Oswald Chambers book "My Utmost for His Highest" is just so amazing and anointed!! Todays reading spoke to me. As I spent time visiting my daughter in the hospital while she gave birth to our new grandson, I experienced so many emotions. Joy and Thankfulness at the sight of my precious grandson, praising the Lord that he was healthy, and yet, just down the way were rooms full of children who are so sick. Waiting areas were full of those sitting and waiting while their loved ones are in surgery and worse, there are those who have received devastating news that their loved one is gone and they are faced with saying good-bye. At one point my son and I walked down to get something cold to drink and we passed a young woman who was praying and hurriedly walking to the chapel to have one on one time with the Lord. It was clear her heart was heavy and she needed a miracle.
Sadly, we do reach out to God more when in the midst of a trial than when life is smooth sailing. But, doesn't the Word tell us to count our trials pure Joy?
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:1-3
May we keep our eyes on Christ no matter what. blessings. trials. or just in a normal day. But I think Oswald Chambers explains it far better than I in the devotional below:
Do we expect God to come to us with His blessings and save us? He says, “Look to Me, and be saved . . . .” The greatest difficulty spiritually is to concentrate on God, and His blessings are what make it so difficult. Troubles almost always make us look to God, but His blessings tend to divert our attention elsewhere. The basic lesson of the Sermon on the Mount is to narrow all your interests until your mind, heart, and body are focused on Jesus Christ. “Look to Me . . . .”
Many of us have a mental picture of what a Christian should be, and looking at this image in other Christians’ lives becomes a hindrance to our focusing on God. This is not salvation— it is not simple enough. He says, in effect, “Look to Me and you are saved,” not “You will be saved someday.” We will find what we are looking for if we will concentrate on Him. We get distracted from God and irritable with Him while He continues to say to us, “Look to Me, and be saved . . . .” Our difficulties, our trials, and our worries about tomorrow all vanish when we look to God.
Wake yourself up and look to God. Build your hope on Him. No matter how many things seem to be pressing in on you, be determined to push them aside and look to Him. “Look to Me . . . .” Salvation is yours the moment you look.
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