I really love today's message in "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers!
The Great Probing
Ye cannot serve the Lord. — Joshua 24:19
Have you the slightest reliance on anything other than God?
Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural virtue, any set of
circumstances? Are you relying on yourself in any particular in this new
proposition which God has put before you? That is what the probing means. It is
quite true to say — “I cannot live a holy life”; but you can decide to let
Jesus Christ make you holy. “Ye cannot serve the Lord God” — but you can put
yourself in the place where God’s Almighty power will come through you. Are you
sufficiently right with God to expect Him to manifest His wonderful life in
you?
“Nay, but we will serve the Lord.” It is not an
impulse, but a deliberate commitment. You say — “But God can never have
called me to this, I am too unworthy, it can’t mean me.” It
does mean you, and the weaker and feebler you are, the better. The one who has
something to trust in is the last one to come anywhere near saying — “I will
serve the Lord.”
We say — “If I really could believe!” The point is — If I
really will believe. No wonder Jesus Christ lays such emphasis on the sin
of unbelief. “And He did not many mighty works there because of their
unbelief.” If we really believed that God meant what He said — what should we
be like! Dare I really let God be to me all that He says He will be?
What is he saying here? He is saying that in any area where we are relying on our own intelligence, gifts, talents, strengths, we are NOT relying on the ability and the anointing of God within and upon us! That's what is meant by 2 Corinthians 12:9:“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
What God has called us to do will require that we stretch beyond what is possible on our own into the area where only HE can do it! There is nothing that God needs from us except our full surrender to HIS will and plan and purpose! HE has called us and anointed us and appointed us to be HIS Ambassadors here on earth. We are His hands and feet and voice in the earth today. HE confirms what we say and do in obedience to His Word and His Spirit and the HE confirms it with His power and glory, drawing people to Himself! Let's REALLY be about our Father's business by NOT relying on our own limited abilities, but EXPECTING Him to operate through us, doing the unexpected! AMEN! Here is Hillsong UNITED with "Shadow Step":
Shalom in Him!
