearances in public. Everyone puts on their Sunday best when we go to church. We may keep up appearances for a time, but often we're very different when we let our hair down.

We have common vernacular for this phenomena: “Hypocrisy.” Jesus said it this way, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). The sooner we own this truth about ourselves, the better.

Our God-walk is the pursuit of God's grace to be the person privately we attempt to convey publicly. It's God's intention then we become more like Jesus, who was consistently godly in private and in person.

Because that's Who He is.

Lord Jesus, we want to be more like You. Please forgive our hypocrisy. It's very apparent we've not arrived. Please continue taking us there. Thank You.

2. Getting “in stride” with God.

Oswald says, “It's painful work to get in step with God and to keep pace with Him.” That's because our God isn’t static. He's on the move. He's forever accomplishing His mission to redeem humanity.

Beginning with us, personally.

“God has different ways of doing things, and we must be trained and disciplined His ways.” We might assume this means moral living. But Oswald suggests the real goal is posturing ourselves just as Jesus did:

“Jesus never worked from His Own standpoint, but always from the standpoint of His Father.” This is the gist of the God walk. I'm not my own, but His. I'm not merely following a moral code; I’m following God's Holy Spirit.

What's the evidence of being “in stride” with God? “The only characteristic that exhibits itself is the very life of God Himself.” That is, a life lived in stride with God exhibits the Life of Christ in us.

We can’t fake this stuff. Instead, we know when we sense the Life of Christ in another individual. And it’s very apparent when we don't.

May we be among the former. By the grace of God, may we discover and sustain God's stride.

Heavenly Father, we want to keep pace with You. We want to follow Your leadership. We want You to live through us. And if those desires aren't true of us, we want them to be. Please do what You must that we might be Your walking partners.

3. “Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning.”

What a powerful statement. Our environment truly impacts our spirit.

However, “You would have to leave this world to avoid the immoral, the greedy, swindlers and idolaters” (1 Corinthians 5:10). It's part of being and living among broken human beings.

Which means we must to be intentional about creating environments conducive to growing in Christ. That’s certainly involves our personal time with Jesus every day, but it also involves our purposeful relationships with others. That's why disciple-making groups are so critical for our spiritual development.

We must also ask ourselves, “What do we bring to other people's environments?” If we bring our anxiety, criticism, ill temper and the like, we're polluting their atmosphere and hindering their spiritual growth.

Let's be very aware of our impact on others, as well as their impact on us. May we intentionally surround ourselves and surround others with the oxygen of Heaven.

Heavenly Father, thank You for birthing Christ in us. Please help us be diligent in nurturing our spiritual life. Please give us grace when we find ourselves in toxic environments we can't control. Please us intentionally create a healthy atmosphere for ourself and others.

***********

10.11.24

1. “God's silence.”

We've all faced God's silence. It can seem dreadful. Where’s our God? Doesn’t He hear us? Has He forsaken us? Have we perturbed God and distanced ourself from Him?

All of these responses are reasonable, because we've learned them from other relationships throughout our life. When a relationship goes sour, it’s often followed by silence.

Granted, we can certainly run God off with our disobedience, rebellion and ill-temperament. If we want nothing to do with God, He’ll grant our request.

But Oswald suggests “God's silences may actually be His answers.”

Could it be God is “bringing us into an even more wonderful understanding of Himself?” Is God developing our utter confidence He is near, even when we can't seem to feel or find Him?

Mother Teresa once said she went decades without “feeling” God. But that didn’t mean she wasn't in communication with Him, following His leadership and drawing from His grace.

God’s silence may simply be evidence “God trusts us.”

Remember how lonely and creepy it was when your parent pushed you on your bicycle, then let go as you rode away on your own? They may seem far away in that moment, but it delighted their heart to finally trust you.

Heavenly Father, if Oswald is right, thank You for Your periodic silence. Thank You for developing our faith to the point we know Your silence doesn't mean You’ve abandoned us. We trust You’re near. We trust You have us. May our hearts be at peace, even when we can't seem to locate You.

2. “God's silence is His intimacy.”

Perhaps we remember those long phone calls with a significant other, nothing to say, only listening to one another breathe.

It’s the intimacy of silence. Simply being near is enough.

Is God's nearness enough for me, or do I need more evidence of His love and concern? Can I trust He's doing what needs to be done and I'll hear from Him as need be?

It's in new and undeveloped relationships we must fill the air with chatter, activity and noise. If we don't, things may grow silent, and silence feels weird when we don't know someone well.

Indeed, silence is for those with whom we are most intimate. It's a sign of trust, belonging, comfortableness and peace.

What greater gift could God give?

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your unquestionable nearness. May we grow more and more serene in Your silence. Please help us trust You more and more.

3. “God doesn’t give us a stone; He gives us the ‘Bread of Life.’”

I must be careful not to accuse God of giving me anything less than His very best.

I may be tempted to think otherwise when my circumstances are difficult. The enemy of our soul certainly wants us to think ill of our God.

However, Jesus said, “If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask?” (Matthew 7:11).

As we ask, our God hears and responds. When He doesn't answer according to it our appraisal, given time, we often recognize He has been giving us “the Bread of Life” all along.

This is evident to most of us when we look back at very difficult circumstances in our lives. We recognize that, as we struggled, God was working pure gold into our heart and character. We wouldn't wish it on anyone else, but we’re thankful for what God has done.

Beloved, God never gives us stones. He only nourishes and sustains His beloved children.

Heavenly Father, thank You for for the way You feed our soul. Thank You we never grow hungry for want of You. Thank You for filling us with Your goodness. We gratefully receive from Your gracious hand today.

 ***********

10.10.24

1. “We don’t grow into a spiritual relationship step by step, we either have a relationship or we don’t.”

At first blush this may seem counterintuitive. Aren't we always growing in our relationships?

Without a doubt. But, as Oswald says, “We don’t grow INTO a spiritual relationship.” A spiritual relationship supernaturally and immediately begins when we trust and receive Christ by faith.

To be “born again” is to be spiritually born into a spiritual relationship with our Savior as His Holy Spirit takes up residence in us. It's an instantaneous and punctiliar point in time in which Christ is born in us.

We then get to enjoy time and eternity growing in our spiritual relationship with Jesus. We nurture that relationship every moment of every day with loving attention, thanksgiving and praise, asking and receiving, and giving our Lord our heartfelt allegiance and obedience.

This is the joy of our God-walk. We’re spiritual beings in Christ! And today we get to enjoy the love, joy and peace of fellowship in God's Spirit. Hallelujah!

Lord Jesus, thank You for this living, breathing and life-giving relationship we enjoy it with You by faith. Thank You for a brand new existence. We delight in being Yours.

2. “We’ll never know the things of God through philosophy or thinking.”

This flies in the face of our enlightened culture. We're confident, in time, we’ll solve all mysteries and know all things through the scientific method and intellectual logic.

However, “It's the glory of God to hide a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out” (Proverbs 25:2). This is the delightful way of God. We can't begin to imagine His thoughts—He can only reveal them to us.

“All of God's revealed truths are open to us by obedience.” And it all begins as we trust and obey Jesus.

Then, on a daily basis, it’s utterly amazing how our continuing obedience brings clarity. Ironically, we may not fully comprehend what God might be accomplishing with our obedience, but, as we obey, God blesses us with greater revelation of Himself.

And it's delightful.

God said to Isaiah, “Come, let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18). Indeed, reasoning is a God-given human faculty, and we’re called to employ it in our God-walk. But reasoning WITH God is far different from reasoning ABOUT God.

Our reasoning ABOUT God can take us deep into the weeds. Yet as we meditate in the Scriptures and prayer, God opens our eyes to the marvelous and pleasureful wonders of Who He is. Hallelujah!

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your glorious ways. Thank You for making Yourself known to us. Thank You for the gift of obedience that we might know You better. Please give us grace today to obey and come to know You better.

3. “Don't say, ‘I suppose I’ll understand these things someday.’ You can understand them now.”

