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Daily Reflections with Oswald Chambers [March 11, 2009]
My Utmost for His Highest (The Golden Book of Oswald Chambers;1992) ^ | 1935/1992 | Oswald Chambers

Posted on 03/11/2009 4:35:42 AM PDT by Vision

Obedience to the "Heavenly Vision"

"I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision"

—Acts 26:19

If we lose "the heavenly vision" God has given us, we alone are responsible— not God. We lose the vision because of our own lack of spiritual growth. If we do not apply our beliefs about God to the issues of everyday life, the vision God has given us will never be fulfilled. The only way to be obedient to "the heavenly vision" is to give our utmost for His highest— our best for His glory. This can be accomplished only when we make a determination to continually remember God’s vision. But the acid test is obedience to the vision in the details of our everyday life— sixty seconds out of every minute, and sixty minutes out of every hour, not just during times of personal prayer or public meetings.

"Though it tarries, wait for it . . ." ( Habakkuk 2:3  ). We cannot bring the vision to fulfillment through our own efforts, but must live under its inspiration until it fulfills itself. We try to be so practical that we forget the vision. At the very beginning we saw the vision but did not wait for it. We rushed off to do our practical work, and once the vision was fulfilled we could no longer even see it. Waiting for a vision that "tarries" is the true test of our faithfulness to God. It is at the risk of our own soul’s welfare that we get caught up in practical busy-work, only to miss the fulfillment of the vision.

Watch for the storms of God. The only way God plants His saints is through the whirlwind of His storms. Will you be proven to be an empty pod with no seed inside? That will depend on whether or not you are actually living in the light of the vision you have seen. Let God send you out through His storm, and don’t go until He does. If you select your own spot to be planted, you will prove yourself to be an unproductive, empty pod. However, if you allow God to plant you, you will "bear much fruit" ( John 15:8  ).

It is essential that we live and "walk in the light" of God’s vision for us ( 1 John 1:7  ).


TOPICS: Ecumenism; General Discusssion; Theology; Worship
KEYWORDS: prayer; reflection; selfexamination
In 1910 Chambers married Gertrude Hobbs. They had one daughter, Kathleen, who still resides in London (as of 1992).

In 1911 he founded and became principal of the Bible Training College in Clapham, London, where he lectured until the school was closed in 1915 because of World War I. In October 1915 he sailed for Zeitoun, Egypt (near Cairo), where he ministered to Australian and New Zealand troops as a YMCA chaplain. He died there November 15, 1917, following surgery for a ruptured appendix.

My Utmost for His Highest, his best-known book, has been continuously in print in the United States since 1935 and in this, the last decade of the century, remains in the top ten titles of the religious book bestseller list with millions of copies in print. It has become a Christian classic. [from the flyleaf of the book]

1 posted on 03/11/2009 4:35:43 AM PDT by Vision
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Come to these threads as you are; leave with what you have discovered.

Absolutely no flaming! These daily threads are intended to be devotional in nature. If a particular day's offering says nothing to you, please just go on and wait for the next day. Consider these threads a DMZ of sorts, a place where a perpetual truce is in effect and a place where all other arguments and disagreements from other times and places are left behind.

I can attest from personal experience that reading from Chambers daily will almost certainly change - not one's faith - but one's perspective of his/her own faith, and open up new vistas in your spiritual life. If - when - this happens to a reader of these threads, and they choose to share what has happened within them - we are treading on hallowed ground. Be respectful.

- Religion Moderator

2 posted on 03/11/2009 4:35:55 AM PDT by Vision ("Test everything. Hold on to the Good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21)
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To: Religion Moderator; .30Carbine; 185JHP; 1lawlady; abigail2; al_c; Alamo-Girl; AlguyA; ...
Daily Reflections with Oswald Chambers Ping!

"Obedience to the 'Heavenly Vision' "
3 posted on 03/11/2009 4:36:28 AM PDT by Vision ("Test everything. Hold on to the Good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21)
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To: Vision
"Though it tarries, wait for it . . ." ( Habakkuk 2:3 ). We cannot bring the vision to fulfillment through our own efforts, but must live under its inspiration until it fulfills itself.

It is essential that we live and "walk in the light" of God’s vision for us ( 1 John 1:7 ).



“Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.”- Deuteronomy 7:9
4 posted on 03/11/2009 4:43:52 AM PDT by Vision ("Test everything. Hold on to the Good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21)
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To: Vision

Thank you Vision....as Pegita so often says “ Not I, but Christ in me”... Praise God that it is HE that brings the Victory.

Polly


5 posted on 03/11/2009 6:49:19 AM PDT by pollywog (I will lift mine eyes to the hills from whence cometh my help. My help comes from the Lord...Ps 121)
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To: Vision
We cannot bring the vision to fulfillment through our own efforts, but must live under its inspiration until it fulfills itself.

Indeed. Thank you for this beautiful devotion!
6 posted on 03/11/2009 6:49:50 AM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: pollywog

You’re welcome Polly.


7 posted on 03/11/2009 6:56:33 AM PDT by Vision ("Test everything. Hold on to the Good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21)
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