Posted on 01/14/2007 3:31:53 AM PST by .30Carbine
God did not direct His call to Isaiah— Isaiah overheard God saying, ". . . who will go for Us?" The call of God is not just for a select few but for everyone. Whether I hear God’s call or not depends on the condition of my ears, and exactly what I hear depends upon my spiritual attitude. "Many are called, but few are chosen" (Matthew 22:14). That is, few prove that they are the chosen ones. The chosen ones are those who have come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and have had their spiritual condition changed and their ears opened. Then they hear "the voice of the Lord" continually asking, ". . . who will go for Us?" However, God doesn’t single out someone and say, "Now, you go." He did not force His will on Isaiah. Isaiah was in the presence of God, and he overheard the call. His response, performed in complete freedom, could only be to say, "Here am I! Send me."
Remove the thought from your mind of expecting God to come to force you or to plead with you. When our Lord called His disciples, He did it without irresistible pressure from the outside. The quiet, yet passionate, insistence of His "Follow Me" was spoken to men whose every sense was receptive (Matthew 4:19). If we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring us face to face with God, we too will hear what Isaiah heard - "the voice of the Lord." In perfect freedom we too will say, "Here am I! Send me."
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]
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
Good morning 30 carbine!
If you can? said Jesus. Everything is possible for him who believes. Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief! Mark 9:23,24
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
John 11:25-26
Thanks for posting, Carbine.
My prayer response is, "I'm here, Lord, help me serve you. I'll go where you lead me."
Whether you turn to the right or to the left,
your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying,
"This is the way; walk in it."
~Isaiah 30:21
Just perfect words, Vision; praise our Glorious God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: He is speaking!
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)Hebrews 10:23
Very nicely said. Thank you.
Not one man is faithful like Jesus is Faithful. There's just no comparison is there? We are incapable, yet it is the realization of that falling so far short that leads us to the glorious praise and wonder of Our Faithful God.
The quiet, yet passionate, insistence of His "Follow Me" was spoken to men whose every sense was receptive (Matthew 4:19). If we will allow the Holy Spirit to bring us face to face with God, we too will hear what Isaiah heard - "the voice of the Lord." In perfect freedom we too will say, "Here am I! Send me."
That perfect freedom Chambers mentions here seems to me to be made up of the strong multi-stranded cord of the knowledge of God: that among the many attributes of His Nature, among His Names, is this Faithfulness which knows no bounds and has no equal. In this knowledge we can go anywhere, do anything, so long as we know it is The Faithful One who calls and sends, who goes before and comes behind us.
Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
~1 Corinthians 1:8-9
Amen! Thank you for the meditation and the beautiful passage!
You are so encouraging, so kind, such a FRiend. Thank you. How Good Our God to give us such delightful fellowship around His Word and through the bonds of His Holy Spirit. Thank You, Lord Jesus Christ. May we here continually urge one another on to good works, to great praise, to bold witness, to more fervent prayer - all things which You have prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Even so!
Maranatha, Jesus!
Amen, and may His Dear Name be Magnified Forever!
Faith-sharing bump.
Yes! Yes! Yes!
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