A common refrain among Christ-followers is, “That's something I’ll ask God when I see Him.” This is certainly a reasonable notion. There are plenty of things we'll never understand in this life.

But Oswald is speaking along a different line. He's speaking of “the deepest truths of God.” As we walk with Jesus, nurturing our understanding in Scripture, prayer and obedience, God makes His heart known to us. We see with greater clarity the mission of God from Creation, to the Cross, and even in our day.

In Christ, and by His Holy Spirit, we're gaining a Biblical lens through which we’re gaining clarity regarding the things of God, the human race and the world around us. We need not muddle about, confused about Who God is, His motivations or His intentions.

As God grants us access to His heart, we perceive “the great truths of God” with greater and greater clarity.

I'm certainly looking forward to face-to-face conversations with God, learning more and more about the mysteries of this world and the next. But until then, we need not walk in blind faith and ignorance. We get to walk with the God Who knows everything.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your great knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Thank You for sharing it with us as we walk with You. Thank You for opening our eyes to Your heart and Your ways. May we comprehend more and more, day by day. Hallelujah!

***********

10.9.24

1. “Am I in the habit of constantly realizing the perfect atonement Christ has wrought?”

This is a tremendous question, because it infinitely alters my worldview—including my understanding of the holiness of God, the sinfulness of humankind, and our great need for what Christ alone has done for us on His cross.

This Truth is at the heart of the Christian faith, and is the lens through which we see God, ourselves and our world. Life makes sense when we take seriously the fallenness of humankind and “the perfect atonement Christ has wrought.”

“I can’t redeem the world; I can’t right what is wrong, purify what is impure, or make holy that which is unholy.” Yet we set out into our world daily trying to fix things that can only be fixed by “the sovereign work of God.”

I can't fix the world's systems. I can't rectify the past. But I can give myself wholly to the redemptive work of Christ, and spend my life helping others do the same.

As Christ’s followers, our remedy for our world is helping more and more people become rightly related to God through faith in Jesus Christ. As they are, and as Jesus continues to change our hearts, we find our relationships, families, ethics, pursuits and everything else will becoming transformed.

In Christ alone are we able to envision God’s Kingdom and become part of the ongoing mission of Jesus Christ on planet earth.

Lord Jesus, please help us “constantly realize Your perfect atonement for sin.” Please help us recognize there are no options and no other hope in our world and for its people. May Your redemption be the sole foundation of our faith, life and worldview. Thank You for the immensity of what You’ve done with Your cross and Resurrection. Hallelujah!

2. “The greatest need we have is not to DO things, but to BELIEVE things.”

This is a constant refrain throughout the Scriptures: “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:7); “We walk by faith not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7); “Don’t doubt, only believe” (Mark 5:36).

Oswald isn’t encouraging us to drum up some sort of superstitious confidence in the karma of the universe. Rather, he's calling us to place our faith in the ultimate truth and reality of all God has done for us through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Christ's followers are called to trust their Lord for their eternal salvation, embrace His promises for this life and the next, cast every care upon Him, and take up our cross of faith daily and follow Him.

That means we believe whether we understand or not, and whether we feel it or not. “The redemption of Christ is not an experience; it’s the great act of God which He has performed through Christ.”

We're called to live our daily lives in utter and absolute confidence in what Christ has done, and with great hope in all Christ is continuing to do throughout the world around us.

The thing we are to “do” is to “believe.” The rest will follow as we live in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Father, thank You for the simplicity of believing. Please forgive us for our unbelief, and help us walk with absolute trust and confidence in Jesus Christ our Lord. May our faith be a pleasing aroma to You.

3. “Every time I obey Jesus, the absolute deity God is on my side.”

This is quite the statement.

When I walk in disobedience, I'm on my own. I have consciously distanced myself from God.

But when I obey the nudges of the Holy Spirit, the power that made the worlds empowers me. My obedience is in synchronicity with God and his ongoing work of redemption.

There are consequences to our obedience and our disobedience. The consequence of our obedience is pleasing God’s heart and taking part in His purposes. The consequence of disobedience is finding ourselves isolated and on our own.

This isn’t true only of grand acts of faith, courage and obedience, but is “exhibited in practical, unassuming ways in my life.” Obedience in the smallest matter “is immediately met by the delight of the supernatural grace of God.”

What could possibly be more wonderful?

Heavenly Father, thank You for including me in your glorious and continuing work in our world. It's our delight to be a part of what You’re doing. Thank You for the thrill of obedience, when we sense we’re on Your side. Hallelujah!

***********

 10.8.24

1. “Isn't it humiliating to be told that we must come to Jesus?”

Surely this is a primary reason many are put off by Christian faith. It's not a self-help program or merit-based system. It’s agreeing with God regarding our sinful state, falling at the foot of the cross to receive Christ's mercy, and following our Savior wherever He may go.

I must put aside everything else in my life and “Come to Jesus.”

Indeed, the words, “Come to Me,” truly “test how real we are.” In the areas of our lives where we will not simply “Come to Jesus,” we’ll “argue and evade the issue.” We rationalize, justify and even demand our way instead of His.

“Come to Me” is a confession of our neediness, not our accomplishments. Our pride wants to be worthy of the call of Jesus. Instead, we must come to Jesus in our sinful, broken and messy state: “Just as I am, I come.”

For those of us who’ve responded initially to Christ in humility and repentance, we discover Jesus’ offer of “Come to Me” is nothing short than emancipation. As Jesus continues to call us to “Come,” let's remember His very good intentions and yield to Him in any way He may ask.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your incredible kindness in inviting us to “Come.” Thank You for receiving us as we are and taking us where we never could have imagined. Please give us the grace to “Come” whenever and wherever You may call.

2. “You’re expecting God to tell you to do something very big, and yet all He is telling you to do is to, “Come.”

Remember being in a classroom of your fellow students, raising your hand and being called upon? You were chosen out of everyone else to offer an answer, thought or opinion, or perhaps even come to the front of the class to demonstrate your knowledge or ability.

If that's our notion of the call of Christ, our thinking is flawed. Christ doesn’t call us based on our strengths, but on our weaknesses. Christ calls us to Himself that He might heal our broken hearts, cultivate His nature in us, transform our thinking, and make us useful for God.

As long as we feel we’re useful for God in our present state, God can’t use us. Instead, He must remake us from the ground up. He must tear down all we are and rebuild us according to His Kingdom purposes.

Jesus doesn't call us because we're great. He calls us because He loves us, takes pity upon us, sees what He can do for us, and wishes for us to be adopted as God’s Sons and Daughters. And as we respond, we begin to see how needy we truly are, and how all-sufficient He truly is.

Lord Jesus, thank You for beckoning us to Yourself. Have our hearts and make them more like Yours. Please take our feeble offering of ourselves cand shape, fashion and mold us for Your purposes.

3. “Let Jesus uproot whatever is preventing you from getting through to Him.”

What might keep us from going further with Jesus? What are we holding on to, clinging to, disobeying, that hinders God’s continuing work in our life?

It may be we simply feel we have enough Jesus as it is. What more is there? Why would I want to disrupt my life by going further? If this is the case, we're not recognizing the high honor and indescribable joy of going higher with Jesus.

Or perhaps we're clinging to a pursuit, relationship, material goods, pride or accomplishments, which is detouring us from God's very best. We're clutching corn husks while God offers us fillet mignon.

“You will never get further until you’re willing to do the thing Jesus calling you to do.” It's quite possible we’re compromising what could be with Jesus because of our unwillingness to do the thing He’s asking of us.

It may seem like a small matter, but it has the capability of gumming up the works.

“He cannot budge it unless you are willing to let Him do so.” Jesus will help us say yes if we'll only let Him.

Lord Jesus, what are You getting after in us right now? What are we withholding from You? Where are we disobedient, prideful or sinful? Thank You for shining your spotlight on that thing, and thank You for Your all sufficient grace to help us dislodge that thing and come to You.

***********

10.7.24

1. “Sin is not wrong-doing, it's wrong-being.”

