Shalom,

A few years ago I was given a copy of Oswald Chambers' devotional, "My Utmost For His Highest", by a precious warrior prayer sister in JESUS. Because of the time in which it was written, it sometimes takes a while to understand fully what he is saying, but that extra time in meditation and contemplation has been extremely valuable to me! I am sharing today's selection with you because it blessed me and I hope that it blesses you, too!

All Noble Things Are Difficult

Enter ye in at the strait gate…: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way…— Matthew 7:13-14

If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all noble things are difficult. The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but the difficulty of it does not make us faint and cave in, it rouses us up to overcome. Do we so appreciate the marvellous salvation of Jesus Christ that we are our utmost for His highest?

God saves men by His sovereign grace through the Atonement of Jesus; He works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure; but we have to work out that salvation in practical living. If once we start on the basis of His Redemption to do what He commands, we find that we can do it. If we fail, it is because we have not practised. The crisis will reveal whether we have been practising or not. If we obey the Spirit of God and practise in our physical life what God has put in us by His Spirit, then when the crisis comes, we shall find that our own nature as well as the grace of God will stand by us.

Thank God He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a glad thing, but it is also a heroic, holy thing. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is bringing many “sons unto glory,” and God will not shield us from the requirements of a son. God’s grace turns out men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, not milk sops. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the noble life of a disciple of Jesus in actual things. It is always necessary to make an effort to be noble.

I hope that YOU will make it your goal to fulfill the calling on your own life every day! We don't have to wait until we see JESUS face to face to hear from Him, "Well done!" Our daily interaction with Him through His Spirit and His Word will keep us in position to hear His voice continually, maintaining our intimate fellowship with the ONE Who loves us SO much! HE will tell us well done whenever we have done well! That is a very exciting and fulfilling fellowship that we should all crave! Here are Hillsong Kids with "I Give You My Hallelujah":

Shalom in Him!