Today's "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers has a very serious and important message for us!
Deserter of Disciple?
From that time many of His
disciples went back and walked with Him no more. —John 6:66
When God, by His Spirit through
His Word, gives you a clear vision of His will, you must “walk in the light” of
that vision (1 John 1:7). Even though your mind and soul may be thrilled by it,
if you don’t “walk in the light” of it you will sink to a level of bondage
never envisioned by our Lord. Mentally disobeying the “heavenly vision” (Acts
26:19) will make you a slave to ideas and views that are completely foreign to
Jesus Christ. Don’t look at someone else and say, “Well, if he can have those
views and prosper, why can’t I?” You have to “walk in the light” of the vision
that has been given to you. Don’t compare yourself with others or judge
them— that is between God and them. When you find that one of your favorite and
strongly held views clashes with the “heavenly vision,” do not begin to debate
it. If you do, a sense of property and personal right will emerge in you—
things on which Jesus placed no value. He was against these things as being the
root of everything foreign to Himself— “…for one’s life does not consist in the
abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15). If we don’t see and
understand this, it is because we are ignoring the underlying principles of our
Lord’s teaching.
Our tendency is to lie back and
bask in the memory of the wonderful experience we had when God revealed His will
to us. But if a New Testament standard is revealed to us by the light of God,
and we don’t try to measure up, or even feel inclined to do so, then we begin
to backslide. It means your conscience does not respond to the truth. You can
never be the same after the unveiling of a truth. That moment marks you as one
who either continues on with even more devotion as a disciple of Jesus Christ,
or as one who turns to go back as a deserter.
What he is essentially saying here is that we cannot ever stand still in this life of faith! We are either progressively growing up in the things of God, or we are sliding away from Him! The key s that we must become DOERS of the Word, and not just hearers who walk away and forget! James 1:22 says this (in various translations):
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. KJV
22 But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth]. AMPC
22 But prove yourselves doers of the word [actively and continually obeying God’s precepts], and not merely listeners [who hear the word but fail to internalize its meaning], deluding yourselves [by unsound reasoning contrary to the truth]. AMP
22 Don’t just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to it, for that is the essence of self-deception. So always let his Word become like poetry written and fulfilled by your life! TPT
AMEN! God means for us to see, hear, learn and DO His Word! His Word is the only TRUTH (John 17:17) and it is only through KNOWING His Word that we are truly set free and stay free (John 8:31-32). So let's GO and DO! Here is Hillsong with one of my favorites! "Go"!
Shalom in Him!