This is a very helpful dissection and analysis of sin. It's not what we do, it's who we are. It's not our actions, it's our nature. “It's our deliberate and determined independence from God.”

Here's great evidence of this truth: We believe we're good people, therefore we see no need for God. This is our “determined independence from God” in full view.

“Other faiths deal with ‘sins,’ but the Bible alone deals with ‘sin.’” Sin isn’t about our externals, but about our internals. Jesus is helping us understand that our internals drive our externals.

If we only view sin as our misgivings, we're missing the core of Jesus’ teaching. “The first thing Jesus Christ confronts in people is the heredity of sin.” We don't just sin, we have a sin-streak in us.

“Jesus Christ became sin for us.” Thank God for the cross of Jesus Christ, upon which Jesus crucified our heredity of sin, and made it possible for the Holy Spirit and the nature of Christ Himself to dwell in us.

Bless the Lord, O my soul.

Lord Jesus, thank You for “identifying with us” and putting to death our heredity of sin. May this truth become our reality as we receive and live, into and through, Your nature in us today.

2. “Jesus Christ reconciled the human race, putting it back to where God designed it to be.”

What we see in the human race today is infinitely different from what God created in the beginning, and what God's intentions are for humanity.

We were created for union with God, to live in fellowship with our God, and to be inhabited by His Holy Spirit. All that was short-circuited by the fall of humanity, and by the heredity of the sin nature passed along through the generations.

Hallelujah for our patient and brilliant God, Who has been diligently working to redeem and be reconciled with the entire human race. It culminated in the cross and Resurrection of Jesus, crucifying the human heredity of sin, and making it possible for the Holy Spirit to dwell in us.

“Jesus said, ‘It is finished’” (John 19:30). Hallelujah!

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your work in bringing us back to the beginning. Thank You for the restart and the reset bought and brought by Jesus on His cross. We receive Your redemption, and Your Gift of the Holy Spirit, and relish our reunion with You, just as You originally intended. What a gracious and marvelous God You are!

3. “Now anyone can experience reconciliation on the basis of what our Lord has done on the cross.”

What amazing statement. What an amazing wonder. What an amazing God we serve.

The cross of Jesus Christ is what makes our salvation possible. It’s “absolutely finished and complete.” That's why we offer it to all and believe. “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

If we ever imagine we have anything to do with being reconciled with our God, we sadly underestimate, underappreciate and under-represent what Christ has done with His cross.

It's all God's doing, and it's all God’s good and free gift to everyone who chooses to receive. “It's a matter of our individual action and response.”

And anyone can, if anyone will. Beloved, won’t you please believe?

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your incredible, all-sufficient gift of reconciliation by Yur cross. We believe and receive with great thanksgiving and praise. And, in turn, we happily invite others to receive. Hallelujah!

***********

10.6.24

1. “If all Jesus Christ can do is tell me I must be Holy, His teaching only causes me to despair.”

This statement has been so helpful to me in my understanding of walking with Jesus.

If we reduce the Christian faith and our Savior to merely moral teachings, no wonder it comes across as a joyless, lifeless, cruel faith. We simply can't do it; it only leads to miserable failure after failure.

However, if we understand the Christian faith as “Christ putting His Own heredity of holiness into us,” it's a whole different ball game. It means we’re new creations in Christ, having received His nature by the Holy Spirit.

“Now I can begin to see what Jesus means when He calls me to be holy.” He's not calling me to knuckle down, grit my teeth, defeat my heredity, and live in righteousness. Instead, He's calling me to live into my new nature—which is His Holy nature in us.

We can live like Jesus lived because the nature of Jesus Christ dwells in Christ’s followers by the Holy Spirit.

Beloved, may this understanding and approach to our God-walk be a game-changer.

Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of our new nature—the heredity of Your nature in us, subsuming our old nature. Please help us visualize our faith in this way. May Your nature have preeminence in us right now. And all for Your glory.

2. “Jesus’ teachings are meant to be applied to the Life which He puts within us.”

I'll never forget the revolutionary revelation I experienced when God used a mentor to help me understand the nature of the Sermon on the Mount.

Up to that point, I looked at the Sermon on the Mount as moral teachings Christ intends for His followers. It's hard to disagree with Jesus calling us to love our enemies, forgive one another, remain sexually pure, etc.

But suddenly I saw the Sermon on the Mount differently: Jesus is vision-casting the Kingdom of God. He’s helping us see what life can look like as His followers live into our new nature. Without Christ’s nature in us, we don't have a fighting chance of living into His vision.

In the same way, “Jesus said, ‘Be holy as your Heavenly Father is holy.’” This teaching sets us up for complete failure—except when we understand Christ is beckoning to the new nature He placed in us by His Holy Spirit.

The truth is, Christ-followers are capable of living a holy life—not in our own strength, but through Christ’s nature living in me. We don't have to sin. The whole of the God-walk is learning to permit Christ’s nature in us overwhelm our sinful nature, as we live a life pleasing to God.

Boom.

Lord Jesus, please help us see this truth more and more clearly, and learn to more fully permit Your nature to live in and through us. Rise up, Holy Spirit. Please defeat our sin nature that we might live into Your glorious and sinless vision for our lives. Hallelujah!

3. “When I finally reach my limitations, Jesus says, ‘Blessed are you.’”

This speaks of the battle within us. The challenge of the Gospel is, we can’t do what Jesus asks. We are incapable. If left to our own devices, we will continually fall short.

It takes great humility to recognize we don't have it within us to meet God's standards. It's only when we come to that place that, “God will put the Holy Spirit into our spirit and form Christ in us.”

If I'm determined to do it on my own, I won’t resign myself to the Holy Spirit. But, as I fail time and again, I recognize my need for the Holy Helper.

“Blessed are you.” This is the point at which we confess our weakness and meekly receive from God's hand. In that moment. “We have agreed with God's verdict on our sin.” Only then are we able to receive Christ as our Savior and the gift of a new nature by His Holy Spirit.

And this same humility persuades us to yield our lives daily to the person and power of Jesus.

Lord Jesus, may it be so. By Your Holy Spirit, convict and convince us of our need for You. Please be formed in us so we might live a life worthy of and pleasing to You. It's our pleasure. Hallelujah!

***********

10.5.24

1. A huge insight from Oswald.

I’m grateful for Oswald’s language. It’s been very formative for me through the years.

Our “sin nature is my claim to my right to myself.” What a helpful way to understand what we’ve inherited from Adam through our common human nature.

It also helps us see what separates us from our God: “The nature of sin is not immorality or wrongdoing, but the nature of self-realization which leads us to say, ‘I am my own god.’”

This is the crux of the matter, and so evident in our own life experience and the world around us. Humans have no intention of submitting our right to ourselves to our God. We want it for our own.

That means we’re thinking along the wrong line when we consider ourselves being good enough or doing good things. At the heart of the matter is, who do I belong to, myself or God?

It’s easy enough to say, “I’m a good person.” It’s infinitely more difficult to say, “I belong to God.”

Heavenly Father, we realize our tendency to cling to our right to ourself. Our culture is obsessed with self-realization, our personal rights, freedoms and such. Please free us from ourselves by helping us give ourselves entirely to You. Thank You.

2. “Jesus paid no attention to moral attainment. He looked at the nature of man.”

Kaboom. What a statement.

In our natural mind, we’re convinced this whole God-thing is centered in human morality. We view eternal life in Heaven as a matter of attainment through good and moral works and deeds.

Oswald disintegrates this perspective. Jesus was looking deeper than externals. He was looking at the corrupt nature of the human heart. Regardless of our actions, our heart is what separates us from God.

This isn’t to say morality isn’t central to the Gospel. Jesus teaches, “Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48), and, “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:16).

But the morality Jesus teaches is of a different order. It’s the outcropping of a changed nature—namely, the corrupt human nature reborn and transformed by the new birth and a new nature.

What is God looking at in me today? My heart; always my heart. My God-walk is about the sanctification of my heart, that the overflow of my heart might be a life that exemplifies the Holy Spirit dwelling in me.

