Do we pass "The Test of Loyalty?"
Hey All!
Again Merry Christmas!
I just finished lunch and had a few minutes before I had to get back to it, so I thought I would check to see what Oswald Chambers had to say in his devotional today, and I’m glad I did. I’ve been going through a bit of a “Why Lord?” kinda funk the last couple of days, but am reminded in today’s devotional that “God engineers circumstances”, and once I re-looked at my current “Why Lord?” situation, I could see, understand and say to myself; “Yeah Lord! I can see where You could work this whole mess out!”
THE TEST OF LOYALTY
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." Romans 8:28
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 that 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" to-day. 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 of talking about 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 use us as He used His own Son."
Lord, forgive me for being so self centered at times and not seeing that this circumstance or set of circumstance may not be about me at all, though I will grow from the out-come, help me to see that this may be Your hand working in someone else’s life to bring them closer to You. Help me to not take whatever backlash or thrashing of their disobedience in a personal way, even if it’s directed at me, help me to pray for them, and to patiently watch what You’re gonna do in their lives and in mine.
Father may it not distract me any more than I am already distracted from life in general at times, but that Jesus, You would be the thing that I “stick at” today and tomorrow. What a terrible thing to read; “Our Lord is dethroned more emphatically by Christian workers than by the world.” but Lord how true it is. May we never take you lightly, or see you Jesus, even though you were not only fully God but also fully man, in a way that measures you to a world standard like I’ve seen even in this season of Your earthly birth.
May we always hold you higher than even the thought of what You must have been like as a child, or young man growing up here on earth, that yes even though you experienced some of the things that a child would experience, You are still Creator, Savior, Master, and worthy to be praised!!! Amen
Again Merry Christmas!
I just finished lunch and had a few minutes before I had to get back to it, so I thought I would check to see what Oswald Chambers had to say in his devotional today, and I’m glad I did. I’ve been going through a bit of a “Why Lord?” kinda funk the last couple of days, but am reminded in today’s devotional that “God engineers circumstances”, and once I re-looked at my current “Why Lord?” situation, I could see, understand and say to myself; “Yeah Lord! I can see where You could work this whole mess out!”
THE TEST OF LOYALTY
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." Romans 8:28
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 that 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" to-day. 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 of talking about 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 use us as He used His own Son."
Lord, forgive me for being so self centered at times and not seeing that this circumstance or set of circumstance may not be about me at all, though I will grow from the out-come, help me to see that this may be Your hand working in someone else’s life to bring them closer to You. Help me to not take whatever backlash or thrashing of their disobedience in a personal way, even if it’s directed at me, help me to pray for them, and to patiently watch what You’re gonna do in their lives and in mine.
Father may it not distract me any more than I am already distracted from life in general at times, but that Jesus, You would be the thing that I “stick at” today and tomorrow. What a terrible thing to read; “Our Lord is dethroned more emphatically by Christian workers than by the world.” but Lord how true it is. May we never take you lightly, or see you Jesus, even though you were not only fully God but also fully man, in a way that measures you to a world standard like I’ve seen even in this season of Your earthly birth.
May we always hold you higher than even the thought of what You must have been like as a child, or young man growing up here on earth, that yes even though you experienced some of the things that a child would experience, You are still Creator, Savior, Master, and worthy to be praised!!! Amen
In HIS Grip
Tony
Tony
posted by In His Grip at 4:24 PM
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