"It is only the loyal soul who believes that God engineers circumstances. We take such liberty with our circumstances, we do not believe God engineers them, although we say we do; we treat the things that happen as if they were engineered by men. To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, and that is to our Lord. Suddenly God breaks up a particular set of circumstances, and the realization comes that we have been disloyal to Him by not recognizing He had ordered them; we never saw what He was after, and that particular thing will never be repeated all the days of our life. The test of loyalty always comes just there. If we learn to worship God in the trying circumstances, He will alter them in two seconds when He chooses.
Loyalty to Jesus Christ is the thing that we 'stick at' today. We will be loyal to work, to service, to anything, but do not ask us to be loyal to Jesus Christ. Many Christians are intensely impatient at discussing loyalty to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more emphatically by Christian Workers than by the world. God is made a machine for blessing men, and Jesus Christ is made a Worker among workers.
The idea is not that we do work for God, but that we are so loyal to Him that He can do His work through us - 'I reckon on you for extreme service, with no complaining on your part and no explanation on Mine'. God wants to us us as He used His own Son."
- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest
"Choose me Lord", This is the prayer I give and try to live every day.
ReplyDeleteNot always successful, but everyday I renew my battle that I may become less and He become what the world sees.
I have started a new book that is quite interesting that has similar themes. The book is by Timothy Keller, titled "Prodigal God".
I have done may studies on the Prodigal Son and most focus on the young son, fewer on the Father and Fewer still on the older Brother. This book has started out looking at something I usually try to do with other Parables or points made by Jesus...
By examining the audience that Jesus was speaking to at the time. Some Parables take on a specific meaning when pointed at a specific target that a casual reading may not discover.
The book in question points out the two groups that Jesus is speaking to: One the young sinners who are following him (shadows of the Prodigal Son) and the other group is the Pharisees who scorn at the idea of "dinning with Sinners" and the self Righteous "Tradition, good works means WE are God's chosen" (that echoes the anger of the older Son).
As with all of the Parables, just when we think we know them, the Lord reveals another layer that we may learn and grow closer to him.
God Bless you as we celebrate the Birth of our Savior and may you have a Blessed New Year
MSG Grumpy
MSG Grumpy - That is a prayer I am working to re-commit myself to as well - with, as you indicate, varying results.
DeleteIt is interesting that you mention the Prodigal Son - I read for the first time year The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen. It was definitely a change in perspective, the same kind as you write about here (scattered throughout April-June 2023; I should probably collate the whole thing into a single page. To the example from Keller above, I far more often fall into the second group than the first.
Thank you, and God's blessing to you as well in this Christmas and New Year's season.