May it be so, Lord Jesus. Please examine my heart and see if there are any wicked ways in me (Psalm 19:23).

3. What God does and doesn’t do.

“God nowhere holds a person responsible for having the heredity of sin.” Whew. That’s good. That would mean I’m responsible for every thought, whim or imagination—whether I dwell or act on them or not.

“Condemnation comes when I realize that Jesus Christ came to deliver me from my heredity of sin, yet refuse to let Him do so.” This is far more fierce… on my part. God gave His Son—a life raft in my sea of iniquity—and I can refuse Him. God, have mercy.

This is the plight of humankind, plagued with a sinful nature: “Light has come into the world, yet men loved darkness rather than Light.”

Thank God for His love—giving His Son for sinful humankind. God have mercy in His justice—holding me accountable for how I respond to the gift of Jesus Christ.

“O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:24-25)

Heavenly Father, by Your Holy Spirit, please help us receive all Christ has done for us. Thank You for Your unending grace and mercy. Hallelujah!

***********

10.4.24

1. “Thank God for being able to see all you have not yet been.”

I wonder if we’re able to “see all we have not yet been?”

It requires seeing ourselves through the lens of Jesus Christ—certainly broken and fallible people, but also redeemed, born-again and filled with God’s Spirit. We’re becoming products of God’s lifelong sanctification process.

“It’s in the valley we are proven.” Oswald is good at helping us see how the “bumps and bruises” along the way are the way are the means whereby God is shaping us. Such a helpful perspective as we face the inevitable hardships along the way today.

“Most of us turn back” because “the beatings always come in the most common, everyday ways and through everyday people.” We’re liable to get our eyes on the problem and the people instead of the vision of God perfecting us.

Lord Jesus, may we endure the stuff today, even the stuff of our ordinary circumstances and acquaintances. May we live in light of the vision of being forged in the furnace for Your glorious purposes. Hallelujah!

2. “Whether God’s vision for our lives becomes actual character depends on us, not on God.”

This is a bodacious statement. It suggests we can deter (to a degree) God’s vision from being accomplished in our lives.

We can’t bring God’s vision to pass, but we can get in God’s way. Lord, have mercy.

I wonder how often my whining, complaining and complacency are hindering God’s sanctification process? Probably more than I’d like to admit.

Instead, I must “live in the memory of the vision.” That is, I must nurture what God has promised—namely, He is “conforming us to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29).

If I want to become all God intends for me to be, I must “press on towards the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14) and God “complete His perfect work” (James 1:4) in us.

The “prize” is more than heaven one day. It’s God’s perfection being wrought in me. God forbid our unwillingness prohibits God from producing anything less.

Heavenly Father, please enlarge our vision of who we’re becoming in Christ. Please forgive us when we’re obstinate along the way. Please continue Your sanctifying work in us. Please make us more and more like Jesus.

3. “Our little ‘I am.’”

What tremendous language!

God is clearly the “I AM WHO I AM” in the Scriptures. He’s everything He describes Himself to be and infinitely more. He is Supreme and perfect in all His ways, and He has chosen to direct His gracious love towards us.

Hallelujah!

God have mercy when “my little ‘I am’” makes demands, wrestles with God and thwarts “I AM THAT I AM’s” purposes. How small my “I am” is,  yet how immense the capability of my “I am” that I can actually hinder God’s continuing work in my life.

“Our little ‘I am’ sulks and pouts.” Isn’t this the truth? Lord, have mercy. Thankfully, “God will hunt us down as fast as a flash of lightning.” In His amazing patience, God will never stop willing and working His glorious intentions for my life.

Heavenly Father, Your grace is so amazing. Thank You for being our “I AM WHO I AM”—the greatest possible reality. Please forgive us when “our little ‘I am’” causes such consternation. Please “dominate” in our lives today. We believe You are good, kind, merciful and just. Have Your way in us.

***********

10.3.24

1. “Doubling and redoubling our concentration on Jesus.”

I've never interpreted today’s Scripture in this way until now: “This kind of unclean spirit comes out only by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29).

We might in some way conclude praying and fasting drives out demons—as if praying and fasting somehow stirs the powers of the universe and defeats the wicked one.

Rather, Oswald states what’s obvious to me now: “praying and fasting” are not mechanisms for driving out demons. They’re mechanisms of “doubling and redoubling our concentration on Jesus.”

That is, our praying and fasting isn’t directed towards exercising demons. It’s exercised toward Jesus, affixing our eyes on Him, adhering our hearts to His, getting our eyes off the demon and onto our Savior.

The power to drive out demons lies solely in Jesus Christ, not in anything I say or do, not in my faith, not in my praying or fasting, not in my righteousness, not in my exorcism technique, etc.

In the context of this Scripture, as the disciples employ every possible maneuver to drive out these demons, Jesus admonishes them: “Nothing you can say or do will do the trick. It's not you, but Me alone Who drives out demons.”

Beloved, let's take Jesus’ words to heart and do everything in our power to hide ourselves in Him. We're absolutely hopeless, powerless and incapable on our own.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Oswald's insights into Your words. May we never imagine our praying, fasting, devotion, or any other effort moves mountains. It's You and only You. Please help us double down on our concentration on You alone.

2. “Your duty in service in ministry is to see that there is nothing between Jesus and yourself.”

I'm thankful for this admonition.

It's far too easy to imagine my relationship with Jesus as a duty, involving things I must do to please or appease God. But nothing could be further from the truth.

The whole of the God walk is to “see there is nothing between Jesus and myself.” That is, I orient my life around pursuing Jesus, repenting at His convictions, sensing His leadership and responding with obedience.

It’s me determining to be completely His in every aspect of my life. He will be my highest love. His will supersedes mine. His wish is my command.

And, there’re no substitutes. I don't get to pick and choose. There's no “good enough.” The singular desire and intention of my life is to be fully united with Jesus Christ my Lord.

Is it hard? Not when it's the desire of our heart. And that's who Jesus wants to be for me.

Lord Jesus, may the desire of our heart be You alone. May we truly love You with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. May our love for You motivate and maintain a squeaky-clean relationship with You. And all by Your grace.

3. “You can know freedom and release when brought face to face with a difficult situation.”

This is powerful. Life is full of difficult situations, and my response indicates my level of “continued concentration on Jesus Christ.”

In a tight spot, even when “nothing happens externally,” I can know the peace and freedom of Jesus on the inside. Not because I'm enjoying my circumstances, but because I'm concentrating on Jesus throughout.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” means “I can face things as they actually are in the light of Jesus Christ.” In the stuff of life, I'm not lamenting my circumstances, looking for an escape hatch, giving in to self-pity, or devolving into “panic.”

Rather, I’m looking to Jesus.

My airtight concentration on Jesus is my sanity in every and all situations. I mustn’t put off concentrating on Jesus until the crisis occurs. Instead, I must prepare myself for those moments by giving myself to concentration on Jesus in this and every other moment.

“The power of the saint lies in coming down from the mountain and living in the valley.” Our repetition in pursuing Jesus day-by-day permits us to know God's freedom and joy, regardless our context.

Lord Jesus, may it be so. We offer our heart and mind to You today. By Your grace, may we become ever more proficient at connecting with You and going the distance. Thank You for Your amazing grace.

***********

10.2.24

1. “The height of the mountaintop is measured by the dismal drudgery of the valley.”

This amazingly poetic statement carries such freight.

Indeed, it's the contrast between the mountaintop and the valley low that reveals height and depth. And it's the contrast between our “exalted moments with God” and the “dismal drudgery” of the valley that displays His glory most evidently.

Beloved, we wouldn’t recognize and appreciate the joy of the Lord if it weren't for our moments of great pain and grief. The bleakness becomes the canvas of God's glory.

To take Oswald's analogy a bit farther, the deeper the valley, the higher the mountain. Meaning, God takes us higher because He has purpose for us in ever-deeper valleys.

Lord, have mercy.

“It's in the valley we live for the glory of God.” If we're not experiencing the valley today, tomorrow we will. Let's remember, God hasn’t forsaken us; rather, He has prepared us for just such moments.

