Tuesday, October 16, 2007

My Utmost For His Highest

I've been reading "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers as part of my morning time with the Lord and I thought today's devotion was well written:

The Key to the Master's Orders

THE KEY TO THE MISSIONARY'S DIFFICULT TASK is in the hand of God, and that key is prayer, not work-that is, not work as the world is commonly used today, which often results in the shifting of our focus away from God. The key to the missionary's difficult task is also not the key of common sense, nor is it the key of medicine, civilization, education, or even evangelization. The key is in following the Master's orders-the key is prayer. "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laboreres into His harvest." (Mat. 9:38) In the natural realm, prayer is not practical but absurd. We have to realize that prayer is not practical but absurd. We have to realize that prayer is foolish from the commonsense point of view.
From Jesus Christ's perspective, there are no nations, but only the world. How many of us pray with out regard to the persons, but with regard to only one Person-Jesus Christ? He owns the harvest that is produced through distress and through conviction of sin. This is the harvest fro which we have to pray that laborers be sent out to reap. We stay busy at work, while people all around us are ripe and ready to be harvested; we do not reap even one of them, but simple wast our Lord's time in over-energized activities and programs. Suppose a crisis were to come into your father's or your brother's life-are you there as a laborer to reap the harvest for Jesus Christ? Is your response, "Oh, but I have a special work to do!" No Christian has a special work to do. A Christian is called to be Jesus Christ's own, "a servant (who) is not greater than his master" (John 13:16), and someone who does not dictate to Jesus Christ what he intends to do. Our Lord calls us to no special work-He calls us to Himself. "Pray the Lord of the harvest," and He will engineer your circumstances to send you out as His laborer.

If you don't have a daily time with our heavenly Father or a good devotional book I suggest you do both. I find taking time out in the early morning before my girls wake up centers my day on Christ. With a time or prayer, devotional book, and reading through the Bible, the time is MUCH appreciated with having a busy schedule!

I friend of the "I Am"
~Ben

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Oh, Ben, are you trying to make me cry? That was so beautiful.

Loving you always,

Mamacita