The Habit of Rising to the Occasion
". . . that you may know what is the hope of His calling. . ." Ephesians 1:18
Remember that you have been saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in your body (see 2 Corinthians 4:10). Direct the total energy of your powers so that you may achieve everything your election as a child of God provides; rise every time to whatever occasion may come your way.
You did not do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must do something to exhibit it. You must "work out your own salvation" which God has worked in you already (Philippians 2:12). Are your speech, your thinking, and your emotions evidence that you are working it "out"? If you are still the same miserable, grouchy person, set on having your own way, then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.
God is the Master Designer, and He allows adversities into your life to see if you can jump over them properly - "By my God I can leap over a wall" (Psalm 18:29). God will never shield you from the requirements of being His son or daughter. First Peter 4:12 says, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you. . . " Rise to the occasion - do what the trial demands of you. It does not matter how much it hurts as long as it gives God the opportunity to manifest the life of Jesus in your body.
May God not find complaints in us anymore, but spiritual vitality - a readiness to face anything He brings our way. The only proper goal of life is that we manifest the Son of God; and when this occurs, all of our dictating of our demands to God disappears. Our Lord never dictated demands to His Father, and neither are we to make demands on God. We are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what he wants. Once we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine with which to feed and nourish others.
-My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers
The devotion has a real deep meaning. I love the reminder that we are rise to WHATEVER occasion God calls us to. Whether we are in a season of abundance or poverty, trial or peace, God desires us to live in such a way that His presence in our lives is obvious. People will know what God means to us by the way we live, the things we say, the attitudes we exhibit.
When I was told by the doctor that he had found a mass that he was pretty sure was cancerous, I returned to the waiting room and sat down and thought, "people are going to be watching how we respond to this." Through our "fiery trial" we have in fact learned who we are in Christ. We have had to throw ourselves at the mercy of our heavenly Father, trusting that He is in control; that He has a plan for us; and that He will get us through. Any time we have tried to rely on our own strength, we have suffered anxiety, fear, impatience, hopelessness and weakness. But when we have allowed the Lord to work in us, we have experienced peace, courage, patience, hope and strength. I have tried to be honest and share all that we are learning not to direct attention to ourselves, but to reveal the Lord and how He works in the lives of His people.
As we are nearing the end of this journey, I hope and pray that we will continue to remain sensitive to the Lord's work in our lives and will have the opportunity to be "broken bread and poured out wine" to nourish others in times of trial.
Remember that you have been saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in your body (see 2 Corinthians 4:10). Direct the total energy of your powers so that you may achieve everything your election as a child of God provides; rise every time to whatever occasion may come your way.
You did not do anything to achieve your salvation, but you must do something to exhibit it. You must "work out your own salvation" which God has worked in you already (Philippians 2:12). Are your speech, your thinking, and your emotions evidence that you are working it "out"? If you are still the same miserable, grouchy person, set on having your own way, then it is a lie to say that God has saved and sanctified you.
God is the Master Designer, and He allows adversities into your life to see if you can jump over them properly - "By my God I can leap over a wall" (Psalm 18:29). God will never shield you from the requirements of being His son or daughter. First Peter 4:12 says, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you. . . " Rise to the occasion - do what the trial demands of you. It does not matter how much it hurts as long as it gives God the opportunity to manifest the life of Jesus in your body.
May God not find complaints in us anymore, but spiritual vitality - a readiness to face anything He brings our way. The only proper goal of life is that we manifest the Son of God; and when this occurs, all of our dictating of our demands to God disappears. Our Lord never dictated demands to His Father, and neither are we to make demands on God. We are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what he wants. Once we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured-out wine with which to feed and nourish others.
-My Utmost For His Highest, Oswald Chambers
The devotion has a real deep meaning. I love the reminder that we are rise to WHATEVER occasion God calls us to. Whether we are in a season of abundance or poverty, trial or peace, God desires us to live in such a way that His presence in our lives is obvious. People will know what God means to us by the way we live, the things we say, the attitudes we exhibit.
When I was told by the doctor that he had found a mass that he was pretty sure was cancerous, I returned to the waiting room and sat down and thought, "people are going to be watching how we respond to this." Through our "fiery trial" we have in fact learned who we are in Christ. We have had to throw ourselves at the mercy of our heavenly Father, trusting that He is in control; that He has a plan for us; and that He will get us through. Any time we have tried to rely on our own strength, we have suffered anxiety, fear, impatience, hopelessness and weakness. But when we have allowed the Lord to work in us, we have experienced peace, courage, patience, hope and strength. I have tried to be honest and share all that we are learning not to direct attention to ourselves, but to reveal the Lord and how He works in the lives of His people.
As we are nearing the end of this journey, I hope and pray that we will continue to remain sensitive to the Lord's work in our lives and will have the opportunity to be "broken bread and poured out wine" to nourish others in times of trial.
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