Heavenly Father, thank You for a taste of Your glory so we might endure and be useful to You in the valleys. As we walk through the valley today or tomorrow, may we be effervescent because we've been on the mountain with You.

2. “It's in the place of humiliation where our faithfulness is revealed.”

Humiliation isn't simply experiencing embarrassment. Humiliation is to be humbled, brought low, to find ourselves in a situation we feel is beneath us.

These are the conditions in which our faithfulness to Jesus is truly evident.

I don't like “the place of humiliation” any better than the next guy. I tend to avoid it at all costs.

Because, when it comes, everyone sees precisely who I truly am—including me. In fact, it’s most evident to me because only I know the thoughts and imaginations of my heart. Ick.

My truest self isn’t apparent in moments of exaltation. “Most of us can do things on the heroic level.”

Thank God for the times of humiliation so we can see ourself for who we truly are. It's in those moments we recognize just how much we need Jesus.

Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us glimpses of who we really are. It’s certainly humiliating. But thank You also for helping us see how far You’ve brought us. Thank You for Your incredible patience and grace as you continue Your transforming work in us. Have at it, O God.

3. “The valley removes the skepticism from us.”

On the mountaintop, when we see Jesus high, lifted up and exalted in His mighty power, we're confident He can do anything.

But it's only theoretical at that point.

It only becomes real when we find ourself in the valley. It's in the valley we learn to draw from the infinite grace of our Risen Savior. Then it’s no longer theological or philosophical—it’s as real as the nose on our face.

It's one thing to comfort a friend with Biblical promises of God's grace. It's another thing to be able to share with another how God's Biblical promises became our reality as we walked through our own valley.

It's in the valley we truly see “all power in heaven and earth belongs to Jesus.” It's our experience of that power that overwhelms our skepticism and Jesus becomes more real than ever.

Praise God.

Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing Yourself to us on the mountain, and proving Yourself to us in the valleys. Thank you for driving home the reality of Your power in our moments of greatest need. You have truly proved Yourself to us. Hallelujah.

***********

10.1.24

1. “We have all experienced times of exaltation on the mountain.”

I'm so thankful for the mountaintop experiences in my life. I remember so many with great fondness. And I look forward to the next.

“But God will never allow us to stay there.” I certainly understand Peter wanting to “build three tabernacles” (Mark 9:5). As we recently studied at New Horizon, “Tabernacle” was the place of meeting with God. Who wouldn't want it to go on and on?

But, Oswald says, God only takes us up on the mountain in order to “later go down and lift up the demon possessed people in the valley.” The mountaintop is not just my blessing, it's what God uses to bless others through my blessed experience with God.

“The truest test of our spiritual life is in exhibiting the power to descend from the mountain.” This seems counterintuitive. We share our mountaintop experiences with others as if they are the zenith of our God walk.

Instead, it's the demon possessed valley below where our light can shine brightest.

Lord Jesus, thank You for taking me up on the mountain to meet with God. Thank You for those glorious experiences throughout my life. May I be of use to You and others because of those very special moments. Hallelujah!

2. “We were made for the ordinary things of life.”

Oswald drives this point home time and again. Even for celebrities, life is full of the mundane.

As a boy, I remember shooting baskets on the patio under the porch light night after night. Glorious moments ran through my imagination as I, in the clutch, scored the winning point.

I assumed stardom was in my future.

Instead, even with the tremendous experiences of God along the way, most of life is ordinary. Such is existence on planet earth.

Thank God for our relationship with Jesus, Who offers His fellowship and grace in every moment. He makes even the ordinary moments special because He's with us, warming our hearts, giving us His joy and using us for His purposes.

Lord Jesus, may we be faithful in the ordinary things today. By Your grace, may we become masters of the mundane, able to do the necessary and rigorous things of life with Your peace and a smile. Thank You.

3. “We're inclined to think God is always teaching us something. Rather, God is developing our character.”

This Oswald-ism has been extremely meaningful to me over the years.

I often hear fellow Christ-followers say, “God must be trying to teach me something.” Teaching has to do with the intellect. God goes far beyond intellect as He forges our character.

Character is not a matter of our head. Character is a heart-matter, and is the result of God “conforming us to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29). Becoming more like Jesus requires more than learning about Jesus—God must transform us from the inside out.

We don't learn character in a classroom. Character is who we're becoming as a result of God’s supernatural work in our life. It’s not an immediate process, because God must overwrite the new character of our newborn spiritual nature upon the old character of our sinful nature.

It’s the result of a lifetime of pursuing Jesus and permitting Him to continually change us.

Heavenly Father, we're eager to have the character of Christ forged in us. Please help us receive Your formative work day-by-day. We look forward to presenting our completed selves before You one day soon.

***********

9.30.24

1. “Being made broken bread and poured out wine.”

This has been a very helpful Oswald-ism for me through the years.

I am only of use to God when I have been broken, crushed, squeezed and poured out. That's not the way we understand the Christian life when we begin.

As a new Christian, we’re thrilled with God’s freedom, filled with the joy of His presence and elated with being delivered from the burden of sin.

But as time goes on, we experience the crushing and squeezing of life. Perhaps we assume it's due to our disobedience or an unfair world. We may even begin questioning whether God has abandoned us.

But Oswald helps us understand God is using the ordinary stuff of life to soften, shape and mold us into the image of Christ. Christ bought us with His Own blood for God's use and purposes.

Therefore we’re to view our circumstances differently. Rather than complain, let’s receive the hardships, challenges, difficulties, pain and even grief, as God's means of forming us.

Today’s to-do list most certainly includes unpleasant situations we must press through. Rather than resent, ignore or avoid them, by God’s grace, may we receive them, and the breaking and crushing that will result.

Let’s trusting God knows what He's doing.

Heavenly Father, we had no idea following Jesus would include this process. Perhaps it’s best we didn’t, or we may have chosen otherwise. We pray for Your all-sufficient grace as You use the stuff of life today to break, crush and pour us out for others. Into Your hands we commend our spirit. Amen.

2. “If God would only use His Own fingers to break and crush me.”

This reminds me of the passage, “Although Jesus was God's Son, He learned obedience through the things He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). Jesus, the very Son of God, was battered into shape by the people and circumstances in His life.

I can only imagine Jesus’ times of prayer, early in the morning and late at night, away from His followers and near His father. My guess is, it wasn't always joyful fellowship, peaceful worship and blissful devotion.

I imagine it was Jesus, fully God, yet fully human, grappling before God with the people and events of the day. So many trying circumstances, so many hard hearts, the suffocating needs, the heartache of humanity, and infinitely more.

Surely Jesus was drawing strength and grace from His Heavenly Father. He was receiving His everyday trials, as natural and as human as they may have been, as the fingers of God breaking and crushing His Own Son for our redemption.

This calls for deep faith in God's Sovereignty. Only then are we able to receive our daily hardships as God's hand battering and shaping us for His purposes. “Father, may this cup pass Me by, but not My will, but Yours be done” (Matthew 26:39).

Heavenly Father, thank You for Jesus’ example of being squeezing and crushing by Your hand through ordinary people and circumstances. It sure looks a lot like the struggles we face today. By Your grace, may we endure just as our Savior did.

3. “Have you been as hard as a marble rather than ripe as a grape?”

This imagery is powerful for me.

Oswald is correct: “You cannot drink grapes.” If we’re to produce the sweet and savory “wine” of the Holy Spirit, we must be “crushed between God's thumb and finger.”

I can imagine a ripe grape being squeezed and yielding it's wine. I can also imagine a hard, slippery marble resisting the squeeze and escaping.

I can certainly refuse and avoid God’s squeezing. I can demand my rights; I can claim it's unfair; I can even resent God and others in the process.

But if and when I do, “bitterness” results. I'm miserable and make everyone around me miserable as well.

I wonder how God will experience me today—as a grape or a marble? It will take intense and intentional resolve and yielding to give myself to God's squeezing. May God find me willing to receive as God intends.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for the times we’ve slipped from Your fingers, unwilling and complaining, making excuses and even accusing You. Please ripen and squeeze us according to Your good purposes. We want to yield Your precious wine.

***********

9.29.24

1. “The awareness of the call.”

In today's devotion, Oswald seems to be speaking to those who may be grappling with a calling to vocational ministry or mission work. What does that have to do with those who do not sense such a calling?

“I chose you.” No matter who we are or where we may be in our God walk, it's critical for us to understand God has called us to faith and following Jesus.

We didn't discover God, nor do we trust Christ of our own volition. Instead, Christ called to our heart and awakened our spirit. He initiated, opened our eyes, convinced and convicted, stirred our soul to believe, and gave us faith to believe.

If we’re in relationship with Jesus, it's because He began this thing, not us. Our role is to respond to His calling. This is the first step in our God-walk, and it's followed by step after step beyond.

The calling of God is not a calling to do a certain thing. The calling of God is to belong to God. This is “the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14), and it’s a shared calling God offers each and every human being.

Aren’t you thankful?

Lord Jesus, thank You for beckoning to our heart. It's undeniable. Thank You for the gift of faith to believe. Please gift us with ears to hear and a heart to respond as we continue to listen for Your call and walk with You.

2. “The calling of God is always accompanied with an undercurrent of the supernatural.”

I wonder how good we are at sensing and responding to the “supernatural?”

The supernatural is infinitely different than superstition. Christ-followers denounce superstitions as we embrace the Person of Jesus Christ and the workings of His Holy Spirit.

How do we define the supernatural? It can't be measured with any instrumentation other than our spirit. In Christ, we are “born of the Spirit,” and suddenly become capable of sensing and responding to God’s gift of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.

It takes prayerful practice to begin relating to God from our heart rather than our head. Not necessarily with emotion, but with a newfound dimension—our resurrected spirit in conjunction with God's Holy Spirit.

The supernatural isn’t weird or freaky. The supernatural becomes a very natural means of sensing God's lovingkindness, nearness, favor and grace. It results in a new-found peace as we lift our eyes and behold our Loving Savior.

It's in that “undercurrent” we discover fellowship with God and develop an affinity and aptitude to “walk in the Spirit” (Romans 8:14).

By God’s grace, may we become more and more comfortable with this sensibility as we walk with our Savior.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your way. It seems so different from ours, yet in time it fits us like a glove. May our senses be attuned to Your supernatural ways, and may You grace us with faith to trust and follow You.

3. “Where have you put your own ideas of service ahead of God's calling?”

Every human being faces this temptation. Something in our soul longs to serve our God, yet we often choose our means of serving rather than permitting God to do so.

Perhaps it's because we haven't made the shift to the “supernatural.” That is, we evaluate our usefulness to God based on our natural skill set and dispositions. We can't imagine ourselves moving beyond.

Thank God for our inherent capabilities. But God's Kingdom operates on a different order. It's God Who calls us and God Who enables us. We’ll certainly serve with our innate abilities, but we’ll also serve along the lines of the supernatural abilities God gives us.

The challenge is, the supernatural abilities aren’t revealed until we step into God’s calling. When we garner our faith and obey God, He meets us with His spiritual giftings. They lie dormant until we do.

Are we curious what those abilities might be? Let's discover them, shall we? Let's tell God “yes” the next time He calls.

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for choosing our own means of service based on our comfort level and preferences. Please help us overcome our hesitations, respond to Your calling, and discover what You can do through us. And all for Your honor and glory. Hallelujah!

***********

9.28.24

1. “Unconditional identification with Jesus Christ.”

Something in Jesus stirred something in the rich young ruler. Oswald suggests it was Jesus’ holiness that prompted the rich young ruler’s “passion to be perfect.”

We can applaud the rich young ruler for his high aspiration. However, his aspiration to be perfect outweighed his interest in following Jesus. He wanted what Jesus had, but had plans of his own.

This helps us understand what Jesus is after. He doesn't simply want us to become better people, kinder, more generous and more loving. He wants us to become His personal possession.

Oswald calls this “unconditional identification” with Jesus. Jesus intends to be far more than our example or aspiration. He intends to be our one and only Lord and Leader.

Jesus intends for us to abandon ourselves and become fully surrendered to our Savior: “Jesus’ primary consideration is my absolute annihilation of my right to myself and my identification with Him.”

Those are stout words, which explains why the rich young ruler turned and walked away. Lord, have mercy.

I wonder if I want what Jesus wants?

Lord Jesus, I love the romantic notion of “having a relationship with You in which there are no other relationships.” But I know for a fact this is not the case. “One thing I lack.” Please continue taking me to the end. I want to want what You want.

2. “This has nothing to do with salvation or sanctification.”

Oswald takes us down this path often. “My Utmost for His Highest” is not an evangelistic book. Generally what Oswald espouses and challenges us to has nothing to do with our salvation.

Instead, it has to do with “breaking our heart away forever from allegiance to any other person or thing.” We’re saved by grace through faith in the cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). It's a done deal when we place our faith and trust in Jesus.

But there’s infinitely more to following Jesus if we want it.

As we read Oswald, it’s important for us to make a distinction between being saved and becoming fully His. Otherwise, as we read Oswald's claims, we may argue these things have nothing to do with the act of salvation by faith.

But they have everything to do with Jesus’ intention for this life. He certainly died that we might go to heaven when we die, but He died that the life we live today might be lived fully unto Him and His Father's Kingdom.

If we have objections to Oswald, it may be our objections to the latter rather than the former.

Lord Jesus, please continue to soften our hearts to fully follow You without hesitations or objections. Thank You for the gift of eternal salvation, but may we also live this life according to Your every purpose. By Your mercy, for Your glory.

3. “Has Jesus ever looked at you?”

Oswald asks this question based on Jesus’ encountered with the rich young ruler: “Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him.”

Of course Jesus loves us. He demonstrated that with His living and dying, and by “preparing a place so that you may be where I am” (John 14:3).

Oswald is speaking of the “transforming, penetrating and captivating” look of Jesus. That “look” peers into our soul, beckoning us to belong to Jesus above all things.

Jesus’ “look” calls for absolute submission to the will and prompting of the Holy Spirit.

There are certainly areas of our lives where Jesus’ “look” has broken our heart: “Where you are soft and pliable with God it's where the Lord has looked at you.”

However, there are other areas which remain “hard and vindictive, insistent on having our own way.” We run up against these areas all along the way as we walk with Jesus.

“There are whole areas of your nature that have never been transformed by His gaze.” It's surely not because Jesus hasn’t looked upon us. It’s surely because we’ve diverted our gaze from His.

Are we willing to permit Jesus to “look” upon every detail of our life? I think we know what it might mean when He does.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your loving gaze. It was Your “look” that convinced us of Your love and of our need for our Savior. Please continue to “look” into and through us as You continue Your work of making us fully Your Own.

***********

9.27.24

1. “Never apologize for your Lord.”

These are powerful words.

The life, ministry and words of Jesus don't always fit our modern and Western sensibilities. We can find objections all the way through the Gospels.

I must be very careful not to fall into the temptation of tempering or softening Jesus’ words. We may imagine Jesus to be nothing short of warm and fuzzy. Instead, Jesus Christ is marked by absolute holiness, speaking nothing less than absolute Truth in absolute love.

I must learn to let Jesus stand on His Own feet with His Own words. As Oswald helps us see in today's devotion, there's far more behind Jesus’ words than what we might see at first glance.

Lord Jesus, please forgive us when we've apologized for You, or when we’ve attempted to dull Your words when they seem sharp or harsh. Please help us trust You with Your words and intentions. We believe You’re perfect in all Your ways. Hallelujah.

2. “If the words of Jesus hurt you, you can be sure there's something in you He wants to hurt to death.”

This certainly seems like an extreme statement, but surely every Christ-follower has experienced hard words from Jesus.

In fact, this is where faith begins. When the Holy Spirit opens our eyes and reveals our Holy, Holy, Holy God, we’re utterly ruined and convicted of our mortal and eternal sin.

The Good News certainly doesn’t seem good in that moment.

That is, until the Holy Spirit also reveals to us the goodness, mercy and grace God has poured out upon us by sending His Son to pay our sin-debt with His cross & Resurrection.

Hallelujah!

In that moment, and forever after, we’re consumed with the loving care and provision of our incredible God, and fall before Him in heartfelt and grateful repentance and faith.

Thank God for the words of Jesus, even when they must hurt something to death. May He continue to speak what He must to accomplish His purpose of conforming us to the image of God's Son (Romans 8:29).

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your surgical precision as You speak to our heart. Please help us receive Your precious and transforming words, even when they cause us pain. We trust You to hurt us as You love us. Thank You.

3. “I must be guided solely by my relationship to Jesus.”

This statement is challenging, but hopeful and helpful.

Life is complicated. Many people, with many expectations, and many responsibilities are constantly vying for my time and attention. It’s a daily challenge to balance all of that stuff.

I may try approaching these demands with my sensibilities. There’s certainly a place for responsible decision-making. And I’m also in great need of God's wisdom as I navigate.

But God will never call me to do anything that competes with my loyalty to Jesus: “When loyalties conflict, always obey Jesus whatever the cost.”

This is especially difficult when we’re approached by people we love and/or tremendous opportunities. We may feel compelled to engage out of obligation or appetite.

But we’re united to Christ, not in a domineering way, but in loving relationship. Oswald reminds us that our relationship with Jesus takes sole precedent above all other relationships, duties and demands.

Am I satisfying Jesus’ desires? Does my allegiance and loyalty to Jesus trump all others? Most likely I don't have to wonder. Most likely it's very evident.

The challenge is, do I have the courage and audacity to say no to others and other things for the sake of Jesus? That's the true test my love relationship with my Lord.

Lord Jesus, may our relationship with You be the ultimate posture of our life. May it be evident to You and others we have no greater allegiance. Please help us make the hard decisions today.

***********

9.26.24

1. “Unbalanced sensitivity”

This is a very helpful perspective for me.

I can examine myself down to the scruple. I can pour through my thoughts, words, deeds and attitudes, and I will always find something seemingly out of place. That's why doctors don't give full body scans very often—they’ll always find something.

Instead, we give our attention to the Holy Spirit: “If something is brought to your conscious mind by the Spirit of God…,” then we respond. Paul gives us this same example: “I do not judge myself” (1 Corinthains 4:3).

The reason is, our spirit can be off-kilter, critical, judgmental, self-condemning. But the Spirit of Truth measures and assesses accurately, without emotion, vindication or cruelty.

This is the freedom we have in Christ: “If our heart condemn us not, we have confidence toward God” (1 John 3:21). I need not worry and strive, wondering if there's something between us and Jesus. The Holy Spirit will make those things known, and by His grace, we can respond with repentance and obedience.

Thank God for His Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the peace we can have with You. Please make it abundantly clear when we’re at odds with you. We rejoice in Your gentle convictions so we can know Your sweet fellowship.

2. “Go back the way you came”

I’m very familiar with what Oswald describes here.

There have been times in my God-walk when God has clearly spoken, “Be reconciled.” As it turns out, God doesn't mean “maybe.”

At that point, communications with the Holy Spirit are drowned out by the compelling of a particular conviction. I can't negotiate my way around it. I can't go forward until I “go back the way you came, indicated to you by God's conviction.”

I might attempt to stall, reason, justify, etc., but I can’t detour. I must “go back” and do the thing God has called me to do, even if it has since come to the point of humiliation.

“It's not a matter of your rights.” I may feel I'm totally in the right waiting for the one who has wronged me to take the first step in reconciliation. But, “The true mark of a saint is, they can waive their own rights and obey the Lord Jesus.”

That's a tough pill to swallow. But a very important pill.

Heavenly Father, please help us obey Your Spirit when You call us to initiate reconciliation. Sometimes it seems so unfair and unjust, but we can't deny Your calling. By Your grace, please help us “wave our rights” and follow Your lead. Thank You.

3. “The glad, simple, unhindered offering of your gift to God.”

Oswald runs down the process of obeying the Holy Spirit in being reconciled with others.

We begin our God-walk with enthusiasm and a sense of self-sacrifice. When reconciliation is require, the Spirit brings a sense of conviction. By God’s grace, we then obey God’s Word.

The challenge of reconciliation is, by God's grace, we must “no longer place blame on the one with whom you have been in the wrong.” Ouch. I don't get to remember the wrongs in order to bring it up in the future.

If I'm reconciled in this way, by experience “the glad, simple, unhindered offering of your gift to god.” My reconciliation with another is a gift to my heavenly father as well. And I and the person with whom I am reconciled, become recipients of God's marvelous grace.

The ways of God will not satisfy our impulse for payback bitterness or revenge. Instead, they provide the suite and precious “peace of God which passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).

And it's worth everything.

Heavenly father, thank you for the gift of your tremendous grace and peace. Thank you for the capability you give us by your Holy Spirit to be reconciled with others. Please help us do so as our love gift to you and others.

***********

9.25.24

1. “The relationship Jesus demands for us is impossible unless He has done a supernatural work in us.”

I firmly hold this view, and I'm convinced of its truth more and more every day. I’m absolutely powerless and incapable of following Jesus without the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit in me.

“Only one thing will bear the strain, and that's a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” The ups/downs, in/outs, hurdles/hurts, pain/grief, self-denial/self-sacrifice of the Christian life is impossible to live out by our natural willpower and strength.

We’re simply not designed to go it alone. Thank God for His Gift of the Holy Spirit, Who transforms and empowers us for following Jesus!

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit, it's the desire of our heart to faithfully follow You. “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son. Lord Jesus, thank You for making it possible for the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. Have us—we’re Yours.

2. “The Sermon on the Mount is a statement of what will happen in me when Jesus Christ has changed my nature by putting His Own nature in me.”

I remember when a pastor/mentor of mine helped me understand the purpose and posture of the Sermon on the Mount.

At first blush it would appear the Sermon on the Mount contains Jesus’ commandments for His followers. This is surely what Jesus expects His disciples to live and do.

While this is certainly true, it's also impossible. As Oswald reminds us again and again, attempting to follow Jesus’ commands in our own strength will only lead to failure, burnout and despair.

Instead, the Sermon on the Mount is a vision of Kingdom living, of the Holy Spirit abiding in us, transforming us, and empowering us to lay down our lives, take up our cross, and follow Jesus.

If it's read in any other way it's a misunderstanding of our nature and God's. The two are indescribably removed from one another, and it’s only when “Christ has changed our nature by putting His Own nature in us” that we’re capable of perceiving, embracing and living into God's Kingdom.

Embracing the Sermon on the Mount is our humble statement of our incapability and paramount need of Christ in us.

Lord Jesus, thank You for vision-casting the Kingdom for us. It whets our appetite for just such an existence. Holy Spirit, please continue Your work in us so the Kingdom might become our reality in and through our daily living. Thank You.

3. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.”

I'm convicted more and more of our language about “accepting Christ.” I get it—it’s an act of my will to respond to God, receive Christ and walk as His disciple.

But I'm also very mindful I didn’t initiate, nor did I discover God, nor was I “born again” of my own volition. It's the Holy Spirit Who draws me, reveals God to me, convicts me of my sin and need for a Savior, grants me faith to believe, and performs the miracle of spiritual rebirth in me.

And if all of that requires the mighty acts of the Holy Spirit, what makes me think I can walk with Jesus day by day as an act of my own will and strength?

Again, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” This whole Jesus-thing is supernatural. He calls me, changes me, and lives through me as I live for Him.

I do well to embrace this shift in thinking more and more if I'm to enjoy a fruitful God-walk.

Lord Jesus, thank You for choosing us, and thank You for the gumption of Your Holy Spirit that graces us to choose You in return. Today, by Your grace, we choose to be Your disciple, and choose to permit the Holy Spirit to enable us to enable You to live through us. Hallelujah!

***********

9.24.24

1. “Preparation is a process that must be steadily maintained.”

We're used to arriving. We set off for a destination and follow the GPS until we arrive. We begin a degree program and study until we complete it. We begin a home renovation and work until it's done.

But Oswald reminds us the preparation for God's Kingdom is an ongoing and lifelong work. As long as we’re drawing breath on planet earth, we’re still in preparation mode. We only arrive when we appear before the King of Kings.

This is a helpful perspective, because “it's dangerous to become settled and complacent in our present level of experience.” We can imagine we've arrived, yet we've only begun.

Beloved, let's continue wholeheartedly as God continues our preparation today.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your patient process of preparation. Thank You for what You've begun in us, and thank You in advance for bringing it to completion. We give ourselves to You today as you continue preparing us as “gold for the finer” (Psalm 19:10).

2. “Sacrifice in the Christian life is readily appealing to a new Christian.”

I couldn't agree more. I am so attracted to Jesus for His bold and courageous words and way. It certainly stokes my “sense of the heroic.” There's something very appealing about the notion of living a sacrificial life.

But, Oswald is right: “Then Jesus puts this tide of enthusiasm to the test.” It's one thing to read about Jesus’ heroism, it's another thing to lay down our lives and step into the sacrificial ways of Jesus.

It always occurs to me, the statement, “I'd take a bullet for my wife,” sounds dramatic, romantic and extreme. But how about sacrificing watching the ball game and instead going with my wife to see my mother-in-law?

Not so heroic, but smaller things can be tall, tall orders indeed.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your incredible demonstration of self-sacrifice. By Your grace, may we be obedient today in the small sacrifices as well as the great, heroic and epic.

3. “Never disregard a conviction the Holy Spirit brings to you.”

This is such a convicting statement about conviction.

The convictions of the Holy Spirit can be easily brushed aside. As we rationalize, reason and debate, the Holy Spirit is revealing “the stronghold of obstinacy” in us.

Perhaps we imagine God calling us to some great, powerful and mighty work, yet wince when “God tells us of some tiny thing that must go.”

Oswald says it all comes down to this: Am I willing to give up “my right to myself?” That's a tough one, but it's “the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.”

I wonder what it would look if we truly “gave up our right to ourself?” Unfortunately, our disobedience we may be convinced it would lead to something less than what we already have.

Unfortunately, our unwillingness is a stark declaration that we believe our ways are better than God’s. Mercy.

Holy Spirit, thank You for Your loving and kind convictions. Thank You for leading us closer and closer to our Heavenly Father with each and every nudge. Please help us tie into Your strength and courage to obey today.

***********

9.23.24

1. “The life goal for the Christian is ‘coming to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.’”

Life is full of changes.  Education, career, hobbies and other pursuits come and go. That's as it should be as our interests change over a lifetime.

But, when we come to Christ, one ambition overrides every other. We are called to walk in obedience to Jesus, follow His leadership, and permit His Holy Spirit to conform us to the image of Christ.

This measure becomes our gauge. It's not what we accomplish for Jesus, or our estimation of how useful we are to the Kingdom of God. Our gauge is responding to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit day by day.

If, in fellowship with Jesus, we sense we are doing and being according to His good pleasure, we can take heart and be at peace. We are along the way towards God's goal for our life.

Thank God for the simplicity of the Gospel, and the simplicity of following Jesus. Hallelujah.

Lord Jesus, thank You for the high calling to walk with You in love and faithfulness. It's our heart’s desire to become all You would have us become. We want to arrive at “the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ.” Thank You in advance for getting us there.

2. “Jerusalem was the place where Jesus reached the culmination of His Father’s will.”

It's important for us to recognize “Jerusalem” in this manner: “Jesus set His face towards Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Jerusalem was not an unfortunate circumstance for Jesus. It was God’s end-game for His Son.

It's true, Jesus came to show us what God is like. He came to Love the unlovely, comfort the broken hearted, heal the sick, and teach and proclaim the Kingdom of God.

But Jesus’ ultimate purpose was to accomplish salvation for humankind with His cross and Resurrection. “It is finished” (John 19:30).

To view the mission of Jesus Christ in any other way is to infinitely underestimate God's purpose for sending His Son. Humankind doesn’t simply need a good example or rules to live by. We need a savior, one who paid the debt of our sin and personally escorts us into the presence of God forever.

We have just such a Savior in Jesus Christ our Lord. Praise His Holy Name forevermore! Hallelujah!

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your obedience to Your father in coming, loving, teaching, demonstrating, and ultimately giving Your life for us. You are without equal. We eagerly and humbly offer You our lives, and choose to live for You today.

3. “The same things that happened to our Lord will happen to each of us on our way to our ‘Jerusalem.’”

“A servant is not above his Master.” This is a great perspective for us as we the experience the come-what-may of our daily lives. We’ll be fraught with challenges, difficulties, assaults, pain and weariness, precisely as Jesus faced on the way to His cross.

It's helpful to know that the stuff that happens to us along the way is the very stuff that happened to Jesus along the way to His “Jerusalem.” Yet it didn’t detour Him in the least. He kept His eyes on His Heavenly Father and marched all the way to and through the cross.

“Nothing must divert us from going up to our ‘Jerusalem.’” Today we will face enumerable distractions and diversions. Why wouldn't we? The devil knows good and well God wins as we reach our ‘Jerusalem.’

May God find us faithful along our way today, beloved.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your faithfulness in “going up to Jerusalem.” Thank You for accomplishing God's will for Your life on our behalf. Please strengthen now us for our journey. We’re determined to accomplish Your will for our life.

***********

9.22.24

1. “To have a master and teacher is not the same thing as being mastered and taught.”

Oswald makes a fantastic distinction here. “Master” and “teacher” are not simply a titles, like “supervisor,” “boss,” “president,” etc. They describe the tenor of a relationship we give ourselves to.

It makes me think of my biological parents. They are only “mother” and “father” to me as I accept and nurture these relationships with appropriate honor, respect and self-giving.

This helps me understand Luke 6:46: “You call Me Lord, Lord, but do not do what I say.” Even if we manage to follow most of Jesus’ commandments, if we’re doing so by rote instead of following Jesus from subordinate heart of love, we haven’t truly made Jesus our “Lord.”

Because of the self-centeredness of my old nature, I’m not crazy about being “mastered and taught.” Instead, I become resentful and bullheaded. Jesus can only become my “master and teacher” when I’m willing to bend my knee and bow my heart before Him.

I wonder if that's what I really want?

“Lord” Jesus I recognize Your supreme authority and flawless character. You alone are worthy of being my “master and teacher.” Please forgive me when I push back against Your Lordship. Today I declare my intention to lovingly follow Your leadership, eagerly receive Your instruction, and humbly respond to Your correction. Please be my Master & Teacher. Thank You.

2. “Our Lord never takes measures to make me do what He wants.”

Isn't this the truth? Jesus doesn't shame me, guilt me, threaten me, twist my arm or otherwise. He simply makes His intentions known, then leaves it to me to respond.

I'm with Oswald: “Sometimes I wish God would master and control me.” At times I’m convinced it would be easier if I were a marionette on strings.

But that's not the way of love. “Love is patient, love is kind… it isn’t self-serving” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). Love doesn’t force the issue. Love gives, woos and hopes for reciprocation.

Indeed, “love endures all things” (1 Corinthains 13:7). Once again, I can resonate with Oswald’s sentiment: “At other times I wish He would leave me alone, but He does not.” Our God is persistent, to say the least. He hangs with us, even in our disobedience.

I am so thankful God won’t take no for an answer. Although He permits me to have my druthers, He quietly continues with His.

May Jesus be victorious in winning my heart.

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your gentle, kind and loving way. Thank You for never giving up on me. Thank You for hanging in there in my weakness and rebellion. I'm thankful You’ll determined to complete what You've started (Philippians 1:6). Hallelujah!

3. “We’re far away from having the relationship Jesus wants with us.”